BRER FOX AS AN INCENDIARY 
he gwine see ’im. Brer Fox, he tak’n lay out de pogrance, en he 
up’n tell BrerTarrypin dat ef he’ll step up dar in de middle er 
dat ole broom-sage fiel’, en squot dar a spell, ’t won’t be no time 
’fo’ he’ll ketch a glimpse er de Ole Boy. 
“Brer Tarrypin know’d ders sump’n’ wrong some’rs, yit he 
mos’ too flat-flooted fer ter have enny scuffle wid Brer Fox, en 
he say ter hisse’f dat he’ll go ’long en des trus’ ter luck; en den he 
’low dat ef Brer Fox he’p ’im ’cross de fence, he b’lieve he’ll go up 
en resk one eye on de Ole Boy. Co’se Brer Fox hope ’im ’cross, en 
no sooner is he good en gone, dan Brer Fox, he fix up fer ter make 
’im see trouble. He lipt out ter Miss Meadows house, Brer Fox 
did, en make like he wanter borry a chunk er fier fer ter light he 
pipe, en he tuck dat chunk, en he run ’roun’ de fiel’, en he sot de 
grass a fier, en’t wa’n’t long ’fo’ it look lak de whole face er de 
yeth waz a-blazin’ up.” 
“Did it burn the Terrapin up?” interrupted the little boy. 
“Don’t push me, honey; don’t make me git de kyart ’fo’ de 
hoss. W’en ole Brer Tarrypin ’gun ter wade thoo de straw, de 
ve’y fus’ man w’at he strak up wid wuz ole man Rabbit layin’ dar 
sleepin’ on de shady side uv a tussock. Brer Rabbit, he one er 
deze yer kinder mens w’at sleep wid der eye wide open, en he wuz 
’wake d’reckly he year Brer Tarrypin scufflin’ en scramblin’ ’long 
thoo de grass. Atter dey shuck han’s en ax ’bout one er n’er 
fambly, hit ain’t take long fer Brer Tarrypin fer ter tell Brer 
Rabbit w’at fotch ’im dar, en Brer Rabbit, he up’n say, 
sezee:— 
“‘Hit’s des na’tally a born blessin’ dat you struck up wid me 
w’en you did,’ sezee, ‘kaze little mo’ en bofe un us would ’a’ bin 
bobbycu’d,’ sezee. 
“Dis kinder tarrify Brer Tarrypin, en he say he wanter git out 
fum dar; but Brer Rabbit he ’low he’d take keer un ’im, en he 
tuck’n tuck Brer Tarrypin in de middle er de fiel’ whar dey wuz 
a big holler stump. Onter dis stump Brer Rabbit lif’ Brer Tarry- 
77 
