time er de year, 'fo' de
corn's done planted, er de cotton-crap's pitched?' De one at de do' make
a big noise, an' rattle de hinges. Brer B'ar holla out, he did, 'Don't
t'ar down my house! Who is you, anyhow, an' what you want?' An' de
answer come, 'I'm one an' darfo' not two; ef youer mo' dan one, who is
you an' what you doin' in dar?' Brer B'ar, he say, sezee, 'I'm all er
one an' mighty nigh two, but I'd thank you fer ter tell me yo' full
fambly name.' Den de answer come.

[Illustration]

"'I'm de knocker an' de mover bofe, an' ef I can't clim' over I'll crawl
under ef you do but gi' me de word. Some calls me Brer Polecat, an' some
a big word dat it aint wuff while ter ermember, but I wanter move in.
It's mighty col' out here, an' all I meets tells me it's mighty warm in
dar whar you is.' Den ol' Brer B'ar say, sezee. 'It's warm nuff fer dem
what stays in here, but not nigh so warm fer dem on de outside. What
does you reely want?' Brer Polecat 'spon', he did, 'I wants a heap er
things dat I don't git. I'm a mighty good housekeeper, but I takes
notice dat dar's mighty few folks dat wants me ter keep house fer um.'
Brer B'ar say, sezee, 'I aint got no room fer no housekeeper; we aint
skacely got room fer ter go ter bed. Ef you kin keep my house on de
outside, you er mighty welcome.'

[Illustration]

"Brer Polecat say, 'You may think you aint got no room, but I bet you
got des ez much room ez anybody what I know. Ef you let me in dar one
time, I boun' you I'll make all de room I want.'"

[Illustration]

Uncle Remus paused to see what effect this statement would have on the
little boy. He closed his eyes, as though he were tired, but when he
opened them again, he saw the faint shadow of a smile on the child's
face. "'Taint gwine ter hurt you fer ter laugh a little bit, honey. Brer
Polecat come in Brer B'ar's house, an' he had sech a bad breff dat dey
all hatter git out--an' he stayed an' stayed twel time stopped runnin'
ag'in' him."

BRER RABBIT TREATS THE CREETURS TO A RACE

[Illustration]

One sultry summer day, while the little boy was playing not far from
Uncle Remus's cabin, a heavy black cloud made its appearance in the
west, and quickly obscured the sky. It sent a brisk gale before it, as
if to clear the path of leaves and dust. Presently there was a blinding
flash of lightning, a snap and a crash, and, with that, the child took
to his heels, and ran to Uncle Remus, who was standing in his door