NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
spring-house, en dey’d go off en ’ten 5 ter dey business. Den w’en 
dey come back dey’d fine whar some un been nibblin’ at dey but* 
ter. Dey tuck’n hide dat butter all ’roun’ in de spring-house; dey 
sot it on de rafters, en dey bury it in de san’; yit all de same de 
butter ’ud come up missin’. 
“Bimeby it got so dey dunner w’at ter do; dey zamin’ de tracks, 
en dey fine out dat de man w’at nibble dey butter is little Wattle 
Weasel. He come in de night, he come in de day; dey can’t 
ketch ’im. Las’ de creeturs tuck’n helt er confab, en dey ’gree dat 
dey hatter set some un fer ter watch en ketch Wattle Weasel. 
“Brer Mink wuz de fus’ man ’p’inted, ’kaze he wa’n’t mo’n 
a half a han ’ 1 no way you kin fix it. De t’er creeturs dey tuck’n 
went off ter dey wuk, en Brer Mink he tuck’n sot up wid de 
butter. He watch en he lissen, he lissen en he watch; he ain’t see 
nothin’, he ain’t year nothin’. Yit he watch, ’kaze der t’er creeturs 
done fix up a law dat ef Wattle Weasel come w’iles somebody 
watchin’ en git off bidout gittin’ kotch, de man w’at watchin’ 
ain’t kin eat no mo’ butter endurin’ er dat year. 
“Brer Mink, he watch en he wait. He set so still dat bimeby 
he git de cramps in de legs, en des ’bout dat time little Wattle 
Weasel pop he head und’ de do’. He see Brer Mink, en he hail 
’im: — 
“‘Heyo, Brer Mink! you look sorter lonesome in dar. Come 
out yer en less take a game er hidin’-switch.’ 
“Brer Mink, he wanter have some fun, he did, en he tuck’n 
jine Wattle Weasel in de game. Dey play en dey play twel, 
bimeby, Brer Mink git so wo’ out dat he ain’t kin run, skacely, 
en des soon ez dey sets down ter res’, Brer Mink, he draps off ter 
sleep. Little Wattle Weasel, so mighty big en fine, he goes en 
nibbles up de butter, en pops out de way he come in. 
“De creeturs, dey come back, dey did, en dey fine de butter 
nibbled, en Wattle Weasel gone. Wid dat, dey marks Brer Mink 
1 That is, could do no more than half the work of a man. 
268 
