ng 'fo' Mr. Wildcat wuz so
stiff in de j'ints en so short in de win' dat he des hatter lay down on
de groun' en res', en w'en he do dis, ole Brer Gibley Gobler en all er
he folks went on 'bout dey own business; but sence dat day deyer
constant a-'sputin' 'long wid deyse'f en eve'ybody w'at come by. Ef you
don't b'leeve me," with an air of disposing of the whole matter
judicially, "you kin des holler at de fus' Gobbler w'at you meets, en ef
he 'fuse ter holler back atter you, you kin des use my head fer a hole
in de wall; en w'at mo' kin you ax dan dat?"

"What became of Brother Rabbit, Uncle Remus?"

"Well, sir, Brer Rabbit tuck'n lef' dem low-groun's. W'iles de 'sputin'
wuz gwine on, he tuck'n bowed his good-byes, en den he des put out fum
dar. Nex' day ole Brer Gibley Gobbler tuck'n sent 'im a turkey wing fer
ter make a fan out'n, en Brer Rabbit, he tuck'n sent it ter Miss Meadows
en de gals. En I let you know," continued the old man, chuckling
heartily to himself, "dey make great 'miration 'bout it."

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FOOTNOTE:

[64] No doubt this means that Brother Rabbit's proposition was
pleasant and plausible.
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XLIX

MR. BENJAMIN RAM DEFENDS HIMSELF

"I 'speck we all dun gone en fergot ole Mr. Benjermun Ram off'n our
min'," said Uncle Remus, one night, as the little boy went into the
cabin with a large ram's horn hanging on his arm.

"About his playing the fiddle and getting lost in the woods!" exclaimed
the child. "Oh, no, I have n't forgotten him, Uncle Remus. I remember
just how he tuned his fiddle in Brother Wolf's house."

"Dat 's me!" said Uncle Remus with enthusiasm; "dat 's me up en down. Mr.
Ram des ez fresh in my min' now ez he wuz de day I year de tale. Dat ole
creetur wuz a sight, mon. He mos' sho'ly wuz. He wrinkly ole hawn en de
shaggy ha'r on he neck make 'im look mighty servigous,[65] en w'ence he
shake he head en snort, hit seem lak he gwine ter fair paw de yeth fum
und' 'im.

"Ole Brer Fox bin pickin' up ole Mr. Benjermun Ram chilluns w'en dey git
too fur fum home, but look lak he aint never bin git close ter de ole
creetur.

"So one time w'en he 'uz comin' on down de road, talkin' 'long wid Brer
Wolf, he up'n 'low, ole Brer Fox did, dat he mighty hongry in de
neighborhoods er de stomach. Dis make Brer Wolf look lak he 'stonish'd,
en