Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1880 — Uncle Remus’ Folk-Lore. [ARTICLE]

Uncle Remus’ Folk-Lore.

OXI OP THK MANY WAYS IN WHICH THS RABBIT OUTWITTED THE POX. “ Brer Babbit and Brer Fox was like some chilluns wa’t I knows tin," said Uncle Remus, regarding the little boy, who had come to hear another story, with an affectation of great solemnity. “ Bose nn um wus allers after wunner nudder, a prankin' en a pester'n 'roan', bat Brer Rabbit did had some peace, kaze Brer Fox, done got skittish ’boat puttin' de clamps on mer Rabbit. “One day, w'en Brer Rabbit, en Brer Fox, en Brer Coon, en Brer B'ar, en a whole lot un urn wus clearin' up a new groan* fer ter plant a roas’n year patoh, de sun 'gun ter git sorter hot en Brer Rabbit he got tired; bat he didn't let on, kaze he 'fear’d de balance an um’d call ’im lazy, en he kep’ on totin’ off trash en pilin’ up bresh, twell bimeby he holler out dat he gottAr brier in his han’, en den he take’n slip off en hunt fer a cool place to res*. Attdr ’while' he come ’cross a well wid a backet hangin’ in it. “ ‘Dat look cool,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, ’en cool I spec’ she is. Tildes ’bout git in dar en take a nap, ’en wid dat in he jump, he did, en he ain’t no sooner fix hisse’f dan de bucket ’gin ter go down.” “Wasn’t the rabbit scared, Uncle Remus P” asked the little boy. “ Honey, dey ain’t been no wusser skeer’d beas’ sence de worrul begin dan dis yer same Brer Rabbit He fa’rly had a ager. He know’d whar he cum sum, but he dunner whar he gwine. Dreckly he feel de bucket hit de water, en dar she sot, but Brer Rabbit he keep mighty still, kase he dunner w’at minnit gwine ter be nex’. He des lay dar en shuck. “ Brer Fox allers had one eye on Brer Rabbit en w’en he slip off sum de new groun* Brer Fox he sneak atter ’im. He know’d Brer Rabbit wuz atter some projick er nudder, en he took'n crope off, he did, en watch ’im. Brer Fox see Brer Rabbit come to de well en stop, en den he see ’im jump in de bucket, en den, lo en behole, he see ’im go down outer sight. Brer Fox wuz de mos’ stonished fox dat you ever laid eyes on. He set off dar in de bushes en study en study, but he couldn’t make no head ner tails ter dis kinder bizness. Den he say ter hisse’f, sezee:

“ ‘Well, es dis don’t bang liiy times,’ sezee, ‘den Joe’s dead en Sal’s a widder. Right down dar in dat well Brer Rabbit keep his money hid, en es ’tain’t dat den he’s gone en 'skiver’d a gole mine, en es ? tain’t dat, den I’m a gwinter see w’at’s in dar,’ sezee. “ Brer Fox crope up a little nigher, he did, en lissen, but he don’t hear no fuss, en he kep’ on gittin’ nigher, en yit he don’t hear nutnin*. Bimeby he git up close en peep down, but he don’t see nuthin’ en ne don’t year nuthin.’ All dis time Brer Rabbit mighty nigh skeer’d outen his skin, en he fear’d fer ter move kaze de bucket might keel over en spill him out in de water. Wile he sayin’ his pra’rs over like a train er kyars running ole Brer Fox holler out: “ ‘ Hevo, Brer Rabbit! Who is you wizzitin’’down darP” sezee. “ ‘ WhoP MeP Oh, I'm des a fish in’, Brer Fox,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. ‘ I des say ter myse’f dat I’d sorter sprize you all wid a mess er fishes fer dinner, en so here lis en dar’s de fishes. Pm a fishin’ fer suckers, Brer Fox,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. “‘ Is dey many un um down dar, Brer RabbitP’ sez Brer Fox, sezee. ‘“Lotsun um, Brer Fox, scoze un um. De waters is live wid um. Come down en he’p me haulum in, Brer Fox,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. “ ‘ How I gwineter giP down, Brer RabbitP’ “ ‘Jump inter de bucket, Brer Fox. Hit'll fetch you down all safe en soun’.’ “ Brer Rabbit talk so happy en talk so sweet dat Brer Fox, he Jump in de bucket, he did, en ez he went down, co’se his weight pull Brer Rabbit up. W’en dey pass one nudder on de halfway groun’, Brer Rabbit he sing out: “ ‘ Good-by, Brer Fox, take keer yo cloze, Fer dis is de way de wurrul goes; Some goes up en some goes down. You'll grit ter de bottom all safe en soun’.' “ W’en Brer Rabbit got out he gallop off en tole de folkes w’at de well b’long ter dat Brer Fox wuz down in dar muddyin’ up de drinkin’ water, en den he gallop back ter de well en holler down ter Brer Fox. “ 4 Here come a man wid a great big gun— When he haul you up, you jump and run.”’ “What then, Uncle Remus!” asked the little boy, as the old man paused. “In des ’bout half n’our, honey, both un um was back in de new groan’ wukkin des like dey never heer’a er no well, ceptin’ dat eve’y now’n den Brer Rabbit’d bust out in er lass, en old Brer Fox he’d have a spell er de dry grins.” Atlanta ( Qa .) Constitution.