mediately the little boy was all attention.

"Dey wuz times," said the old man, with something like a sigh, "w'en de
creeturs 'ud segashuate tergedder des like dey aint had no fallin' out.
Dem wuz de times w'en ole Brer Rabbit 'ud 'ten 'lak he gwine quit he
'havishness, en dey'd all go 'roun' des lak dey b'long ter de same
fambly connexion.

"One time atter dey bin gwine in cohoots dis a-way, Brer Rabbit 'gun ter
feel his fat, he did, en dis make 'im git projecky terreckly. De mo'
peace w'at dey had, de mo' wuss Brer Rabbit feel, twel bimeby he git
restless in de min'. W'en de sun shine he'd go en lay off in de grass en
kick at de gnats, en nibble at de mullen stalk en waller in de san'. One
night atter supper, w'iles he 'uz romancin' 'roun', he run up wid ole
Brer Tarrypin, en atter dey shuck han's dey sot down on de side er de
road en run on 'bout ole times. Dey talk en dey talk, dey did, en bimeby
Brer Rabbit say it done come ter dat pass whar he bleedz ter have some
fun, en Brer Tarrypin 'low dat Brer Rabbit des de ve'y man he bin
lookin' fer.

"'Well den,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'we'll des put Brer Fox, en Brer
Wolf, en Brer B'ar on notice, en termorrer night we'll meet down by de
mill-pon' en have a little fishin' frolic. I'll do de talkin',' sez Brer
Rabbit, sezee, 'en you kin set back en say _yea_,' sezee.

"Brer Tarrypin laugh.

"'Ef I aint dar,' sezee, 'den you may know de grasshopper done fly 'way
wid me,' sezee.

"'En you neenter bring no fiddle, n'er,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'kaze
dey aint gwineter be no dancin' dar,' sezee.

"Wid dat," continued Uncle Remus, "Brer Rabbit put out fer home, en
went ter bed, en Brer Tarrypin bruise 'roun' en make his way todes de
place so he kin be dar 'gin de 'p'inted time.

"Nex' day Brer Rabbit sont wud ter de yuther creeturs, en dey all make
great 'miration, kaze dey aint think 'bout dis deyse'f. Brer Fox, he
'low, he did, dat he gwine atter Miss Meadows en Miss Motts, en de
yuther gals.

"Sho' nuff, w'en de time come dey wuz all dar. Brer B'ar, he fotch a
hook en line; Brer Wolf, he fotch a hook en line; Brer Fox, he fotch a
dip-net, en Brer Tarrypin, not ter be outdone, he fotch de bait."

"What did Miss Meadows and Miss Motts bring?" the little boy asked.

Uncle Remus dropped his head slightly to one side, and looked over his
spectacles at the little boy.

"Miss Meadows en Miss Motts," he continued, "dey tuck'n stan' way back
fum de aidge er de pon' en