Brother Wolf Falls a Victim

"Uncle Remus," said the little boy, one night, when he found the old man

sitting alone in his cabin, "did you ever see Mammy-Bammy Big-Money?"

Uncle Remus placed his elbows on his knees, rested his chin in the palms

of his hands, and gazed steadily in the fire. Presently he said:

"W'en folks 'gin ter git ole en no 'count, hit look lak der 'membunce git

slack. Some time hit seem lak I done seed sump'n' n'er mighty nigh de

make en color er ole Mammy-Bammy Big-Money, en den ag'in seem lak I

aint. W'en dat de case, w'at does I do? Does I stan' tiptoe en tetch de

rafters en make lak I done seed dat ole Witch-Rabbit, w'en, goodness

knows, I aint seed 'er? Dat I don't. No, bless you! I'd say de same in

comp'ny, much less settin' in yer 'long side er you. De long en de short

un it," exclaimed Uncle Remus, with emphasis, "is des dis. Ef I bin

run 'crost ole Mammy-Bammy Big-Money in my day en time, den she tuck'n

make 'er disappearance dat quick twel I aint kotch a glimp' un 'er."

The result of this good-humored explanation was that the child did n't

know whether Uncle Remus had seen the Witch-Rabbit or not, but his

sympathies led him to suspect that the old man was thoroughly familiar

with all her movements.

"Uncle Remus," the little boy said, after a while, "if there is another

story about Mammy-Bammy Big-Money, I wish you would tell it to me all by

my own-alone self."

The idea seemed to please the old man wonderfully, and he chuckled over

it for several minutes.

"Now, den, honey," he said, after a while, "you hit me whar I'm

weak--you mos' sho'ly does. Comp'ny mighty good fer some folks en I kin

put up wid it long ez de nex' un, but you kin des take'n pile comp'ny

'pun top er comp'ny, en dey won't kyore de liver complaint. W'en you

talk dat a-way you fetches me, sho', en I'll tell you a tale 'bout de

ole Witch-Rabbit ef I hatter git down yer on my all-fours en grabble it

out'n de ashes. Yit dey aint no needs er dat, 'kaze de tale done come

in my min' des ez fresh ez ef 't was day 'fo' yistiddy.

"Hit seem lak dat one time atter Brer Wolf tuck'n steal Brer Rabbit

foot, dey wuz a mighty long fallin'-out 'twix' um. Brer Rabbit, he

tuck'n got ashy 'kaze Brer Wolf tuck'n tuck he foot; en Brer Wolf, he

tuck'n got hot 'kaze Brer Rabbit wuk en wuk 'roun' en git he foot ag'in.

Hit keep on dis a-way twel bimeby de ole Witch-Rabbit sorter git tired

er Brer Wolf, en one day she tuck'n sont wud ter Brer Rabbit dat she lak

mighty well fer ter see 'im.

"Dey fix up der plans, dey did, en 't wa'n't so mighty long 'fo' Brer

Rabbit run inter Brer Wolf house in a mighty big hurry, en he 'low, he

did:

"'Brer Wolf! O Brer Wolf! I des now come fum de river, en des ez sho'

ez youer settin' in dat cheer, ole Big-Money layin' dar stone dead.

Less[36] we go eat 'er up.'

"'Brer Rabbit, sho'ly youer jokin'!'

"'Brer Wolf, I'm a-ginin'[37] un you de fatal fack. Come on, less go!'

"'Brer Rabbit, is you sho' she dead?'

"'Brer Wolf, she done dead; come on, less go!'

"En go dey did. Dey went 'roun' en dey got all de yuther creeturs, en

Brer Wolf, livin' so nigh, he let all he chilluns go, en 't wa'n't so

mighty long 'fo' dey had a crowd dar des lak camp-meetin' times.

"W'en dey git dar, sho' nuff, dar lay ole Big-Money all stretch out on

de river bank. Dis make Brer Wolf feel mighty good, en he tuck'n stick

he han's in he pocket en strut 'roun' dar en look monst'us biggity.

Atter he done tuck'n 'zamine ole Big-Money much ez he wanter, he up'n

'low, he did, dat dey better sorter rustle 'roun' en make a fa'r

dividjun. He ax Brer Mink, he ax Brer Coon, he ax Brer 'Possum, he ax

Brer Tarrypin, he ax Brer Rabbit, w'ich part dey take, en dey all up'n

'low, dey did, dat bein' ez Brer Wolf de biggest en de heartiest in de

neighborhoods er de appetite, dey 'speck he better take de fus'

choosement.

"Wid dat Brer Wolf, he sot down on a log, en hang he head ter one side,

sorter lak he 'shame' er hisse'f. Bimeby, he up'n 'low:

"'Now, den, folks en fr'en's, sence you shove it on me, de shortes' way

is de bes' way. Brer Coon, we bin good fr'en's a mighty long time; how

much er dish yer meat ought a fibble[38] ole man lak me ter take?' sezee.

"Brer Wolf talk mighty lovin'. Brer Coon snuff de a'r, en 'low:

"'I 'speck you better take one er de fo'-quarters, Brer Wolf,' sezee.

"Brer Wolf look lak he 'stonish'. He lif' up he han's, en 'low:

"'Law, Brer Coon, I tuck you ter be my fr'en', dat I did. Man w'at talk

lak dat aint got no feelin' fer me. Hit make me feel mighty lonesome,'

sezee.

"Den Brer Wolf tu'n 'roun' en talk mighty lovin' ter Brer Mink:

"'Brer Mink, many's de day you bin a-knowin' me; how much er dish yer

meat you 'speck oughter fall ter my sheer?' sezee.

"Brer Mink sorter study, en den he 'low:

"'Bein' ez you er sech a nice man, Brer Wolf, I 'speck you oughter take

one er de fo'-quarters, en a right smart hunk off'n de bulge er de

neck,' sezee.

"Brer Wolf holler out, he did:

"'Go 'way, Brer Mink! Go 'way! You aint no 'quaintance er mine!'

"Den ole Brer Wolf tu'n 'roun' ter Brer 'Possum en talk lovin':

"'Brer 'Possum, I done bin tuck wid a likin' fer you long time 'fo' dis.

Look at me, en den look at my fambly, en den tell me, ef you be so good,

how much er dish yer meat gwine ter fall ter my sheer.'

"Brer 'Possum, he look 'roun', he did, en grin, en he up'n 'low:

"'Take half, Brer Wolf, take half!'

"Den ole Brer Wolf holler out:

"'Shoo, Brer 'Possum! I like you no mo'.'

"Den Brer Wolf tu'n to Brer Tarrypin, en Brer Tarrypin say Brer Wolf

oughter take all 'cep' one er de behime quarters, en den Brer Wolf 'low

dat Brer Tarrypin aint no fr'en' ter him. Den he up'n ax Brer Rabbit,

en Brer Rabbit, he tuck'n 'spon', he did:

"'Gentermuns all! you see Brer Wolf chillun? Well, dey er all monst'us

hongry, en Brer Wolf hongry hisse'f. Now I puts dis plan straight at

you: less we all let Brer Wolf have de fus' pass at Big-Money; less tie

'im on dar, en le'm eat much ez he wanter, en den we kin pick de bones,'

sezee.

"'Youer my pardner, Brer Rabbit!' sez Brer Wolf, sezee; 'youer my

honey-pardner!'

"Dey all 'gree ter dis plan, mo' 'speshually ole Brer Wolf, so den dey

tuck'n tie 'im onter Big-Money. Dey tie 'im on dar, dey did, en den ole

Brer Wolf look all 'roun' en wunk at de yuthers. Brer Rabbit, he tuck'n

wunk back, en den Brer Wolf retch down en bite Big-Money on de back er

de neck. Co'se, w'en he do dis, Big-Money bleedz ter flinch; let 'lone

dat, she bleedz ter jump. Brer Wolf holler out:

"'Ow! Run yer somebody! Take me off! She aint dead! O Lordy! I feel 'er

move!'

Brer Rabbit holler back:

"'Nummine de flinchin', Brer Wolf. She done dead; I done year 'er

sesso[39] 'erse'f. She dead, sho'. Bite er ag'in, Brer Wolf, bite 'er

ag'in!'

"Brer Rabbit talk so stiff, hit sorter tuck de chill off'n Brer Wolf, en

he dipt down en bit ole Big-Money ag'in. Wid dat, she 'gun ter move off,

en Brer Wolf he holler des lak de woods done kotch a-fier:

"'Ow! O Lordy! Ontie me, Brer Rabbit, ontie me! She aint dead! Ow! Run

yer, Brer Rabbit, en ontie me!'

"Brer Rabbit, he holler back:

"'She er sho'ly dead, Brer Wolf! Nail 'er, Brer Wolf! Bite 'er! gnyaw

'er!'

"Brer Wolf keep on bitin', en Big-Money keep on movin' off. Bimeby, she

git ter de bank er de river, en she fall in--_cumberjoom!_--en dat 'uz

de las' er Brer Wolf."

"What did Brother Rabbit do?" the little boy asked, after a while.

"Well," responded Uncle Remus, in the tone of one anxious to dispose of

a disagreeable matter as pleasantly as possible, "you know w'at kinder

man Brer Rabbit is. He des went off some'rs by he own-alone se'f en tuck

a big laugh."

[36] Let us; let's; less.

[37] G hard.

[38] Feeble.

[39] Say so.