nder make he marrer git cole w'en he study 'bout how
he gotter sleep out dar in de woods by hisse'f.

"Yit, all de same, he keep on twel de dark 'gun ter drap down, en den he
keep on still, en bimeby he come ter a little rise whar dey wuz a
clay-gall. W'en he git dar he stop en look 'roun', he did, en 'way off
down in de holler, dar he see a light shinin', en w'en he see dis, ole
man Benjermun Ram tuck he foot in he han', en make he way todes it des
lak it de ve'y place w'at he bin huntin'. 'T wa'n't long 'fo' he come
ter de house whar de light is, en, bless you soul, he don't make no
bones er knockin'. Den somebody holler out:--

"'Who dat?'

"'I'm Mr. Benjermun Ram, en I done lose de way, en I come fer ter ax you
ef you can't take me in fer de night,' sezee.

"In common," continued Uncle Remus, "ole Mr. Benjermun Ram wuz a mighty
rough-en-spoken somebody, but you better b'leeve he talk monst'us
perlite dis time.

"Den some un on t'er side er de do' ax Mr. Benjermun Ram fer ter walk
right in, en wid dat he open de do' en walk in, en make a bow like
fiddlin' folks does w'en dey goes in comp'ny; but he ain't no sooner
make he bow en look 'roun' twel he 'gun ter shake en shiver lak he done
bin strucken wid de swamp-ager, kaze, settin' right dar 'fo' de fier wuz
ole Brer Wolf, wid his toofies showin' up all w'ite en shiny like dey
wuz bran new. Ef ole Mr. Benjermun Ram ain't bin so ole en stiff I boun'
you he'd er broke en run, but 'mos' 'fo' he had time fer ter study 'bout
gittin' 'way, ole Brer Wolf done bin jump up en shet de do' en fassen
'er wid a great big chain. Ole Mr. Benjermun Ram he know he in fer't, en
he tuck'n put on a bol' face ez he kin, but he des nat'ally hone[12] fer
ter be los' in de woods some mo'. Den he make n'er low bow, en he hope
Brer Wolf and all his folks is well, en den he say, sezee, dat he des
drap in fer ter wom hisse'f, en 'quire uv de way ter Miss Meadows', en
ef Brer Wolf be so good ez ter set 'im in de road ag'in, he be off putty
soon en be much 'blige in de bargains.

"'Tooby sho', Mr. Ram,' sez Brer Wolf, sezee, w'iles he lick he chops en
grin; 'des put yo' walkin'-cane in de cornder over dar, en set yo' bag
down on de flo', en make yo'se'f at home,' sezee. 'We ain't got much,'
sezee, 'but w'at we is got is yone w'iles you stays, en I boun' we'll
take good keer un you,' sezee; en wid dat Brer Wolf laugh en show his
toofies so bad dat ole man Benjermun Ram come mighty nigh havin'