NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS 
a long pole, en he’d stan’ up in de behime part er he boat, en put 
de een’ er de pole ’gin’ de bottom, en shove ’er right ahead. 
“Brer Fox git mighty mad w’en he see dis, but he watch en 
wait. He ’low ter hisse’f, he did, dat he kin paddle a boat 
pearter dan anybody kin pole um, en he say he sho’ly gwine 
ketch Brer Rabbit dis time. 
“Brer Rabbit pole up ter de fish-trap, en feel ’roun’ en pull out 
a great big mud-cat; den he retch in en pull out ’n’er big mud-cat; 
den he pull out a big blue cat, en it keep on dis a-way twel he git 
de finest mess er fish you mos’ ever laid yo’ eyes on. 
“Des ’bout dat time, Brer Fox paddle out fum und’ de bushes, 
en make todes Brer Rabbit, en he holler out: — 
“‘Ah-yi! Youer de man w’at bin robbin’ my fish-trap dis long 
time! I got you dis time! Oh, you nee’nter try ter run! I got 
you dis time sho’!’ f \ 
“No sooner said dan no sooner done. Brer Rabbit fling he fish 
in he boat en grab up de pole en push off, en he had mo’ fun 
gittin’ ’way fum dar dan he y-ever had befo’ in all he born days 
put terge’er.” 
“Why didn’t Brother Fox catch him, Uncle Remus?” asked 
the little boy. 
“ShooI Honey, you sho’ly done lose yo’ min’ ’bout Brer 
Rabbit.” 
“Well, I don’t see how he could get away.” 
“ Ef you’d er bin dar you’d er seed it, dat you would. Brer Fox, 
he wuz dar, en he seed it, en Brer Rabbit, he seed it, en e’en 
down ter ole Brer Bull-frog, a-settin’ on de bank, he seed it. Now, 
den,” continued Uncle Remus, spreading out the palm of his left 
hand like a map and pointing at it with the forefinger of his right, 
“w’en Brer Rabbit pole he boat, he bleedz ter set in de behime 
een’, en w’en Brer Fox paddle he boat, he bleedz ter set in de be¬ 
hime een’. Dat bein’ de state er de condition, how Brer Fox 
gwine ketch ’im? 1 ain’t ’sputin’ but w’at he kin paddle pearter 
324 
