loose, en sont
'im a-whirlin'; en Brer Rabbit, he keep on a-jumpin' 'roun' en
hollerin':

"'Hol' 'im down, Brer Fox!'"

"Did the fox get killed, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

"He wa'n't 'zackly kilt, honey," replied the old man, "but he wuz de
nex' do' ter't. He 'uz all broke up, en w'iles he 'uz gittin' well, hit
sorter come 'cross he min' dat Brer Rabbit done play n'er game on 'im."

III

BROTHER RABBIT AND THE LITTLE GIRL

"What did Brother Rabbit do after that?" the little boy asked presently.

"Now, den, you don't wanter push ole Brer Rabbit too close," replied
Uncle Remus significantly. "He mighty tender-footed creetur, en de mo'
w'at you push 'im, de furder he lef' you."

There was prolonged silence in the old man's cabin, until, seeing that
the little boy was growing restless enough to cast several curious
glances in the direction of the tool chest in the corner, Uncle Remus
lifted one leg over the other, scratched his head reflectively, and
began:

"One time, atter Brer Rabbit done bin trompin' 'roun' huntin' up some
sallid fer ter make out he dinner wid, he fine hisse'f in de
neighborhoods er Mr. Man house, en he pass 'long twel he come ter de
gyardin-gate, en nigh de gyardin-gate he see Little Gal playin' 'roun'
in de san'. W'en Brer Rabbit look 'twix' de gyardin-palin's en see de
colluds, en de sparrer-grass, en de yuther gyardin truck growin' dar,
hit make he mouf water. Den he take en walk up ter de Little Gal, Brer
Rabbit did, en pull he roach,[1] en bow, en scrape he foot, en talk
mighty nice en slick.

"'Howdy, Little Gal,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee; 'how you come on?' sezee.

"Den de Little Gal, she 'spon' howdy, she did, en she ax Brer Rabbit how
he come on, en Brer Rabbit, he 'low he mighty po'ly, en den he ax ef dis
de Little Gal w'at 'er pa live up dar in de big w'ite house, w'ich de
Little Gal, she up'n say 'twer'. Brer Rabbit, he say he mighty glad,
kaze he des bin up dar fer to see 'er pa, en he say dat 'er pa, he sont
'im out dar fer ter tell de Little Gal dat she mus' open de gyardin-gate
so Brer Rabbit kin go in en git some truck. Den de Little Gal, she jump
'roun', she did, en she open de gate, en wid dat, Brer Rabbit, he hop
in, he did, en got 'im a mess er greens, en hop out ag'in, en w'en he
gwine off he make a bow, he did, en tell de Little Gal dat he much
'blije', en den atter dat he put out fer home.

"Nex' day, Brer Rabbit, he hide out, he did, twel he see