NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
dar wuz de big bunch er grapes. Sho’ nuff, dey wuz all kiwud wid 
bugs. 
“Ole Brer Rabbit, he’d bin a-pushin’ ’long atter Brer Fox, but 
he des hatter scratch gravel fer ter keep up. Las’ he hove in sight, 
en he lay off in de weeds, he did, fer ter watch Brer Fox motions. 
Present’y Brer Fox crope up de leanin’ dogwood-tree twel he 
come nigh de grapes, en den he sorter ballunce hisse’f on a lim’ 
en gun um a swipe wid his big bushy tail, fer ter bresh off de bugs. 
But, bless yo’ soul, honey! no sooner is he done dat dan he fetch a 
squall w’ich Miss Meadows vow atterwards she year plum ter her 
house, en down he come — kerblim! ” 
“What was the matter, Uncle Remus?” the little boy asked. * 
“Law, honey! dat seetful Brer Rabbit done fool ole Brer Fox. 
Dem ar grapes all so fine wuz needer mo’ ner less dan a great big 
was’-nes’, en dem bugs wuz deze yer red wassies — deze yer speeshy 
w’at’s rank pizen fum een’ ter een’. W’en Brer Fox drap fum de 
tree de wassies dey drap wid ’im, en de way dey worn ole Brer Fox 
up wuz sinful. Dey ain’t mo’n tetch’ im ’fo’ dey had ’im het up ter 
de bailin’ p’int. Brer Fox, he run, en he kick, en he scratch, en he 
bite, en he scramble, en he holler, en he howl, but look lak dey git 
wuss en wuss. One time, hit seem lak Brer Fox en his new ’quaint- 
ance wuz makin’ todes Brer Rabbit, but dey ain’t no sooner p’int 
dat way, dan ole Brer Rabbit, he up’n make a break, en he went 
sailin’ thoo de woods wuss’n wunner dese whully-win’s, en he ain’t 
stop twel he fetch up at Miss Meadows. 
“Miss Meadows en de gals, dey ax ’im, dey did, wharbouts 
wuz Brer Fox, en Brer Rabbit, he up’n ’spon’ dat he done gone 
a-grape-huntin’, en den Miss Meadows, she ’low, she did: — 
“‘Law, gals! is you ever year de beat er dat? En dat, too, w’en 
Brer Fox done say he cornin’ ter dinner,’ sez she. ‘ I lay I done wid 
Brer Fox, kaze you can’t put no pennunce in deze yer men-folks,’ 
sez she. ‘Yer de dinner bin done dis long time, en we bin a-waitin’ 
lak de quality. But now I’m done wid Brer Fox,’ sez she. 
74 
