a stump, Brer Rabbit did, en holler out:--

"'I'm de Wull-er-de-Wust, en youer de mens I'm atter!'

"Brer Fox en Brer Wolf, dey broke, but 'fo' dey got outer sight en outer
yar'n', Brer Rabbit show hisse'f, he did, en laugh fit ter kill hisse'f.
Atterwuds, Miss Meadows she year 'bout it, en de nex' time Brer Fox
call, de gals dey up en giggle, en ax 'im ef he ain't feard de
Wull-er-de-Wust mought drap in."

FOOTNOTE:

[5] Or Wull-er-de-Wuts. Probably a fantastic corruption of
"will-o'-the-wisp," though this is not by any means certain.

VI

BRER RABBIT SECURES A MANSION

The rain continued to fall the next day, but the little boy made
arrangements to go with 'Tildy when she carried Uncle Remus his supper.
This happened to be a waiter full of things left over from dinner. There
was so much that the old man was moved to remark:--

"I cl'ar ter gracious, hit look lak Miss Sally done got my name in de
pot dis time, sho'. I des wish you look at dat pone er co'n-bread,
honey, en dem ar greens, en see ef dey ain't got Remus writ some'rs on
um. Dat ar chick'n fixin's, dey look lak deyer good, yet 'taint
familious wid me lak dat ar bile ham. Dem ar sweet-taters, dey stan's
fa'r fer dividjun, but dem ar puzzuv,[6] I lay dey fit yo' palate mo'
samer dan dey does mine. Dish yer hunk er beef, we kin talk 'bout dat
w'en de time come, en dem ar biscuits, I des nat'ally knows Miss Sally
put um in dar fer some little chap w'ich his name I ain't gwine ter call
in comp'ny."

It was easy to perceive that the sight of the supper had put Uncle Remus
in rare good-humor. He moved around briskly, taking the plates from the
waiter and distributing them with exaggerated carefulness around upon
his little pine table. Meanwhile he kept up a running fire of
conversation.

"Folks w'at kin set down en have der vittles brung en put down right
spang und' der nose--dem kinder folks ain't got no needs er no umbrell.
Night 'fo' las', w'iles I wuz settin' dar in de do', I year dem
Willis-whistlers, en den I des knowed we 'uz gwine ter git a season."[7]

"The Willis-whistlers, Uncle Remus," exclaimed the little boy. "What are
they?"

"Youer too hard fer me now, honey. Dat w'at I knows I don't min'
tellin', but w'en you axes me 'bout dat w'at I dunno, den youer too hard
fer me, sho'. Deze yer Willis-whistlers, dey bangs my time, en I bin
knockin' 'roun' in dish yer low-groun' now gwine on eighty year. Some
folks wanter make out deyer