Remus as the latter leisurely proceeded to fill his pipe.

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FOOTNOTE:

[68] Victuals.
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LV

HOW WATTLE WEASEL WAS CAUGHT

Uncle Remus chipped the tobacco from the end of a plug, rubbed it
between the palms of his hands, placed it in his pipe, dipped the pipe
in the glowing embers, and leaned back in his chair, and seemed to be
completely happy.

"Hit mought not er bin endurin' er de dog days," said the old man,
recurring to Daddy Jack's story, "'kaze dey wuz times dat w'en dey push
ole Brer Rabbit so close he 'uz des bleedz ter git he revengeance out'n
um. Dat mought er bin de marter 'twix' him en ole Grinny-Granny Wolf,
'kaze w'en ole Brer Rabbit git he dander up, he 'uz a monst'us bad man
fer ter fool wid.

"Dey tuck atter 'im," continued Uncle Remus, "en dey 'buzed 'im, en dey
tried ter 'stroy 'im, but dey wuz times w'en de t'er creeturs bleedz ter
call on 'im fer ter he'p 'em out dey trouble. I aint nev' tell you
'bout little Wattle Weasel, is I?" asked the old man, suddenly turning
to the little boy.

The child laughed. The dogs on the plantation had killed a weasel a few
nights before,--a very cunning-looking little animal,--and some of the
negroes had sent it to the big house as a curiosity. He connected this
fact with Uncle Remus's allusions to the weasel. Before he could make
any reply, however, the old man went on:

"No, I boun' I aint, en it come 'cross me right fresh en hot time I
year talk er Brer Wolf eatin' he granny. Dey wuz one time w'en all de
creeturs wuz livin' in de same settlement en usin' out'n de same spring,
en it got so dat dey put all dey butter in de same piggin'. Dey put it
in dar, dey did, en dey put it in de spring-house, en dey'd go off en
'ten' ter dey business. Den w'en dey come back dey'd fine whar some un
been nibblin' at dey butter. Dey tuck'n hide dat butter all 'roun' in de
spring-house; dey sot it on de rafters, en dey bury it in de san'; yit
all de same de butter 'ud come up missin'.

"Bimeby it got so dey dunner w'at ter do; dey zamin' de tracks, en dey
fine out dat de man w'at nibble dey butter is little Wattle Weasel. He
come in de night, he come in de day; dey can't ketch 'im. Las' de
creeturs tuck'n helt er confab, en dey 'gree dat dey hatter set some un
fer ter watch en ketch Wattle Weasel.

"Brer Mink