pread
over her comely face as she exclaimed:

"_Oh!_ I 'clar' ter goodness, Unk Remus, I thought dat ole nigger man
wuz des a-projickin' 'long wid me. Ef it come down ter settin' up yer
'long wid you all en tellin' a tale, I aint 'nyin' but w'at I got one
dat you all aint never year tell un, 'kaze dat ar Slim Jim w'at Mars
Ellick Akin got out'n de speckerlater waggin,[77] he up'n tell it dar at
Riah's des 'fo' de patter-rollers tuck'n slipt up on um."

"Dar now!" remarked Aunt Tempy. 'Tildy laughed boisterously.

"W'at de patter-rollers do wid dat ar Slim Jim?" Uncle Remus inquired.

"Done nothin'!" exclaimed 'Tildy, with an air of humorous scorn. "Time
dey got in dar Slim Jim 'uz up de chimbly, en Riah 'uz noddin' in one
cornder en me in de udder. Nobody never is ter know how dat ar long-leg
nigger slick'd up dat chimbly--dat dey aint. He put one foot on de
pot-rack,[78] en whar he put de t'er foot _I_ can't tell you."

"What was the story?" asked the little boy.

"I boun' fer you, honey!" exclaimed Uncle Remus.

"Well, den," said 'Tildy, settling herself comfortably, and bridling a
little as Daddy Jack manifested a desire to give her his undivided
attention,--"well, den, dey wuz one time w'en ole Brer Rabbit 'uz bleedz
ter go ter town atter sump'n' 'n'er fer his famerly, en he mos' 'shame'
ter go 'kaze his shoes done wo' tetotally out. Yit he bleedz ter go, en
he put des ez good face on it ez he kin, en he take down he walkin'-cane
en sot out des ez big ez de next un.

"Well, den, ole Brer Rabbit go on down de big road twel he come ter de
place whar some folks bin camp out de night befo', en he sot down by de
fier, he did, fer ter wom his foots, 'kaze dem mawnin's 'uz sorter cole,
like deze yer mawnin's. He sot dar en look at his toes, en he feel
mighty sorry fer hisse'f.

"Well, den, he sot dar, he did, en 't wa'n't long 'fo' he year sump'n'
'n'er trottin' down de road, en he tuck'n look up en yer come Mr. Dog
a-smellin' en a-snuffin' 'roun' fer ter see ef de folks lef' any scraps
by der camp-fier. Mr. Dog 'uz all dress up in his Sunday-go-ter-meetin'
cloze, en mo'n dat, he had on a pa'r er bran new shoes.

"Well, den, w'en Brer Rabbit see dem ar shoes he feel mighty bad, but he
aint let on. He bow ter Mr. Dog mighty perlite, en Mr. Dog bow back, he
did, en dey pass de time er day, 'kaze dey 'uz ole 'quaintance. Brer
Rabbit, he say:

"'Mr. Dog, whar you gwine all fix up like dis?'

"'I gwine ter town, B