n by asking Uncle Remus for all the details. It was plain to
the latter that the child regarded Mr. Ram as the typical hero of all
the animals, and this was by no means gratifying to the old man. He
answered the little boy's questions as well as he could, and, when
nothing more remained to be said about Mr. Ram, he settled himself back
in his chair and resumed the curious history of Brother Rabbit:

"Co'se Mr. Ram mighty smart man. I aint 'spute dat; but needer Mr. Ram
ner yet Mr. Lam is soon creeturs lak Brer Rabbit. Mr. Benjermun Ram, he
tuck'n skeer off Brer Wolf en his ole 'oman wid his fiddle, but, bless
yo' soul, ole Brer Rabbit he gone en done wuss'n dat."

"What did Brother Rabbit do?" asked the little boy.

"One time," said Uncle Remus, "Brer Fox, he tuck'n ax some er de yuther
creeturs ter he house. He ax Brer B'ar, en Brer Wolf, en Brer 'Coon, but
he aint ax Brer Rabbit. All de same, Brer Rabbit got win' un it, en he
'low dat ef he don't go, he 'speck he have much fun ez de nex' man.

"De creeturs w'at git de invite, dey tuck'n 'semble at Brer Fox house,
en Brer Fox, he ax um in en got um cheers, en dey sot dar en laugh en
talk, twel, bimeby, Brer Fox, he fotch out a bottle er dram en lay 'er
out on de side-bode, en den he sorter step back en say, sezee:

"'Des step up, gentermens, en he'p yo'se'f,' en you better b'lieve dey
he'p derse'f.

"W'iles dey wuz drinkin' en drammin' en gwine on, w'at you 'speck Brer
Rabbit doin'? You des well make up yo' min' dat Brer Rabbit monst'us
busy, kaze he 'uz sailin' 'roun' fixin' up his tricks. Long time 'fo'
dat, Brer Rabbit had been at a bobbycue whar dey was a muster, en w'iles
all de folks 'uz down at de spring eatin' dinner, Brer Rabbit he crope
up en run off wid one er de drums. Dey wuz a big drum en a little drum,
en Brer Rabbit he snatch up de littles' one en run home.

"Now, den, w'en he year 'bout de yuther creeturs gwine ter Brer Fox
house, w'at do Brer Rabbit do but git out dis rattlin' drum en make de
way down de road todes whar dey is. He tuk dat drum," continued Uncle
Remus, with great elation of voice and manner, "en he went down de road
todes Brer Fox house, en he make 'er talk like thunner mix up wid hail.
Hit talk lak dis:

"'_Diddybum, diddybum, diddybum-bum-bum--diddybum!_'

"De creeturs, dey 'uz a-drinkin', en a-drammin', en a-gwine on at a
terrible rate, en dey aint year de racket, but all de same, yer come
Brer Rabbit:

"'_Diddybum, diddy