ks at it."

"Dat's de Lord's trufe, Brer Remus," exclaimed Aunt Tempy with unction,
"un I mighty glad you call me ter myse'f. Little mo' un I'd er sot right
yer un 'a' gone 'way back to Ferginny, un all on 'count er dat ar tale
w'at I year long time ago."

"What tale was that, Aunt Tempy?" asked the little boy.

"Eh-eh, honey!" replied Aunt Tempy, with a display of genuine
bashfulness; "eh-eh, honey! I 'fraid you all 'll set up dar un laugh me
outer de house. I ain't dast ter tell no tale 'long side er Brer Remus
un Daddy Jack yer. I 'fraid I git it all mix up."

The child manifested such genuine disappointment that Aunt Tempy
relented a little.

"Ef you all laugh, now," she said, with a threatening air, "I'm des
gwine ter pick up en git right out er dish yer place. Dey ain't ter be
no laughin', 'kaze de tale w'at I year in Ferginny ain't no laughin'
tale."

With this understanding Aunt Tempy adjusted her head-handkerchief,
looked around rather sheepishly, as Uncle Remus declared afterwards in
confidence to the little boy, and began:--

"Well, den, in de times w'en Brer Rabbit un Brer Fox live in de same
settlement wid one er 'n'er, de season's tuck'n come wrong. De wedder
got hot un den a long dry drouth sot in, un it seem like dat de nat'al
leaf on de trees wuz gwine ter tu'n ter powder."

Aunt Tempy emphasized her statements by little backward and forward
movements of her head, and the little boy would have laughed, but a
warning glance from Uncle Remus prevented him.

"De leaf on de trees look like dey gwine ter tu'n ter powder, un de
groun' look like it done bin cookt. All de truck w'at de creeturs plant
wuz all parched up, un dey wa'n't no crops made nowhars. Dey dunner w'at
ter do. Dey run dis a-way, dey run dat a-way; yit w'en dey quit runnin'
dey dunner whar dey bread comin' frun. Dis de way it look ter Brer Fox,
un so one day w'en he got a mighty hankerin' atter sumpin' sorter joosy,
he meet Brer Rabbit in de lane, un he ax um, sezee:--

"'Brer Rabbit, whar'bouts our bread comin' frun?'

"Brer Rabbit, he bow, he did, un answer, sezee:--

"'Look like it mought be comin' frun nowhar,' sezee."

"You see dat, honey!" exclaimed Uncle Remus, condescending to give the
story the benefit of his patronage; "You see dat! Brer Rabbit wuz allus
a-waitin' a chance fer ter crack he jokes."

"Yas, Lord!" Aunt Tempy continued, with considerable more animation; "he
joke, un joke, but bimeby, he ain't feel like