MR. RAM AND HIS FIDDLE 
Brer Wolf laugh en show his toofies so bad dat ole man Benjer- 
mun Ram come mighty nigh havin’ ’n’er ager. 
“Den Brer Wolf tuck’n flung ’n’er lighter’d-knot on de fier, en 
den he slip inter de back room, en present’y, w’iles ole Mr. Ben- 
jermun Ram wuz settin’ dar shakin’ in he shoes, he year Brer 
Wolf whispun’ ter he ole ’oman: — 
“‘Ole ’oman! ole ’oman! Fling ’way yo’ smoke meat —fresh 
meat fer supper! Fling ’way yo’ smoke meat — fresh meat fer 
supper! ’ 
“Den ole Miss Wolf, she talk out loud, so Mr. Benjermun Ram 
kin year: — 
“ ‘ Tooby sho’ I ’ll fix ’im some supper. We er ’way off yer in de 
woods, so fur fum comp’ny dat goodness knows I’m mighty glad 
ter see Mr. Benjermun Ram.’ 
“Den Mr. Benjermun Ram year ole Miss Wolf whettin’ ’er 
knife on a rock — shirrah! shirrali! shirrah! — en ev’y time he 
year de knife say shirrah! he know he dat much nigher de dinner- 
pot. He know he can’t git ’way, en w’iles he settin’ dar studyin’, 
hit come ’cross he min’ dat he des mought ez well play one mo’ 
chune on he fiddle ’fo’ de wuss come ter de wuss. Wid dat he 
ontie de bag en take out de fiddle, en ’gun ter chune ’er up — 
plink , plank , plunk , plink! plunk , plank , plink , plunk!” 
r Uncle Remus’s imitation of the tuning of a fiddle was marvel¬ 
lous enough to produce a startling effect upon a much less en¬ 
thusiastic listener than the little boy. It was given in perfect 
good faith, but the serious expression on the old man’s face was 
so irresistibly comic that the child laughed until the tears ran 
down his face. Uncle Remus very properly accepted this as a 
tribute to his wonderful resources as a story-teller, and continued, 
in great good-humor: — 
“W’en ole Miss Wolf year dat kinder fuss, co’se she dunner 
w’at is it, en she drap ’er knife en lissen. Ole Mr. Benjermun Ram 
ain’t know dis, en he keep on chunin’ up — plank, plink, plunk , 
39 
