man. W'iles he done gone Brer Rabbit kyar off one er de behime
quarters. Brer Fox come back; he aint see no man. Brer Rabbit holler en
tell 'im dat 'ne'r man done come en got a behime quarter en run'd off
wid it.

"Brer Fox sorter study 'bout dis, 'kaze it look lak nobody yuver see de
like er mens folks passin' by dat one lonesome cow. He make out he gwine
ter run atter de man w'at steal de behime quarter, but he aint git fur
'fo' he tuck'n tu'n 'roun' en crope back, en he 'uz des in time fer ter
see Brer Rabbit makin' off wid de yuther behime quarter. Brer Fox mighty
tired wid runnin' hether en yan, en backards en forrerds, but he git so
mad w'en he see Brer Rabbit gwine off dat a-way, dat he dash up en ax
'im whar is he gwine wid dat ar beef.

"Brer Rabbit lay de beef down, he did, en look lak he feelin's hurted.
He look at Brer Fox lak he feel mighty sorry fer folks w'at kin ax
foolish questions lak dat. He shake he head, he did, en 'low:

"'Well, well, well! Who'd 'a' thunk dat Brer Fox would 'a' come axin' me
'bout dish yer beef, w'ich anybody would er know'd I 'uz a-kyar'n off
fer ter save fer 'im, so nobody could n't git it?'

"But dish yer kinder talk don't suit Brer Fox, en he tuck'n make a
motion 'zef[63] ter ketch Brer Rabbit, but Brer Rabbit he 'gun 'im leg
bail, en dar dey had it thoo de woods twel Brer Rabbit come 'pon a
holler tree, en inter dat he went, des lak one er deze streaked lizzuds
goes inter a hole in de san'."

"And then," said the little boy, as Uncle Remus paused, "along came
Brother Buzzard, and Brother Fox set him to watch the hole, and Brother
Rabbit said he had found a fat squirrel which he would run out on the
other side; and then he came out and ran home."

This was the climax of a story that Uncle Remus had told a long time
before, and he looked at his little partner with astonishment not
unmixed with admiration.

"I 'clar' ter gracious, honey!" he exclaimed, "ef you hol's on ter yo'
pra'rs lak you does ter deze yer tales youer doin' mighty well. But
don't you try ter hol' Brer Rabbit down ter one trick, you won't never
keep up wid 'im in de 'roun' worl'--dat you won't.

"Ole Brer Buzzard wuz dar, en Brer Fox ax 'im fer ter watch de hole, but
he aint bin dar long 'fo' Brer Rabbit sing out:

"'I got de 'vantage un you, dis whet, Brer Buzzard, I sho'ly is.'

"'How dat, Brer Rabbit?'

"''Kaze I kin see you, en you can't see me.'

"Wid dat Brer Buzzard stuck he head in de hol