e w'en all de
creeturs wuz livin' in de same settlement en usin' out'n de same spring,
en it got so dat dey put all dey butter in de same piggin'. Dey put it
in dar, dey did, en dey put it in de spring-house, en dey'd go off en
'ten' ter dey business. Den w'en dey come back dey'd fine whar some un
been nibblin' at dey butter. Dey tuck'n hide dat butter all 'roun' in de
spring-house; dey sot it on de rafters, en dey bury it in de san'; yit
all de same de butter 'ud come up missin'.

"Bimeby it got so dey dunner w'at ter do; dey zamin' de tracks, en dey
fine out dat de man w'at nibble dey butter is little Wattle Weasel. He
come in de night, he come in de day; dey can't ketch 'im. Las' de
creeturs tuck'n helt er confab, en dey 'gree dat dey hatter set some un
fer ter watch en ketch Wattle Weasel.

"Brer Mink wuz de fus' man 'p'inted, 'kaze he wa'n't mo'n a half a
han'[69] no way you kin fix it. De t'er creeturs dey tuck'n went off ter
dey wuk, en Brer Mink he tuck'n sot up wid de butter. He watch en he
lissen, he lissen en he watch; he ain't see nothin', he ain't year
nothin'. Yit he watch, 'kaze der t'er creeturs done fix up a law dat ef
Wattle Weasel come w'iles somebody watchin' en git off bidout gittin'
kotch, de man w'at watchin' ain't kin eat no mo' butter endurin' er dat
year.

"Brer Mink, he watch en he wait. He set so still dat bimeby he git de
cramps in de legs, en des 'bout dat time little Wattle Weasel pop he
head und' de do'. He see Brer Mink, en he hail 'im:--

"'Heyo, Brer Mink! you look sorter lonesome in dar. Come out yer en less
take a game er hidin'-switch.'

"Brer Mink, he wanter have some fun, he did, en he tuck'n jine Wattle
Weasel in de game. Dey play en dey play twel, bimeby, Brer Mink git so
wo' out dat he ain't kin run, skacely, en des soon ez dey sets down ter
res', Brer Mink, he draps off ter sleep. Little Wattle Weasel, so mighty
big en fine, he goes en nibbles up de butter, en pops out de way he come
in.

[Illustration: "HE SORTER HUNCH BRER POSSUM IN DE SHORT RIBS,
EN AX 'IM HOW HE COME ON"]

"De creeturs, dey come back, dey did, en dey fine de butter nibbled, en
Wattle Weasel gone. Wid dat, dey marks Brer Mink down, en he ain't
kin eat no mo' butter dat year. Den dey fix up 'n'er choosement en
'p'int Brer Possum fer ter watch de butter.

"Brer Possum, he grin en watch, and bimeby, sho' 'nuff, in pop little
Wattle Weasel. He come in, he did, en he sorter hunch Brer Possum in