“An’ Little Billy say, ‘Jes’ so; jes’ so!’
“Uh terrapin’s tail ain’ longer dan yo’ eyelash, an’ uh mus’rat’s tail almos’ ez long ez Rasmus’ foot; you skins mus’rats, hangs ’em up by de tail, an’ sells de skins, but you don’ sell terrapin skins, an’ don’ hang ’em up—consequencely dat’s de application.
“S’pose de peacock hab de elephant’s tail, an’ de elephant de peacock tail, now how wud dat look? Er uh cow had uh roostuh’s tail, an’ uh roostuh uh cow tail? Da is some free niggahs fum Henracka County, Furginny, haulin’ deah sain in Miles Ribber, an’ fum what I kin heah, dey wud soon breck up de breed ub chickins, ornless de chickins all hens. Jes’ tread on de roostuh’s tail, dat’s all.
“Sistus an’ brudders, I no I got yo’ condidence—I cud swap tails all night, an’ you wud see all de time de wissum ub de c’rator ergin swappin’. ‘Da is mo’ things in heaben an’ yearth, Horace, dan is dremp ub in our phlos’phy.’
“Now, dis is de rash-nal part ub meh discose, ter show dat you kyant change things ’doutin’ makin’ mustakes. You kyant meck Ho Ho uh Chine any mo’ dan you kin change de animals’ tails.
“Dese days people don’ meddowtate ernuff. Ef’n people wud meddowtate an’ read de Bible like I is fuh two weeks on dis subjec’, dey wud hab no doubt ’boutin de thurrybred Japne ped’gree ub Ho Ho. Hit’s plain ez daybreck, an’ I spressify ergin, you kyant change it any mo’ dan you kin change de animals’ tails.
“Now, dis brings us ter de pus-nal part ub meh discose, an’ ef’n you projic wid dat fambly you kyant git erway fum de fac’ dat Noahy wuz uh man ub quare tase, an’ prob’ly had uh harf dozen wibes, which wuz de fashion in dem days.
“Noahy mus’ uh bin uh man ve’y fon’ ub de differn’ shades ub color; fuh instinct, Ham’s Ma mus’ uh bin uh cullud pusson, Sham’s uh white pusson an’ Japheth’s uh Japne.
“I am confluent dat Ho Ho wuz uh Japne, wid uh strain ub Chine blood, an’ my phlos’phy will show it.
“De Bible tells us plain ez plain kin be, dat Noahy had three sons—Sham, Ham an’ Japheth. Sham, ez befo’ mentioned, wuz uh white pusson; Ham wuz uh cullud pusson, an’ Japheth mus’ uh bin uh Japne. I bleebe ef’n Noahy cud speak, he wud say so, an’ ef’n you will follow de application, hit will be ez clare ez de jewdraps on de vines, er de fros’ on de fodder.