ue, wanted to know what happened to them: he
was anxious to learn if any of them were hurt by the dogs that had been
chasing Brother Rabbit. The old darkey closed his eyes and chuckled.
"You sho is axin' sump'n now, honey. Und' his hat, ef he had any, Brer
Rabbit had a mighty quick thinkin' apple-ratus, an' mos' inginner'lly,
all de time, de pranks he played on de yuther creeturs pestered um bofe
ways a-comin' an' a-gwine. De dogs done mighty well, 'long ez dey had
dealin's wid de small fry, like Brer Fox, an' Brer Coon, an' Brer Wolf,
but when dey run ag'in' ol' Brer B'ar, dey sho struck a snag. De mos'
servigrous wuz de identual one dat got de wust hurted. He got too close
ter Brer B'ar, an' when he look at hisse'f in runnin' water, he tuck
notice dat he wuz split wide open fum flank ter dewlap.

[Illustration]

"Atter de rucus wuz over, de creeturs hobbled off home de best dey
could, an' laid 'roun' in sun an' shade fer ter let der cuts an' gashes
git good an' well. When dey got so dey could segashuate, an' pay der
party calls, dey 'gree fer ter insemble some'rs, an' hit on some plan
fer ter outdo Brer Rabbit. Well, dey had der insembly, an' dey jower'd
an' jower'd des like yo' pa do when he aint feelin' right well; but,
bimeby, dey 'greed 'pon a plan dat look like it mought work. Dey 'gree
fer ter make out dat dey gwine ter have a dance. Dey know'd dat ol' Brer
Rabbit wuz allers keen fer dat, an' dey say dey'll gi' him a invite, an'
when he got dar, dey'd ax 'im fer ter play de fiddle, an' ef he 'fuse,
dey'll close in on 'im an' make way wid 'im.

[Illustration]

"So fur, so good! But all de time dey wuz jowerin' an' confabbin', ol'
Brer Rabbit wus settin' in a shady place in de grass, a-hearin' eve'y
word dey say. When de time come, he crope out, he did, an' run 'roun',
an' de fust news dey know'd, here he come down de big
road--bookity-bookity--same ez a hoss dat's broke thoo de pastur' fence.
He say, sezee, 'Why, hello, frien's! an' howdy, too, kaze I aint seed
you-all sence de last time! Whar de name er goodness is you been deze
odd-come-shorts? an' how did you far' at de bobbycue? Ef my two eyeballs
aint gone an' got crooked, dar's ol' Brer B'ar, him er de short tail an'
sharp tush--de ve'y one I'm a-huntin' fer! An' dar's Brer Coon! I sho is
in big luck. Dar's gwineter be a big frolic at Miss Meadows', an' her
an' de gals want Brer B'ar fer ter show um de roas'n'-y'ar shuffle; an'
dey put Brer Coon down fe