y, for he
laughed, and ran to the big house, and not long afterwards the light
went out in Uncle Remus's cabin; but the two old negroes sat and nodded
by the glowing embers for hours afterwards, dreaming dreams they never
told of.

FOOTNOTE:

[74] One gun two times is a double-barrelled gun.

LVIII

THE ORIGIN OF THE OCEAN

"Uncle Remus," said the little boy, one night shortly after Daddy Jack's
story of the lion's sad predicament, "mamma says there are no lions in
Georgia, nor anywhere in the whole country."

"Tooby sho'ly not, honey; tooby sho'ly not!" exclaimed Uncle Remus. "I
dunner who de name er goodness bin a-puttin' dat kinder idee in yo'
head, en dey better not lemme fine um out, needer, 'kaze I'll take en
put Mars John atter um right raw en rank, dat I will."

"Well, you know Daddy Jack said that Brother Rabbit met the Lion coming
down the road."

"Bless yo' soul, honey! dat's 'way 'cross de water whar ole man Jack
tuck'n come fum, en a mighty long time ergo at dat. Hit's away off yan,
lots furder dan Ferginny yit. We-all er on one side de water, en de
lions en mos' all de yuther servigous creeturs, dey er on t'er side.
Ain't I never tell you how come dat?"

The little boy shook his head.

"Well, _sir_! I dunner w'at I bin doin' all dis time dat I ain't tell
you dat, 'kaze dat's whar de wussest kinder doin's tuck'n happen.
Yasser! de wussest kinder doin's; en I'll des whirl in en gin it out
right now 'fo' ole man Jack come wobblin' in.

"One time way back yander, 'fo' dey wuz any folks a-foolin' 'roun', Mr.
Lion, he tuck'n tuck a notion dat he'd go huntin', en nothin' 'ud do 'im
but Brer Rabbit must go wid 'im. Brer Rabbit, he 'low dat he up fer any
kinder fun on top side er de groun'. Wid dat dey put out, dey did, en
dey hunt en hunt clean 'cross de country.

"Mr. Lion, he'd lam aloose en miss de game, en den Brer Rabbit, he'd lam
aloose en fetch it down. No sooner is he do dis dan Mr. Lion, he'd
squall out:--

"'Hit's mine! hit's mine! I kilt it!'

"Mr. Lion sech a big man dat Brer Rabbit skeer'd ter 'spute 'long wid
'im, but he lay it up in he min' fer to git even wid 'im. Dey went on en
dey went on. Mr. Lion, he'd lam aloose en miss de game, en ole Brer
Rabbit, he'd lam aloose en hit it, en Mr. Lion, he'd take'n whirl in en
claim it.

"Dey hunt all day long, en w'en night come, dey 'uz sech a fur ways fum
home dat dey hatter camp out. Dey went on, dey did, twel dey come ter a