n' des like he cole en stiff, en w'en Mr. Man see dis, he
holler out:--

"'Heyo! Dar de chap w'at been nabbin' up my chickens, en somebody done
gone en shot off a gun at 'im, w'ich I wish she'd er bin two guns--dat I
does!'

"Wid dat, Mr. Man he druv on en lef Brer Fox layin' dar. Den Brer Fox,
he git up en run 'roun' thoo de woods en lay down front er Mr. Man
ag'in, en Mr. Man come drivin' 'long, en he see Brer Fox, en he say,
sezee;--

"'Heyo! Yer de ve'y chap what been 'stroyin' my pigs. Somebody done gone
en kilt 'im, en I wish dey'd er kilt 'im long time ago.'

"Den Mr. Man, he druv on, en de waggin-w'eel come mighty nigh mashin'
Brer Fox nose; yit, all de same, Brer Fox lipt up en run 'roun' 'head er
Mr. Man, en lay down in de road, en w'en Mr. Man come 'long, dar he wuz
all stretch out like he big 'nuff fer ter fill a two-bushel baskit, en
he look like he dead 'nuff fer ter be skint. Mr. Man druv up, he did, en
stop. He look down pun Brer Fox, en den he look all 'roun' fer ter see
w'at de 'casion er all deze yer dead Fox is. Mr. Man look all 'roun', he
did, but he ain't see nothin', en needer do he year nothin'. Den he set
dar en study, en bimeby he 'low ter hisse'f, he did, dat he had better
'zamin' w'at kinder kuse zeeze[4] done bin got inter Brer Fox fambly, en
wid dat he lit down outer de waggin, en feel er Brer Fox year; Brer Fox
year feel right wom. Den he feel Brer Fox neck; Brer Fox neck right wom.
Den he feel er Brer Fox in de short ribs; Brer Fox all soun' in de short
ribs. Den he feel er Brer Fox lim's; Brer Fox all soun' in de lim's. Den
he tu'n Brer Fox over, en, lo en beholes, Brer Fox right limber. Wen Mr.
Man see dis, he say ter hisse'f, sezee:--

"'Heyo, yer! how come dis? Dish yer chicken-nabber look lak he dead, but
dey ain't no bones broked, en I ain't see no blood, en needer does I
feel no bruise; en mo'n dat he wom en he limber,' sezee. 'Sump'n' wrong
yer, sho'! Dish yer pig-grabber _mought_ be dead, en den ag'in he
moughtent,' sezee; 'but ter make sho' dat he is, I'll des gin 'im a
whack wid my w'ip-han'le,' sezee; en wid dat, Mr. Man draw back en fotch
Brer Fox a clip behime de years--_pow!_--en de lick come so hard en it
come so quick dat Brer Fox thunk sho' he's a goner; but 'fo' Mr. Man kin
draw back fer ter fetch 'im a n'er wipe, Brer Fox, he scramble ter his
feet, he did, en des make tracks 'way fum dar."

Uncle Remus paused and shook the cold ashes from his pipe, and then
appl