Rabbit year Mr. Man cut tree down.

"Dey run'd en dey run'd," Uncle Remus went on, "twel dey come ter Brer
Tarrypin house, en dey sorter slack up 'kaze dey done mighty nigh los'
der win'. Brer Tarrypin, he up'n ax um wharbouts dey gwine, en dey 'low
dey wuz a monst'us tarryfyin' racket back dar in de woods. Brer
Tarrypin, he ax w'at she soun' lak. One say he dunno, n'er say he dunno,
den dey all say dey dunno. Den Brer Tarrypin, he up'n ax who year dis
monst'us racket. One say he dunno, n'er say he dunno, den dey all say
dey dunno. Dis make ole Brer Tarrypin laff 'way down in he insides, en
he up'n say, sezee:

"You all kin run 'long ef you feel skittish,' sezee. 'Atter I cook my
brekkus en wash up de dishes, ef I gits win' er any 'spicious racket may
be I mought take down my pairsol en foller long atter you,' sezee.

"W'en de creeturs come ter make inquirements 'mungs one er n'er 'bout who
start de news, hit went right spang back ter Brer Rabbit, but, lo en
beholes! Brer Rabbit aint dar, en it tu'n out dat Brer Coon is de man
w'at seed 'im las'. Den dey got ter layin' de blame un it on one er
n'er, en little mo' en dey'd er fit dar scan'lous, but ole Brer
Tarrypin, he up'n 'low dat ef dey want ter git de straight un it, dey
better go see Brer Rabbit.

"All de creeturs wuz 'gree'ble, en dey put out ter Brer Rabbit house.
W'en dey git dar, Brer Rabbit wuz a-settin' cross-legged in de front
po'ch winkin' he eye at de sun. Brer B'ar, he speak up:

"'W'at make you fool me, Brer Rabbit?'

"'Fool who, Brer B'ar?'

"'Me, Brer Rabbit, dat 's who.'

"'Dish yer de fus' time I seed you dis day, Brer B'ar, en you er mo'
dan welcome ter dat.'

"Dey all ax 'im en git de same ans'er, en den Brer Coon put in:

"'W'at make you fool me, Brer Rabbit?'

"'How I fool you, Brer Coon?'

"'You make lak dey wuz a big racket, Brer Rabbit.'

"'Dey sholy wuz a big racket, Brer Coon.'

"'W'at kinder racket, Brer Rabbit?'

"'_Ah-yi!_ You oughter ax me dat fus', Brer Coon.'

"'I axes you now, Brer Rabbit.'

"'Mr. Man cut tree down, Brer Coon.'

"Co'se dis make Brer Coon feel like a nat'al-born Slink, en 't wa'n't
long 'fo' all de creeturs make der bow ter Brer Rabbit en mosey off
home."

"Brother Rabbit had the best of it all along," said the little boy,
after waiting to see whether there was a sequel to the story.

"Oh, he did dat a-way!" exclaimed Uncle Remus. "Brer Rabbit was a mighty
man in dem days."

XXI

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