r Rabbit en his chilluns went back dar, dey did, en dey got nuff
splinters fer ter make um kin'lin' wood all de winter. Yasser! Des ez
sho' ez I'm a-settin' by dish yer h'ath."

XXIII

MR. MAN HAS SOME MEAT

The little boy sat watching Uncle Remus sharpen his shoe-knife. The old
man's head moved in sympathy with his hands, and he mumbled fragments of
a song. Occasionally he would feel of the edge of the blade with his
thumb, and then begin to sharpen it again. The comical appearance of the
venerable darkey finally had its effect upon the child, for suddenly he
broke into a hearty peal of laughter; whereupon Uncle Remus stopped
shaking his head and singing his mumbly-song, and assumed a very
dignified attitude. Then he drew a long, deep breath, and said:--

"'Wen folks git ole en stricken wid de palsy, dey mus' 'speck ter be
laff'd at. Goodness knows, I bin use ter dat sence de day my whiskers
'gun to bleach."

"Why, I was n't laughing at you, Uncle Remus; I declare I was n't,"
cried the little boy. "I thought maybe you might be doing your head like
Brother Rabbit did when he was fixing to cut his meat."

Uncle Remus's seriousness was immediately driven away by a broad and
appreciative grin.

"Now, dat de way ter talk, honey, en I boun' you wa'n't fur wrong, n'er,
'kaze fer all dey'll tell you dat Brer Rabbit make he livin' 'long er
nibblin' at grass en greens, hit 't wa'n't dat a-way in dem days, 'kaze
I got in my 'membunce right now de 'casion whar Brer Rabbit is tuck'n
e't meat."

The little boy had learned that it was not best to make any display of
impatience, and so he waited quietly while Uncle Remus busied himself
with arranging the tools on his shoe-bench. Presently the old man
began:--

"Hit so happen dat one day Brer Rabbit meet up wid Brer Fox, en w'en dey
'quire atter der corporosity, dey fine out dat bofe un um mighty po'ly.
Brer Fox, he 'low, he do, dat he monst'us hongry, en Brer Rabbit he
'spon' dat he got a mighty hankerin' atter vittles hisse'f. Bimeby dey
look up de big road, en dey see Mr. Man comin' 'long wid a great big
hunk er beef und' he arm. Brer Fox he up 'n 'low, he did, dat he lak
mighty well fer ter git a tas'e er dat, en Brer Rabbit he 'low dat de
sight er dat nice meat all lineded wid taller is nuff fer ter run a body
'stracted.

"Mr. Man he come en he come 'long. Brer Rabbit en Brer Fox dey look en
dey look at 'im. Dey wink der eye en der mouf water. Brer Rabbit he '