Brother Fox's Fish-trap

The little boy wanted Uncle Remus to sing some more; but before the old

man could either consent or refuse, the notes of a horn were heard in

the distance. Uncle Remus lifted his hand to command silence, and bent

his head in an attitude of attention.

"Des listen at dat!" he exclaimed, with some show of indignation. "Dat

aint nothin' in de roun' worl' but ole man Plato wid dat tin hawn er

his'n, en I boun' you he's a-drivin' de six mule waggin, en de waggin

full er niggers fum de River place, en let 'lone dat, I boun' you deyer

niggers strung out behime de waggin fer mo'n a mile, en deyer all er

comin' yer fer ter eat us all out'n house en home, des 'kaze dey year

folks say Chris'mus mos' yer. Hit 's mighty kuse unter me dat ole man

Plato aint done toot dat hawn full er holes long 'fo' dis.

"Yit I aint blamin' um," Uncle Remus went on, with a sigh, after a

little pause. "Dem ar niggers bin livin' 'way off dar on de River place

whar dey aint no w'ite folks twel dey er done in about run'd wil'. I

aint a-blamin' um, dat I aint."

Plato's horn--a long tin bugle--was by no means unmusical. Its range was

limited, but in Plato's hands its few notes were both powerful and

sweet. Presently the wagon arrived, and for a few minutes all was

confusion, the negroes on the Home place running to greet the

new-comers, who were mostly their relatives. A stranger hearing the

shouts and outcries of these people would have been at a loss to account

for the commotion.

Even Uncle Remus went to his cabin door, and, with the little boy by his

side, looked out upon the scene,--a tumult lit up by torches of resinous

pine. The old man and the child were recognized, and for a few moments

the air was filled with cries of:

"Howdy, Unk Remus! Howdy, little Marster!"

After a while Uncle Remus closed his door, laid away his tools, and

drew his chair in front of the wide hearth. The child went and stood

beside him, leaning his head against the old negro's shoulder, and the

two--old age and youth, one living in the Past and the other looking

forward only to the Future--gazed into the bed of glowing embers

illuminated by a thin, flickering flame. Probably they saw nothing

there, each being busy with his own simple thoughts; but their shadows,

enlarged out of all proportion, and looking over their shoulders from

the wall behind them, must have seen something, for, clinging together,

they kept up a most incessant pantomime; and Plato's horn, which sounded

again to call the negroes to supper after their journey, though it

aroused Uncle Remus and the child from the contemplation of the fire,

had no perceptible effect upon the Shadows.

"Dar go de vittles!" said Uncle Remus, straightening himself. "Dey tells

me dat dem ar niggers on de River place got appetite same ez a mule. Let

'lone de vittles w'at dey gits from Mars John, dey eats oodles en oodles

er fish. Ole man Plato say dat de nigger on de River place w'at aint

got a fish-baskit in de river er some intruss[85] in a fish-trap aint no

'count w'atsomever."

Here Uncle Remus suddenly slapped himself upon the leg, and laughed

uproariously; and when the little boy asked him what the matter was, he

cried out:

"Well, sir! Ef I aint de fergittenest ole nigger twix' dis en

Phillimerdelphy! Yer 't is mos' Chris'mus en I aint tell you 'bout how

Brer Rabbit do Brer Fox w'ence dey bofe un um live on de river. I dunner

w'at de name er sense gittin' de marter 'long wid me."

Of course the little boy wanted to know all about it, and Uncle Remus

proceeded:

"One time Brer Fox en Brer Rabbit live de on river. Atter dey bin livin'

dar so long a time, Brer Fox 'low dat he got a mighty hankerin' atter

sump'n' 'sides fresh meat, en he say he b'leeve he make 'im a fish-trap.

Brer Rabbit say he wish Brer Fox mighty well, but he aint honin' atter

fish hisse'f, en ef he is he aint got no time fer ter make no

fish-trap.

"No marter fer dat, Brer Fox, he tuck'n got 'im out some timber, he did,

en he wuk nights fer ter make dat trap. Den w'en he git it done, he

tuck'n hunt 'im a good place fer ter set it, en de way he sweat over dat

ar trap wuz a sin--dat 't wuz.

"Yit atter so long a time, he got 'er sot, en den he tuck'n wash he face

en han's en go home. All de time he 'uz fixin' un it up, Brer Rabbit 'uz

settin' on de bank watchin' 'im. He sot dar, he did, en play in de

water, en cut switches fer ter w'ip at de snake-doctors,[86] en all dat

time Brer Fox, he pull en haul en tote rocks fer ter hol' dat trap

endurin' a freshet.

"Brer Fox went home en res' hisse'f, en bimeby he go down fer ter see ef

dey any fish in he trap. He sorter fear'd er snakes, but he feel 'roun'

en he feel 'roun', yit he aint feel no fish. Den he go off.

"Bimeby, 'long todes de las' er de week, he go down en feel 'roun'

'g'in, yit he aint feel no fish. Hit keep on dis a-way twel Brer Fox

git sorter fag out. He go en he feel, but dey aint no fish dar. Atter

w'ile, one day, he see de signs whar somebody bin robbin' he trap, en he

'low ter hisse'f dat he'll des in 'bout watch en fine out who de

somebody is.

"Den he tuck'n got in he boat en paddle und' de bushes on de bank en

watch he fish-trap. He watch all de mornin'; nobody aint come. He watch

all endurin' er atter dinner; nobody aint come. 'Long todes night, w'en

he des 'bout makin' ready fer ter paddle off home, he year fuss on t'er

side de river, en lo en beholes, yer come Brer Rabbit polin' a boat

right todes Brer Fox fish-trap.

"Look lak he dunner how to use a paddle, en he des had 'im a long pole,

en he'd stan' up in de behime part er he boat, en put de een' er de pole

'gin' de bottom, en shove 'er right ahead.

"Brer Fox git mighty mad w'en he see dis, but he watch en wait. He 'low

ter hisse'f, he did, dat he kin paddle a boat pearter dan anybody kin

pole um, en he say he sho'ly gwine ketch Brer Rabbit dis time.

"Brer Rabbit pole up ter de fish-trap, en feel 'roun' en pull out a

great big mud-cat; den he retch in en pull out 'n'er big mud-cat; den he

pull out a big blue cat, en it keep on dis a-way twel he git de finest

mess er fish you mos' ever laid yo' eyes on.

"Des 'bout dat time, Brer Fox paddle out fum und' de bushes, en make

todes Brer Rabbit, en he holler out:

"'Ah-yi! Youer de man w'at bin robbin' my fish-trap dis long time! I got

you dis time! Oh, you nee'nter try ter run! I got you dis time sho'!'

"No sooner said dan no sooner done. Brer Rabbit fling he fish in he boat

en grab up de pole en push off, en he had mo' fun gittin' 'way fum dar

dan he y-ever had befo' in all he born days put terge'er."

"Why did n't Brother Fox catch him, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

"_Shoo!_ Honey, you sho'ly done lose yo' min' 'bout Brer Rabbit."

"Well, I don't see how he could get away."

"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 aint '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."

[85] Interest.

[86] Dragon-flies.