WHY MR. DOG RUNS BRER RABBIT 
famerly, en he mos’ ’shame’ ter go ’kaze his shoes done wo’ 
tetotally out. Yit he bleedz ter go, en he put des ez good face 
on it ez he kin, en he take down he walkin’-cane en sot out des 
ez big ez de next un. 
“Well, den, ole Brer Rabbit go on down de big road twel he 
come ter de place whar some folks bin camp out de night befo’, 
en he sot down by de fier, he did, fer ter worn his foots, ’kaze 
dem mawnin’s ’uz sorter cole, like deze yer mawnin’s. He sot dar 
en look at his toes, en he feel mighty sorry fer hisse’f. 
“Well, den, he sot dar, he did, en’t wa’n’t long ’fo’ he year 
sump’n’ ’n’er trottin’ down de road, en he tuck’n look up en 
yer come Mr. Dog a-smellin’ en a-snuffin’ ’roun’ fer ter see ef de 
folks lef’ any scraps by der camp-fier. Mr. Dog ’uz all dress up in 
his Sunday-go-ter-meetin’ cloze, en mo’n dat, he had on a pa’r er 
bran new shoes. 
“Well, den, w’en Brer Rabbit see dem ar shoes he feel mighty 
bad, but he ain’t let on. He bow ter Mr. Dog mighty perlite, en 
Mr. Dog bow back, he did, en dey pass de time er day, ’kaze 
dey ’uz ole ’quaintance. Brer Rabbit, he say: — 
“‘Mr. Dog, whar you gwine all fix up like dis?’ 
“‘I gwine ter town, Brer Rabbit; whar you gwine?’ 
“ ‘ I thought I go ter town myse’f fer ter git me new pa’r shoes, 
’kaze my ole uns done wo’ out en dey hu’ts my foots so bad I 
can’t w’ar um. Dem mighty nice shoes w’at you got on, Mr. Dog; 
whar you git um?’ 
“ 6 Down in town, Brer Rabbit, down in town. 
“ ‘ Dey fits you mighty slick, Mr. Dog, en I wish you be so good 
ez ter lemme try one un um on.’ 
“Brer Rabbit talk so mighty sweet dat Mr. Dog sot right flat 
on de groun’ en tuck off one er de behime shoes, en loant it ter 
Brer Rabbit. Brer Rabbit, he lope off down de road en den he 
come back. He tell Mr. Dog dat de shoe fit mighty nice, but wid 
des one un um on, hit make ’im trot crank-sided. 
297 
