we er makin' 'way wid it,
I'll sorter rustle 'roun' wid my 'membunce, en see ef I kin call ter
min' de tale 'bout how ole Brer Rabbit got 'im a two-story house widout
layin' out much cash."

Uncle Remus stopped talking a little while and pretended to be trying to
remember something,--an effort that was accompanied by a curious humming
sound in his throat. Finally, he brightened up and began:--

"Hit tu'n out one time dat a whole lot er de creeturs tuck a notion dat
dey'd go in coboots wid buil'n' un um a house. Ole Brer B'ar, he was
'mongs' um, en Brer Fox, en Brer Wolf, en Brer 'Coon, en Brer 'Possum. I
won't make sho', but it seem like ter me dat plum down ter ole Brer Mink
'uz 'mongs' um. Leas'ways, dey wuz a whole passel un um, en dey whirl
in, dey did, en dey buil' de house in less'n no time. Brer Rabbit, he
make lak it make he head swim fer ter climb up on de scaffle, en
likewise he say it make 'im ketch de palsy fer ter wuk in de sun, but he
got 'im a squar', en he stuck a pencil behime he year, en he went
'roun' medjun[9] en markin'--medjun en markin'--en he wuz dat busy dat
de yuther creeturs say ter deyse'f he doin' monst'us sight er wuk, en
folks gwine 'long de big road say Brer Rabbit doin' mo' hard wuk dan de
whole kit en bilin' un um. Yit all de time Brer Rabbit ain't doin'
nothin', en he des well bin layin' off in de shade scratchin' de fleas
off'n 'im. De yuther creeturs, dey buil' de house, en, gentermens! she
'uz a fine un, too, mon. She'd 'a' bin a fine un deze days, let 'lone
dem days. She had er upsta'rs en downsta'rs, en chimbleys all 'roun', en
she had rooms fer all de creeturs w'at went inter cahoots en hope make
it.

"Brer Rabbit, he pick out one er de upsta'rs rooms, en he tuck'n' got
'im a gun, en one er deze yer brass cannons, en he tuck'n' put um in dar
w'en de yuther creeturs ain't lookin', en den he tuck'n' got 'im a tub
er nasty slop-water, w'ich likewise he put in dar w'en dey ain't
lookin'. So den, w'en dey git de house all fix, en w'iles dey wuz all
a-settin' in de parlor atter supper, Brer Rabbit, he sorter gap en
stretch hisse'f, en make his 'skuses en say he b'leeve he'll go ter he
room. W'en he git dar, en w'iles all de yuther creeturs wuz a-laughin'
en a-chattin' des ez sociable ez you please, Brer Rabbit, he stick he
head out er de do' er he room en sing out:--

"'Wen a big man like me wanter set down, wharbouts he gwine ter set?'
sezee.

"Den de yuther creeturs dey laugh,