NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
“Oh, you kin laugh ef you wan ter, but I boun’ you ef Sis 
Tempy wuz ter come dar en say de wuds w’at I say, de button 
on dat ar do’ ’ud des nat’ally twis’ hitse’f off but w’at’t would 
let ’er in. Now, I boun’ you dat!” 
Whatever doubts the child may have had he kept to himself, 
for experience had taught him that it was useless to irritate the 
old man by disputing with him. What effect the child’s silence 
may have had in this instance it is impossible to say, for just then 
Aunt Tempy came in laughing. 
“You all kin des say w’at you please,” she exclaimed, as she 
took her seat, “but dat ar Shucky Cordy in de tale w’at Daddy 
Jack done tole, bin runnin’ ’roun’ in my min’ en zoonin ’in my 
years all de time.” 
“Yer too!” exclaimed Uncle Remus, with emphasis. “Dat’s 
me up en down. Look lak dat ar cricket over dar in de cornder 
done tuck it up,en now he gwine, ‘ Shucky-cor dy! Shucky-cordy! 
“Shuh-shuh!” exclaimed Daddy Jack, with vehement con¬ 
tempt, “’ejutta cord-la! ’E no ‘shucky-cordy’ no’n’t all.” 
“Well, well, Brer Jack,” said Uncle Remus, soothingly, “in 
deze low groun’s er sorrer, you des got ter lean back en make 
’lowances fer all sorts er folks. You got ter ’low fer dem dat knows 
too much same ez dem w’at knows too little. A heap er sayin’s en 
a heap er doin’s in dis roun’ worl’ got ter be tuck on trus’. You 
got yo’ sayin’s, I got mine; you got yo’ knowin’s, en I got mine. 
Man come ’long en ax me how does de wum git in de scaly-bark . 1 
I tell ’im right up en down, I dunno, sir. N’er man come ’long en 
ax me who raise de row ’twix’ de buzzud en de bee-martin . 2 I tell 
’im I dunno, sir. Yit, ’kaze I dunno,” continued Uncle Remus, 
“dat don’t hender um. Dar dey is, spite er dat, — wum in de 
scaly-bark, bee-martin atter de buzzud.” 
1 A species of hickory-nut. The tree sheds its bark every year, hence the name, which 
is applied to both tree and fruit. 
2 The king-bird. 
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