now dey ain't git in smellin' distuns er one er
n'er widout dey's a row."

II

BRER FOX CATCHES MR. HORSE

There was a pause after the story of old Miss Goose. The culmination was
hardly sensational enough to win the hearty applause of the little boy,
and this fact appeared to have a depressing influence upon Uncle Remus.
As he leaned slightly forward, gazing into the depths of the great
fireplace, his attitude was one of pensiveness.

"I 'speck I done wo' out my welcome up at de big house," he said, after
a while. "I mos' knows I is," he continued, setting himself resignedly
in his deep-bottomed chair. "Kase de las' time I uz up dar, I had my eye
on Miss Sally mighty nigh de whole blessid time, en w'en you see Miss
Sally rustlin' 'roun' makin' lak she fixin' things up dar on de
mantle-shelf, en bouncin' de cheers 'roun', en breshin' dus' whar dey
ain't no dus', en flyin' 'roun' singin' sorter louder dan common, den I
des knows sump'n' done gone en rile 'er."

"Why, Uncle Remus!" exclaimed the little boy; "Mamma was just glad
because I was feeling so good."

"Mought er bin," the old man remarked, in a tone that was far from
implying conviction. "Ef 't wa'n't dat, den she wuz gittin' tired er
seem' me lounjun' 'roun' up dar night atter night, en ef 't wa'n't dat,
den she wuz watchin' a chance fer ter preach ter yo' pa. Oh, I done bin
know Miss Sally long fo' yo' pa is!" exclaimed Uncle Remus, in response
to the astonishment depicted upon the child's face. "I bin knowin' 'er
sence she wuz so high, en endurin' er all dat time I ain't seed no mo'
up'n spoken' w'ite 'oman dan w'at Miss Sally is.

"But dat ain't needer yer ner dar. You done got so youk'n rush down yer
des like you useter, en we kin set yer en smoke, en tell tales, en
study up 'musements same like we wuz gwine on 'fo' you got dat splinter
in yo' foot.

"I mines me er one time"--with an infectious laugh--"w'en ole Brer
Rabbit got Brer Fox in de wuss trubble w'at a man wuz mos' ever got in
yit, en dat 'uz w'en he fool 'im 'bout de hoss. Ain't I never tell you
'bout dat? But no marter ef I is. Hoe-cake ain't cook done good twel
hit's turnt over a couple er times.

"Well, atter Brer Fox done git rested fum keepin' out er de way er Mr.
Dog, en sorter ketch up wid his rations, he say ter hisse'f dat he be
dog his cats ef he don't slorate ole Brer Rabbit ef it take 'im a mont';
en dat, too, on top er all de 'spe'unce w'at he done bin had wid um.
B