BRER RABBIT AND THE MOSQUITOES 
The little boy laughed; but Uncle Remus was very serious. 
“Co’se dey claim kin wid ’im. Dey claims kin wid folks yit, 
let ’lone Brer Rabbit. Manys en manys de time w’en I year um 
sailin’ ’roun’ en singin’ out ‘ Cousin! Cousin /’ en I let you know, 
honey, de skeeters is mighty close kin w’en dey gits ter be yo’ 
cousin. 
“Brer Rabbit, he year um zoonin’,” the old man continued, “en 
he know he got ter do some mighty nice talkin’, so he up’n ax fer 
drink er water. De gal, she tuck’n fotch it. 
“ ‘Mighty nice water, Brer Wolf.’ ( De skeeters dey zoon .) 1 
“ ‘Some say it too full er wiggletails , 2 Brer Rabbit.’ {De skeeters , 
dey zoon en dey zoon.) 
“ ‘Mighty nice place you got, Brer Wolf.’ {Skeeters dey zoon.) 
“ ‘Some say it too low in de swamp, Brer Rabbit.’ {Skeeters dey 
zoon en dey zoon.) 
“Dey zoon so bad,” said Uncle Remus, drawing a long breath, 
“dat Brer Rabbit ’gun ter git skeer’d, en w’en dat creetur git 
skeer’d, he min’ wuk lak one er deze yer flutter-mills. Bimeby, 
he ’low: — 
“‘Went ter town t’er day, en dar I seed a sight w’at I never 
’speckted ter see.’ 
“‘W’at dat, Brer Rabbit?’ 
“‘Spotted hoss, Brer Wolf.’ 
“‘No, Brer Rabbit!’ 
“‘I mos’ sho’ly seed ’im, Brer Wolf.’ 
“Brer Wolf, he scratch he head, en de gal she hilt up ’er han’s 
en make great ’miration ’bout de spotted hoss. {De skeeters dey 
zoon , en dey keep on zoonin 9 .) Brer Rabbit, he talk on, he did: — 
“‘T wa’n’t des one spotted hoss, Brer Wolf, ’t wuz a whole 
team er spotted hosses, en dey went gallin’-up 3 des lak de yuther 
1 The information in parentheses is imparted in a low, impressive, confidential tone. 
2 Is it necessary to say that the wiggletail is the embryo mosquito ? 
8 Galloping. 
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