do' open en hail Brer Fox, but
nobody ain't dar, en Brer Rabbit he walk in en take a cheer, en make
hisse'f at home wid puttin' his foots on de sofy en spittin' on de flo'.

"Brer Rabbit ain't sot dar long 'fo' he ketch a whiff er de dram--"

"You year dat?" exclaimed 'Tildy, with convulsive admiration.

"--'Fo' he ketch a whiff er de dram, en den he see it on de side-bode,
en he step up en drap 'bout a tumbeler full some'rs down in de
neighborhoods er de goozle. Brer Rabbit mighty lak some folks I knows.
He tuck one tumbeler full, en 't wa'n't long 'fo' he tuck 'n'er'n, en
w'en a man do dis a-way," continued Uncle Remus, somewhat
apologetically, "he bleedz ter git drammy."

"Truth, too!" said 'Tildy, by way of hearty confirmation.

"All des time de yuther creeturs wuz down hi de bushes lissenin' fer de
_diddybum_, en makin' ready fer ter light out fum dar at de drop uv a
hat. But dey ain't year no mo' fuss, en bimeby Brer Fox, he say he gwine
back en look atter he plunder, en de yuther creeturs say dey b'leeve
dey'll go 'long wid 'im. Dey start out, dey did, en dey crope todes Brer
Fox house, but dey crope mighty keerful, en I boun' ef somebody'd 'a'
shuck a bush, dem ar creeturs 'ud 'a' nat'ally to' up de ye'th gittin'
'way fum dar. Yit dey still ain't year no fuss, en dey keep on creepin'
twel dey git in de house.

"W'en dey git in dar, de fus' sight dey see wuz ole Brer Rabbit stannin'
up by de dram-bottle mixin' up a toddy, en he wa'n't so stiff-kneed
n'er, kase he sorter swage fum side ter side, en he look lak he mighty
limbersome, w'ich, goodness knows, a man bleedz ter be limbersome w'en
he drink dat kinder licker w'at Brer Fox perwide fer dem creeturs.

"W'en Brer Fox see Brer Rabbit makin' free wid he doin's dat a-way, w'at
you 'speck he do?" inquired Uncle Remus, with the air of one seeking
general information.

"I 'speck he cusst," said 'Tildy, who was apt to take a vividly
practical view of matters.

"He was glad," said the little boy, "because he had a good chance to
catch Brother Rabbit."

"Tooby sho' he wuz," continued Uncle Remus, heartily assenting to the
child's interpretation of the situation: "tooby sho' he wuz. He stan'
dar, Brer Fox did, en he watch Brer Rabbit motions. Bimeby he holler
out, sezee:--

"'Ah yi![13] Brer Rabbit!' sezee. 'Many a time is you made yo' 'scape,
but now I got you!' En wid dat, Brer Fox en de yuther creeturs cloze in
on Brer Rabbit.

"Seem like I done tole