oo proud fer ter take in washin' fer de neighborhoods, en
she make money, en get slick en fat lak Sis Tempy.

"Dis de way marters stan' w'en one day Brer Fox en Brer Rabbit, dey wuz
settin' up at de cotton-patch, one on one side de fence, en t'er one on
t'er side, gwine on wid one er n'er, w'en fus' news dey know, dey year
sump'n--_blim_, _blim_, _blim_!

"Brer Fox, he ax w'at dat fuss is, en Brer Rabbit, he up'n 'spon' dat
it's ole Miss Goose down at de spring. Den Brer Fox, he up'n ax w'at she
doin', en Brer Rabbit, he say, sezee, dat she battlin' cloze."

"Battling clothes, Uncle Remus?" said the little boy.

"Dat w'at dey call it dem days, honey. Deze times, dey rubs cloze on
deze yer bodes w'at got furrers in um, but dem days dey des tuck'n tuck
de cloze en lay um out on a bench, en ketch holt er de battlin'-stick en
natally paddle de fillin' outen um.

"W'en Brer Fox year dat ole Miss Goose wuz down dar dabblin' in soapsuds
en washin' cloze, he sorter lick he chops, en 'low dat some er dese
odd-come-shorts he gwine ter call en pay he 'specks. De minnit he say
dat, Brer Rabbit, he know sump'n' 'uz up, en he 'low ter hisse'f dat he
'speck he better whirl in en have some fun w'iles it gwine on. Bimeby
Brer Fox up'n say ter Brer Rabbit dat he bleedzd ter be movin' 'long
todes home, en wid dat dey bofe say good-bye.

"Brer Fox, he put out ter whar his fambly wuz, but Brer Rabbit, he slip
'roun', he did, en call on ole Miss Goose. Ole Miss Goose she wuz down
at de spring, washin', en b'ilin', en battlin' cloze; but Brer Rabbit he
march up en ax her howdy, en den she tuck'n ax Brer Rabbit howdy.

"'I'd shake han's 'long wid you, Brer Rabbit,' sez she, 'but dey er all
full er suds,' sez she.

"'No marter 'bout dat, Miss Goose,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'so long ez
yo' will's good,' sezee."

"A goose with hands, Uncle Remus!" the little boy exclaimed.

"How you know goose ain't got han's?" Uncle Remus inquired, with a
frown. "Is you been sleepin' longer ole man Know-All? Little mo' en
you'll up'n stan' me down dat snakes ain't got no foots, and yit you
take en lay a snake down yer 'fo' de fier, en his foots 'll come out
right 'fo' yo' eyes."

Uncle Remus paused here, but presently continued:--

"Atter ole Miss Goose en Brer Rabbit done pass de time er day wid one er
n'er, Brer Rabbit, he ax 'er, he did, how she come on deze days, en Miss
Goose say, mighty po'ly.

"'I'm gittin' stiff en I'm gittin' clumpsy,' s