bum, diddybum-bum-bum--diddybum!_'

"Bimeby Brer 'Coon, w'ich he allers got one year hung out fer de news,
he up'n ax Brer Fox w'at dat, en by dat time all de creeturs stop en
lissen; but all de same, yer come Brer Rabbit:

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

"De creeturs dey keep on lis'nin', en Brer Rabbit keep on gittin'
nigher, twel bimeby Brer 'Coon retch und' de cheer fer he hat, en say,
sezee:

"'Well, gents, I 'speck I better be gwine. I tole my ole 'oman dat I
won't be gone a minnit, en yer 't is 'way 'long in de day.'

"Wid dat Brer 'Coon, he skip out, but he aint git much furder dan de
back gate, 'fo' yer come all de yuther creeturs like dey 'uz runnin' a
foot-race, en ole Brer Fox wuz wukkin' in de lead."

"Dar, now!" exclaimed 'Tildy, with great fervor.

"Yasser! dar dey wuz, en dar dey went," continued Uncle Remus. "Dey tuck
nigh cuts, en dey scramble over one er 'n'er, en dey aint res' twel dey
git in de bushes.

"Ole Brer Rabbit, he came on down de road--_diddybum, diddybum,
diddybum-bum-bum_--en bless gracious! w'en he git ter Brer Fox house dey
aint nobody dar. Brer Rabbit is dat ow-dacious, dat he hunt all 'roun'
twel he fine de a'r-hole en de drum, en he put his mouf ter dat en sing
out, sezee:

"'Is dey anybody home?' en den he answer hisse'f, sezee, 'Law, no,
honey--folks all gone.'

"Wid dat, ole Brer Rabbit break loose en laugh, he did, fit ter kill
hisse'f, en den he slam Brer Fox front gate wide open, en march up ter
de house. W'en he git dar, he kick de do' open en hail Brer Fox, but
nobody aint dar, en Brer Rabbit he walk in en take a cheer, en make
hisse'f at home wid puttin' his foots on de sofy en spittin' on de flo'.

"Brer Rabbit aint sot dar long 'fo' he ketch a whiff er de dram--"

"You year dat?" exclaimed 'Tildy, with convulsive admiration.

"--'Fo' he ketch a whiff er de dram, en den he see it on de side-bode,
en he step up en drap 'bout a tumbeler full some'rs down in de
neighborhoods er de goozle. Brer Rabbit mighty lak some folks I knows.
He tuck one tumbeler full, en 't wa'n't long 'fo' he tuck 'n'er'n, en
w'en a man do dis a-way," continued Uncle Remus, somewhat
apologetically, "he bleedz ter git drammy."

"Truth, too!" said 'Tildy, by way of hearty confirmation.

"All des time de yuther creeturs wuz down hi de bushes lissenin' fer de
_diddybum_, en makin' ready fer ter light out fum dar at de drop uv a
hat. But dey aint year no mo' fuss, en