DEFENDS HIMSELF

"I 'speck we all dun gone en fergot ole Mr. Benjermun Ram off'n our
min'," said Uncle Remus, one night, as the little boy went into the
cabin with a large ram's horn hanging on his arm.

"About his playing the fiddle and getting lost in the woods!" exclaimed
the child. "Oh, no, I have n't forgotten him, Uncle Remus. I remember
just how he tuned his fiddle in Brother Wolf's house."

"Dat's me!" said Uncle Remus with enthusiasm; "dat's me up en down. Mr.
Ram des ez fresh in my min' now ez he wuz de day I year de tale. Dat ole
creetur wuz a sight, mon. He mos' sho'ly wuz. He wrinkly ole hawn en de
shaggy ha'r on he neck make 'im look mighty servigous,[65] en w'ence he
shake he head en snort, hit seem lak he gwine ter fair paw de yeth fum
und' 'im.

"Ole Brer Fox bin pickin' up ole Mr. Benjermun Ram chilluns w'en dey git
too fur fum home, but look lak he ain't never bin git close ter de ole
creetur.

"So one time w'en he 'uz comin' on down de road, talkin' 'long wid Brer
Wolf, he up'n 'low, ole Brer Fox did, dat he mighty hongry in de
neighborhoods er de stomach. Dis make Brer Wolf look lak he 'stonish'd,
en he ax Brer Fox how de name er goodness come he hongry w'en ole Mr.
Benjermun Ram layin' up dar in de house des a-rollin' in fat.

"Den Brer Fox tuck'n 'low, he did, dat he done bin in de habits er
eatin' Mr. Benjermun Ram chillun, but he sorter fear'd er de ole
creetur 'kaze he look so bad on de 'count er he red eye en he wrinkly
hawn.

"Brer Wolf des holler en laugh, en den he 'low:--

"'Lordy, Brer Fox! I dunner w'at kinder man is you, nohow! W'y, dat ar
ole creetur ain't never hurted a flea in all he born days--dat he
ain't,' sezee.

"Brer Fox, he look at Brer Wolf right hard, he did, en den he up'n
'low:--

"'Heyo, Brer Wolf! manys de time dat you bin hongry 'roun' in deze
diggin's en I ain't year talk er you makin' a meal off'n Mr. Benjermun
Ram,' sezee.

"Brer Fox talk so close ter de fatal trufe, dat Brer Wolf got tooken wid
de dry grins, yit he up'n 'spon', sezee:--

"'I des lak ter know who in de name er goodness wanter eat tough creetur
lak dat ole Mr. Benjermun Ram--dat w'at I lak ter know,' sezee.

"Brer Fox, he holler en laugh, he did, en den he up'n say:--

"'Ah-yi, Brer Wolf! You ax me w'at I goes hongry fer, w'en ole Mr.
Benjermun Ram up dar in he house, yit you done bin hongry manys en manys
de time, en still ole Mr. Benjermun Ram up dar in he house. Now, den,
how y