he mought beat
Brer Tarrypin clammin' a tree, but dish yer sycamo' tree wuz too big fer
Brer Fox fer ter git he arms 'roun'. Den he up'n 'low:

"'I sees um hangin' dar, Brer Tarrypin, but how I gwine git um?'

"Brer Tarrypin open he do' little ways en holler out:

"'Ah-yi! Dar whar ole Slickum Slow-come got de 'vantage! Youer mighty
peart, Brer Fox, yit somehow er nudder you aint bin a-keepin' up wid
ole Slickum Slow-come.'

"'Brer Tarrypin, how de name er goodness does you git um?'

"'Don't do no good fer ter tell you, Brer Fox. Nimble heel make restless
min'. You aint got time fer ter wait en git um, Brer Fox.'

"'Brer Tarrypin, I got all de week befo' me.'

"'Ef I tells you, you'll go en tell all de t'er creeturs, en den dat'll
be de las' er de Pimmerly Plum, Brer Fox.'

"'Brer Tarrypin, dat I won't. Des try me one time en see.'

"Brer Tarrypin shet he eye lak he studyin', en den he 'low:

[Illustration: THE PIMMERLY PLUM]

"'I tell you how I does, Brer Fox. W'en I wants a bait er de Pimmerly
Plum right bad, I des takes my foot in my han' en comes down yer ter
dish yer tree. I comes en I takes my stan'. I gits right und' de tree,
en I r'ars my head back en opens my mouf. I opens my mouf, en w'en de
Pimmerly Plum draps, I boun' you she draps right spang in dar. All you
got ter do is ter set en wait, Brer Fox.'

"Brer Fox aint sayin' nothin'. He des sot down und' de tree, he did, en
r'ar'd he head back, en open he mouf, en I wish ter goodness you mought
er bin had er chance fer ter see 'im settin' dar. He look scan'lous,
dat 's de long en de short un it; he des look scan'lous."

"Did he get the Pimmerly Plum, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

"_Shoo!_ How he gwine git plum whar dey aint no plum?"

"Well, what did he do?"

"He sot dar wid he mouf wide open, en eve'y time Brer Tarrypin look at
'im, much ez he kin do fer ter keep from bustin' aloose en laffin'. But
bimeby he make he way todes home, Brer Tarrypin did, chucklin' en
laffin', en 't wa'n't long 'fo' he meet Brer Rabbit tippin' 'long down
de road. Brer Rabbit, he hail 'im.

"'W'at 'muze you so mighty well, Brer Tarrypin?'

"Brer Tarrypin kotch he breff atter so long a time, en he 'low:

"'Brer Rabbit, I'm dat tickle' twel I can't shuffle 'long, skacely, en
I'm fear'd ef I up'n tell you de 'casion un it, I'll be tooken wid one
er my spells whar folks hatter set up wid me 'kaze I laff so loud en
laff so long.'

"Yit atter so long a