w she gwine kick de bucket, and she
tuck'n call up all 'er chilluns en tell um dat de time done come w'en
dey got ter look out fer deyse'f, en den she up'n tell um good ez she
kin, dough 'er breff mighty scant, 'bout w'at a bad man is ole Brer
Wolf. She say, sez she, dat if dey kin make der 'scape from ole Brer
Wolf, dey'll be doin' monst'us well. Big Pig 'low she ain't skeer'd,
Speckle Pig 'low she ain't skeer'd, Blunt, he say he mos' big a man ez
Brer Wolf hisse'f, en Runt, she des tuck'n root 'roun' in de straw en
grunt. But ole Widder Sow, she lay dar, she did, en keep on tellin' um
dat dey better keep der eye on Brer Wolf, kaz he mighty mean en 'seetful
man.

"Not long atter dat, sho' 'nuff ole Miss Sow lay down en die, en all dem
ar chilluns er hern wuz flung back on deyse'f, en dey whirl in, dey did,
en dey buil' um all a house ter live in. Big Pig, she tuck'n buil' 'er a
house outer bresh; Little Pig, she tuck'n buil' a stick house; Speckle
Pig, she tuck'n buil' a mud house; Blunt, he tuck'n buil' a plank house;
en Runt, she don't make no great ter-do, en no great brags, but she went
ter wuk, she did, en buil' a rock house.

"Bimeby, w'en dey done got all fix, en marters wuz sorter settle, soon
one mawnin' yer come ole Brer Wolf, a-lickin' un his chops en a-shakin'
un his tail. Fus' house he come ter wuz Big Pig house. Brer Wolf walk
ter de do', he did, en he knock sorter saf'--_blim! blim! blim!_ Nobody
ain't answer. Den he knock loud--_blam! blam! blam!_ Dis wake up Big
Pig, en she come ter de do', en she ax who dat. Brer Wolf 'low it's a
fr'en', en den he sing out:

"'_Ef you'll open de do' en let me in,
I'll wom my han's en go home ag'in._'

"Still Big Pig ax who dat, en den Brer Wolf, he up'n say, sezee:--

"'How yo' ma?' sezee.

"'My ma done dead,' sez Big Pig, sezee, 'en 'fo' she die she tell me fer
ter keep my eye on Brer Wolf. I sees you thoo de crack er de do', en you
look mighty like Brer Wolf,' sezee.

"Den ole Brer Wolf, he draw a long breff lak he feel mighty bad, en he
up'n say, sezee:--

"I dunner w'at change yo' ma so bad, less'n she 'uz out'n er head. I
year tell dat ole Miss Sow wuz sick, en I say ter myse'f dat I'd kinder
drap 'roun' en see how de ole lady is, en fetch 'er dish yer bag er
roas'n'-years. Mighty well dose I know dat ef yo' ma wuz yer right now,
en in 'er min', she 'd take de roas'n'-years en be glad fer ter git um,
en mo'n dat, she'd take'n ax me in by de fire