"'_Mis re_, but dat's no _man_! Dat's a drunk pig,' my moder she's
say, angry. 'Sick, eh? Lazy, lazy--dat's so. An' dere hain't no fish
for de little chilluns, an' it's Friday mawny.' So my moder she's
begin for cry.

"Well, M'sieu, I'll make de rest short; for de sun is all gone now.
What you tink I do dat mawny? I take de big scoop-net an' I'll come up
here for see if I'll be able for scoop some fish on Jawnny Leroi's
platform. Only dere hain't nev' much fish dere.

"Pretty quick I'll look up and I'll see Alphonsine Seguin scoop, scoop
on my fader's old platform. Alphonsine's fader is sick, sick, same
like my fader, an' all de Seguin boys is too little for scoop, same
like my brudders is too little. So dere Alphonsine she's scoop, scoop
for breakfas'.

"What you tink I'll see some more? I'll see Old Man Savarin. He's
watchin' from de corner of de cedar bush, an' I'll know ver' good what
he's watch for. He's watch for catch my fader go on his own platform.
He's want for learn my fader anoder lesson. _Saprie!_ dat's make me
ver' angry, M'sieu!

"Alphonsine she's scoop, scoop plenty fish. I'll not be scoop none.
Dat's make me more angry. I'll look up where Alphonsine is, an' I'll
talk to myself:--

"'Dat's my fader's platform,' I'll be say. 'Dat's my fader's fish what
you catch, Alphonsine. You hain't nev' be my cousin no more. It is
mean, mean for Frawce Seguin to rent my fader's platform for please
dat old rascal Savarin.' Mebby I'll not be so angry at Alphonsine,
M'sieu, if I was able for catch some fish; but I hain't able--I don't
catch none.

"Well, M'sieu, dat's de way for long time--half-hour mebby. Den I'll
hear Alphonsine yell good. I'll look up de river some more. She's try
for lift her net. She's try hard, hard, but she hain't able. De net is
down in de rapid, an' she's only able for hang on to de hannle. Den
I'll know she's got one big sturgeon, an' he's so big she can't pull
him up.

"_Monjee!_ what I care 'bout dat! I'll laugh me. Den I'll laugh good
some more, for I'll want Alphonsine for see how I'll laugh big. And
I'll talk to myself:--

"'Dat's good for dose Seguins,' I'll say. 'De big sturgeon will pull
away de net. Den Alphonsine she will lose her fader's scoop wis de
sturgeon. Dat's good 'nuff for dose Seguins! Take my fader platform,
eh?'

"For sure, I'll want for go an' help Alphonsine all de same--she's my
cousin, an' I'll want for see de sturgeon, me. But I'll only just
laugh, la