"No sooner is he do dis dan ne'r skeeter come zoonin' 'roun' en light on
Brer Rabbit leg. Brer Rabbit, he talk, en he talk:--

"'Po' ole grandaddy! I boun' he make you laff, he look so funny wid all
dem spots en speckles. He had spot on de side er de head, whar I done
show you, en den he had n'er big spot right yer on de leg,' sezee."

Uncle Remus slapped himself on the leg below the knee, and was
apparently so serious about it that the little boy laughed loudly. The
old man went on:--

"Skeeter zoon en light 'twix' Brer Rabbit shoulder-blades. Den he
talk:--

"'B'leeve me er not b'leeve me ef you min' to, but my grandaddy had a
big black spot up yer on he back w'ich look lak saddle-mark.'

"_Blip Brer Rabbit tuck hisse'f on de back!_

"Skeeter sail 'roun' en zoon en light down yer beyan de hip-bone. He
say he grandaddy got spot down dar.

"_Blip he tuck hisse'f beyan de hip-bone._

"Hit keep on dis a-way," continued Uncle Remus, who had given vigorous
illustrations of Brer Rabbit's method of killing mosquitoes while
pretending to tell a story, "twel bimeby ole Brer Wolf en ole Sis Wolf
dey lissen at Brer Rabbit twel dey 'gun ter nod, en den ole Brer Rabbit
en de gal dey sot up dar en kill skeeters right erlong."

"Did he marry Brother Wolf's daughter?" asked the little boy.

"I year talk," replied Uncle Remus, "dat Brer Wolf sont Brer Rabbit wud
nex' day dat he kin git de gal by gwine atter 'er, but I ain't never
year talk 'bout Brer Rabbit gwine. De day atterwuds wuz mighty long
time, en by den Brer Rabbit moughter had some yuther projick on
han'."[46]

FOOTNOTES:

[40] Proper and particular.

[41] In these latter days a man with the whimzies, or whimsies, is known
simply as a crank.

[42] The information in parentheses is imparted in a low, impressive,
confidential tone.

[43] Is it necessary to say that the wiggletail is the embryo mosquito?

[44] Galloping.

[45] G hard as in give.

[46] This story, the funniest and most characteristic of all the negro
legends, cannot be satisfactorily told on paper. It is full of action,
and all the interest centres in the gestures and grimaces that must
accompany an explanation of Brother Rabbit's method of disposing of the
mosquitoes. The story was first called to my attention by Mr. Marion
Erwin, of Savannah, and it is properly a coast legend, but I have heard
it told by three Middle Georgia negroes.

XXXVIII

THE PIMMERLY PLUM

One night,