can get off."

"All right," said Mr. Fox. "I'm always willing to make money, and if you
don't want to stay I will take your place."

[Illustration: "WHO ARE YOU, I SAY?" HE ASKED IN A LOUDER VOICE]

"Well, look on top of the box and get the key. I saw Mr. Bear put it
there," said Br'er Rabbit. So Br'er Fox unlocked the door, and Br'er
Rabbit hopped out and locked Br'er Fox in.

So after supper they all came out, and the little girl ran up to the box
and looked in, and said: "Oh, mamma! just come and see how this Rabbit
has growed!"

Mr. Fox said: "I ain't no Rabbit!" "Well," said Mr. Bear, "how came you
in there?" "Because Br'er Rabbit asked me to take his place, and play at
your ball to-night," said Mr. Fox.

"Well, Br'er Rabbit has fooled you badly, Fox. But I will have to whip
you, anyway, for letting him out. I'll help you find Br'er Rabbit."
"I'll hunt him till I die, to pay him back for fooling me so," said Mr.
Fox. So they all started out to find Br'er Rabbit.

And they soon came upon him, and he began to run, and all of them after
him. And they got him in a tight place, and he ran up a hollow tree.

And they had to go back for their axes. So they put a Frog at the tree
to watch him to keep him from getting away. After they were gone, Mr.
Frog looked up and saw Br'er Rabbit.

[Illustration: THEY HAD TO GO LOOK FOR AXES. SO THEY PUT A FROG AT THE
TREE TO WATCH]

"What's dat you chewing?" said Mr. Frog. "Tobacco," said Br'er Rabbit.
"Give me some," said Mr. Frog. "Well," said Br'er Rabbit, "look up here
and open your eyes and mouth wide." So he filled the Frog's eyes full of
trash. And while Mr. Frog was rubbing his eyes trying to get the trash
out so he could see, Br'er Rabbit ran out and got away.

When Mr. Bear and Mr. Fox got back with their axes, they asked Mr. Frog:
"Whar's Mr. Rabbit?" He said: "He's in dar." They cut down the tree and
didn't find him. Then they asked Mr. Frog again: "Whar's Mr. Rabbit?"
"He's in dar," said Mr. Frog. So they split the tree open, and still
didn't find him. And they asked Mr. Frog again, "Whar's Mr. Rabbit, I
say?" "He's in dar," said Mr. Frog.

"Now, Mr. Frog," they said, "you have let Mr. Rabbit get away, and we
are going to kill you in his place."

So Mr. Frog said: "Wait till I go to my praying ground, and say my
prayers." So they told him he might have five minutes.

And there was a pond near by, and a log on the edge of it. So when Frog
got on the lo