ax me how come
he don't take en play it at 'im 'g'in. W'at kinder lookin' sight 'ud dat
ole creetur a-bin ef he'd jump up en grab he fiddle en go ter playin' on
it eve'y time he year a fuss down de big road?"

The little boy said nothing, but he thought the story would have been a
great deal nicer if Mr. Benjamin Ram could have played one of the
old-time tunes on his fiddle, and while he was thinking about it, the
door opened and Aunt Tempy made her appearance. Her good-humor was
infectious.

"Name er goodness!" she exclaimed, "I lef' you all settin' yer way las'
week; I goes off un I does my wuk, un I comes back, un I fines you
settin' right whar I lef' you. Goodness knows, I dunner whar you gits
yo' vittles. I dunner whar I aint bin sence I lef' you all settin' yer.
I let you know I bin a-usin' my feet un I been a-usin' my han's. Dat 's
me. No use ter ax how you all is, 'kaze you looks lots better'n me."

"Yas, Sis Tempy, we er settin' yer whar you lef' us, en der Lord, he bin
a-pervidin'. W'en de vittles don't come in at de do' hit come down de
chimbly, en so w'at de odds? We er sorter po'ly, Sis Tempy, I'm 'blige
ter you. You know w'at de jay-bird say ter der squinch owl! 'I'm sickly
but sassy.'"

Aunt Tempy laughed as she replied: "I 'speck you all bin a-havin' lots
er fun. Goodness knows I wish many a time sence I bin gone dat I 'uz
settin' down yer runnin' on wid you all. I aint bin gone fur--dat 's so,
yit Mistiss put me ter cuttin'-out, un I tell you now dem w'at cuts out
de duds fer all de niggers on dis place is got ter wuk fum soon in de
mawnin' plum tel bed-time, dey aint no two ways. 'T aint no wuk youk'n
kyar' 'bout wid you needer, 'kaze you got ter spread it right out on de
flo' un git down on yo' knees. I mighty glad I done wid it, 'kaze my
back feel like it done broke in a thous'n pieces. Honey, is Brer Remus
bin a-tellin' you some mo' er dem ole-time tales?"

Aunt Tempy's question gave the little boy an excuse for giving her brief
outlines of some of the stories. One that he seemed to remember
particularly well was the story of how Brother Rabbit and Brother Fox
killed a cow, and how Brother Rabbit got the most and the best of the
beef.

"I done year talk uv a tale like dat," exclaimed Aunt Tempy, laughing
heartily, "but 't aint de same tale. I mos' 'shame' ter tell it."

"You gittin' too ole ter be blushin', Sis Tempy," said Uncle Remus with
dignity.

"Well den," said Aunt Tempy, wiping he