NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
de time w’en I gits lonesome kaze dey ain’t nobody year um 
’eeppin’ it’s me. Dey ain’t no tellin’ de chunes dey is in dat trivet, 
en in dat griddle, en in dat fryin’-pan er mine; dat dey ain’t. 
W’en dem creeturs walks in en snatches um down, dey lays Miss 
Sally’s pianner in de shade, en Mars John’s flute, hit ain’t no- 
whars.” 
“Do they play on them just like a band, Uncle Remus?” in¬ 
quired the little boy, who was secretly in hopes that the illusion 
would not be destroyed. 
“Dey comes des lak I tell you, honey. W’en I shets my eyes 
en dozes, dey comes en dey plays, but w’en I opens my eyes dey 
ain’t dar. Now, den, w’en dat’s de shape er marters, w’at duz I 
do? I des shets my eyes en hoi’ um shot, en let um come en play 
dem ole time chunes twel long atter bed-time done come en 
gone.” 
Uncle Remus paused, as though he expected the little boy to 
ask some question or make some comment, but the child said 
nothing, and presently the old man resumed, in a matter-of-fact 
tone: — 
“Dat dream er yone, honey, ’bout Brer Fox wid wings, fetches 
up de time w’en Brer Fox en Brer Wolf had der failin’ out wid one 
er n’er — but I ’speck I done tole you ’bout dat.” 
“ Oh, no, you have n’t, Uncle Remus! You know you have n’t! ” 
the little boy exclaimed. 
“Well, den, one day, atter so long a time, Brer Wolf en Brer 
Fox dey got ter ’sputin’ ’longer one er n’er. Brer Wolf, he tuck’n 
’buse Brer Fox kaze Brer Fox let Brer Rabbit fool ’im, en den 
Brer Fox, he tuck’n quol back at Brer Wolf, kaze Brer Wolf 
let ole man Rabbit lakwise fool ’im. Dey keep on ’sputin’ en 
’sputin’, twel bimeby dey clinch, en Brer Wolf, bein’ de bigges’ 
man, ’t would n’t a bin long ’fo’ he’d a wool Brer Fox, but Brer 
Fox, he watch he chance, he did, en he gin ’im leg bail.” 
“Gave him what, Uncle Remus?” 
80 
