Mr. Lion Hunts for Mr. Man

Uncle Remus sighed heavily as he lifted the trivet on the head of his

walking-cane, and hung it carefully by the side of the griddle in the

cavernous fireplace.

"Folks kin come 'long wid der watchermaycollums," he said presently,

turning to the little boy, who was supplementing his supper by biting

off a chew of shoemaker's-wax, "en likewise dey kin fetch 'roun' der

watziznames. Dey kin walk biggity, en dey kin talk biggity, en mo'n dat,

dey kin feel biggity, but yit all de same deyer gwine ter git kotch up

wid. Dey go 'long en dey go 'long, en den bimeby yer come trouble en

snatch um slonchways, en de mo' bigger w'at dey is, de wusser does dey

git snatched."

The little boy did n't understand this harangue at all, but he

appreciated it because he recognized it as the prelude to a story.

"Dar wuz Mr. Lion," Uncle Remus went on; "he tuck'n sot hisse'f up fer

ter be de boss er all de yuther creeturs, en he feel so biggity dat he

go ro'in' en rampin' 'roun' de neighborhoods wuss'n dat ar speckle bull

w'at you see down at yo' Unk' Jeems Abercrombie place las' year. He went

ro'in' 'roun', he did, en eve'ywhar he go he year talk er Mr. Man. Right

in de middle er he braggin', some un 'ud up'n tell 'im 'bout w'at Mr.

Man done done. Mr. Lion, he say he done dis, en den he year 'bout how

Mr. Man done dat. Hit went on dis a-way twel bimeby Mr. Lion shake he

mane, he did, en he up'n say dat he gwine ter s'arch 'roun' en 'roun',

en high en low, fer ter see ef he can't fine Mr. Man, en he 'low, Mr.

Lion did, dat w'en he do fine 'im, he gwine ter tu'n in en gin Mr. Man

sech n'er larrupin' w'at nobody aint never had yit. Dem yuther

creeturs, dey tuck'n tell Mr. Lion dat he better let Mr. Man 'lone, but

Mr. Lion say he gwine ter hunt 'im down spite er all dey kin do.

"Sho' nuff, atter he done tuck some res', Mr. Lion, he put out down de

big road. Sun, she rise up en shine hot, but Mr. Lion, he keep on; win',

hit come up en blow, en fill de elements full er dust; rain, hit drif'

up en drizzle down; but Mr. Lion, he keep on. Bimeby, w'iles he gwine on

dis a-way, wid he tongue hangin' out, he come up wid Mr. Steer, grazin'

'long on de side er de road. Mr. Lion, he up'n ax 'im howdy, he did,

monst'us perlite, en Mr. Steer likewise he bow en scrape en show his

manners. Den Mr. Lion, he do lak he wanter have some confab wid 'im, en

he up'n say, sezee:

"'Is dey anybody 'roun' in deze parts name Mr. Man?' sezee.

"'Tooby sho' dey is,' sez Mr. Steer, sezee; 'anybody kin tell you dat. I

knows 'im mighty well,' sezee.

"'Well, den, he de ve'y chap I'm atter,' sezee.

"'W'at mought be yo' bizness wid Mr. Man?' sez Mr. Steer, sezee.

"'I done come dis long ways fer ter gin 'im a larrupin',' sez Mr. Lion,

sezee. 'I'm gwine ter show 'im who de boss er deze neighborhoods,'

sezee, en wid dat Mr. Lion, he shake he mane, en switch he tail, en

strut up en down wuss'n one er deze yer town niggers.

"'Well, den, ef dat w'at you come atter,' sez Mr. Steer, sezee, 'you des

better slew yo'se'f 'roun' en p'int yo' nose todes home, kaze you fixin'

fer ter git in sho' 'nuff trouble,' sezee.

"'I'm gwine ter larrup dat same Mr. Man,' sez Mr. Lion, sezee; 'I done

come fer dat, en dat w'at I'm gwine ter do,' sezee.

"Mr. Steer, he draw long breff, he did, en chaw he cud slow, en atter

w'ile he say, sezee:

"'You see me stannin' yer front er yo' eyes, en you see how big I is, en

w'at long, sharp hawns I got. Well, big ez my heft is, en sharp dough my

hawns be, yit Mr. Man, he come out yer en he ketch me, en he put me und'

a yoke, en he hitch me up in a kyart, en he make me haul he wood, en he

drive me anywhar he min' ter. He do dat. Better let Mr. Man 'lone,'

sezee. 'If you fool 'long wid 'im, watch out dat he don't hitch you up

en have you prancin' 'roun' yer pullin' he kyart,' sezee.

"Mr. Lion, he fotch a roar, en put out down de road, en 't wa'n't so

mighty long 'fo' he come up wid Mr. Hoss, w'ich he wuz a-nibblin' en

a-croppin' de grass. Mr. Lion make hisse'f know'd, en den he tuck'n ax

Mr. Hoss do he know Mr. Man.

"'Mighty well,' sez Mr. Hoss, sezee, 'en mo'n dat, I bin a-knowin' 'im a

long time. W'at you want wid Mr. Man?' sezee.

"'I'm a-huntin' 'im up fer ter larrup 'im,' sez Mr. Lion, sezee. 'Dey

tells me he mighty stuck up,' sezee, 'en I gwine take 'im down a peg,'

sezee.

"Mr. Hoss look at Mr. Lion like he sorry, en bimeby he up'n say:

"'I 'speck you better let Mr. Man 'lone,' sezee. 'You see how big I is,

en how much strenk w'at I got, en how tough my foots is,' sezee; 'well

dish yer Mr. Man, he kin take'n take me en hitch me up in he buggy, en

make me haul 'im all 'roun', en den he kin take'n fassen me ter de plow

en make me break up all his new groun',' sezee. 'You better go 'long

back home. Fus' news you know, Mr. Man'll have you breakin' up his new

groun',' sezee.

"Spite er all dis, Mr. Lion, he shake he mane en say he gwine ter larrup

Mr. Man anyhow. He went on down de big road, he did, en bimeby he come

up wid Mr. Jack Sparrer, settin' up in de top er de tree. Mr. Jack

Sparrer, he whirl 'roun' en chirp, en flutter 'bout up dar, en

'pariently make a great 'miration.

"'Heyo yer!' sezee; 'who'd er 'speckted fer ter see Mr. Lion 'way down

yer in dis neighborhoods?' sezee. 'Whar you gwine, Mr. Lion?' sezee.

"Den Mr. Lion ax ef Mr. Jack Sparrer know Mr. Man, en Mr. Jack Sparrer

say he know Mr. Man mighty well. Den Mr. Lion, he ax ef Mr. Jack Sparrer

know whar he stay, w'ich Mr. Jack Sparrer say dat he do. Mr. Lion ax

wharbouts is Mr. Man, en Mr. Jack Sparrer say he right 'cross dar in de

new groun', en he up'n ax Mr. Lion w'at he want wid 'im, w'ich Mr. Lion

'spon' dat he gwine larrup Mr. Man, en wid dat, Mr. Jack Sparrer, he

up'n say, sezee:

"'You better let Mr. Man 'lone. You see how little I is, en likewise how

high I kin fly; yit, 'spite er dat, Mr. Man, he kin fetch me down w'en

he git good en ready,' sezee. 'You better tuck yo' tail en put out

home,' sez Mr. Jack Sparrer, sezee, 'kaze bimeby Mr. Man 'll fetch you

down,' sezee.

"But Mr. Lion des vow he gwine atter Mr. Man, en go he would, en go he

did. He aint never see Mr. Man, Mr. Lion aint, en he dunner w'at he

look lak, but he go on todes de new groun'. Sho' 'nuff, dar wuz Mr. Man,

out dar maulin' rails fer ter make 'im a fence. He 'uz rippin' up de

butt cut, Mr. Man wuz, en he druv in his wedge en den he stuck in de

glut. He 'uz splittin' 'way, w'en bimeby he year rustlin' out dar in de

bushes, en he look up, en dar wuz Mr. Lion. Mr. Lion ax 'im do he know

Mr. Man, en Mr. Man 'low dat he know 'im mo' samer dan ef he wer' his

twin brer. Den Mr. Lion 'low dat he wanter see' im, en den Mr. Man say,

sezee, dat ef Mr. Lion will come stick his paw in de split fer ter hol'

de log open twel he git back, he go fetch Mr. Man. Mr. Lion he march up

en slap his paw in de place, en den Mr. Man, he tuck'n' knock de glut

out, en de split close up, en dar Mr. Lion wuz. Mr. Man, he stan' off en

say, sezee:

"'Ef you'd 'a' bin a steer er hoss, you mought er run'd, en ef you'd

'a' bin a sparrer, you mought er flew'd, but yer you is, en you kotch

yo'se'f,' sezee.

"Wid dat, Mr. Man sa'nter out in de bushes en cut 'im a hick'ry, en he

let in on Mr. Lion, en he frail en frail 'im twel frailin' un 'im wuz a

sin. En down ter dis day," continued Uncle Remus, in a tone calculated

to destroy all doubt, "you can't git no Lion ter come up whar dey 's a

Man a-maulin' rails en put he paw in de split. Dat you can't!"