WHY GUINEA-FOWLS ARE SPECKLED 
twel, bless gracious! time dey all run out en dip down en raise de 
dus’, de Lion wuz dat blin’ twel he ain’t kin see he han’ befo’ ’im. 
Dis make ’im so mad dat he make a splunge at Sis Cow, en de old 
lady, she kotch ’im on her hawns en got ’im down, en des nat’ally 
to’ intruls out.” 
“Did she kill the Lion, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy, 
incredulously. 
“Dat she did — dat she did! Yit ’t ain’t make ’er proud, 
’kaze atter de Lion done good en dead, she tuck en call up de 
Guinnies, she did, en she ’low, dey bin so quick fer ter he’p ’er out, 
dat she wanter pay um back. De Guinnies, dey say, sezee: — 
“‘Don’t bodder ’long er we all, Sis Cow,’ sezee. ‘You had yo’ 
fun en we all had ourn, en ’ceppin’ dat ar blood en ha’r on yo’ 
hawn,’ sezee, ‘dey ain’t none un us any de wuss off,’ sezee. 
r “But ole Sis Cow, she stan’ um down, she did, dat she got ter 
pay um back, en den atter w’ile she ax um w’at dey lak bes’. 
“One un um up en make answer dat w’at dey lak bes’, Sis Cow, 
she can’t gi’ um. Sis Cow, she up en ’low dat she dunno ’bout dat, 
en she ax um w’at is it. 
“Den de Guinnies, dey tuck’n huddle up, dey did, en hoi’ er 
confab wid one er ’n’er, en w’iles dey er doin’ dis, ole Sis Cow, she 
tuck’n fetch a long breff, en den she call up ’er cud, en stood dar 
chawin’ on it des lak she ain’t had no tribalation dat day. 
“Bimeby one er de Guinnies step out fum de huddlement en 
make a bow en ’low dat dey all ’ud be mighty proud ef Sis Cow 
kin fix it some way so dey can’t be seed so fur thoo de woods, ’kaze 
dey look blue in de sun, en dey look blue in de shade, en dey can’t 
hide deyse’f nohow. Sis Cow, she chaw on ’er cud, en shet ’er eyes, 
en study. She chaw en chaw, en study en study. Bimeby she 
’low: — 
“‘Go fetch me a pail!’ Guinny-hin laff! 
" “‘Law, Sis Cow! w’at de name er goodness you gwine do wid a 
pail?’ 
165 
