Brother Rabbit and the Little Girl

"What did Brother Rabbit do after that?" the little boy asked presently.

"Now, den, you don't wanter push ole Brer Rabbit too close," replied

Uncle Remus significantly. "He mighty tender-footed creetur, en de mo'

w'at you push 'im, de furder he lef' you."

There was prolonged silence in the old man's cabin, until, seeing that

the little boy was growing restless enough to cast several curious

glances in the direction of the tool chest in the corner, Uncle Remus

lifted one leg over the other, scratched his head reflectively, and

began:

"One time, atter Brer Rabbit done bin trompin' 'roun' huntin' up some

sallid fer ter make out he dinner wid, he fine hisse'f in de

neighborhoods er Mr. Man house, en he pass 'long twel he come ter de

gyardin-gate, en nigh de gyardin-gate he see Little Gal playin' 'roun'

in de san'. W'en Brer Rabbit look 'twix' de gyardin-palin's en see de

colluds, en de sparrer-grass, en de yuther gyardin truck growin' dar,

hit make he mouf water. Den he take en walk up ter de Little Gal, Brer

Rabbit did, en pull he roach,[1] en bow, en scrape he foot, en talk

mighty nice en slick.

"'Howdy, Little Gal,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee; 'how you come on?' sezee.

"Den de Little Gal, she 'spon' howdy, she did, en she ax Brer Rabbit how

he come on, en Brer Rabbit, he 'low he mighty po'ly, en den he ax ef dis

de Little Gal w'at 'er pa live up dar in de big w'ite house, w'ich de

Little Gal, she up'n say 'twer'. Brer Rabbit, he say he mighty glad,

kaze he des bin up dar fer to see 'er pa, en he say dat 'er pa, he sont

'im out dar fer ter tell de Little Gal dat she mus' open de gyardin-gate

so Brer Rabbit kin go in en git some truck. Den de Little Gal, she jump

'roun', she did, en she open de gate, en wid dat, Brer Rabbit, he hop

in, he did, en got 'im a mess er greens, en hop out ag'in, en w'en he

gwine off he make a bow, he did, en tell de Little Gal dat he much

'blije', en den atter dat he put out fer home.

"Nex' day, Brer Rabbit, he hide out, he did, twel he see de Little Gal

come out ter play, en den he put up de same tale, en walk off wid a n'er

mess er truck, en hit keep on dis a-way, twel bimeby Mr. Man, he 'gun

ter miss his greens, en he keep on a-missin' un um, twel he got ter

excusin' eve'ybody on de place er 'stroyin' un um, en w'en dat come ter

pass, de Little Gal, she up'n say:

"'My goodness, pa!' sez she, 'you done tole Mr. Rabbit fer ter come and

make me let 'im in de gyardin atter some greens, en aint he done come

en ax me, en aint I done gone en let 'im in?' sez she.

"Mr. Man aint hatter study long 'fo' he see how de lan' lay, en den he

laff, en tell de Little Gal dat he done gone en disremember all 'bout

Mr. Rabbit, en den he up'n say, sezee:

"'Nex' time Mr. Rabbit come, you tak'n tu'n 'im in, en den you run des

ez fas' ez you kin en come en tell me, kase I got some bizness wid dat

young chap dat 's bleedze ter be 'ten' ter,' sezee.

"Sho' nuff, nex' mawnin' dar wuz de Little Gal playin' 'roun', en yer

come Brer Rabbit atter he 'lowance er greens. He wuz ready wid de same

tale, en den de Little Gal, she tu'n 'im in, she did, en den she run up

ter de house en holler:

"'O pa! pa! O pa! Yer Brer Rabbit in de gyardin now! Yer he is, pa!'

"Den Mr. Man, he rush out, en grab up a fishin'-line w'at bin hangin' in

de back po'ch, en mak fer de gyardin, en w'en he git dar, dar wuz Brer

Rabbit tromplin' 'roun' on de strawbe'y-bed en mashin' down de

termartusses. W'en Brer Rabbit see Mr. Man, he squot behime a collud

leaf, but 't wa'n't no use. Mr. Man done seed him, en 'fo' you kin

count 'lev'm, he done got ole Brer Rabbit tie hard en fas' wid de

fishin'-line. Atter he got him tie good, Mr. Man step back, he did, en

say, sezee:

"'You done bin fool me lots er time, but dis time you er mine. I'm gwine

ter take you en gin you a larrupin',' sezee, 'en den I'm gwine ter skin

you en nail yo' hide on de stable do',' sezee; 'en den ter make sho dat

you git de right kinder larrupin', I'll des step up ter de house,'

sezee, 'en fetch de little red cowhide, en den I'll take en gin you

brinjer,' sezee.

"Den Mr. Man call to der Little Gal ter watch Brer Rabbit w'iles he

gone.

"Brer Rabbit aint sayin' nothin', but Mr. Man aint mo'n out de gate

'fo' he 'gun ter sing; en in dem days Brer Rabbit wuz a singer, mon,"

continued Uncle Remus, with unusual emphasis, "en w'en he chuned up fer

ter sing he make dem yuther creeturs hol' der bref."

"What did he sing, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

"Ef I aint fergit dat song off'n my min'," said Uncle Remus, looking

over his spectacles at the fire, with a curious air of attempting to

remember something, "hit run sorter dish yer way:

"'_De jay-bird hunt de sparrer-nes',

De bee-martin sail all 'roun';

De squer'l, he holler from de top er de tree,

Mr. Mole, he stay in de groun';

He hide en he stay twel de dark drop down--

Mr. Mole, he hide in de groun'._'

"W'en de Little Gal year dat, she laugh, she did, and she up'n ax Brer

Babbit fer ter sing some mo', but Brer Rabbit, he sorter cough, he did,

en 'low dat he got a mighty bad ho'seness down inter he win'pipe

some'rs. De Little Gal, she swade,[2] en swade, en bimeby Brer Rabbit,

he up 'n 'low dat he kin dance mo' samer dan w'at he kin sing. Den de

Little Gal, she ax' im won't he dance, en Brer Rabbit, he 'spon' how in

de name er goodness kin a man dance w'iles he all tie up dis a-way, en

den de Little Gal, she say she kin ontie 'im, en Brer Rabbit, he say he

aint keerin' ef she do. Wid dat de Little Gal, she retch down en

onloose de fish-line, en Brer Rabbit, he sorter stretch hisse'f en look

'roun'."

Here Uncle Remus paused and sighed, as though he had relieved his mind

of a great burden. The little boy waited a few minutes for the old man

to resume, and finally he asked:

"Did the Rabbit dance, Uncle Remus?"

"Who? Him?" exclaimed the old man, with a queer affectation of elation.

"Bless yo' soul, honey! Brer Rabbit gedder up his foots und' 'im, en he

dance outer dat gyardin, en he dance home. He did dat! Sho'ly you don't

'speck' dat a ole-timer w'at done had 'spe'unce like Brer Rabbit gwine

ter stay dar en let dat ar Mr. Man sackyfice 'im? _Shoo!_ Brer Rabbit

dance, but he dance home. You year me!"

[1] Topknot, foretop.

[2] Persuaded.