cheerful was
before. De t'ird string he lay an' de fun begun to sheet in his eyes
like de dry lightnin' on a summer night, an' he yust couldn't hold in no
longer. He ketch hold o' de roots of his tail an' he fair whizz it
round and round till he almos' make it hum, he feel dat full o' laughin'
inside him. An' all dis time Ou' Wolf yust had his back to him,
a-studyin' an' a-won'erin' what mischief make Ou' Jackalse want to he'p
him. But he don't like to look round to watch somehow.

"Den de fourt' string Ou' Jackalse lay he work as quiet an' as slim as
if he's a-stealin' it; an' de ting dat it's in his mind to do, dat's de
time he's doin' it? Ou' Wolf he's still a-studyin' an' he keep on still
a-studyin', till in about one jiff he hear darie pot lid a-liftin' agen,
an de smell comes up dat good an' t'ick he can taste it.

"He swip his head round, an' dere was Ou' Jackalse wid de lid up an' his
nose a-workin' an' a-sniffin' in de steam Didn' Ou' Wolf shout den.
`Ho, yeh! How com' yeh at darie dinner again?'

"Ou' Jackalse he cock one year up to hear, an' he cock one eye up to
see. `Oh, dat's all right,' ses he, quite comfy. `Dis ain't dat pot at
all. Dis ain't no dinner; dis is yust a breakfas'. You ain't got no
shout in dis at all.'

"Ou' Wolf he don't say not a word, but he yust make one flyin' yump to
land right fair on Ou' Jackalse neck.

"But he don't land. 'Stead o' dat he tink he's yumped right troo
hisse'f an turned hisse'f inside out. Anyway, he knows he finds hisse'f
hangin' down, head first, between de rafters, a-scratchin' an'
a-fratchin' in de air. When Ou' Jackalse t'atch dat fourt' string he
t'atch Ou' Wolf's tail fast in wid it, an' dere's Ou' Wolf now a-hangin'
by dat tail, head down an' fightin', an' he cahnt get back nohow.

"An' don't he shout! `Le' me down out o' dis,' ses he. `You hear me
now! Le' me down or I'll bang de stuffin' out o' you!'

"Ou' Jackalse he smile quite s'prise' like. `What you want down out o'
dat for anyhow?' ses he, spearin' out a piece o' meat f'm de pot--an'
ho! but you ought to seen him lick his lips. `Dis cahnt be nawtin' to
do wi' you nohow. Yours is a dinner, ses you, an' dis is a breakfas',
you can see dat you'se'f, 'cause I's a-eatin' it an' it's breakfas'
time.' An' he gullups down de meat off'n half a dozen bones.

"`Le' me down now!' yells Ou' Wolf, gettin' black in de face. `I'll
yust show you weder dat's a breakfas' or a dinner. I'll te