WHY BRER BEAR HAS NO TAIL 
Mud-Turkle en Brer Tarrypin dey ’muse deyse’f, dey did, wid 
slidin’ fum de top uv a big slantin’ rock down inter de water. 
“I ’speck you moughter seen rocks in de water ’fo’ now, whar 
dey git green en slipp’y,” said Uncle Remus. 
The little boy had not only seen them, but had found them to 
be very dangerous to walk upon, and the old man continued: — 
“ Well, den, dish yer rock wuz mighty slick en mighty slantin’. 
Mr. Mud-Turkle, he’d crawl ter de top, en tu’n loose, en go 
a-sailin’ down inter de water — kersplash! Ole Brer Tarrypin, 
he’d foiler atter, en slide down inter de water — ker splash! Ole 
Brer Rabbit, he sot off, he did, en praise um up. 
“W’iles dey wuz a-gwine on dis a-way, a-havin’ der fun, en 
’joyin’ deyse’f, yer come ole Brer B’ar. He year um laffin’ en 
holl’in’, en he hail um. 
“‘Heyo, folks! W’at all dis? Ef my eye ain’t ’ceive me, dish 
yer’s Brer Rabbit, en Brer Tarrypin, en ole Unk’ Tommy Mud- 
Turkle,’ sez Brer B’ar, sezee. 
“‘De same,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, ‘en yer we is ’joyin’ de day 
dat passes des lak dey wa’n’t no hard times.’ 
“‘Well, well, well!’ sez ole Brer B’ar, sezee, ‘a-slippin’ en 
a-slidin’ en makin’ free! En w’at de matter wid Brer Rabbit dat 
he ain’t j’inin’ in?’ sezee. 
“Ole Brer Rabbit he wink at Brer Tarrypin, en Brer Tarrypin 
he hunch Mr. Mud-Turkle, en den Brer Rabbit he up’n ’low, he 
did: — 
“‘My goodness, Brer B’ar! you can’t ’speck a man fer ter slip 
en slide de whole blessid day, kin you? I done had my fun, en now 
I’m a-settin’ out yer lettin’ my cloze dry. Hit’s tu’n en tu’n 
about wid me en deze gents w’en dey’s any fun gwine on,’ 
sezee. 
“‘Maybe Brer B’ar might jine in wid us,’ sez Brer Tarrypin, 
sezee. 
“Brer Rabbit he des holler en laff. 
99 
