, in de calabas',' ses Hahsie.

"`Dat's yust where I ain't got it,' ses Sculpat. `Dere's de calabas'
an' dere ain't de honey; you look for yourse'f.'

"Little Hahsie look dat astonish'--you never seen no sich astonishment.
`Why,' ses he, `I went to Ou' Waxa, de Honey-bird, myse'f wid dat
calabas', so's to be sure an' get it full. An' now I yust turns my back
an' you ses dere ain't none in it!'

"`An' dere was yestiday, too,' ses Sculpat.

"`Yes,' ses Hahsie, comin' one step back. `Dere was yestiday; an' I
'specs dat's what's de matter to-day, same as 'yestiday. You's gulluped
de lot down in one, an' now you wants to bluff me out dat you ain't had
none.'

"`Dat sort o' talk won't do,' ses Sculpat `Hyer's de calabas' an' hyer
ain't no honey. You can look for yourse'f.'

"Hahsie looks, an' he cahnt see no mo' inside dat calabas' dan' anyb'dy
else can see de inside of any other bottle-neck calabas'. But he make
like he's fair astonish', all de same. `By jimminy! it do look like
it's empty,' ses he. `But I'll tell you what, you let me have dat
calabas' agen, an' I'll take it back to Ou' Waxa an' ax her how it is
dere ain't no honey in it. An' to-morro' when you has de fis'es ready
I'll bring two lots o' honey, one for to-day as well as to-morro'. I'll
ha' to go quick, dough, if I's gun' to ketch Ou' Waxa 'fore she go. So
long, den,' an' he offs wid de calabas' an de fis' 'fore you can say
rats!

"Ou' Sculpat ses on'y one ting: `To-morro' I has de honey fust'. Den he
ins to de water-hole an' tinks.

"Well, to-morro' comes, an' de ten fis'es dis time is all laid out in a
wheel, wid deir little tails togeder an' deir heads out, so dey look
mighty fine in de sun. But dis time here come Little Hahsie widout no
calabas' at all. `Hello!' ses Sculpat, `where's de honey?'

"`Dat's yust what Ou' Waxa said when I took her de calabas',' ses
Hahsie. `An' dis time she ain't a-trustin' me wid de honey. You's got
to bring de fis'es an' come wi' me an' get de honey from her yourse'f.'

"`Well,' ses Sculpat, `I's gun' to see dis ting troo dis time. I's
comin'. Show de way, den,' an' he slings de fis'es two by two on his
back an' off dey pop.

"Off dey pops an' dey gets five yards on de road an' Hahsie finds
hisse'f a hundred yards ahead, so he squots an' waits for Sculpat to
come up. `You better to shift yourse'f a bit mo' livelier,' ses he.

"Dey gets twenty yards furder, an' Little Hahsie finds hisse'f hoppi