NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
nin’ start, dat time he git ter de jumpin’ place, he ’uz done wo’ tee- 
totally out, en he lipt up, he did, en fetch’d a squall en drapt right 
spang in de middle er de fier.” 
“Uncle Remus,” said the little boy, after a while, “did Brother 
Terrapin jump over the fire?” 
“W’at Brer Tarrypin gwine jump fer?” responded Uncle 
Remus, “w’en eve’ybody know Tarrypins ain’t eat Rabbits.” 
“Well, you know you said everything was different then,” said 
the child. 
“Look yer, Brer Jack,” exclaimed Uncle Remus, “ef you got 
any tale on yo’ mine, des let ’er come. Dish yer youngster gittin’ 
too long-headed fer me; dat he is.” 1 
XLIII 
THE CUNNING SNAKE 
Daddy Jack, thus appealed to, turned half round in his seat, 
winked his bright little eyes very rapidly, and said, with great 
animation: — 
“Hoo! me bin yeddyone sing-tale; me yeddyum so long tam 
’go. One tam dere bin one ole Affiky ooman, ’e call ’im name 
Coomba. ’E go walky troo da woots, ’e walky troo da fiel’. Bum- 
bye ’e is bin come ’pon one snake-nes’ fill wit’ aig. Snake big 
snake, aig big aig. Affiky oomans is bin want-a dem aig so bahd; 
’e ’fraid fer tek um. ’E gone home; ’e is see dem aig in ’e dream, 
’e want um so bahd. Wun da nex’ day mornin’ come, da Affiky 
oomans say ’e bleeze fer hab dem aig. ’E go ’way, ’e bin-a see da 
snake-nes’, ’e is git-ada aig; ’e fetch um at ’e own house; ’e cook 
um fer ’e brekwuss. 
“Bumbye da snake bin-a come by’e nes’. Aig done gone. ’E 
pit ’e nose ’pon da groun’, ’e is track da Affiky oomans by ’e own 
1 See Uncle Remus: His Songs and his Sayings , p. 79. 
214 . 
