Rabbit. Don't tell me you ain't git dem fish, Brer Mink, 'kaze you know
you is.'

"Hit sorter make Brer Mink feel proud 'kaze ole Brer Tarrypin mix 'im up
wid Brer Rabbit, 'kaze Brer Rabbit wuz a mighty man in dem days, en he
sorter laugh, Brer Mink did, lak he know mo' dan he gwine tell. Ole Brer
Tarrypin keep on grumblin'.

"'I ain't gwine ter git mad long wid you, Brer Mink, 'kaze hit's a
mighty keen trick, but you oughter be 'shame' yo'se'f fer ter be playin'
tricks on a ole man lak me--dat you ought!'

"Wid dat ole Brer Tarrypin went shufflin' off, en atter he git outer
sight he draw'd back in he house en shot de do' en laugh en laugh twel
dey wa'n't no fun in laughin'."

LXVIII

BRER FOX MAKES A NARROW ESCAPE

The next time the little boy had an opportunity to visit Uncle Remus the
old man was alone, but he appeared to be in good spirits. He was
cobbling away upon what the youngster recognized as 'Tildy's Sunday
shoes, and singing snatches of a song something like this:--

"_O Mr. Rabbit! yo' eye mighty big--
Yes, my Lord! dey er made fer ter see;
O Mr. Rabbit! yo' tail mighty short--
Yes, my Lord! hit des fits me!_"

The child waited to hear more, but the song was the same thing over and
over again--always about Brother Rabbit's big eyes and his short tail.
After a while Uncle Remus acknowledged the presence of his little
partner by remarking:--

"Well, sir, we er all yer. Brer Jack and Sis Tempy en dat ar 'Tildy
nigger may be a-pacin' 'roun' lookin' in de fence-cornders fer
Chris'mus, but me en you en ole Brer Rabbit, we er all yer, en ef we
ain't right on de spot, we er mighty close erroun'. Yasser, we is dat;
mo' speshually ole Brer Rabbit, wid he big eye and he short tail. Don't
tell me 'bout Brer Rabbit!" exclaimed Uncle Remus, with a great apparent
enthusiasm, "'kaze dey ain't no use er talkin' 'bout dat creetur."

The little boy was very anxious to know why.

"Well, I tell you," said the old man. "One time dey wuz a monst'us dry
season in de settlement whar all de creeturs live at, en drinkin'-water
got mighty skace. De creeks got low, en de branches went dry, en all de
springs make der disappearance 'cep'n one great big un whar all de
creeturs drunk at. Dey'd all meet dar, dey would, en de bigges' 'ud
drink fus', en by de time de big uns all done swaje der thuss[83] dey
wa'n't a drap lef' fer de little uns skacely.

"Co'se Brer Rabbit 'uz on de happy side. Ef a