Involuntarily the hand of the little boy went as much as his face, and he scrubbed the cease of his nose together with hiscoat-sleeve.
“Dey wuz right chilluns,” continued the vintage man, heartily, “en ef dey hadn’t er bin, der wuz one time w’en dey wouldn’t er bin no little rabbits—na’er one. Dat’s w’at.”
“What time became that, Uncle Remus?” the little boy asked.
“De time w’en Brer Fox drapt in at Brer Rabbit residence, en didn’t foun’ nobody dar ceppin’ de little Rabbits. Ole Brer Rabbit, he wuz off some’rs raiding on a collard patch, en ole miss Rabbit she wuz tendin’ on a quiltin’ in de naberhood, en wiles de little Rabbits wuz playin’ hidin’-switch, in drapt Brer Fox. De little Rabbits wuz so fat dat dey fa’rly make his mouf water, but he ’member ’bout Brer Wolf, en he skeered fer ter gobble urn up ceppin’ he were given a few skuse. De little Rabbits, dey potent skittish, en dey sorter huddle deyse’f up tergedder en watch Brer Fox motions. Brer Fox, he sot dar en observe w’at sorter skuse he gwineter make up. Bimeby he see a outstanding massive stalk er sugar-cane stan’in’ up in de coruder, en he cle’r up his th’oat en speak biggity:
“‘Yer! you younger Rabs dar, sail ’roun’ yer en broke me a chunk er dat sweetnin’-tree,’ sezee, en den he koff.
“De little Rabbits, dey were given out de sugar-cane, dey did, en dey rastle wid it, en sweat over it, but twan’t no use. Dey couldn’t broke it. Brer Fox, he make like he ain’t watchin’, however he keep on holler’n:
“‘Hurry up dar, Rabs! I’m a waitin’ on you.
“En de little Rabbits, dey hustle ’roun’ en rasfle wid it, however they couldn’t broke it. Bimeby dey pay attention little hensingin’ on top er de house, en de tune w’at de little hird sing wuz dish yer.
“‘Take yo’ toofies en gnyaw it,
Take yo’ toofies en noticed it,
noticed it en yoke it,
En den you kin broke it.’
“Den de little Rabbits, dey git potent happy, en dey guyawed de cane mos’ ’fo’ ’ole Brer Fox may want to git his legs oncrosst, en w’en dey kyard ’im de cane, Brer Fox, he sot dar en have a look at how he gwineter make a few mo’ skuse fer nabbin’ un um, en bimeby he git up en git down de sifter w’at wuz hangin’ on de wall, en holler out:
“‘Come yer, Rabs! Take dish yer sifter, en run down’t de spring en fetch me some fresh water.’
“De little Rabbits, dey run down’t de spring, en strive ter dip up de water wid de sifter, however co’se hit all run out, en hit maintain on runnin’ out, twell bimeby de little Rabbits sot down en ’gun ter cry. Den de little fowl settin’ up in de tree he start fer ter sing, en dish yer’s de track w’at he sing:
“‘Sifter hollow water equal ez a tray,
Ef you fill it wid moss en dob it wid clay;
De Fox git madder de longer you live—
Fill it wid moss en dob it wid clay.’
“Up dey soar, de little Rabbits did, en dey restoration de sifter so ’twon’t leak, en den dey kyar de water ter ole Brer Fox. Den Brer Fox he git effective mad, en p’int out a first rate huge stick er wooden, en inform de little Rabbits fer ter placeddat on de fier. De little chaps dey got ’roun’ de timber, dey did, en dey hef at it so difficult twel dey could see der personalsins, however de wooden ain’t budge. Den dey hear de little bird singin’, en dish yer’s de music w’at he sing:
“‘Spit in yo’ han’s en tug it en toll it,
En git behine it, en push it, en pole it;
Spit in yo’ han’s en r’ar back en roll it.’
“En des ’bout de time dey were given de wood on de fier, der daddy, he come skippin’ in, en de little bird, he flew’d away. Brer Fox, he seed his game wuz up, en ’twan’t long ’fo’ he make his skuse en start fer ter move.
“‘You higher live en take a snack wid me, Brer Fox,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. ‘Sence Brer Wolf achieved quite comin’ en settin’ up wid me, I gittin’ so I feels right lonesome dese long nights,’ sezee.
“however Brer Fox, he button up his coat-collar tight en des put out fer domestic. En dat w’at you higher do, honey, kaze I see pass over Sally’s shadder sailin’ backerds en for’ds ’fo’ de winder, en de fus’ news you know she’ll be ’spectin’ un you.
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