XLIX 
MR. BENJAMIN RAM DEFENDS HIMSELF 
“I ’speck we all dun gone en fergot ole Mr. Benjermun Ram 
off’n our min’,” said Uncle Remus, one night, as the little boy 
went into the cabin with a large ram’s horn hanging on his 
arm. 
“About his playing the fiddle and getting lost in the woods!” 
exclaimed the child. “Oh, no, I haven’t forgotten him, Uncle 
Remus. I remember just how he tuned his fiddle in Brother 
Wolf’s house.” 
“ Dat’s me! ” saidTJncle Remus with enthusiasm; “ dat’s me up 
en down. Mr. Ram des ez fresh in my min’ now ez he wuz de day 
I year de tale. Dat ole creetur wuz a sight, mon. He mos’ sho’ly 
wuz. He wrinkly ole hawn en de shaggy ha’r on he neck make 
’im look mighty servigous , 1 en w’ence he shake he head en snort, 
hit seem lak he gwine ter fair paw de yeth fum und’ ’im. 
“Ole Brer Fox bin pickin’ up ole Mr. Benjermun Ram chilluns 
w’en dey git too fur fum home, but look lak he ain’t never bin 
git close ter de ole creetur. 
“So one time w’en he ’uz cornin’ on down de road, talkin’ ’long 
wid Brer Wolf, he up’n ’low, ole Brer Fox did, dat he mighty 
hongry in de neighborhoods er de stomach. Dis make Brer Wolf 
look lak he ’stonish’d, en he ax Brer Fox how de name er goodness 
come he hongry w’en ole Mr. Benjermun Ram layin’ up dar in de 
house des a-rollin’ in fat. 
“Den Brer Fox tuck’n ’low, he did, dat he done bin in de habits 
er eatin’ Mr. Benjermun Ram chillun, but he sorter fear’d er de 
1 Wild; fierce; dangerous; courageous. The accent is on the second syllable, ser-ri- 
gous; or, ser-w-gus, and the g is hard. Aunt Tempy would have said “vigrous.” 
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