ys up. En 't ain't take 'im long nudder, 'kaze, bless yo' soul, ole
Brer Rabbit wuz a yelper, mon.

"Sho' 'nuff, atter w'ile yer dey come, ole Brer Gibley Gobbler wukkin'
in de lead. Brer Rabbit, he run'd en meet um en gun um de wink 'bout ole
Mr. Wildcat, en by de time dey git up ter whar he layin', Brer Gibley
Gobbler en all his folks wuz jined in a big 'spute. One 'low he dead,
'n'er one 'low he ain't, 'n'er one 'low he stiff, udder one 'low he
ain't, en t'udder 'low he is. So dar dey had it. Dey stretch out dey
neck en step high wid dey foot, yit dey ain't git too close ter Mr.
Wildcat.

"He lay dar, he did, en he ain't move. Win' ruffle up he ha'r, yit he
ain't move; sun shine down 'pun 'im, yit he ain't move. De turkeys dey
gobble en dey yelp, but dey ain't go no nigher; dey holler en dey
'spute, but dey ain't go no nigher; dey stretch dey neck en dey lif' dey
foot high, yit dey ain't go no nigher.

"Hit keep on dis a-way, twel bimeby Mr. Wildcat git tired er waitin', en
he jump up, he did, en make a dash at de nighest turkey; but dat turkey
done fix, on w'en Mr. Wildcat come at 'im, he des riz in de a'r, en Mr.
Wildcat run und' 'im. Den he tuck'n run at 'n'er one, en dat un fly up;
en dey keep on dat a-way twel 't wa'n't long 'fo' Mr. Wildcat wuz so
stiff in de j'ints en so short in de win' dat he des hatter lay down on
de groun' en res', en w'en he do dis, ole Brer Gibley Gobler en all er
he folks went on 'bout dey own business; but sence dat day deyer
constant a-'sputin' 'long wid deyse'f en eve'ybody w'at come by. Ef you
don't b'leeve me," with an air of disposing of the whole matter
judicially, "you kin des holler at de fus' Gobbler w'at you meets, en ef
he 'fuse ter holler back atter you, you kin des use my head fer a hole
in de wall; en w'at mo' kin you ax dan dat?"

"What became of Brother Rabbit, Uncle Remus?"

"Well, sir, Brer Rabbit tuck'n lef' dem low-groun's. W'iles de 'sputin'
wuz gwine on, he tuck'n bowed his good-byes, en den he des put out fum
dar. Nex' day ole Brer Gibley Gobbler tuck'n sent 'im a turkey wing fer
ter make a fan out'n, en Brer Rabbit, he tuck'n sent it ter Miss Meadows
en de gals. En I let you know," continued the old man, chuckling
heartily to himself, "dey make great 'miration 'bout it."

FOOTNOTE:

[64] No doubt this means that Brother Rabbit's proposition was pleasant
and plausible.

[Illustration: Mr. Benjamin Ram Defends Himself]

XLIX

MR. BENJAMIN RAM