BROTHER RABBIT AND THE GINGERCAKES.
“Now, I des tell you w’at, honey,” said Uncle Remus to the little boy, “if you wan’ ter year dish yer tale right straight thro’, widout any balkin’ er stallin’, you’ll des hatter quit makin’ any fuss. Kaze w’en der’s any fuss gwine on hit mos’ allers inginner’lly gits me mixt up, en w’en I gits mixt up I ain’t wuth nuthin’ ’t all skacely fer tellin’ a tale, en ef you don’t b’lieve me, you may des ax some er my blood kin. Now, den, you des set right whar you is en stop you behavishness. Kaze de fus’ time you wink loud, you got ter git right up on de bed-pos’ dar en ride straddle.
“So, den! Well, one time Brer Mink en Brer Coon en Brer Polecat all live terge’er in de same settlement. Let ’lone dat, dey live in de same house, en de house w’at dey live in wuz made in de resemble uv a great big holler log. In dem days, Brer Polecat wuz de king er de creeturs w’at run ’bout atter dark, en you better make up yo’ min’ dat he made um stan’ ’roun’ might’ly.”
“Why, Uncle Remus,” said the little boy, “I thought Brother Rabbit—”
“Well, de goodness en de gracious! ain’t I ax you fer ter please ma’am don’t make no fuss? Kaze I know mighty well Brer Rabbit use ter be de slickes’ en de suples’, but dey ’bleege ter be a change, kase ’t ain’t in natur’ fer de ’t’er creeturs not ter kotch on ter his ins en his outs, en I speck dat de time w’en dey fin’ ’im out is de time w’en ole Brer Polecat got ter be de king er de creeturs—dat’s what I speck.
“But no matter ’bout dat—by hook er by crook, Brer Polecat come ter be de king er de creeturs, en w’en he come ter be dat dey’d all er um go a long ways out er de way fer ter take off der hats en bow der howdies, dey would, en some un um would tag atter ’im, en laugh eve’y time Brer Polecat laughed, en grin eve’y time he grinned.
“W’iles dish yer wuz gwine on Brer Rabbit wuz in de crowd, en he wuz des ez big a man ez any er um, en I dunner ef he want de bigges’. Well, Brer Rabbit he move en secondary[[2]] dat bein’ ez how Brer Polecat wuz sech a nice king dey oughter pass a law dat eve’y time de yuther creeturs meet um in de road dey mus’ shet der eyes en hol’ der nose. Some er um say dey don’t min’ holdin’ der nose, but dey don’t like dish yer way er shettin’ der eyes, kaze dey mout run up agin a tree, er stick a brier in der foot; but Brer Rabbit, he up en ’low, he did, dat ’t wuz des ’bout ez little ez dey kin do ter shet der eye en hol’ der nose w’en dey git war sech a nice king is, en so dey all hatter come ’roun’.
[2]. Moved and seconded.
“De nex’ day atter all dis happen, Brer Rabbit he come by de house whar ole King Polecat live ’long wid Brer Coon en Brer Mink. Brer Coon he wuz a great han’ fer ter bake gingercake. Fur en wide de folks knowd ’bout Brer Coon gingercakes, en dey couldn’t be no camp-meetin’ ’roun’ in dem diggin’s, but w’at he wuz hangin’ on de aidges sellin’ his gingercakes en his ’simmon beer; en it seem like eve’y time Brer Rabbit see Brer Coon dat he whirl right in en git hongry fer gingercakes.
“So de nex’ day after dey done fix it all up ’bout ole King Polecat, Brer Rabbit he come sailin’ by Brer Coon’s house, en he ax ’im ef he got any gingercakes fer ter sell. Brer Coon ’low, he did, dat he got um des ez fine ez fine kin be, en Brer Rabbit say he b’lieve he’ll buy some, en wid dat he run his han’ in his pocket, he did, en pull out de change en bought ’im a great big stack er gingercakes.
“Den he tuck ’n ax Brer Coon ef he won’t keep his eye on de gingercakes wiles he go git some gyarlic fer to eat wid um. Brer Coon ’low he’ll take keer un um de bes’ w’at he kin. Brer Rabbit rush off, en des ’bout dat time ole King Polecat come in sight. In de accordance er de rules, soon ez Brer Coon see ole King Polecat he mus’ shet he eye en hol’ he nose; and w’iles Brer Coon doin’ dis, ole King Polecat walk up, he did, en grab de gingercakes en make off wid um. Co’se, w’en Brer Rabbit come lippitin’ back, he hunt fer he gingercakes, but he can’t fine um nowhar. Den he holler out:
“‘My goodness, Brer Coon! Whar my gingercakes?’
“All Brer Coon kin say is dat he ain’t see nobody take de gingercakes. Brer Rabbit ’low, he did, dat dis a mighty quare way fer ter do a man w’at done bought de gingercakes en pay fer um. Yit he say he ’bleege ter have some, en so he tuck ’n pitch in en buy ’ner stack un um. Den he ’low:
“‘Now, den, I done got de gyarlic fer ter go wid um, en I’ll des ’bout squat right down yer en watch deze yer gingercakes my own se’f.’
“So he squat down en fix hisse’f, en des ’bout de time w’en he wuz ready fer ter ’stroy de gingercakes, yer come old King Polecat. Brer Rabbit, he got up, he did, en made a bow, en den he helt he nose en make like he wuz a-shettin’ he eyes. Ole King Polecat, he come ’long, he did, en start fer ter pick up de gingercakes, but Brer Rabbit holler out:
“‘Drap dem gingercakes!’
“Ole King Polecat jump back en look like his feelin’s bin hurted, en he squall out:
“‘My goodness! How come yo’ eye open? How come you break up de rules dat away?’
“Brer Rabbit pick up de gingercakes, en ’low:
“‘I kin hol’ my nose ez good ez de nex’ man, but I can’t shet my eyes ter save my life, kaze dey er so mighty big!’
“Dis make ole King Polecat mad enough fer ter eat all de gingercakes w’at Brer Coon got in de chist, but he can’t help hisse’f, kaze he know dat ef Brer Rabbit tu’n agin ’im, he won’t be much uv a king in dat ar country. Atter dat it got so dat Brer Rabbit kin put down his gingercakes anywheres he want ter; en folks ’low dat he wuz mighty nigh ez big a man ez ole King Polecat.”