Old Hendrik's Tales

by Arthur Owen Vaughan

“Den he sort o’ remember what he come for, an’ he speak out mighty quick. ‘You yust better get a wiggle on you mighty sudden,’ ses he. ‘Ou’ King Lion he’s a roarin’ for darie Ou’ Jackalse fit to tear up de bushes. “Where’s darie Ou’ Jackalse? If he don’t get here mighty quick he’ll know all about it,” roars he. “What’s de use o’ me makin’ him my doctor if he ain’t here when he’s wanted? Dis claw I neah tore out killin’ a Koodoo yeste’day—he’d better be yust lively now a-gittin’ here to doctor dat. Fetch him!” roars he, an’ here I am, an’ I tell you you yust better git a move on you,’ ses Hahsie.

“Ou’ Jackalse he tink, but he don’t let on nawthin’ but what he’s yust so sick as to split. ‘I’s dat bad I cahnt har’ly crawl,’ ses he—‘but you go ’long an’ tell King Lion I’s a-comin’ as soon’s ever I get some medicine mix’.’

“‘Well, I tol’ you—you better be quicker’n blue lightnin’ all de same,’ ses Hahsie, an’ off he flicks, as if he’s sort o’ considerin’ what’s de matter wid Ou’ Jackalse.

“Well, Ou’ Jackalse he tink, an’ he tink, an’ he know he’d better be gettin’ along to King Lion, but yet he ain’t a-goin’ to give in about darie breakfas’. He ain’t a-movin’ mighty fast about it, but he goes into de woods an’ he gets some leaves off o’ one bush, an’ some roots off’n anoder, an’ yust when he tink dat’s about all he want, who should he see but Ou’ Wolf, kind o’ saunterin’ along an’ lookin’ yust good an’ full o’ breakfas’, an’ chock full o’ feelin’ fine all inside him.

“Dat stir Ou’ Jackalse where he’s so empty in his tummy, an’ dat make it strike him what to do. He comes along to Ou’ Wolf lookin’ like he’s in a desprit rush an’ yust in de worst kind of a tight place. ‘Here, Ou’ Wolf,’ ses he in a hustle, ‘you’s yust him I was tinkin’ on. Hyer’s King Lion about half crazy wid a pain, an’ he’s roarin’ for me, an’ I set off wid a yump, an’ I got all de stuff for de medicine, but all de time I clean forgot de book to mix it by. Now you yust do me a good turn, like a good chap, an’ you rush off to King Lion wid dis hyer medicine, while I streaks back for de book. You does dis foh me an’ I ain’t a-goin’ to fo’get what I owe you for it.’

“Ou’ Wolf he’s quite took off his feet an’ out o’ breaf on it all. ‘Why, o’ course,’ ses he. ‘You gi’ me darie medicine an’ I offs right away. A good yob I had breakfas’ a’ready,’ an’ he fair seizes darie medicine an’ he offs.

“Ou’ Jackalse lie right down where he’s standin’ an’ he fair roll an’ kick hisse’f wid laughin’. ‘A good yob I ar’n’t had my breakfas’,’ ses he. ‘I’d a lost a deal more’n meat if I had a done,’ ses he agen, an’ den he ups an’ he offs back to Ou’ Wolf’s house.

“All de way back he kep’ on a-smilin’ to hisse’f, an’ every once in a while he’d give a skip an’ a dance to tink what a high ole time he was a-havin’. Den by’n’by he picks up a piece o’ paper. ‘Yust de t’ing I’s wantin’,’ ses he.

“Well, he come to Ou’ Wolf’s house an dere was Missis Wolf a-sittin’ out on de stoop an’ a pullin’ down de flaps of her cappie to keep de flies off’n her nose. ‘Mawnin’, Cousin,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse; fair as polite as honey wouldn’t run down his t’roat if you let him hold it in his mouf.

“‘Mawnin’,’ ses she, an’ she ain’t a-singin’ it out like a Halleloolya needer, an’ she don’t stir from where she’s a-settin’, an’ she don’t say how-dy-do. She yust look at him like she’s seen him befo’e, an’ like she ain’t a breakin’ her neck if she don’t never see him agen.