rty w'en youer layin' stretch out full lenk
in de sun; but Jedge B'ar, he 'low you aint but th'ee foot long, en I
stood 'im down dat you 'uz four foot long ef not mo',' sezee. 'En de
talk got so hot dat I come mighty nigh hittin' 'im a clip wid my
walkin'-cane, en ef I had I boun' dey'd er bin some bellerin' done
'roun' dar,' sezee.

"Snake aint say nothin', but he look mo' complassy[34] dan w'at he bin
lookin'.

"'I up'n tole ole Jedge B'ar,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'dat de nex' time
I run 'cross you I gwine take'n medjer you; en goodness knows I mighty
glad I struck up wid you, 'kaze now dey won't be no mo' 'casion fer any
'sputin' 'twix' me en Jedge B'ar,' sezee.

"Den Brer Rabbit ax Mr. Snake ef he won't be so good ez ter onquile
hisse'f. Snake he feel mighty proud, he did, en he stretch out fer all
he wuff. Brer Rabbit he medjer, he did, en 'low:

"'Dar one foot fer Jedge B'ar; dar th'ee foot fer Jedge B'ar; en, bless
goodness, dar four foot fer Jedge B'ar, des lak I say!'

"By dat time Brer Rabbit done got ter snake head, en des ez de las' wud
drop out'n he mouf, he slip de loop 'roun' snake neck, en den he had 'im
good en fas'. He tuck'n drag 'im, he did, up ter whar de ole
Witch-Rabbit settin' at; but w'en he git dar, Mammy-Bammy Big-Money done
make 'er disappearance, but he year sump'n' way off yander, en seem lak
it say:

"'Ef you git any mo' sense, Son Riley, you'll be de ruination ev de
whole settlement, Son Riley Rabbit, Riley.'

"Den Brer Rabbit drag de snake 'long home, en stew 'im down en rub wid
de grease fer ter make 'im mo' 'soopler in de lim's. Bless yo' soul,
honey, Brer Rabbit mought er bin kinder fibble in de legs, but he wa'n't
no ways cripple und' de hat."[35]

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FOOTNOTES:

[34] A mixture of "complacent" and "placid." Accent on the second
syllable.

[35] A version of this story makes Brother Rabbit capture a swarm of
bees. Mr. W. O. Tuggle, of Georgia, who has made an exhaustive
study of the Creek Indians, has discovered a variant of the
legend. The Rabbit (Chufee) becomes alarmed because he has
nothing but the nimbleness of his feet to take him out of harm's
way. He goes to his Creator and begs that greater intelligence be
bestowed upon him. Thereupon the snake test is applied, as in the
negro story, and the Rabbit also catches a swarm of gnats. He