l an' den a lunge,
Grabbed at de water--which dey hadn't oughter
Went over der heads wid a splunge;
Brer Rabbit bent double, "Oh, all er yo' trouble
Fills me full er fun-unj-unj!"
HOW MR. LION LOST HIS WOOL
[Illustration]
"Twuz des sech a day ez dis dat Mr Lion lost his wool," remarked Uncle
Remus to the little boy, "Mr. Man tuck a notion dat de time done come
fer him fer ter have a hog-killin' an' he got 'im a big barrel, an' fill
it half full er water fum de big springs. Den he piled up 'bout a cord
er wood, an' ez he piled, he put rocks 'twix' de logs, an' den he sot de
wood after at bofe een's an' in de middle. 'Twan't long 'fo' dey had de
hogs killt, an' eve'ything ready fer ter scrape de ha'r off. Den he tuck
de red-hot rocks what he put in de fire, an' flung um in de barrel whar
de water wuz, an' 'twan't long, mon, 'fo' dat water wuz ready fer ter
bile. Den dey tuck de hogs, one at a time, an' soused um in de water,
an' time dey tuck um out, he ha'r wuz ready fer ter drap out by de
roots. Den dey'd scrape un wid sticks an' chips, an' dey aint leave a
ha'r on um.
[Illustration]
"Well, bimeby, dey had all de hogs killt an' cleaned, an' hauled off,
an' when eve'ything wuz still ez a settin' hen, ol' Brer Rabbit stuck
his head out fum behine a bush whar he been settin' at. He stuck his
head out, he did, an' look all 'roun', an' den he went whar de fier wuz
an' try fer ter warm hisse'f. He aint been dar long 'fo' here come Brer
Wolf an' Brer Fox, an den he got busy.
[Illustration]
"He say, 'Hello, frien's! howdy an' welcome! I 'm des fixin' fer ter
take a warm baff like Mr. Man gi' his hogs; wont you j'ine me?' Dey say
dey aint in no hurry, but dey holp Brer Rabbit put de hot rocks in de
barrel an' dey watch de water bubble, an' bimeby, when eve'ything wuz
ready, who should walk up but ol' Mr. Lion?
[Illustration]
"He had a mane fum his head plum ter de een' er his tail, an' in some
places it wuz so long it drug on de groun'--dat what make all de
creeturs 'fear'd un 'im. He growl an' ax um what dey doin', an' when
Brer Rabbit tell 'im, he say dat's what he long been needin'. 'How does
you git in?' 'Des back right in,' sez ol' Brer Rabbit, sezee, an' wid
dat,
[Illustration]
"Mr. Lion backed in, an' de water wuz so hot, he try fer ter git out,
an' he slipped in plum ter his shoulder-blades. You kin b'lieve me er
not, but dat creetur wuz scall'd so dat he holl
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