de kentry eb'ywhar, an' 'lowed
dat any bird or fish, or any kin' er little beas' dat 'oud fotch 'im dat
stone, he'd grant 'em de deares' wush er dey hearts.

"Well, mun, in er few days de whole yearth wuz er movin'; eb'ything dar
wuz in de lan' wuz er gwine.

"Some wuz er hoppin' an' some wuz er crawlin' an' some wuz er flyin',
jes 'cord'n to dey natur'; de birds dey 'lowed ter git dar fus', on
'count er fly'n so fas'; but den de little stone wuz in de water, an'
dey'd hatter wait till de crick run down, so 'twuz jes 'bout broad ez
'twuz long.

"Well, wile dey wuz all er gwine, an' de birds wuz in de lead, one day
dey hyeard sump'n gwine f-l-u-shsh--f-l-u-shsh--an' sump'n streaked by
like lightnin', and dey look way erhead, dey did, an' dey seed Nancy
Jane O. Den dey hearts 'gun ter sink, an' dey gin right up, caze dey
knowed she'd outfly eb'ything on de road. An' by'mby de crow, wat wuz
allers er cunnin' bird, sez,' I tell yer wat we'll do; we'll all gin er
feas',' sezee, 'an' git Nancy Jane O ter come, an' den we'll all club
togedder an' tie her, sezee.

"Dat took dey fancy, an' dey sont de lark on erhead fur ter cotch up
wid Nancy Jane O, an' ter ax 'er ter de feas'. Well, mun, de lark he
nearly kill hese'f er flyin'. He flew an' he flew an' he flew, but
pyear'd like de fas'er he went de furder erhead wuz Nancy Jane O.

"But Nancy Jane O, bein' so fur er start uv all de res', an' not er
dreamin' 'bout no kin' er develment, she 'lowed she'd stop an' take er
nap, an' so de lark he come up wid 'er, wile she wuz er set'n on er
sweet-gum lim', wid 'er head un'er 'er wing. Den de lark spoke up, an',
sezee, 'Sis Nancy Jane O,' sezee, 'we birds is gwinter gin er big feas',
caze we'll be sho' ter win de race any how, an' bein' ez we've flew'd so
long an' so fur, wy we're gwine ter stop an' res' er spell, an' gin er
feas'. An' Brer Crow he 'lowed 'twouldn' be no feas' 'tall les'n you
could be dar; so dey sont me on ter tell yer to hol' up tell dey come:
dey's done got seeds an' bugs an' wums, an' Brer Crow he's gwine ter
furnish de corn.'

"Nancy Jane O she 'lowed ter herse'f she could soon git erhead uv 'em
ergin, so she 'greed ter wait; an' by'mby hyear dey come er flyin'. An'
de nex' day dey gin de feas'; an' wile Nancy Jane O wuz er eatin' an' er
stuffin' herse'f wid wums an' seeds, an' one thing er nudder, de blue
jay he slope up behin' 'er, an' tied 'er fas' ter er little bush. An'
dey all laft an' flopped dey wi