HOW BLACK SNAKE CAUGHT THE WOLF
“One time,” said Uncle Remus, putting the “noses” of the chunks together with his cane, so as to make a light in his cabin, “Brer Rabbit en ole Brer Wolf wuz gwine down de road terge’er, en Brer Wolf, he ’low dat times wuz mighty hard en money skace. Brer Rabbit, he ’gree ’long wid ’im, he did, dat times wuz mighty tight, en he up en say dat ’t wuz in about much ez he kin do fer ter make bofe en’s meet. He ’low, he did:
“‘Brer Wolf, you er gittin’ mighty ga’nt, en ’t won’t be so mighty long ’fo’ we’ll batten be tuck up en put in de po’-house. W’at make dis?’ says Brer Rabbit, sezee: ‘I be bless ef I kin tell, kaze yer er all de creeturs gittin’ ga’nt w’iles all de reptules is a-gittin’ seal fat. No longer ’n yistiddy, I wuz comin’ along throo de woods, w’en who should I meet but ole Brer Snake, en he wuz dat put dat he ain’t kin skacely pull he tail ’long atter he head. I ’low ter mese’f, I did, dat dish yer country gittin’ in a mighty bad way w’en de creeturs is got ter go ’roun’ wid der ribs growin’ terge’er w’iles de reptules layin’ up in de sun des nat’ally fattenin’ on der own laziness. Yessar, dat w’at I ’lowed.’
“Brer Wolf, he say, he did, dat if de reptules wuz gittin’ de ’vantage er de creeturs dat away, dat hit wuz ’bout time fer ter clean out de reptules er leaf de country, en he ’low, fuddermo’, dat he wuz ready fur ter jine in wid de patter-rollers en drive um out.
“But Brer Rabbit, he ’low, he did, dat de bes’ way fer ter git ’long wuz ter fin’ out whar’bouts de reptules hed der smoke-’house en go in dar en git some er de vittles w’at by good rights b’long’d ter de creeturs. Brer Wolf say maybe dis de bes’ way, kaze ef de reptules git word dat de patter-rollers is a-comin’ dey ’ll take en hide de gingercakes, en der simmon beer, en der w’atzis-names, so dat de creeturs can’t git um. By dis time dey come ter de forks er de road, en Brer Rabbit he went one way, en Brer Wolf he went de yuther.
“Whar Brer Wolf went,” Uncle Remus went on, with increasing gravity, “de goodness knows, but Brer Rabbit, he went on down de road todes he own house, en w’iles he wuz lippitin’ long, nibblin’ a bite yer en a bite dar, he year a mighty kuse fuss in de woods. He lay low, Brer Rabbit did, en lissen. He look sharp, he did, en bimeby he ketch a glimp’ er ole Mr. Black Snake gwine ’long thoo de grass. Brer Rabbit, he lay low en watch ’im. Mr. Black Snake crope ’long, he did, des like he wuz greased. Brer Rabbit say ter hisse’f:
“‘Hi! dar goes one er de reptules, en ez she slips she slides ’long.’
“Yit, still he lay low en watch. Mr. Black Snake crope ’long, he did, en bimeby he come whar dey wuz a great big poplar-tree. Brer Rabbit, he crope on his belly en follow ’long atter. Mr. Black Snake tuck ’n circle all ’roun’ de tree, en den he stop en sing out:
“‘Watsilla, watsilla,
Consario wo!
Watsilla, watsilla,
Consario wo!’
“En den, mos’ ’fo’ Brer Rabbit kin wink he eye, a door w’at wuz in de tree flew’d open, en Mr. Black Snake tuck ’n crawl in. Brer Rabbit ’low, he did:
“‘Ah-yi! Dar whar you stay! Dar whar you keeps yo’ simmon beer! Dar whar you hides yo’ backbone en spar’ ribs. Ah-yi!’
“W’en Mr. Black Snake went in de house, Brer Rabbit crope up, he did, en lissen fer ter see w’at he kin year gwine on in dar. But he ain’t year nothin’. Bimeby, w’iles he settin’ ’roun’ dar, he year de same song:
“‘Watsilla, watsilla,
Consario, wo!
Watsilla, watsilla,
Consario wo!’
“En mos’ ’fo’ Brer Rabbit kin hide in de weeds, de door hit flew’d open, en out Mr. Black Snake slid. He slid out, he did, en slid off, en atter he git out er sight, Brer Rabbit, he tuck ’n went back ter de poplar-tree fer ter see ef he kin git in dar. He hunt ’roun’ en he hunt ’roun’, en yit ain’t fin’ no door. Den he sat up on he behin’ legs, ole Brer Rabbit did, en low:
“‘Hey! w’at kinder contrapshun dish yer? I seed a door dar des now, but dey ain’t no door dar now.’
“Ole Brer Rabbit scratch he head, he did, en bimeby hit come inter he min’ dat maybe de song got sump’n ’n’er ter do wid it, en wid dat he chuned up, he did, en sing:
“‘Watsilla, watsilla,
Bandario, wo-haw!’
“Time he say fus’ part, de door sorter open, but w’en he say de las’ part hit slammed shet ag’in. Den he chune up some mo’:
“‘Watsilla, watsilla,
Bandario, wo-haw!’
“Time he say de fus’ part de door open little ways, but time he say de las’ part hit slammed shet ag’in. Den Brer Rabbit ’low he ’d hang ’roun’ dar en fin’ out w’at kind er hinges dat er door wuz a-swingin’ on. So he stays ’roun’ dar, he did, twel bimeby Mr. Black Snake came ’long back. Brer Rabbit crope up, he did, en he year ’im sing de song:
“‘Watsilla, watsilla,
Consario wo!
Watsilla, watsilla,
Consario wo!’
“Den de door open, en Mr. Black Snake, he slid in, en Brer Rabbit, he lipped off in de bushes en sung de song by hisse’f. Den he went home en tuck some res’, en nex’ day he went back; en w’en Mr. Black Snake come out en went off, Brer Rabbit, he tuck ’n sing de song, en de door hewed open, en in he went. He went in, he did, en w’en he got in dar, he fin’ lots er goodies. He fin’ cakes en sausages, en all sort er nice doin’s. Den he come out, en de nex’ day he went he tole Ole Brer Wolf, en Brer Wolf, he’low dat, bein’ ez times is hard, he b’lieve he ’ll go ’long en sample some er Mr. Black Snake’s doin’s.
“Dey went, dey did, en soon ez dey fin’ dat Mr. Black Snake is gone, Brer Rabbit he sing de song, en de door open, en in he went. He went in dar, he did, en he gobbled up his bellyful, en w’iles he doin’ dis Brer Wolf he gallop ’roun’ en ’roun’, tryin’ fer ter git in. But de door done slam shet, en Brer Wolf ain’t know de song. Bimeby Brer Rabbit he come out, he did, lickin’ he chops en wipin’ he mustash, en Brer Wolf ax ’im w’at de name er goodness is de reason he ain’t let ’im go in ’long wid ’im.
“Brer Rabbit, he vow, he did, dat he ’spected any gump ’ud know dat somebody got ter stay outside en watch w’iles de yuther one wuz on de inside. Brer Wolf say he ain’t thunk er dat, en den he ax Brer Rabbit fer ter let ’im in, en please be so good ez ter stay out dar en watch w’iles he git some er de goodies.
“Wid dat Brer Rabbit, he sung de song:
“‘Watsilla, watsilla,
Consario wo!
Watsilla, watsilla,
Consario wo!’
“He sung de song, he did, en de door flew’d open, en Brer Wolf he lipt in, en gun ter gobble up de goodies. Brer Rabbit, he stayed outside, en make like he gwine ter watch. Brer Wolf, he e’t en e’t, en he keep on a-eatin’. Brer Rabbit, he tuck en stan’ off in de bushes, en bimeby he year Mr. Black Snake a-slidin’ thoo de grass. Brer Rabbit, he ain’t say nothin’. He ’low ter hisse’f, he did, dat he was dar ter watch, en dat w’at he gwine ter do ef de good Lord spar’ ’im. So he set dar en watch, en Mr. Black Snake, he come a-slidin’ up ter de house en sing de song, en den de door flew’d open en in he went.
“Brer Rabbit set dar en watch so hard, he did, dat it look like he eyes gwine to pop out. ’T want long ’fo’ he year sump’n ’n’er like a scuffle gwine on in de poplar-tree, en, fus’ news you know, Brer Wolf come tumberlin’ out. He come tumberlin’ out, he did, en down he fell, kaze Mr. Black Snake got ’im tie hard en fas’ so he ain’t kin run.
“EN EVE’Y TIME HE SWUNG MR. BLACK SNAKE TUCK ’N LASH ’IM WID HE TAIL.”
“Den, atter so long a time, Mr. Black Snake tuck ’n tie Brer Wolf up ter a lim’, en dar dat creetur swung ’twixt de hevin en de yeth. He swung en swayed, en eve’y time he swung Mr. Black Snake tuck ’n lash ’im wid he tail, en eve’y time he lash ’im Brer Rabbit holler out, he did:
“‘Sarve ’im right! sarve ’im right!’
“En I let you know,” said the old man, refilling his pipe, “dat w’en Mr. Black Snake git thoo wid dat creetur, he ain’t want no mo’ goodies.”