NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
LXIII 
BRER FOX AND THE WHITE MUSCADINES 
Aunty Tempy did not attempt to conceal the pleasure which 
Uncle Remus’s praise gave her. She laughed somewhat shyly, 
and said: — 
“Bless you, Brer Remus! I des bin a-settin’ yer Tamin’. ’Sides 
dat, Chris’mus ain’t fur off en I ’speck we er all a-feelin’ a sight 
mo’ humorsome dan common.” 
“Dat’s so, Sis Tempy. I ’uz cornin’ thoo de lot des ’fo’ sup¬ 
per, en I seed de pigs runnin’ en playin’ in de win’, en I ’low ter 
myse’f, sez I, ‘Sholy dey’s a-gwine ter be a harrycane,’ en den 
all at once hit come in my min’ dat Chris’mus mighty close at 
han’, en den on ter dat yer come de chickens a-crowin’ des now 
en’t ain’t nine er’clock. I dunner how de creeturs know Chris’¬ 
mus cornin’, but dat des de way it stan’s.” 
The little boy thought it was time enough to think about 
Christmas when the night came for hanging up his stockings, 
and he asked Uncle Remus if it was n’t his turn to tell a story. 
The old man laid down the piece of glass with which he had been 
scraping the cow’s horn, and hunted around among his tools for 
a piece of sandpaper before he replied. But his reply was suffi¬ 
cient. He said: — 
“One time w’iles Brer Rabbit wuz gwine thoo de woods he 
tuck’n strak up wid ole Brer Fox, en Brer Fox ’low, he did, dat he 
mighty hongry. Brer Rabbit ’low dat he ain’t feelin’ dat a-way 
hisse’f, ’kaze he des bin en had er bait er w’ite muscadimes, en 
den he tuck’n smack he mouf en lick he chops right front er Brer 
Fox. Brer Fox, he ax, sezee: — 
“‘Brer Rabbit, whar de name er goodness is deze yer w’ite 
muscadimes, en how come I’m ain’t never run ’crosst um?’ 
sez^e. 
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