MR. MAN HAS SOME MEAT 
hol’in’ he nose. Mr. Man, he look sorter sheepish, he did, en dey 
ain’t gone fur ’fo’ he put de meat down on de side er de road, en 
he tuck’n ax Brer Rabbit w’at dey gwine do ’bout it. Brer Rabbit 
he ’low, he did: — 
“‘I year tell in my time dat ef you take’n drag a piece er meat 
thoo’ de dus’ hit’ll fetch back hits freshness. I ain’t no super- 
spicious man myse’f,’ sezee, ‘en I ain’t got no ’speunce wid no sech 
doin’s, but dem w’at tell me say dey done try it. Yit I knows dis, 
says Brer Rabbit, sezee,— ‘I knows dat ’t ain’t gwine do no 
harm, ’kaze de grit w’at gits on de meat kin be wash off,’ sez 
Brer Rabbit, sezee. 
“‘I ain’t got no string,’ sez Mr. Man, sezee. 
“Brer Rabbit laff hearty, but still he hoi’ he nose. 
“‘Time you bin in de bushes long ez I is, you won’t miss 
strings,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. 
“Wid dat Brer Rabbit lipt out, en he ain’t gone long ’fo’ he 
come hoppin’ back wid a whole passel er bamboo vines all tied 
tergedder. Mr. Man, he ’low: — 
“‘Dat line mighty long.’ 
“Brer Rabbit he ’low: — 
“‘Tooby sho’, you want de win’ fer ter git ’twix’ you en dat 
meat.’ 
“Den Mr. Man tuck’n tied de bamboo line ter de meat. Brer 
Rabbit he broke off a ’simmon bush, he did, en ’low dat he’d stay 
behime en keep de flies off. Mr. Man he go on befo’ en drag de 
meat, en Brer Rabbit he stay behime, he did, en take keer un it.” 
Here Uncle Remus was compelled to pause and laugh before he 
could proceed with the story. . , . 
“En he is take keer un it, mon — dat he is. He tuck’n git ’im a 
rock, en w’iles Mr. Man gwine ’long bidout lookin’ back, he ondo 
de meat en tie de rock ter de bamboo line, en w’en Brer Fox foller 
on, sho’ nuff, dar lay de meat. Mr. Man, he drug de rock, he did, 
en Brer Rabbit he keep de flies off, twel atter dey gone on right 
107 
