Dat I is."

This was 'Tildy's method of renewing peaceful relations with Uncle
Remus, but the old man was disposed to resist the attempt.

"You better be up yander washin' up dishes, stidder hoppin' down yer wid
er whole packet er stuff w'at Miss Sally ain't dreamp er sayin'."

XII

BRER RABBIT BREAKS UP A PARTY

As long as Uncle Remus allowed 'Tildy to remain in the cabin, the little
boy was not particularly interested in preventing the perfunctory abuse
which the old man might feel disposed to bestow upon the complacent
girl. The truth is, the child's mind was occupied with the episode in
the story of Mr. Benjamin Ram which treats of the style in which this
romantic old wag put Mr. and Mrs. Wolf to flight by playing a tune upon
his fiddle. The little boy was particularly struck with this remarkable
feat, as many a youngster before him had been, and he made bold to recur
to it again by asking Uncle Remus for all the details. It was plain to
the latter that the child regarded Mr. Ram as the typical hero of all
the animals, and this was by no means gratifying to the old man. He
answered the little boy's questions as well as he could, and, when
nothing more remained to be said about Mr. Ram, he settled himself back
in his chair and resumed the curious history of Brother Rabbit:--

"Co'se Mr. Ram mighty smart man. I ain't 'spute dat; but needer Mr. Ram
ner yet Mr. Lam is soon creeturs lak Brer Rabbit. Mr. Benjermun Ram, he
tuck'n skeer off Brer Wolf en his ole 'oman wid his fiddle, but, bless
yo' soul, ole Brer Rabbit he gone en done wuss'n dat."

"What did Brother Rabbit do?" asked the little boy.

"One time," said Uncle Remus, "Brer Fox, he tuck'n ax some er de yuther
creeturs ter he house. He ax Brer B'ar, en Brer Wolf, en Brer 'Coon, but
he ain't ax Brer Rabbit. All de same, Brer Rabbit got win' un it, en he
'low dat ef he don't go, he 'speck he have much fun ez de nex' man.

"De creeturs w'at git de invite, dey tuck'n 'semble at Brer Fox house,
en Brer Fox, he ax um in en got um cheers, en dey sot dar en laugh en
talk, twel, bimeby, Brer Fox, he fotch out a bottle er dram en lay 'er
out on de side-bode, en den he sorter step back en say, sezee:--

"'Des step up, gentermens, en he'p yo'se'f,' en you better b'lieve dey
he'p derse'f.

"Wiles dey wuz drinkin' en drammin' en gwine on, w'at you 'speck Brer
Rabbit doin'? You des well make up yo' min' dat Brer Rabbit monst'us
busy, kaze he 'uz sailin' 'rou