ld get away."

[Illustration: "HE GIT DE FINEST MESS ER FISH YOU MOS' EVER
LAID YO' EYES ON"]

"Ef you'd er bin dar you'd er seed it, dat you would. Brer Fox, he wuz
dar, en he seed it, en Brer Rabbit, he seed it, en e'en down ter ole
Brer Bull-frog, a-settin' on de bank, he seed it. Now, den," continued
Uncle Remus, spreading out the palm of his left hand like a map and
pointing at it with the forefinger of his right, "w'en Brer Rabbit pole
he boat, he bleedz ter set in de behime een', en w'en Brer Fox paddle he
boat, _he_ bleedz ter set in de behime een'. Dat bein' de state er de
condition, how Brer Fox gwine ketch 'im? I ain't 'sputin' but w'at he
kin paddle pearter dan Brer Rabbit, but de long en de shorts un it
is, de pearter Brer Fox paddle de pearter Brer Rabbit go."

The little boy looked puzzled. "Well, I don't see how," he exclaimed.

"Well, sir!" continued Uncle Remus, "w'en de nose er Brer Fox boat git
close ter Brer Rabbit boat all Brer Rabbit got ter do in de roun' worl'
is ter take he pole en put it 'gin' Brer Fox boat en push hisse'f out de
way. De harder he push Brer Fox boat back, de pearter he push he own
boat forrerd. Hit look mighty easy ter ole Brer Bull-frog settin' on de
bank, en all Brer Fox kin do is ter shake he fist en grit he toof,
w'iles Brer Rabbit sail off wid de fish."

FOOTNOTES:

[85] Interest.

[86] Dragon-flies.

LXX

BRER RABBIT RESCUES BRER TERRAPIN

The arrival of the negroes from the River place added greatly to the
enthusiasm with which the Christmas holidays were anticipated on the
Home place, and the air was filled with laughter day and night. Uncle
Remus appeared to be very busy, though there was really nothing to be
done except to walk around and scold at everybody and everything, in a
good-humored way, and this the old man could do to perfection.

The night before Christmas eve, however, the little boy saw a light in
Uncle Remus's cabin, and he interpreted it as in some sort a signal of
invitation. He found the old man sitting by the fire and talking to
himself:--

"Ef Mars John and Miss Sally 'specks me fer ter keep all deze yer
niggers straight deyer gwine ter be diserp'inted,--dat dey is. Ef dey
wuz 'lev'm Remuses 't would n't make no diffunce, let 'long one po' ole
cripple creetur lak me. Dey ain't done no damage yit, but I boun' you by
termorrer night dey'll tu'n loose en tu'n de whole place upside down, en
t'ar it up by de roots, en d