, en by de time de big uns all done swaje der thuss[83] dey
wa'n't a drap lef' fer de little uns skacely.

"Co'se Brer Rabbit 'uz on de happy side. Ef anybody gwine git water Brer
Rabbit de man. De creeturs 'ud see he track 'roun' de spring, but dey
aint nev' ketch 'im. Hit got so atter w'ile dat de big creeturs 'ud
crowd Brer Fox out, en den 't wa'n't long 'fo' he hunt up Brer Rabbit en
ax 'im w'at he gwine do.

"Brer Rabbit, he sorter study, en den he up 'n tell Brer Fox fer ter go
home en rub some 'lasses all on hisse'f en den go out en waller in de
leafs. Brer Fox ax w'at he mus' do den, en Brer Rabbit say he mus' go
down by de spring, en w'en de creeturs come ter de spring fer ter git
dey water, he mus' jump out at um, en den atter dat he mus' waller lak
he one er dem ar kinder varment w'at got bugs on um.

"Brer Fox, he put out fer home, he did, en w'en he git dar he run ter de
cubbud[84] en des gawm hisse'f wid 'lasses, en den he went out in de
bushes, he did, en waller in de leafs en trash twel he look mos' bad ez
Brer Rabbit look w'en he play Wull-er-de-Wust on de creeturs.

"W'en Brer Fox git hisse'f all fix up, he went down ter de spring en
hide hisse'f. Bimeby all de creeturs come atter der water, en w'iles dey
'uz a-scuffin' en a-hunchin', en a-pushin' en a-scrougin', Brer Fox he
jump out'n de bushes, en sorter switch hisse'f 'roun', en, bless yo'
soul, he look lak de Ole Boy.

"Brer Wolf tuck'n see 'im fus', en he jump spang over Brer B'ar head.
Brer B'ar, he lip back, en ax who dat, en des time he do dis de t'er
creeturs dey tuck'n make a break, dey did, lak punkins rollin' down
hill, en mos' 'fo' youk'n wink yo' eye-ball, Brer Fox had de range er de
spring all by hisse'f.

"Yit 't wa'n't fur long, 'kaze 'fo' de creeturs mov'd fur, dey tuck'n
tu'n 'roun', dey did, en crope back fer ter see w'at dat ar skeery
lookin' varment doin'. W'en dey git back in seein' distuns dar 'uz Brer
Fox walkin' up en down switchin' hisse'f.

"De creeturs dunner w'at ter make un 'im. Dey watch, en Brer Fox march;
dey watch, en he march. Hit keep on dis a-way twel bimeby Brer Fox 'gun
ter waller in de water, en right dar," continued Uncle Remus, leaning
back to laugh, "right dar 'uz whar Brer Rabbit had 'im. Time he 'gun ter
waller in de water de 'lasses 'gun ter melt, en 't wa'n't no time
skacely 'fo' de 'lasses en de leafs done all wash off, en dar 'uz ole
Brer Fox des ez natchul ez life.

"De fus' Brer Fox know 'bou