ght up an' steppin'
right in, he circle roun' outside de house to see if it's all serene
fust an same's he left it. He hadn't gone half way roun' 'fore he plump
right on de spoor of Ou' Wolf an' dere he stop. `Dat ain't my spoor,'
ses he, cockin' his years all roun'. `Dat's Ou' Wolf ben here. P'r'aps
he's inside my house, hey?'

"Well, he study an' he won'er an' den at last he stroke his nose. `I
know what I'll do,' ses he. `I'll ax my house if dere's anybody
inside.'

"Den he call out, slow an' cunnin': `My ole house! My ole house!' An'
he waits an' dere ain't no answer.

"He call agen: `My ole house! My ole house!' an' agen dere ain't no
answer.

"Dis time he winks an' he change de call. `My ole house! I know Ou'
Wolf's inside you, else you'd say, "Come in," like you al'ays does.'
Den he laugh till you could hear him right troo de trees.

"Ou' Wolf behind de door he hear every word, an' he hear dat laugh
besides. `Now,' ses he to hisse'f, `if I calls out "Come in," he'll
tink it's his ole house a-callin' an' he'll step right in Ou' Jackalse
ain't so smart as he reckon dis time, else he wouldn't ha' tol' de words
for de house to say.' Den he try to make his voice soft an' wheedlin',
while he call out high an' cunnin', `Co-o-me in!'

"Ou' Jackalse he let out a great big laugh fit to split, an' he lam
stones at de door till it rattle agen. `Come out o' dat, ole fathead!
Tink I cahnt tell your voice? 'Sides, dere's you' tail, wid de hairs
a-stickin' out troo de cracks.'

"Ou' Wolf he's dat mad at bein' had agen so cheap an' nasty he yust
swang de door open, an' at fust he tinks he'll chase Ou' Jackalse till
he plum runs him down. But Ou' Jackalse he go two licks for his one,
an' every once in a while he kick out his back foot to rile him up mo'.
Ou' Wolf yust hatto go home an' tink it all over agen.

"Well, dis sort o' ting go on an' on till at last Ou' Wolf he feel dat
desprit he'll hatto do sometin' or bu'st. So off he sets for where de
white owl lives, 'cause he 'members why de white owl on'y fly at night
time, an' he's pretty sure Ole Owl's a-gun' to he'p him.

"De white owl listen to what Ou' Wolf tell him, an' he look so straight
at Ou' Wolf dat you'd tink his eyes was fas' to him. `Well,' ses he at
last, `Ou' Jackalse is mighty slim, but Tink Tinkey was slimmer when de
birds was choosin' a king. An' Young Tinkey's de littlest bird in de
veldt. I's a deal bigger'n Tinkey, an' we'll see