'low, he did:--

"'Well, well, well! Des ter t'ink dat I should er lamm'd aloose en nail
Brer Fox tail. I dunner w'en I year tell er anyt'ing dat make me feel so
mighty bad; en ef I had n't er seed it wid my own eyes I would n't er
bleev'd it skacely--dat I would n't!'

"Brer Fox holler, Brer Fox howl, yit 't ain't do no good. Dar he wuz wid
he tail nail hard en fas'. Brer Rabbit, he keep on talkin' w'iles he
gwine down de ladder.

"'Hit make me feel so mighty bad,' sezee, 'dat I dunner w'at ter do.
Time I year tell un it, hit make a empty place come in my stomach,' sez
Brer Rabbit, sezee.

"By dis time Brer Rabbit done git down on de groun', en w'iles Brer Fox
holler'n, he des keep on a-talkin'.

"'Dey's a mighty empty place in my stomach,' sezee, 'en ef I ain't run'd
inter no mistakes dey's a tin-pail full er vittles in dish yer
fence-cornder dat'll des 'bout fit it,' sez ole Brer Rabbit, sezee.

"He open de pail, he did, en he eat de greens, en sop up de 'lasses, en
drink de pot-liquor, en w'en he wipe he mouf 'pun he coat-tail, he up'n
'low:--

"'I dunner w'en I bin so sorry 'bout anything, ez I is 'bout Brer Fox
nice long tail. Sho'ly, sho'ly my head mus' er bin wool-getherin' w'en I
tuck'n nail Brer Fox fine long tail,' sez ole Brer Rabbit, sezee.

[Illustration: "'I DUNNER W'EN I BIN SO SORRY 'BOUT ANYTHING,
EZ I IS 'BOUT BRER FOX NICE LONG TAIL'"]

"Wid dat, he tuck'n skip out, Brer Rabbit did, en 't wa'n't long 'fo'
he 'uz playin' he pranks in some yuther parts er de settlement."

"How did Brother Fox get loose?" the little boy asked.

"Oh, you let Brer Fox 'lone fer dat," responded Uncle Remus. "Nex' ter
Brer Rabbit, ole Brer Fox wuz mos' de shiftiest creetur gwine. I boun'
you he tuck'n tuck keer hisse'f soon ez Brer Rabbit git outer sight en
year'n."

[Illustration: How the Bear nursed the Little Alligator]

LX

HOW THE BEAR NURSED THE LITTLE ALLIGATORS

While the negroes were talking of matters which the little boy took
little or no interest in, he climbed into Uncle Remus's lap, as he had
done a thousand times before. Presently the old man groaned, and said:--

"I be bless ef I know w'at de marter, honey. I dunner whe'er I'm
a-gittin' fibble in de lim's, er whe'er youer outgrowin' me. I lay I'll
hatter sen' out en git you a nuss w'at got mo' strenk in dey lim's dan
w'at I is."

The child protested that he was n't very heavy, and that he would n't
have any nurse, and