Pig,' sez ole Brer Wolf, sezee, 'twix' a snort en a
grunt. 'I fotch yer some peas fer yo' dinner!'

"Runt, she tuck'n laugh, she did, en holler back:--

"'Sis Speckle Pig ain't never talk thoo dat many toofies.'

"Brer Wolf go off 'g'in, en bimeby he come back en knock. Runt she sot
en rock, en holler out:--

"'Who dat?'

"'Big Pig,' sez Brer Wolf. 'I fotch some sweet-co'n fer yo' supper.'

"Runt, she look thoo de crack un'need de do', en laugh en say, sez
she:--

"'Sis Big Pig ain't had no ha'r on 'er huff.'

"Den ole Brer Wolf, he git mad, he did, en say he gwine come down de
chimbley, en Runt, she say, sez she, dat de onliest way w'at he kin git
in; en den, w'en she year Brer Wolf clam'in' up on de outside er de
chimbley, she tuck'n pile up a whole lot er broom sage front er de
h'a'th, en w'en she year 'im clam'in' down on de inside, she tuck de
tongs en shove de straw on de fier, en de smoke make Brer Wolf head
swim, en he drap down, en 'fo' he know it he 'uz done bu'nt ter a
cracklin'; en dat wuz de las' er ole Brer Wolf. Leas'ways," added Uncle
Remus, putting in a cautious proviso to fall back upon in case of an
emergency, "leas'ways, hit 'uz de las' er dat Brer Wolf."

FOOTNOTE:

[10] Compliments.

IX

MR. BENJAMIN RAM AND HIS WONDERFUL FIDDLE

"I 'speck you done year tell er ole man Benjermun Ram," said Uncle
Remus, with a great affectation of indifference, after a pause.

"Old man who?" asked the little boy.

"Ole man Benjermun Ram. I 'speck you done year tell er him too long 'go
ter talk 'bout."

"Why, no, I have n't, Uncle Remus!" exclaimed the little boy, protesting
and laughing. "He must have been a mighty funny old man."

"Dat's ez may be," responded Uncle Remus, sententiously. "Fun deze days
would n't er counted fer fun in dem days; en many's de time w'at I see
folks laughin'," continued the old man, with such withering sarcasm that
the little boy immediately became serious,--"many's de time w'at I sees
um laughin' en laughin', w'en I lay dey ain't kin tell w'at deyer
laughin' at deyse'f. En 'taint der laughin' w'at pesters me,
nudder,"--relenting a little,--"hit's dish yer ev'lastin' snickle en
giggle, giggle en snickle."

Having thus mapped out, in a dim and uncertain way, what older people
than the little boy might have been excused for accepting as a sort of
moral basis, Uncle Remus proceeded:--

"Dish yer Mr. Benjermun Ram, w'ich he done come up inter my min', wuz