NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
“Brer Rabbit, he shot fus’ one eye en den de yuther en rub 
hisse’f on de forrerd, en ’low: — 
“‘Sho’ly I ain’t nail yo’ tail, Brer Fox; sho’ly not. Look right 
close, Brer Fox, be keerful. Fer goodness sake don’ fool me. 
Brer Fox!’ 
“Brer Fox, he holler, he squall, he kick, he squeal.* 
“‘Laws ’a’ massy, Brer Rabbit! You done nailed my tail. 
Onnail me, Brer Rabbit, onnail me!’ 
“Brer Rabbit, he make fer de ladder, en w’en he start down, 
he look at Brer Fox lak he right down sorry, en he up’n ’low, he 
did: — 
“‘Well, well, well! Des ter t’ink dat I should er lamm’d aloose 
en nail Brer Fox tail. I dunner w’en I year tell er anyt’ing dat 
make me feel so mighty bad; en ef I had n’t er seed it wid my own 
eyes I would n’t er bleev’d it skacely — dat I would n’t!’ 
“Brer Fox holler, Brer Fox howl, yit’t ain’t do no good. Dar 
he wuz wid he tail nail hard en fas’. Brer Rabbit, he keep on 
talkin’ w’iles he gwine down de ladder. 
“‘Hit make me feel so mighty bad,’ sezee, ‘dat I dunner w’at 
ter do. Time I year tell un it, hit make a empty place come in my 
stomach,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. 
“By dis time Brer Rabbit done git down on de groun’, en 
w’iles Brer Fox holler’n, he des keep on a-talkin’. 
“‘Dey’s a mighty empty place in my stomach/ sezee, ‘en ef I 
ain’t run’d inter no mistakes dey’s a tin-pail full er vittles in dish 
yer fence-cornder dat ’ll des ’bout fit it,’ sez ole Brer Rabbit, sezee. 
“He open de pail, he did, en he eat de greens, en sop up de 
’lasses, en drink de pot-liquor, en w’en he wipe he mouf ’pun he 
coat-tail, he up’n ’low: — 
“‘I dunner w’en I bin so sorry ’bout anything, ez I is ’bout 
Brer Fox nice long tail. Sho’ly, sho’ly my head mus’ er bin wool- 
getherin’ w’en I tuck’n nail Brer Fox fine long tail,’ sez ole Brer 
Rabbit, sezee. 
286 
