:

"'How you come on, Gran'sir' Gray Fox?'

"'I still keeps po'ly, I'm 'blije ter you, Brer Rabbit,' sez Gran'sir'
Gray Fox, sezee. 'Is you seed any sign er my gran'son dis mawnin'?'
sezee.

"Wid dat Brer Rabbit laugh en say w'ich him en Brer Fox bin a-ramblin'
'roun' wid one er'n'er havin' mo' fun dan w'at a man kin shake a stick
at.

"'We bin a-riggin' up riddles en a-readin' un um,' sez Brer Rabbit,
sezee. 'Brer Fox is settin' off some'rs in de bushes right now, aimin'
fer ter read one w'at I gun 'im. I'll des drap you one,' sez ole Brer
Rabbit, sezee, 'w'ich, ef you kin read it, hit'll take you right spang
ter whar yo' gran'son is, en you can't git dar none too soon,' sez Brer
Rabbit, sezee.

"Den ole Gran'sir' Gray Fox, he up'n ax w'at is it, en Brer Rabbit, he
sing out, he did:

"'_De big bird rob en little bird sing;
De big bee zoon en little bee sting,
De little man lead en big hoss foller--
Kin you tell w'at's good fer a head in a holler?_'

"Gran'sir' Gray Fox, he tuck a pinch er snuff en cough easy ter hisse'f,
en study en study, but he aint make it out, en Brer Rabbit, he laugh en
sing:

"'_Bee-gum mighty big fer ter make Fox collar,
Kin you tell w'at's good fer a head in a holler?_'

"Atter so long a time, Gran'sir' Gray Fox sorter ketch a glimpse er w'at
Brer Rabbit tryin' ter gin 'im, en he tip Brer Rabbit good-day, en
shuffle on fer ter hunt up he gran'son."

"And did he find him, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

"Tooby sho', honey. Brer B'ar year de racket w'at Brer Fox kickin' up,
en he go down dar fer ter see w'at de marter is. Soon ez he see how de
lan' lay, co'se he tuck a notion dat Brer Fox bin robbin' de bee-gums,
en he got 'im a han'ful er hick'ries, Brer B'ar did, en he let in on
Brer Fox en he wom he jacket scannerlous, en den he tuck'n tu'n 'im
loose; but 't wa'n't long 'fo' all de neighbors git wud dat Brer Fox bin
robbin' Brer B'ar bee-gums."

XI

HOW MR. ROOSTER LOST HIS DINNER

It seemed that the rainy season had set in in earnest, but the little
boy went down to Uncle Remus's cabin before dark. In some mysterious
way, it appeared to the child, the gloom of twilight fastened itself
upon the dusky clouds, and the great trees without, and the dismal
perspective beyond, gradually became one with the darkness. Uncle Remus
had thoughtfully placed a tin pan under a leak in the roof, and the
_drip-drip-drip_ of the water, as it fel