NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
XL VII 
BRER RABBIT LAYS IN HIS BEEF SUPPLY 
“I wonder where Daddy Jack is,” said the little boy, one night 
after he had been *waiting for some time for Uncle Remus to get 
leisure to tell him a story. 
Uncle Remus, who was delightfully human in his hypocrisy, 
as well as in other directions, leaned back in his chair, looked at the 
little boy with an air of grieved resignation, and said: — 
“I boun’ you does, honey, I boun’ you does. Ole Brer Jack 
look mighty weazly ter de naked eye, but I lay he’s a lots mo’ 
likelier nigger dan w’at ole Remus is. De time done gone by w’en 
a po’ ole no-’count nigger lak me kin hoi’ he han’ wid a bran new 
nigger man lak Brer Jack.” 
The child stared at Uncle Remus with open-eyed astonishment. 
“Now, Uncle Remus! I did n’t mean that; you know I did n’t,” 
he exclaimed. 
“Bless yo’ heart, honey! hit don’t pester me. I done got de 
speunce un it. Dat I is. Plough-hoss don’t squeal en kick w’en 
dey puts ’n’er hoss in he place. Brer Jack got de age on ’im but he 
new ter you. Ole er young, folks is folks, en no longer ’n day 
’fo’ yistiddy, I year you braggin’ ’bout how de vittles w’at dey 
feeds you on up at de big house ain’t good ez de vittles w’at yuther 
childun gits. Nummine ole Remus, honey; you en Brer Jack des 
go right erlong en I ’ll be much ’blige ef you ’ll des lemme set in de 
cornder yer en chunk de fier. Sho’ly I ain’t pas’ doin’ dat.” 
The child was troubled to think that Uncle Remus should find 
it necessary to depreciate himself, and he made haste to explain 
his position. 
“I thought that if Daddy Jack was here he could tell me a story 
while you are working, so you would n’t be bothered.” 
A broad grin of appreciation spread over Uncle Remus’s face. 
234 
