BRER FOX AND BRER RABBIT 
“ W’en you come ter ax me ’bout de year en day er de montY’ 
said the old man, cunningly arranging a defence against criti¬ 
cism, “den I’m done, kaze de almanick w’at dey got in dem times 
won’t pass muster deze days, but, let ’lone dat, I ’speck dey ain’t 
had none yit; en if dey is, dey ain’t none bin handed down ter 
Remus. 
“Well, den, some time ’long in dar, ole Brer Fox en Brer Rab¬ 
bit got ter flyin’ ’roun’ King Deer daughter. Dey tells me she 
’uz a monst’us likely gal, en I ’speck may be she wuz; leas’ways. 
Brer Fox, he hanker atter ’er, en likewise Brer Rabbit, he hanker 
atter ’er. Ole King Deer look lak he sorter lean todes Brer Fox, 
kaze ter a settle man like him, hit seem lak dat Brer Fox kin stir 
’roun’ en keep de pot a-b’ilin’, mo’ speshually bein’s he de bigges’. 
Hit go on dis a-way twel hardly a day pass dat one er de yuther 
er dem creeturs don’t go sparklin’ ’roun’ King Deer daughter, en 
it got so atter w’ile dat all day long Brer Rabbit en Brer Fox keep 
de front gate a-skreakin’, en King Deer daughter ain’t ska’cely 
had time fer ter eat a meal vittels in no peace er min’. 
“In dem days,” pursued Uncle Remus, in a tone of unmis¬ 
takable historical fervor, “ w’en a creetur go a-courtin’ dey wa’n’t 
none er dish yer bokay doin’s mix’ up ’longer der co’tship, en dey 
ain’t cut up no capers like folks does now. Stidder scollopin’ 
’roun’ en bowin’ en scrapin’, dey des go right straight atter de 
gal. Ole Brer Rabbit, he mouter had some bubby-blossoms 1 wrop 
up in his hankcher, but mostly him en Brer Fox ’ud des drap in 
on King Deer daughter en ’gin ter cas’ sheep-eyes at ’er time dey 
sot down en cross der legs.” 
“En I bet,” said ’Tildy, by way of comment, and looking as 
though she wanted to blush, “dat dey wa’n’t ’shame’, nuther.” 
“Dey went ’long dis a-way,” continued Uncle Remus, “twel it 
’gun ter look sorter skittish wid Brer Rabbit, kaze ole King Deer 
done good ez say, sezee, dat he gwine ter take Brer Fox inter de 
1 A species of sweet-shrub growing wild in the South. 
59 
