OLD RABBIT, HE’S A GOOD FISHERMAN

"Brer Rabbit en Brer Fox wuz like some chilluns w’at I is aware of un,” said Uncle Remus, regarding the little boy, who had come to listen any other tale, with an affectation of brilliant solemnity. “Bofe unum wuz allers atter wunner nudder, a prankin’ en a pester’n ‘roun’, but Brer Rabbit did had a few peace kaze Brer Fox accomplished got skittish ’bout puttin’ de clamps on Brer Rabbit.”

“one day, w’en Brer Rabbit, en Brer Fox en Brer Coon, en Brer B’ar, en a whole lot un um wuz clearin’ up a brand new groun’ fer ter plant a roas’n’year patch, de sun ‘gun ter git sorter warm, en Brer Rabbit he were given worn-out; but he didn’t allow on, kaze he ‘fer’d de balance un um’d name ‘im lazy, en he keep on totin’ off trash en pilin’ up bresh, twel bimeby he holler out dat he gotter brier in his han’, en den he take’n slip off. em hunt fer cool location fer ter res’. Atter w’ile he come ‘crosst a properly wid a bucket hangin’ in it.

“‘Dat look cool,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, ‘en cool I speck she is. I’ll des ’bout git in dar en take a sleep,’ en wid dat in he leap, he did, en he ain’t no faster restore hisse’f dan de bucket ‘gun ter go down.”

“Wasn’t the Rabbit scared, Uncle Remus?” requested the Little Boy.

“Honey, dey ain’t bin no wusser skeer’d beas’ sence de worril begin dan dish yer identical Brer Rabbit. He some distance’ly had a ager. He understand whar he cum fum, however he dunner whar he gwine. Dreckly he experience de bucket hit de water, en dar she sot, however Brer Rabbit he hold robust still, kaze he dunner w’at minnit gwineter be de nex’. He des lay dar en shuck en shiver.”

“‘Brer Fox allers were given one eye on Brer Rabbit, en w’en he slip off fum de new groun’, Brer Fox he sneak atter ‘im. He recognise Brer Rabbit wuz atter a few projick er nudder, en he tuck’n crope off, he did, en watch ‘im. Brer Fox see Brer Rabbit come to de properly en forestall, en den he see ‘im bounce in de bucket, en den, lo en beholes, he see ‘im crossdown outer sight. Brer Fox wuz de mos’ ‘stonish Foz dat you ever laid eyes on. He sot off dar in de trees en have a look at en examine, but he don’t make no heads ner tails ter dis kinder bizness. Den he say ter hisse’f, sezee:

‘nicely, ef dis don’t bang my instances,’ sezee, ‘den Joe’s useless en Sal’s a widder. right down dar in dat nicely Brer Rabbit maintain his money concealed, en ef ’tain’t dat den he performed long past en ‘skiver’d a gole-mine, en ef ’tain’t dat, den I’m a gwinter see w’at’s in dar,’ sezee.

“Brer Fox crope up little nigher, he did, en lissen, however he don’t 12 months no fuss, en he hold on gittin’ nigher, en yit he don’t yr nuthin’. Bimeby he git up near and peep down, but he don’t see nuthin’ en he don’t 12 months nuthin’. All dis time Brer Rabbit mighty nigh skeer’d outen his skin, en he fear’d fer ter pass kaze de bucket may keel over en spill him out in de water. W’ile he sayin’ his pra’rs over like a educate er kyars runnin’, ole Brer Fox holler out:

‘Heyo, Brer Rabbit! Who you wizzitin’ down dar?’ sezee.

‘Who? Me? Oh, I’m des a fishin’, Brer Fox,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. ‘I des say ter myse’f dat I’d sorter sprize you all wid a multitude er fishes fer dinner, en so right here I is, en dar’s de fishes. I’m a fishin’ fer suckers, Brer Fox.’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.



‘Is dey many unum down dar, Brer Rabbit?’ sez Brer Fox, sezee.

‘Lot’s un um, Brer Fox; scoze en scoze un um. De water is natally live wid um. Come down en he’p me haul um in, Brer Fox,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

‘How I gwinter git down, Brer Rabbit?’

‘bounce inter de bucket, Brer Fox. Hit’ll fetch yer down all safe en soun’.’

Brer Rabbit talk so glad en communicate so candy dat Brer Fox he soar in de bucket, he did, en, ez he went down, co’se his weight pull Brer Rabbit up. W’en dey skip one nudder on de half of-manner groun’, Brer Rabbit he sing out:

“precise-by means of, Brer Fox, take keer yo’ cloze,
Fer dis is de manner de worril is going;
some is going up en some goes down,
You’ll git ter de backside all secure en soun’.”

“W’en Brer Rabbit were given out, he gallop off en tole de fokes w’at de nicely b’lengthy ter dat Brer Fox wuz down in dar muddyin’ up de drinkin’ water, en den he gallop returned ter de well, en holler down ter Brer Fox:

“Yer come a man wid a superb massive gun–
W’en he haul you up, you jump en run.”

“What them, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy, because the antique man paused.

“‘In des ’bout half-n’our, honey, bofe un um wuz returned in de new groun’ wukkin des like dey in no way heer’d er no properly, ceppin’ dat eve’y now’n den Brer Rabbit’d bust out in er laff, en old Brer Fox, he’d git a spell er de dry grins.”