Brother Fox Covets the Quills

"That must have been a mighty funny song," said the little boy.

"Fun one time aint fun 'n'er time; some folks fines fun whar yuther

folks fines trouble. Pig may laugh w'en he see de rock a-heatin', but

dey aint no fun dar fer de pig.[20]

"Yit, fun er no fun, dat de song w'at Brer Tarrypin play on de quills:

"'_I foolee, I foolee, I foolee po' Buzzud;

Po' Buzzud I foolee, I foolee, I foolee._'

"Nobody dunner whar de quills cum fum, kaze Brer Tarrypin, he aint

makin no brags how he git um; yit ev'ybody wants um on account er der

playin' sech a lonesome[21] chune, en ole Brer Fox, he want um wuss'n

all. He beg en he beg Brer Tarrypin fer ter sell 'im dem quills; but

Brer Tarrypin, he hol' on t' um tight, en say eh-eh! Den he ax Brer

Tarrypin fer ter loan um t' um des a week, so he kin play fer he

chilluns, but Brer Tarrypin, he shake he head en put he foot down, en

keep on playin':

"'_I foolee, I foolee, I foolee po' Buzzud;

Po' Buzzud I foolee, I foolee, I foolee._'

"But Brer Fox, he aint got no peace er min' on account er dem quills,

en one day he meet Brer Tarrypin en he ax 'im how he seem ter

segashuate[22] en he fambly en all he chilluns; en den Brer Fox ax Brer

Tarrypin ef he can't des look at de quills, kaze he got some

goose-fedders at he house, en if he kin des get a glimpse er Brer

Tarrypin quills, he 'speck he kin make some mighty like um.

"Brer Tarrypin, he study 'bout dis, but he hate ter 'ny small favors

like dat, en bimeby he hol' out dem quills whar Brer Fox kin see um. Wid

dat, Brer Fox, he tuck'n juk de quills outen Brer Tarrypin han', he did,

and dash off des ez hard ez he kin go. Brer Tarrypin, he holler en

holler at 'im des loud ez he kin holler, but he know he can't ketch 'im,

en he des sot dar, Brer Tarrypin did, en look lak he done los' all de

kin-folks w'at he got in de roun' worrul'.

"Atter dis, Brer Fox he strut 'roun' en play mighty biggity, en eve'y

time he meet Brer Tarrypin in de road he walk all 'roun' 'im en play on

de quills like dis:

"'_I foolee, I foolee po' Buzzud;

I foolee ole Tarrypin, too._'

"Brer Tarrypin, he feel mighty bad, but he aint sayin' nothin'. Las',

one day w'iles ole Brer Tarrypin was settin' on a log sunnin' hisse'f,

yer come Brer Fox playin' dat same old chune on de quills, but Brer

Tarrypin, he stay still. Brer Fox, he come up little nigher en play, but

Brer Tarrypin, he keep he eyes shot en he stay still. Brer Fox, he come

nigher en git on de log; Brer Tarrypin aint sayin' nothin'. Brer Fox

still git up nigher en play on de quills; still Brer Tarrypin aint

sayin' nothin'.

"'Brer Tarrypin mighty sleepy dis mawnin',' sez Brer Fox, sezee.

"Still Brer Tarrypin keep he eyes shot en stay still. Brer Fox keep on

gittin' nigher en nigher, twel bimeby Brer Tarrypin open he eyes en he

mouf bofe, en he make a grab at Brer Fox en miss 'im.

"But hol' on!" exclaimed Uncle Remus, in response to an expression of

intense disappointment in the child's face. "You des wait a minnit. Nex'

mawnin', Brer Tarrypin take hisse'f off en waller in a mud-hole, en

smear hisse'f wid mud twel he look des 'zackly lak a clod er dirt. Den

he crawl off en lay down un'need a log whar he know Brer Fox come eve'y

mawnin' fer ter freshen[23] hisse'f.

"Brer Tarrypin lay dar, he did, en terreckly yer come Brer Fox. Time he

git dar, Brer Fox 'gun ter lip backerds en forerds 'cross de log, and

Brer Tarrypin he crope nigher en nigher, twel bimeby he make a grab at

Brer Fox en kotch him by de foot. Dey tells me," continued Uncle Remus,

rubbing his hands together in token of great satisfaction,--"dey tells

me dat w'en Brer Tarrypin ketch holt, hit got ter thunder 'fo' he let

go. All I know, Brer Tarrypin git Brer Fox by de foot, en he hilt 'im

dar. Brer Fox he jump en he r'ar, but Brer Tarrypin done got 'im. Brer

Fox, he holler out:

"'Brer Tarrypin, please lemme go!'

"Brer Tarrypin talk way down in his th'oat:

"'Gim' my quills!'

"'Lemme go en fetch um.'

"'Gim'my quills!'

"'Do pray lemme go git um.'

"'Gim'my quills!'

"En, bless gracious! dis all Brer Fox kin git outer Brer Tarrypin. Las',

Brer Fox foot hu't 'im so bad dat he bleedz ter do sump'n', en he sing

out fer his ole 'oman fer ter fetch de quills, but he ole 'oman, she

busy 'bout de house, en she don't year 'im. Den he call he son, w'ich he

name Tobe. He holler en bawl, en Tobe make answer:

"'Tobe! O Tobe! You Tobe!'

"'W'at you want, daddy?'

"'Fetch Brer Tarrypin quills.'

"'W'at you say, daddy? Fetch de big tray ter git de honey in?'

"'No, you crazy-head! Fetch Brer Tarrypin quills!'

"'W'at you say, daddy? Fetch de dipper ter ketch de minners in?'

"'No, you fool! Fetch Brer Tarrypin quills!'

"'W'at you say, daddy? Water done been spill?'

"Hit went on dis a-way twel atter w'ile ole Miss Fox year de racket, en

den she lissen, en she know dat 'er ole man holler'n' fer de quills, en

she fotch um out en gun um ter Brer Tarrypin, en Brer Tarrypin, he let

go he holt. He let go he holt," Uncle Remus went on, "but long time

atter dat, w'en Brer Fox go ter pay he calls, he hatter go

_hoppity-fetchity, hoppity-fetchity_."

The old man folded his hands in his lap, and sat quietly gazing into the

lightwood fire. Presently he said:

"I 'speck Miss Sally blessin' us all right now, en fus' news you know

she'll h'ist up en have Mars John a-trapesin' down yer; en ef she do

dat, den ter-morrer mawnin' my brekkuss'll be col', en lakwise my

dinner, en ef dey's sump'n' w'at I 'spizes hit 's col' vittels."

Thereupon Uncle Remus arose, shook himself, peered out into the night to

discover that the rain had nearly ceased, and then made ready to carry

the little boy to his mother. Long before the chickens had crowed for

midnight, the child, as well as the old man, had been transported to the

land where myths and fables cease to be wonderful,--the land of pleasant

dreams.

[20] An allusion to the primitive mode of cleaning hogs by heating rocks, and placing them in a barrel or tank of water.

[21] This word "lonesome," as used by the negroes, is the equivalent of "thrilling," "romantic," etc., and in that sense is very expressive.

[22] An inquiry after his health. Another form is: "How does yo' corporosity seem ter segashuate?"

[23] Exercise himself.