!^eer IV ays of Br'er Rabbit. 49 



around with grotesque jumps, like a kitten after its 

 tail. Only Br'er Rabbit's tail was too short for him 

 ever to catch it ; he seemed rather to be trying to get 

 a good look at it. Then he went off helter-skelter in 

 a headlong rush through the ferns. Before I knew 

 what had become of him, over the log he came again 

 in a marvelous jump, and went tearing around the 

 clearing like a circus horse, varying his performance 

 now by a high leap, now by two or three awkward 

 hops on his hind legs, like a dancing bear. It was 

 immensely entertaining. 



The third time around he discovered me in the 

 midst of one of his antics. He was so surprised that 

 he fell down. In a second he was up again, sitting 

 up very straight on his haunches just in front of me, 

 paws crossed, ears erect, eyes shining in fear and 

 curiosity. " Who are you } " he was saying, as plainly 

 as ever rabbit said it. Without moving a muscle I 

 tried to tell him, and also that he need not be afraid. 

 Perhaps he began to understand, for he turned his 

 head on one side, just as a dog does when you talk to 

 him. But he was n't quite satisfied. " I '11 try my 

 scare on him," he thought ; and thtimp ! tliump ! 

 thump ! sounded his padded hind foot on the soft 

 ground. It almost made me start again, it sounded 

 so big in the dead stillness. This last test quite con- 

 vinced him that I was harmless, and, after a moment's 



