The Story of the Pigs

Uncle Remus relapsed into silence again, and the little boy, with

nothing better to do, turned his attention to the bench upon which the

old man kept his shoemaker's tools. Prosecuting his investigations in

this direction, the youngster finally suggested that the supply of

bristles was about exhausted.

"I dunner w'at Miss Sally wanter be sendin' un you down yer fer, ef you

gwine ter be stirr'n' en bodderin' 'longer dem ar doin's," exclaimed

Uncle Remus, indignantly. "Now don't you scatter dem hog-bristle! De

time wuz w'en folks had a mighty slim chance fer ter git bristle, en dey

aint no tellin' w'en dat time gwine come ag'in. Let 'lone dat, de time

wuz w'en de breed er hogs wuz done run down ter one po' little pig, en

it look lak mighty sorry chance fer dem w'at was bleedzd ter have

bristle."

By this time Uncle Remus's indignation had vanished, disappearing as

suddenly and unexpectedly as it came. The little boy was curious to know

when and where and how the bristle famine occurred.

"I done tole you 'bout dat too long 'go ter talk 'bout," the old man

declared; but the little boy insisted that he had never heard about it

before, and he was so persistent that at last Uncle Remus, in

self-defence, consented to tell the story of the Pigs.

"One time, 'way back yander, de ole Sow en er chilluns wuz all livin'

'longer' de yuther creeturs. Hit seem lak ter me dat de ole Sow wuz a

widder 'oman, en ef I don't run inter no mistakes, hit look like ter me

dat she got five chilluns. Lemme see," continued Uncle Remus, with the

air of one determined to justify his memory by a reference to the

record, and enumerating with great deliberation,--"dar wuz Big Pig, en

dar wuz Little Pig, en dar wuz Speckle Pig, en dar wuz Blunt, en las' en

lonesomes' dar wuz Runt.

"One day, deze yer Pig ma she know she gwine kick de bucket, and she

tuck'n call up all 'er chilluns en tell um dat de time done come w'en

dey got ter look out fer deyse'f, en den she up'n tell um good ez she

kin, dough 'er breff mighty scant, 'bout w'at a bad man is ole Brer

Wolf. She say, sez she, dat if dey kin make der 'scape from ole Brer

Wolf, dey'll be doin' monst'us well. Big Pig 'low she aint skeer'd,

Speckle Pig 'low she aint skeer'd, Blunt, he say he mos' big a man ez

Brer Wolf hisse'f, en Runt, she des tuck'n root 'roun' in de straw en

grunt. But ole Widder Sow, she lay dar, she did, en keep on tellin' um

dat dey better keep der eye on Brer Wolf, kaz he mighty mean en 'seetful

man.

"Not long atter dat, sho' 'nuff ole Miss Sow lay down en die, en all dem

ar chilluns er hern wuz flung back on deyse'f, en dey whirl in, dey did,

en dey buil' um all a house ter live in. Big Pig, she tuck'n buil' 'er a

house outer bresh; Little Pig, she tuck'n buil' a stick house; Speckle

Pig, she tuck'n buil' a mud house; Blunt, he tuck'n buil' a plank house;

en Runt, she don't make no great ter-do, en no great brags, but she went

ter wuk, she did, en buil' a rock house.

"Bimeby, w'en dey done got all fix, en marters wuz sorter settle, soon

one mawnin' yer come ole Brer Wolf, a-lickin' un his chops en a-shakin'

un his tail. Fus' house he come ter wuz Big Pig house. Brer Wolf walk

ter de do', he did, en he knock sorter saf'--_blim! blim! blim!_ Nobody

aint answer. Den he knock loud--_blam! blam! blam!_ Dis wake up Big

Pig, en she come ter de do', en she ax who dat. Brer Wolf 'low it's a

fr'en', en den he sing out:

"'_Ef you'll open de do' en let me in,

I'll wom my han's en go home ag'in._'

"Still Big Pig ax who dat, en den Brer Wolf, he up'n say, sezee:

"'How yo' ma?' sezee.

"'My ma done dead,' sez Big Pig, sezee, 'en 'fo' she die she tell me fer

ter keep my eye on Brer Wolf. I sees you thoo de crack er de do', en you

look mighty like Brer Wolf,' sezee.

"Den ole Brer Wolf, he draw a long breff lak he feel mighty bad, en he

up'n say, sezee:

"I dunner w'at change yo' ma so bad, less'n she 'uz out'n er head. I

year tell dat ole Miss Sow wuz sick, en I say ter myse'f dat I'd kinder

drap 'roun' en see how de ole lady is, en fetch 'er dish yer bag er

roas'n'-years. Mighty well dose I know dat ef yo' ma wuz yer right now,

en in 'er min', she 'd take de roas'n'-years en be glad fer ter git um,

en mo'n dat, she'd take'n ax me in by de fire fer ter worn my han's,'

sez ole Brer Wolf, sezee.

"De talk 'bout de roas'n'-years make Big Pig mouf water, en bimeby,

atter some mo' palaver, she open de do' en let Brer Wolf in, en bless

yo' soul, honey! dat uz de las' er Big Pig. She aint had time fer ter

squeal en needer fer ter grunt 'fo' Brer Wolf gobble 'er up.

"Next day, ole Brer Wolf put up de same game on Little Pig; he go en he

sing he song, en Little Pig, she tuck'n let 'im in, en den Brer Wolf he

tuck'n 'turn de compelerments[10] en let Little Pig in."

Here Uncle Remus laughed long and loud at his conceit, and he took

occasion to repeat it several times.

"Little Pig, she let Brer Wolf in, en Brer Wolf, he let Little Pig in,

en w'at mo' kin you ax dan dat? Nex' time Brer Wolf pay a call, he drop

in on Speckle Pig, en rap at de do' en sing his song:

"'_Ef you'll open de do' en let me in,

I'll wom my han's en go home ag'in._'

"But Speckle Pig, she kinder 'spicion sump'n', en she 'fuse ter open de

do'. Yit Brer Wolf mighty 'seetful man, en he talk mighty saf' en he

talk mighty sweet. Bimeby, he git he nose in de crack er de do' en he

say ter Speckle Pig, sezee, fer ter des let 'im git one paw in, en den

he won't go no furder. He git de paw in, en den he beg fer ter git de

yuther paw in, en den w'en he git dat in he beg fer ter git he head in,

en den w'en he git he head in, en he paws in, co'se all he got ter do is

ter shove de do' open en walk right in; en w'en marters stan' dat way,

't wa'n't long 'fo' he done make fresh meat er Speckle Pig.

"Nex' day, he make way wid Blunt, en de day atter, he 'low dat he make a

pass at Runt. Now, den, right dar whar ole Brer Wolf slip up at. He lak

some folks w'at I knows. He'd 'a' bin mighty smart, ef he had n't er bin

too smart. Runt wuz de littles' one er de whole gang, yit all de same

news done got out dat she 'uz pestered wid sense like grown folks.

"Brer Wolf, he crope up ter Runt house, en he got un'need de winder, he

did, en he sing out:

"'_Ef you'll open de do' en let me in,

I'll wom my han's en go home ag'in._'

"But all de same, Brer Wolf can't coax Runt fer ter open de do', en

needer kin he break in, kaze de house done made outer rock. Bimeby Brer

Wolf make out he done gone off, en den atter while he come back en knock

at de do'--_blam, blam, blam!_

"Runt she sot by de fier, she did, en sorter scratch 'er year, en holler

out:

"'Who dat?' sez she.

"'Hit 's Speckle Pig,' sez ole Brer Wolf, sezee, 'twix' a snort en a

grunt. 'I fotch yer some peas fer yo' dinner!'

"Runt, she tuck'n laugh, she did, en holler back:

"'Sis Speckle Pig aint never talk thoo dat many toofies.'

"Brer Wolf go off 'g'in, en bimeby he come back en knock. Runt she sot

en rock, en holler out:

"'Who dat?'

"'Big Pig,' sez Brer Wolf. 'I fotch some sweet-co'n fer yo' supper.'

"Runt, she look thoo de crack un'need de do', en laugh en say, sez

she:

"'Sis Big Pig aint had no ha'r on 'er huff.'

"Den ole Brer Wolf, he git mad, he did, en say he gwine come down de

chimbley, en Runt, she say, sez she, dat de onliest way w'at he kin git

in; en den, w'en she year Brer Wolf clam'in' up on de outside er de

chimbley, she tuck'n pile up a whole lot er broom sage front er de

h'a'th, en w'en she year 'im clam'in' down on de inside, she tuck de

tongs en shove de straw on de fier, en de smoke make Brer Wolf head

swim, en he drap down, en 'fo' he know it he 'uz done bu'nt ter a

cracklin'; en dat wuz de las' er ole Brer Wolf. Leas'ways," added Uncle

Remus, putting in a cautious proviso to fall back upon in case of an

emergency, "leas'ways, hit 'uz de las' er dat Brer Wolf."

10] Compliments.