MR. HAWK AND BRER RABBIT 
“Oh, I know’d’t wa’n’t no tale like you all bin tellin’,”replied 
’Tildy, modestly. 
“Tooby sho’ ’t is,” continued Uncle Remus, by way of en¬ 
couragement; “but w’iles we gwine ’long we better straighten 
out all de kinks dat’ll b’ar straightenin’.” 
“Goodness knows I ain’t fittin’ ter tell no tale,” persisted 
’Tildy. 
“Don’t run yo’se’f down, gal,” said Uncle Remus, encourag¬ 
ingly; “ef dey’s to be any runnin’ down let yuther folks do it; 
en, bless yo’ soul, dey’ll do ’nuff un it bidout waitin’ fer yo’ 
lettin’. 
“Now, den, old man Hawk, — w’ich dey call ’im Billy Blue- 
tail in my day en time, — ole man Hawk, he tuck’n kotch Brer 
Rabbit des lak you done said. He kotch ’im en he hilt ’im in a 
mighty tight grip, let ’lone dat he hilt ’im so tight dat it make 
Brer Rabbit breff come short lak he des come off’n a long jurney. 
“He holler en he beg, but dat ain’t do no good; he squall en he 
cry, but dat ain’t do no good; he kick en he groan, but dat ain’t 
do no good. Den Brer Rabbit lay still en study ’bout w’at de 
name er goodness he gwine do. Bimeby he up’n ’low: — 
“ ‘ I dunner w’at you want wid me, Mr. Hawk, w’en I ain’t a 
mouf full fer you, skacely!’ 
“Mr. Hawk, sezee, ‘I ’ll make way wid you, en den I ’ll go ketch 
me a couple er Jaybirds.’ 
“Dis make Brer Rabbit shake wid de allovers, ’kaze ef dey’s 
any kinder creetur w’at he nat’ally ’spize on de topside er de 
yeth, hit’s a Jaybird. 
“Brer Rabbit, sezee, ‘Do, pray, Mr. Hawk, go ketch dem Jay¬ 
birds fus\ ’kaze I can’t stan’ urn bein’ on top er me. I’ll stay 
right yer, plum twel you come back,’ sezee. 
“Mr. Hawk, sezee, ‘Oh-oh, Brer Rabbit, you done bin fool 
too many folks. You ain’t fool me,’ sezee. 
“Brer Rabbit, sezee, ‘Ef you can’t do dat, Mr. Hawk, den de 
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