de time
w'en Brer Fox got ter copyin' atter Brer Rabbit. I done tole you 'bout
de time w'en Brer Rabbit git de game fum Brer Fox by makin' like he
dead?"[3]
The little boy remembered it very distinctly, and said as much.
"Well, den, ole Brer Fox, w'en he see how slick de trick wuk wid Brer
Rabbit, he say ter hisse'f dat he b'leeve he'll up'n try de same kinder
game on some yuther man, en he keep on watchin' fer he chance, twel
bimeby, one day, he year Mr. Man comin' down de big road in a one-hoss
waggin, kyar'n some chickens, en some eggs, en some butter, ter town.
Brer Fox year 'im comin', he did, en w'at do he do but go en lay down in
de road front er de waggin. Mr. Man, he druv 'long, he did, cluckin' ter
de hoss en hummin' ter hisse'f, en w'en dey git mos' up ter Brer Fox, de
hoss, he shy, he did, en Mr. Man, he tuck'n holler Wo! en de hoss, he
tuck'n wo'd. Den Mr. Man, he look down, en he see Brer Fox layin' out
dar on de groun' des like he cole en stiff, en w'en Mr. Man see dis, he
holler out:
"'Heyo! Dar de chap w'at been nabbin' up my chickens, en somebody done
gone en shot off a gun at 'im, w'ich I wish she'd er bin two guns--dat I
does!'
"Wid dat, Mr. Man he druv on en lef Brer Fox layin' dar. Den Brer Fox,
he git up en run 'roun' thoo de woods en lay down front er Mr. Man
ag'in, en Mr. Man come drivin' 'long, en he see Brer Fox, en he say,
sezee;--
"'Heyo! Yer de ve'y chap what been 'stroyin' my pigs. Somebody done gone
en kilt 'im, en I wish dey'd er kilt 'im long time ago.'
"Den Mr. Man, he druv on, en de waggin-w'eel come mighty nigh mashin'
Brer Fox nose; yit, all de same, Brer Fox lipt up en run 'roun' 'head er
Mr. Man, en lay down in de road, en w'en Mr. Man come 'long, dar he wuz
all stretch out like he big 'nuff fer ter fill a two-bushel baskit, en
he look like he dead 'nuff fer ter be skint. Mr. Man druv up, he did, en
stop. He look down pun Brer Fox, en den he look all 'roun' fer ter see
w'at de 'casion er all deze yer dead Fox is. Mr. Man look all 'roun', he
did, but he aint see nothin', en needer do he year nothin'. Den he set
dar en study, en bimeby he 'low ter hisse'f, he did, dat he had better
'zamin' w'at kinder kuse zeeze[4] done bin got inter Brer Fox fambly, en
wid dat he lit down outer de waggin, en feel er Brer Fox year; Brer Fox
year feel right wom. Den he feel Brer Fox neck; Brer Fox neck right wom.
Den he feel er Brer Fox in de short ribs; Brer Fox all soun' in de short
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