a faint idea：
〃Ole M'er Jackson； fines' confraction； fell down sta'rs fer to git satisfaction； big Bill Fray； he rule de day； eve'ything he call fer come one； two by three。 Gwine 'long one day； met Johnny Huby； ax him grine nine yards er steel fer me； tole me w'ich he couldn't： den I hist 'im over Hiekerson Dickerson's barn…doors； knock 'im ninety…nine miles under water； w'en he rise； he rise in Fike straddle un a hanspike； en I lef' 'im dar smokin' er de horupipe； Juba reda seda breda。 Aunt Kate at de gate； I want to eat； she fry de meat en gimme skin； w'ich I fling it back agin。 Juba！〃
All this； rattled off at a rapid rate and with apparent seriousness； was calculated to puzzle the little boy； and he slipped into his accustomed seat with an expression of awed bewilderment upon his face。
〃Hit's all des dat away； honey；〃 continued the old man； with the air of one who had just given an ini portant piece of information。 〃En w'en you bin cas'n shadders long ez de ole nigger； den you'll fine out who's w'ich； en w'ich's who。〃
The little boy made no response。 He was in thorough sympathy with all the whims and humors of the old man； and his capacity for enjoying them was large enough to include even those he could not understand。 Uncle Remus was finishing an axe…handle； and upon these occasions it was his custom to allow the child to hold one end while he applied sand…paper to the other。 These relations were pretty soon established； to the mutual satisfaction of the parties most interested； and the old man continued his remarks； but this time not at random：
〃W'en I see deze yer swell…head folks like dat oman w'at come en tell yo' ma 'bout you churkiin' at her chilluns； w'ich yo ma make Mars John strop you； hit make my mine run back to ole Brer B'ar。 Ole Brer B'ar； he got de swell…headedness hisse'f； en ef der wuz enny swinkin'； hit swunk too late fer ter he'p ole Brer B'ar。 Leas' ways dat's w'at dey tells me； en I ain't never yearn it 'sputed。〃
〃Was the Bear's head sure enough swelled； Uncle Remus？〃
〃Now you talkin'； honey！〃 exclaimed the old man。
〃Goodness！ what made it swell？〃
This was Uncle Remus's cue。 Applying the sand…paper to the axe…helve with gentle vigor； he began。
〃One time when Brer Rabbit wnz gwine lopin' home film a frolic w'at dey bin havin' up at Miss Meadows's； who should he happin up wid but ole Brer B'ar。 Go'se； atter w'at done pass 'twix urn dey wa'n't no good feelin's 'tween Brer Rabbit en ole Brer B'ar； but Brer Rabbit； he wanter save his manners； en so he holler out：
〃Heyo； Brer B'ar！ how you come on？ I ain't seed you in a coon's age。 How all down at yo' house？ How Miss Brune en Miss Brindle？〃
〃Who was that； Uncle Remus？〃 the little boy interrupted。
〃Miss Brune en Miss Brindle？ Miss Brune wuz Brer B'ar's ole 'oman； en Miss Brindle wnz his gal。 Dat w'at dey call urn in dem days。 So den Brer Rabbit； he ax him howdy； he did； en Brer B'ar； he 'spon' dat he wuz mighty po'y； en dey amble 'long； dey did； sorter familious like； but Brer Rabbit； he keep one eye on Brer B'ar； en Brer B'ar； he study how he gwine nab Brer Rabbit。 Las' Brer Rabbit； he up'n say； sezee：
〃'Brer B'ar； I speck I got some bizness cut out fer you；' sezee。
〃'What dat； Brer Rabbit？' sez Brer B'ar； sezee。
〃'W'iles I wuz cleanin' up my new…groun' day 'fo' yistiddy；' sez Brer Rabbit； sezee； 'I come 'cross wun…ner deze yer ole time bee…trees。 Hit start holler at de bottom； en stay holler plum der de top； en de honey's des natally oozin' out； en ef you'll drap yo' 'gagements en go longer me；' sez Brer Rabbit； sezee； 'youll git a bait datil las' you en yo' fambly twel de middle er nex' mont'；' sezee。
〃Brer B'ar say he much oblije en he bleeve he'll go long； en wid dat dey put out fer Brer Rabbit's newgroun'； w'ich twa'n't so mighty fur。 Leas'ways； dey got dar atter w'ile。 Ole Brer B'ar； he low dat he kin smell de honey。 Brer Rabbit； he low dat he kin see de honey…koam。 Brer B'ar； he low dat he can hear de bees a zoonin'。 Dey stan' 'roun' en talk biggity； dey did； twel bimeby Brer Rabbit； he up'n say； sezee：
〃'You do de clim…'in'； Brer B'ar； en I'll do de rushin' 'roun'； you clime up ter de hole； en fll take dis yer pine pole en shove de honey up whar you kin git 'er；' sezee。
〃Ole Brer B'ar； he spit on his han's en skint up de tree； en jam his head in de hole； en sho nuff； Brer Rabbit； he grab de pine pole； en de way he stfr up dem bees wuz sinful…dat's w'at it wuz。 Hit wuz sinful。 En de bees dey swawm'd on Brer B'ar's head； twel 'fo' he could take it out'n de hole' hit wuz done swell up bigger dan dat dinner…pot； en dar he swung； en ole Brer Rabbit； he dance 'roun' en sing：
〃Tree stan' high； but honey mighty sweet… Watch dem bees wid stingers on der feet。'
〃But dar ole Brer B'ar hung； en ef his head ain't swunk； I speck he hangin' dar yit…dat w'at I speck。〃
XXIX MR。 FOX GETS INTO SERIOUS BUSINESS
〃Hrr turn out one time；〃 said Uncle Remus； grinding some crumbs of tobacco between the palms of his hands； preparatory to enjoying his usual smoke after supper…〃hit turn out one time dat Brer Rabbit make so free wid de man's collard…patch dat de man he tuck'n sot a trap fer ole Brer Rabbit。〃
〃Which man was that； Uncle Remus？〃 asked the little boy。
〃Des a man； honey。 Dat's all。 Dat's all I knows …des wunner dese yer mans w'at you see trollopin 'roun' eve'y day。 Nobody ain't never year w'at his name is； en ef dey did dey kep' de news mighty close fum me。 Ef dish yer man is bleedzd fer ter have a name； den I'm done； kaze you'll hatter go fudder dan me。 Ef you bleedzd ter know mo' dan w'at I duz； den you'll hatter hunt up some er deze yer niggers w'at's sprung up sence I commence fer ter shed my ha'r。〃
〃Well； I just thought； Uncle Remus；〃 said the little boy； in a tone remarkable for self…depreciation； 〃that the man had a name。〃
〃Tooby sho；〃 replied the old man； with unction； puffing away at his pipe。 〃Co'se。 Dat w'at make I say w'at I duz。 Dish yer man mout a had a name； en den ag'in he moutn't。 He mont er bin name Slip…shot Sam； en he mouter bin name ole One…eye Riley； w'ich ef 'twuz hit ain't bin handed roun' ter me。 But dish yer man； he in de tale； en w'at we gwine do wid 'im？ Dats de p'int； kase w'en I git ter huntin' 'roun' 'mong my 'membunce atter dish yer Mister W'atyoumaycollum's name； she ain't dar。 Now den； less des call 'im Mr。 Man en let 'im go at dat。〃
The silence of the little boy gave consent。
〃One time；〃 said Uncle Remus； carefully taking up the thread of the story where it had been dropped； 〃hit turn out dat Brer Rabbit bin makin' so free wid Mr。 Man's greens en truck dat Mr。 Man； he tuck'n sot a trap for Brer Rabbit； en Brer Rabbit he so greedy dat he tuck'n walk right spang in it； 'fo' he know hisse'f。 Well； 'twa'n't long 'fo' yer come Mr。 Man； broozin' 'roun'； en he ain't no sooner see ole Brer Rabbit dan he smack his han's tergedder en holler out：
〃'Youer nice feller； you is！ Yer you bin gobblin' up my green truck； en now you tryin' ter tote off my trap。 Youer mighty nice chap…dat's w'at you is！ But now dat I got you； I'll des 'bout settle wid you fer de ole en de new。'
〃En wid dat； Mr。 Man； he go off； he did； down in de bushes atter han'ful er switches。 Ole Brer Rabbit； he ain't sayin' nuthin'； but he feelin' mighty lonesome； en he sot dar lookin' like eve'y minnit wnz gwineter be de nex'。 En w'iles Mr。 Man wuz off prepa'r'n his bresh…broom； who should come p'radin' long but Brer Fox。 Brer Fox make a great 'miration； he did； 'bout de fix w'at he fine Brer Rabbit in； but Brer Rabbit he make like he fit ter kill hisse'f laffin'； en he up'n tell Brer Fox； he did； dat Miss Meadows's fokes want 'im ter go down ter der house in 'tennunce on a weddin'； en he low w'ich he couldn't； en dey low how he could； en den bimeby dey take'n tie 'im dar w'iles dey go atter de preacher； so he be dar' w'en dey come back。 En mo'n dat； Brer Rabbit up'n tell Brer Fox dat his chillun's mighty low wid de fever； en he bleedzd ter go atter some pills fer'm； en he ax Brer Fox fer ter take his place en go down ter Miss Meadows's en have nice time wid de gals。 Brer Fox； he in fer dem kinder pranks； en 'twa'n't no time 'fo' Brer Rabbit had ole Brer Fox harness up dar in his place； en den he make like he got ter make 'as'e en git de pills fer dem sick chilluns。 Brer Rabbit wa'n't mo'n out er sight 'fo' yer come Mr。 Man wid a han'ful er hick'ries； but w'en he see Brer Fox tied up dar； he look like he 'stonished。
〃'Heyo！' sez Mr。 Man； sezee； 'you done change color； en you done got bigger； en yo' tail done grow out。 W'at kin'er w'atzyname is you； ennyhow？' sezee。
〃Brer Fox； he stay still； en Mr。 Man； he talk on：
〃'Hit's mighty big luck；' sezee； 'ef w'en I ketch de chap w'at nibble my greens； likewise I ketch de feller w'at gnyaw my goose；' sezee； en wid dat he let inter Brex Fox wid de hick'ries； en de way he play rap…jacket wuz a caution ter de naberhood。 Brer Fox； he juk en he jump； en he squeal en he squall； but Mr。 Man； he shower down on 'im； he did； like fightin' a red was'nes'。〃
The little boy laughed； and Uncle Remus supplemented this indorsement of his descriptive powers with a most infectious chuckle。
〃'Bimeby；〃 continued the old man； 〃de switches； dey got frazzle out； en Mr。 Man； he put out atter mo'； en w'en he done got fa'rly outer yearin'； Brer Rabbit； he show'd up； he did； kaze he des bin hidin' out in de bushes lis'nin' at de racket； en he low hit mighty funny dat Miss Meadows ain't come 'long； kaze he done bin down ter de doctor house； en dat's fudder dan de preacher； yit。 Brer Rabbit make like he hurr'in' on home； but Brer Fox； he open up； he did； en he say：
〃'I thank you fer ter tu'n me loose； Brer Rabbit； en Ill be 'blije；' sezee； Icaze you done tie me up so tight dat it make my head swim； en I don't speck I'd las' fer ter git ter Miss Meadows's；' sezee。
〃Brer Rabbit； he sot down sorter keerless like； en begin fer ter scratch one year like a man studyin' 'bout sump'n。
〃'Dat's so； Brer Fox；' sezee； 'you duz look sorter stove up。 Look like sump'n bin onkoamin' yo' ha'rs；' sezee。
〃Brer Fox ain't sayin' nothin'； but Brer Rabbit； he keep on talkin'：
'Dey ain't no bad feelin's 'twix' us； is dey； Brer Fox？ Kaze ef dey is； I ain't got no time fer ter be tarry