HOW BRER FOX WAS TOO SMART 
“Brer Fox tuck’n tuck ’n’er good look at de tracks, en den him 
en Brer Rabbit put out fer ter toiler um up. Dey went up de road, 
en down de lane, en ’cross de turnip patch, en down a dreen , 1 en 
up a big gully. Brer Rabbit, he done de trackin’, en eve’y time 
he fine one, he up’n holler: — 
“‘Yer ’n’er track, en no claw dar! Yer ’n’er track, en no claw 
dar!’ 
“ Dey kep’ on en kep’ on, twel bimeby dey run up wid de creetur. 
Brer Rabbit, he holler out mighty biggity: — 
t “ ‘ Heyo dar! W’at you doin’ ? ’ 
; “De creetur look ’roun’, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’. Brer Rab¬ 
bit ’low: — 
“‘Oh, you nee’nter look so sullen! We ull make you talk ’fo’ 
we er done ’long wid you! Come, now! W’at you doin’ out 
dar?’ 
“De creetur rub hisse’f ’gin’ a tree des lak you see deze yer 
house cats rub ’gin’ a cheer, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’. Brer 
Rabbit holler: — 
“‘W’at you come pesterin’ ’long wid us fer, w’en we ain’t bin 
a-pesterin’ you? You got de consate dat I dunner who you is, but 
I does. Youer de same ole Cousin Wildcat w’at my gran’daddy 
use ter kick en cuff w’en you ’fuse ter ’spon’. I let you know I got 
a better man yer dan w’at my gran’daddy ever is bin, en I boun’ 
you he ull make you talk. Dat w’at I boun’ you.’ 
“De creetur lean mo’ harder ’gin’ de tree, en sorter ruffle up he 
bristle, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’. Brer Rabbit, he ’low: — 
1 “‘Go up dar, Brer Fox, en ef he ’fuse ter ’spon’ slap ’im down! 
Dat de way my gran’daddy done. You go up dar, Brer Fox, en ef 
he dast ter try ter run, I ’ll des whirl in en ketch ’im.’ 
“Brer Fox, he sorter jub’ous, but he start todes de creetur. 
Ole Cousin Wildcat walk all ’roun’ de tree, rubbin’ hisse’f, but he 
ain’t sayin’ nothin’. Brer Rabbit, he holler: — 
1 Drain or ditch. 
223 
