do?' ses he.

"`Well,' ses Hahsie, `I reckon dere ain't on'y one way. You'll ha' to
get some'dy to climb up in de tree an' drop 'em down to you.'

"`An' you's de on'y one I knows dat can do it,' ses Sculpat. `How if
you was to go up in de tree den?'

"`A' right,' ses Hahsie, like he's doin' de bigges' kind of a favour.
`I'll have a try, anyhow,' ses he, like he ain't so sure he can do it.
But he gi'es a hop, a skip, an' a yump, an' you can hear him laugh as he
land up in dem lower branches like a bird. Den he climb an' he climb
till he's right up where de nicest peaches is. An' den--why, den he
'gins to eat 'em.

"You should a-hear Ou' Sculpat shout at dat. `Ho yeh!' ses he, `what
for you eat dem peaches up dere?'

"`'Cause dey's nice, what else?' ses Hahsie. `Dey's about de nicest
peaches I ever tasted. Here you is; dis stone now,' ses he, an' he drop
a peach stone fair on Ou' Sculpat's nose. `You plant darie stone, an'
by'n'by you'll have a tree o' your own to eat off, an' den you won't
need to dance an' prance round dis one while you's watchin' me eat
peaches.'

"Sculpat he fair whistle, he's dat mad. `By gum! You flop right down
out o' dat or I'll knock de by-gum stuffin' out o' you,' ses he, an' he
yust paw de air. `Dem's my peaches,' ses he.

"`Is dey?' ses Hahsie. `Den if dey is I'd advise you to shake yourse'f
a bit an' come up an' get a few while dere's some left,' an' Hahsie sort
o' smile down at him.

"Ou' Sculpat he reg'lar stretch his neck down dere on de ground. `You's
smart,' ses he, `almighty smart; but I know what I'll do. You yust stop
up dere an' see if I don't fix you. You wait a bit, dat's all,' an' he
turns an' he offs back to de spruit, wid Little Hahsie singin' a song to
him as far as he can hear him, about how nice it is to eat peaches in de
tree.

"But it ain't no time at all 'fore here comes Ou' Sculpat back agen, an'
de hool gang o' de sculpats wid him. An' dey make no mo' to do, but dey
marches right up to de tree an' 'gins to bite it round to cut it down.
`Now we's got you,' ses Sculpat. `We'll see how you like it when we get
hold o you.'

"`When you get hold o' me,' ses Hahsie. `Fire away den,' an' he yust
keep on a-eatin' peaches like dat's what he was born doin'.

"By'n'by de tree's mighty near cut troo, an' by dat time dere ain't one
peach left. Little Hahsie's eat de last one. `Dat's a' right,' ses
Sculpat. `But I's yust a-gun' to knock dem peaches ou