MR. HAWK AND BRER RABBIT 
LXV 
MR. HAWK AND BRER RABBIT 
“I year tell er one time,” said ’Tildy, “w’en ole Mr. Hawk 
tuck’n kotch Brer Rabbit, but’t ain’t no tale like dem you all 
bin tellin’.” 
“Tell it, anyhow, ’Tildy,” said the little boy. 
“Well, ’t ain’t no tale, I tell you dat now. One time Brer Rab¬ 
bit wuz gwine ’long thoo de bushes singin’ ter hisse’f, en he see a 
shadder pass befo’ ’im. He look up, en dar ’uz Mr. Hawk sailin’ 
’roun’ en ’roun’. Time he see ’im, Brer Rabbit ’gun ter kick up 
en sassy ’im. 
“Mr. Hawk ain’t pay no ’tention ter dis. He des sail all ’roun’ 
en ’roun’. Eve’y time he sail ’roun’, he git little closer, but Brer 
Rabbit ain’t notice dis. He too busy wid his devilment. He shuck 
his fis’ at Mr. Hawk, en chunk’d at ’im wid sticks ; 1 en atter 
w’ile he tuck’n make out he got a gun, en he tuck aim at Mr. 
Hawk, en ’low’d, ‘Pow!’ en den he holler en laugh. 
“All dis time Mr. Hawk keep on sailin’ ’roun’ en ’roun’ en 
gittin’ nigher en nigher, en bimeby down he drapt right slam- 
bang on Brer Rabbit, en dar he had im. Brer Rabbit fix fer ter 
say his pra’rs, but ’fo’ he do dat, he talk to Mr. Hawk, en he 
talk mighty fergivin’. He’low he did: 
“‘I ’uz des playin’, Mr. Hawk; I ’uz dez a-playin’. You 
oughtn’ ter fly up en git mad wid a little bit er man like me.’ 
“Mr. Hawk ruffle up de fedders on his neck en say: — 
“‘I ain’t flyin’ up, I’m a-flyin’ down, en w’en I fly up, I’m 
a-gwine ter fly ’way wid you. You bin a-playin de imp roun in 
dis settlement long ’nuff, en now ef you got any will ter make, 
you better make it quick, ’kaze you ain’t got much time.’ 
“Brer Rabbit cry. He say: — 
1 That is to say, threw sticks at Mr. Hawk. 
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