BRER RABBIT AND THE MOSQUITOES 
XXXVII 
BRER RABBIT AND THE MOSQUITOES 
The next night Daddy Jack was still away when the little boy 
went to see Uncle Remus, and the child asked about him. 
“Bless yo’ soul, honey! don’t ax me ’bout Brer Jack. He look 
lak he mighty ole en trimbly, but he mighty peart nigger, mon. 
He look lak he shufflin’ ’long, but dat ole nigger gits over groun’, 
sho’. Forty year ergo, maybe I mought er kep’ up wid ’im, but 
I let you know Brer Jack is away ’head er me. He mos’ sho’ly 
is.” 
“Why, he’s older than you are, Uncle Remus!” the child ex¬ 
claimed. 
“Dat w’at I year tell. Seem lak hit mighty kuse, but sho’ ez 
youer bawn Brer Jack is a heap mo’ pearter nigger dan w’at ole 
Remus is. He little, yit he mighty hard. Dat’s Brer Jack, up en 
down.” 
Uncle Remus paused and reflected a moment. Then he went 
on: — 
“Talkin’ ’bout Brer Jack put me in min’ ’bout a tale w’ich she 
sho’ly mus’ er happen down dar in dat ar country whar Brer Jack 
come fum, en it sorter ketch me in de neighborhoods er de ’ston- 
ishment ’kaze he ain’t done up’n tell it. I ’speck it done wuk loose 
fum Brer Jack ’membunce.” 
“What tale was that, Uncle Remus?” 
“Seem lak dat one time w’en eve’ything en eve’ybody was 
runnin’ ’long des lak dey bin had waggin grease ’pun urn, ole 
Brer Wolf” — 
The little boy laughed incredulously and Uncle Remus paused 
and frowned heavily. 
“Why, Uncle Remus! how did Brother Wolf get away from 
Mammy-Bammy Big-Money?” 
179 
