"'You may b'lieve me er not, Mr. Hawk, but we er on de wrong side er de
fence. I hid dat gol' some'rs right in dat cornder dar. You fly over en
I'll go thoo.'

"Tooby sho' dis look fa'r, en Brer Rabbit, he crope thoo' de fence, en
Mr. Hawk flew'd 'cross. Time he lit on t'er side, Mr. Hawk year Brer
Rabbit laugh."

The little boy asked what Brother Rabbit laughed for, as 'Tildy paused
to adjust a flaming red ribbon-bow pinned in her hair.

"'Kaze dey wuz a brier-patch on t'er side de fence," said 'Tildy, "en
Brer Rabbit wuz in dar."

"I boun' you!" Aunt Tempy exclaimed. "He 'uz in dar, en dar he stayed
tel Mr. Hawk got tired er hangin' 'roun' dar."

"Ah, Lord, chile!" said Uncle Remus, with the candor of an expert, "some
er dat tale you got right, en some you got wrong."

"Oh, I know'd 't wa'n't no tale like you all bin tellin'," replied
'Tildy, modestly.

"Tooby sho' 't is," continued Uncle Remus, by way of encouragement; "but
w'iles we gwine 'long we better straighten out all de kinks dat'll b'ar
straightenin'."

"Goodness knows I ain't fittin' ter tell no tale," persisted 'Tildy.

"Don't run yo'se'f down, gal," said Uncle Remus, encouragingly; "ef
dey's to be any runnin' down let yuther folks do it; en, bless yo' soul,
dey'll do 'nuff un it bidout waitin' fer yo' lettin'.

"Now, den, old man Hawk,--w'ich dey call 'im Billy Blue-tail in my day
en time,--ole man Hawk, he tuck'n kotch Brer Rabbit des lak you done
said. He kotch 'im en he hilt 'im in a mighty tight grip, let 'lone dat
he hilt 'im so tight dat it make Brer Rabbit breff come short lak he des
come off'n a long jurney.

"He holler en he beg, but dat ain't do no good; he squall en he cry, but
dat ain't do no good; he kick en he groan, but dat ain't do no good. Den
Brer Rabbit lay still en study 'bout w'at de name er goodness he gwine
do. Bimeby he up'n 'low:--

"'I dunner w'at you want wid me, Mr. Hawk, w'en I ain't a mouf full fer
you, skacely!'

"Mr. Hawk, sezee, 'I'll make way wid you, en den I'll go ketch me a
couple er Jaybirds.'

"Dis make Brer Rabbit shake wid de allovers, 'kaze ef dey's any kinder
creetur w'at he nat'ally 'spize on de topside er de yeth, hit's a
Jaybird.

"Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'Do, pray, Mr. Hawk, go ketch dem Jaybirds fus',
'kaze I can't stan' um bein' on top er me. I'll stay right yer, plum
twel you come back,' sezee.

"Mr. Hawk, sezee, 'Oh-oh, Brer Rabbit, you done bin fool too many folks.
You ain't fool me,'