gal settin' by de gate, en
he up'n 'low:

"'Aint dish yer Miss Janey?'

"Little gal say: 'My daddy call me Janey.'" Uncle Remus mimicked the
voice and manner of a little girl. He hung his head, looked excessively
modest, and spoke in a shrill tone. The effect was so comical that even
Daddy Jack seemed to enjoy it.

"'My daddy call me Janey; w'at yo' daddy call you?'

"Brer Rabbit look on de groun', en sorter study lak folks does w'en dey
feels bad. Den he look up en 'low:

"I bin lose my daddy dis many long year, but w'en he 'live he call me
Billy Malone.' Den he look at de little gal hard en 'low: 'Well, well,
well! I aint seed you sence you 'uz a little bit er baby, en now yer
you is mighty nigh a grown 'oman. I pass yo' daddy in de road des now,
en he say I mus' come en tell you fer ter gimme a mess er
sparrer-grass.'

"Little gal, she fling de gate wide open, en let Mr. Billy Malone git de
sparrer-grass.

"Man come back en see whar somebody done bin tromplin' on de gyardin
truck, en den he call up de little gal, en up'n ax 'er who bin dar since
he bin gone; en de little gal, she 'low, she did, dat Mr. Billy Malone
bin dar. Man ax who in de name er goodness is Mr. Billy Malone. Little
gal 'low hit 's des a man w'at say 'er daddy sont 'im fer ter git some
sparrer-grass on account er ole acquaintance. Man got his 'spicions, but
he aint say nothin'.

"Nex' day, w'en he start off, he holler en tell de little gal fer ter
keep one eye on ole Brer Rabbit, en don't let nobody git no mo'
sparrer-grass. Brer Rabbit, he settin' off dar in de bushes, en he year
w'at de man say, en he see 'im w'en he go off. Bimeby, he sorter run
'roun', ole Brer Rabbit did, en he come hoppin' down de road, twel he
git close up by de little gal at de gyardin gate. Brer Rabbit drapt 'er
his biggest bow, en ax 'er how she come on. Den, atter dat, he 'low, he
did:

"'I see yo' daddy gwine 'long down de road des now, en he gimme a rakin'
down 'kaze I make 'way wid de sparrer-grass, yit he say dat bein' 's how
I sech a good fr'en' er de fambly I kin come en ax you fer ter gimme a
mess er Inglish peas.'

"Little gal, she tuck'n fling de gate wide open, en ole Brer Rabbit, he
march in, he did, en he git de peas in a hurry. Man come back atter
w'ile, en he 'low:

"'Who bin tromplin' down my pea-vines?'

"'Mr. Billy Malone, daddy.'

"Man slap he han' on he forrud;[32] he dunner w'at ter make er all dis.
Bimeby, he 'low:

"'W'at kinder