NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
you better do lak folks does. Sis Tempy dar ain’t gwine on dat 
a-way, en she ain’t think ’erse’f too big fer ter set up dar en jine 
in wid us en tell a tale, needer.” 
This was the first time that Uncle Remus had ever conde¬ 
scended to accord ’Tildy a place at his hearth on an equality with 
the rest of his company, and she seemed to be immensely tickled. 
A broad grin spread over her comely face as she exclaimed: — 
“Oh! I ’clar’ ter goodness,Unk Remus, I thought dat ole nigger 
man wuz des a-projickin’ ’long wid me. Ef it come down ter 
settin’ up yer ’long wid you all en tellin’ a tale, I ain’t ’nyin’ but 
w’at I got one dat you all ain’t never year tell un, ’kaze dat ar 
Slim Jim w’at Mars Ellick Akin got out’n de speckerlater wag- 
gin , 1 he up’n tell it dar at Riah’s des ’fo’ de patter-rollers tuck’n 
slipt up on um.” 
“Dar now!” remarked Aunt Tempy. ’Tildy laughed boister¬ 
ously. 
“W’at de patter-rollers do wid dat ar Slim Jim? ” Uncle Remus 
inquired. 
“Done nothin’!” exclaimed ’Tildy, with an air of humorous 
scorn. “Time dey got in dar Slim Jim ’uz up de chimbly, en 
Riah ’uz noddin’ in one cornder en me in de udder. Nobody 
never is ter know how dat ar long-leg nigger slick’d up dat chim¬ 
bly — dat dey ain’t. He put one foot on de pot-rack , 2 en whar 
he put de t’er foot I can’t tell you.” 
“What was the story?” asked the little boy. 
“I boun’ fer you, honey!” exclaimed Uncle Remus. 
“Well, den,” said ’Tildy, settling herself comfortably, and 
bridling a little as Daddy Jack manifested a desire to give her his 
undivided attention, — “well, den, dey wuz one time w’en ole 
Brer Rabbit ’uz bleedz ter go ter town atter sump’n’ ’n’er fer his 
1 Speculator’s wagon. 
* A bar of iron across the fireplace, with hooks to hold the pots and kettles. The 
original form of the crane. . ^ 
296 
