NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
Uncle Remus, in self-defence, consented to tell the story of the 
Pigs. 
“One time, ’way back yander, de ole Sow en er chilluns wuz 
all livin’ ’longer’ de yuther creeturs. Hit seem lak ter me dat de 
ole Sow wuz a widder ’oman, en ef I don’t run inter no mistakes, 
hit look like ter me dat she got five chilluns. Lemme see,” con¬ 
tinued Uncle Remus, with the air of one determined to justify his 
memory by a reference to the record, and enumerating with great 
deliberation, — “dar wuz Big Pig, en dar wuz Little Pig, en dar 
wuz Speckle Pig, en dar wuz Blunt, en las’ en lonesomes’ dar 
wuz Runt. 
“One day, deze yer Pig ma she know she gwine kick de bucket, 
and she tuck’n call up all ’er chilluns en tell um dat de time 
done come w’en dey got ter look out fer deyse’f, en den she up’n 
tell um good ez she kin, dough ’er breff mighty scant, ’bout w’at 
a bad man is ole Brer Wolf. She say, sez she, dat if dey kin make 
der ’scape from ole Brer Wolf, dey’ll be doin’ monst’us well. Big 
Pig ’low she ain’t skeer’d, Speckle Pig ’low she ain’t skeer’d, Blunt, 
he say he mos’ big a man ez Brer Wolf hisse’f, en Runt, she des 
tuck ’n root ’roun’ in de straw en grunt. But ole Widder Sow, she 
lay dar, she did, en keep on tellin’ um dat dey better keep der eye 
on Brer Wolf, kaz he mighty mean en ’seetful man. 
“Not long atter dat, sho’ ’nuff ole Miss Sow lay down en die, en 
all dem ar chilluns er hern wuz flung back on deyse’f, en dey whirl 
in, dey did, en dey buil’ um all a house ter live in. Big Pig, she 
tuck’n buil’ ’er a house outer bresh; Little Pig, she tuck’n buil’ a 
stick house; Speckle Pig, she tuck’n buil’ a mud house; Blunt, he 
tuck’n buil’ a plank house; en Runt, she don’t make no great 
ter-do, en no great brags, but she went ter wuk, she did, en buil’ 
a rock house. 
“Bimeby, w’en dey done got all fix, en marters wuz sorter 
settle, soon one mawnin’ yer come ole Brer Wolf, a-lickin’ un his 
chops en a-shakin’ un his tail. Fus’ house he come ter wuz Big 
S2 
