Old Hendrik's Tales

by Arthur Owen Vaughan

“Well, he creep down de koppie troo de bushes an’ de stones till he’s right at de bottom an’ on’y about forty yards away from de little boy, an’ den he pop out right in front o’ him. He gi’es one hop an’ he gi’es two hop, an’ den all of a sudden he squot flat, like he’s yust seen de little boy an’ tinks de boy ain’t seen him. But dere’s one fair ole yell an’ one mighty ole yump f’m darie boy, an’ den he’s yust a-sikkin’ de dogs on to ketch dis hare.

“Dat’s all Little Hahsie want. While de boy’s a-yellin’ an’ a-yumpin’, an’ while de dogs is a-wakin’ an’ a-lookin’ out to see what’s it all about all dat time Klein Hahsie’s yust a-makin’ a brown streak round dat koppie.

“But he ain’t. He on’y make ten yards of it an’ den he’s out o’ sight round de corner. Dat’s far enough, an’ he yust gi’es one fair ole yump to one side, up de koppie, an’ squots down flat behind a stone till de dogs is rush past wid de little boy runnin’ all he know ahter ’em. Den Hahsie yust hop back to darie ole hatful o’ peaches under de tree, an’ pick it up an’ skip out o’ dat eatin peaches all de way.”

“And what did the little boy do when he got back and found his peaches gone?” broke in Annie’s younger brother.

“Well,” answered Hendrik, “I on’y heard about what Klein Hahsie done. Dey don’t say nawtin’ about what de boy done. But I ’specs he yust went back an’ got some mo’ peaches.

“But about Klein Hahsie,” resumed he. “Dese yere peaches taste yust dat good dat all de while he’s a-eatin’ ’em he’s tinkin’ how nice it ’ud be if he had his own tree to pick at widout no dogs to chase him. An’ de mo’ he eat de mo’ he study, till at last it strike him what to do. Den he saves de last two o’ de peaches, an’ he biff dat ole hat into shape wid a one-two, an’ swack it down on one ear an’ de back of his head, an’ off he set down de spruit to de water-hole where he’ll find Ou’ Sculpat.

“Ou’ Sculpat was dere, wid his chin on top de water, lookin’ yust as leary as ever, an’ he don’t so much as wink his eye till Little Hahsie shout him out. ‘Hello! Sculpat!’ ses he. ‘I’s struck luck since I lef you. I’s got peaches; an’ I reckoned now we’s frens I’d better gi’e you one an’ me de oder. Here you is den, choose which one you’ll have.’

“Well, Ou’ Sculpat he tinks he’ll tink it over, but he look at dem two peach in Little Hahsie’s han’s, an’ fust ting he knows he’s flipped his way out o’ de water an’ he’s comin’ to Hahsie, where he’s a-sittin’ wid one leg crossed over toder, makin’ hisse’f all nice an’ comfy. ‘Here you is,’ ses Hahsie, givin’ him de biggest an’ de ripest o’ de two. ‘You squot now, an’ we’ll fair enjoy dese ole peaches.’

“So Ou’ Sculpat he squot, an’ dey rolls dem peaches in deir han’s, an’ dey suck ’em wid deir lips, an’ dey squeeze deir teef in yust a leetle bit an’ taste de yuice o’ dat. An’ dat’s so nice dey cahnt hold off no longer, but dey fair yum-yums into dem peaches an’ scoffs ’em down an’ suck de stones clean. ‘What you tink o’ peaches now?’ ses Hahsie.

“‘I tinks I’d like to know where dere’s some mo’,’ ses Sculpat. ‘I’d yust fair live on peaches if I had ’em.’