ver the whole matter, and then turned to
the child:--

"Is _dat_ w'at make you hone atter Daddy Jack, honey--des 'kaze you
wanter set back dar en lissen at a tale? Now, den, ef you had n't 'a'
got me off'n de track, you'd 'a' bin settin' yer lis'nen at one un um
dis blessid minnit, 'kaze des time I year talk dat Mars John gwine ter
have dat ar long-hornded steer kilt fer beef, hit come 'cross my min'
'bout de time w'ence Brer Rabbit en Brer Fox j'ined in wid one er 'n'er
en kilt a cow."

"Killed a cow, Uncle Remus?"

"Des ez sho' ez youer settin' dar," replied the old man with emphasis.
"Look lak dey wa'n't no kinder doin's w'at dem ar creeturs wa'n't up
ter, mo' speshually ole Brer Rabbit. Day in en day out, fum mawnin' twel
night en fum night twel mawnin', he 'uz constant a-studyin' up some bran
new kinder contrapshun fer ter let de yuther creeturs know he 'uz
some'rs in de neighborhoods.

"Come down ter dat, you kin b'leeve me er not b'leeve me, des ez you er
min' ter; you kin take yo' choosement; but ole Brer Rabbit en ole Brer
Fox, spite er dey fallin' out, dey tuck'n go inter cahoots en kilt a
cow. Seem lak I disremember who de cow b'long ter," continued the old
man, frowning thoughtfully, and thus, by a single stroke, imparting an
air of reality to the story; "but she sho'ly b'long'd ter some er de
neighbors, 'kaze you kin des put it down, right pine-blank, dat Brer
Rabbit ain't gwine ter kill he own cow, en needer is Brer Fox.

"Well, den, dey tuck'n kilt a cow, en 't wa'n't dey own cow, en alter
dey done skunt 'er Brer Rabbit, he up'n 'low, he did, dat ef Brer Fox
wanter git de good er de game, he better run home en fetch a tray er
sump'n fer put de jiblets in."

"Jiblets, Uncle Remus?"

"Tooby sho', honey. Dats w'at we-all calls de liver, de lights, de
heart, en de melt. Some calls um jiblets en some calls um hasletts, but
ef you'll lemme take um en kyar um home, you kin des up en call um mos'
by any name w'at creep inter yo' min'. You do de namin'," the old man
went on, smacking his lips suggestively, "en I'll do de eatin', en ef
I'm de loser, I boun' you won't year no complaints fum me.

"But, law bless me! w'at is I'm a-doin'? De time's a-passin', en I'm
ain't skacely got start on de tale. Dey kilt de cow, dey did, en Brer
Rabbit tell Brer Fox 'bout de jiblets, en w'iles Brer Fox gwine on home
atter de bucket fer ter put um in, he say ter hisse'f dat Brer Rabbit
ain't bad ez he crackt up ter be. B