BRER RABBIT^ SECURES A MANSION 
*roun’ medjun 1 en markin’ — medjun en markin’ — en he wuz 
dat busy dat de yuther creeturs say ter deyse’f he doin’ monst’us 
sight er wuk, en folks gwine ’long de big road say Brer Rabbit 
doin’ mo’ hard wuk dan de whole kit en bilin’ un um. Yit all de 
time Brer Rabbit ain’t doin’ nothin’, en he des well bin layin’ 
off in de shade scratchin’ de fleas off’n ’im. De yuther creeturs, 
dey buil’ de house, en, gentermens! she ’uz a fine un, too, mon. 
She’d ’a’ bin a fine un deze days, let ’lone dem days. She had er 
upsta’rs en downsta’rs, en chimbleys all ’roun’, en she had rooms 
fer all de creeturs w’at went inter cahoots en hope make it. 
“Brer Rabbit, he pick out one er de upsta’rs rooms, en he 
tuck’n’ got ’im a gun, en one er deze yer brass cannons, en he 
tuck’n’ put um in dar w’en de yuther creeturs ain’t lookin’, en 
den he tuck’n’ got ’im a tub er nasty slop-water, w’ich likewise he 
put in dar w’en dey ain’t lookin’. So den, w’en dey git de house 
all fix, en w’iles dey wuz all a-settin’ in de parlor atter supper, 
Brer Rabbit, he sorter gap en stretch hisse’f, en make his ’skuses 
en say he b’leeve he’ll go ter he room. W’en he git dar, en w’iles 
all de yuther creeturs wuz a-laughin’ en a-chattin’ des ez sociable 
ez you please, Brer Rabbit, he stick he head out er de do’ er he 
room en sing out: — 
“‘W’en a big man like me wanter set down, wharbouts he 
gwine ter set?’ sezee. 
“Den de yuther creeturs dey laugh, en holler back: — 
“ ‘Ef big man like you can’t set in a cheer, he better set down 
on de flo’.’ 
“ ‘Watch out down dar, den,’ sez ole Brer Rabbit, sezee. ‘Kaze 
I’m a gwine ter set down,’ sezee. 
“Wid dat, bang! went Brer Rabbit gun. Co’se, dis sorter 
’stonish de creeturs, en dey look ’roun’ at one er n’er much ez ter 
say, W’at in de name er gracious is dat? Dey lissen en lissen, but 
dey don’t year no mo’ fuss, en ’t wa’n’t long ’fo’ dey got ter 
1 Measuring. 
25 
