ot 'way off in de woods he sot down en laugh
fit ter kill hisse'f."

Uncle Remus had paid Aunt Tempy the extraordinary tribute of pausing in
his work to listen to her story, and when she had concluded it, he
looked at her in undisguised admiration, and exclaimed:--

"I be bless, Sis Tempy, ef you ain't wuss'n w'at I is, en I'm bad
'nuff', de Lord knows I is!"

FOOTNOTE:

[79] See _Uncle Remus: His Songs and his Sayings_, p. 60.

LXIII

BRER FOX AND THE WHITE MUSCADINES

Aunty Tempy did not attempt to conceal the pleasure which Uncle Remus's
praise gave her. She laughed somewhat shyly, and said:--

"Bless you, Brer Remus! I des bin a-settin' yer l'arnin'. 'Sides dat,
Chris'mus ain't fur off en I 'speck we er all a-feelin' a sight mo'
humorsome dan common."

"Dat's so, Sis Tempy. I 'uz comin' thoo de lot des 'fo' supper, en I
seed de pigs runnin' en playin' in de win', en I 'low ter myse'f, sez I,
'Sholy dey's a-gwine ter be a harrycane,' en den all at once hit come in
my min' dat Chris'mus mighty close at han', en den on ter dat yer come
de chickens a-crowin' des now en 't ain't nine er'clock. I dunner how de
creeturs know Chris'mus comin', but dat des de way it stan's."

The little boy thought it was time enough to think about Christmas when
the night came for hanging up his stockings, and he asked Uncle Remus if
it was n't his turn to tell a story. The old man laid down the piece of
glass with which he had been scraping the cow's horn, and hunted around
among his tools for a piece of sandpaper before he replied. But his
reply was sufficient. He said:--

"One time w'iles Brer Rabbit wuz gwine thoo de woods he tuck'n strak up
wid ole Brer Fox, en Brer Fox 'low, he did, dat he mighty hongry. Brer
Rabbit 'low dat he ain't feelin' dat a-way hisse'f, 'kaze he des bin en
had er bait er w'ite muscadimes, en den he tuck'n smack he mouf en lick
he chops right front er Brer Fox. Brer Fox, he ax, sezee:--

"'Brer Rabbit, whar de name er goodness is deze yer w'ite muscadimes, en
how come I'm ain't never run 'crosst um?' sezee.

"'I dunner w'at de reason you ain't never come up wid um,' sez Brer
Rabbit, sezee; 'some folks sees straight, some sees crooked, some sees
one thing, some sees 'n'er. I done seed dem ar w'ite muscadimes, en let
'lone dat, I done wipe um up. I done e't all dey wuz on one tree, but I
lay dey's lots mo' un um 'roun' in dem neighborhoods,' sezee.

"Ole Brer Fox mouf 'gun to water, en he