NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
“In de days w’ence Brer Rabbit wuz sorter keepin’ de neighbor¬ 
hoods stirred up, de yuther ereeturs wuz studyin’ en studyin’ de 
whole blessid time how dey gwine ter nab ’im. Dey ain’t had no 
holiday yit, ’kaze w’en de holiday come, dey’d go ter wuk, dey 
would, en juggle wid one er n’er fer ter see how dey gwine ter 
ketch up wid Brer Rabbit. Bimeby, w’en all der plans, en der 
traps, en der jugglements ain’t do no good, dey all ’gree, dey did, 
dat Brer Rabbit got some cunjerment w’at he trick um wid. Brer 
B’ar, he up’n ’low, he did, dat he boun’ Brer Rabbit is a nat’al 
bawn witch; Brer Wolf say, sezee, dat he ’speck Brer Rabbit des 
in cahoots wid a witch; en Brer Fox, he vow dat Brer Rabbit got 
mo’ luck dan smartness. Den Jedge B’ar, he drap he head one 
side, he did, en he ax how come Brer Rabbit got all de luck on he 
own side. De mo’ dey ax, de mo’ dey git pestered, en de mo’ dey 
git pestered, de wuss dey worry. Day in en day out dey wuk wid 
dis puzzlement; let ’lone dat, dey sot up nights; en bimeby dey 
’gree ’mungs deyse’f dat dey better make up wid Brer Rabbit, en 
see ef dey can’t fine out how come he so lucky. 
“ W’iles all dis gwine on, ole Brer Rabbit wuz a-gallopin’ ’roun’ 
fum Funtown ter Frolicville, a-kickin’ up de devilment en terrify- 
in’ de neighborhoods. Hit keep on dis a-way, twel one time, en¬ 
durin’ de odd-come-shorts, 1 ole Jedge B’ar sont wud dat one er his 
chilluns done bin tooken wid a sickness, en he ax won’t ole Miss 
Rabbit drap ’roun’ en set up wid ’im. Ole Miss Rabbit, she say, 
co’se she go, en atter she fill ’er satchy full er yerbs en truck, off 
she put. 
“I done fergit,” said Uncle Remus, scratching his head gravely, 
“w’ich one er dem chilluns wuz ailin’. Hit mout er bin Kubs, en 
hit mout er bin Klibs; but no marter fer dat. W’en ole Miss 
Rabbit git dar, ole Miss B’ar wuz a-settin’ up in de chimbly- 
cornder des a-dosin’ en a-nussin’ de young un; en all de wimmin er 
1 Sometime, any time, no time. Thus: “Run fetch me de ax, en IT wait on you one 
er deze odd-come-shorts.” 
144 
