BRER RABBIT AND BRER FOX 
“ Wid dat. Brer Rabbit sorter pull he mustarsh, en 'low dat de 
time wuz w’en he 'uz a mighty handy man wid a hammer, en 
he ain't too proud fer to whirl in en he’p Brer Fox out’n de 
ruts. 
“Brer Fox 'low he be mighty much erblige, en no sooner is he 
say dat dan Brer Rabbit snatched off he coat en lipt up de ladder, 
en sot in dar en put on mo’ shingles in one hour dan Brer Fox 
kin put on in two. 
“Oh, he 'uz a rattler — ole Brer Rabbit wuz," Uncle Remus 
exclaimed, noticing a questioning look in the child’s face. “He 'uz 
a rattler, mon, des ez sho' ez youer settin’ dar. Dey wa'n’t no 
kinder wuk dat Brer Rabbit can't put he han’ at, en do it better 
dan de nex’ man. 
“He nailed on shingles plum twel he git tired, Brer Rabbit did, 
en all de time he nailin’, he study how he gwine git dat dinner. 
He nailed en he nailed. He 'ud nail one row, en Brer Fox 'ud 
nail 'n’er row. He nailed en he nailed. He kotch Brer Fox en 
pass 'im — kotch 'im en pass 'im, twel bimeby w’iles he nailin’ 
'long Brer Fox tail git in he way. 
“Brer Rabbit ’low ter hisse’f, he did, dat he dunner w’at de 
name er goodness make folks have such long tails fer, en he push 
it out de way. He ain’t no mo’n push it out n de way, fo yer it 
come back in de way. Co’se," continued Uncle Remus, begin¬ 
ning to look serious, “w’en dat's de case dat a soon man lak Brer 
Rabbit git pester’d in he min’, he bleedz ter make some kinder 
accidents some’rs. 
“Dey nailed en dey nailed, en, bless yo' soul! ’t wa’n’t long 
’fo’Brer Fox drap eve’yt’ing en squall out: 
“‘Laws ’a’ massy, Brer Rabbit! You done nail my tail. He’p 
me, Brer Rabbit, he’p me! You done nail my tail! ”’ 
Uncle Remus waved his arms, clasped and unclasped his hands, 
stamped first one foot and then the other, and made various 
other demonstrations of grief and suffering. 
285 
