Uncle Remus had the weakness of the genuine story-teller. When he was in the humor, the slightest hint would serve to remind him of a story, and one story would recall another. Thus, when the little boy chanced to manifest some curiosity in regard to the whippoorwill, which, according to an old song, had performed the remarkable feat of carrying the sheep’s corn to mill, the old man took great pains to describe the bird, explaining, in his crude way, how it differed from the chuck-will’s-widow, which is frequently mistaken for the whippoorwill, especially in the South. Among other things, he told the child how the bird could fly through the darkness and flap its wings without making the slightest noise.
The little boy had a number of questions to ask about this, and the talk about flying reminded Uncle Remus of a story. He stopped short in his explanations and began to chuckle. The little boy asked him what the matter was.
“Shoo, honey!” said the old man, “w’en you git ole ez I is, en yo’ ’membunce cropes up en tickles you, you ’ll laugh too, dat you will. Talkin’ all ’bout dish yer flyin’ business fotch up in my min’ de time w’en ole Brer Tarrypin boned ole Brer Buzzard fer ter l’arn him how ter fly. He got atter ’im, en he kep’ atter ’im; he begged en ’swaded, en ’swaded en he begged. Brer Buzzard tole ’im dat dey wuz mos’ too much un ’im in one place, but Brer Tarrypin, he des kep on atter ’im, en bimeby Brer Buzzard ’low dat ef nothin’ else ain’t gwine do ’im, he’ll des whirl in en gin ’im some lessons in flying fer ole ’quaintance sakes.
“Dis make ole Brer Tarrypin feel mighty good, en he say he ready fer ter begin right now, but Brer Buzzard say he ain’t got time des den, but he’ll be sho’ en come ’roun’ de nex’ day en gin ole Brer Tarrypin de fus’ lesson.
“Ole Brer Tarrypin, he sot dar en wait, he did, en dough he nodded yer en dar thro’ de night, hit look like ter ’im dat day ain’t never gwine ter come. He wait en he wait, he did, but bimeby de sun riz, en’t want so mighty long atter dat ’fo’ yer come Brer Buzzard sailin’ ’long. He sailed ’roun’ en ’roun’, en eve’y time he sail ’roun’ he come lower, en atter w’ile he lit.
“He lit, he did, en pass de time er day wid Brer Tarrypin en ax ’im is he ready. Brer Tarrypin ’low he been ready too long ter talk ’bout, en w’en Brer Buzzard year dis, he tuck ’n squot in de grass en ax Brer Tarrypin fer ter crawl upon he back. But Brer Buzzard back mighty slick, en de mo’ Brer Tarrypin try fer ter crawl up, de mo’ wa’l he slip back. But he tuck ’n crawl up atter w’ile, en w’en he git sorter settled down, he ’low, he did:
“‘You kin start now, Brer Buzzard, but you’ll hatter be mighty keerful not ter run over no rocks en stumps, kaze ef dish yer waggin gits ter joltin’, I ’m a goner,’ sezee.
“Brer Buzzard, he tuck ’n start off easy, en he move so slick en smoove en swif’ dat Brer Tarrypin laugh en ’low dat he ain’t had no sech sweet ridin’ sence he crossed de river in a flat. He sail ’roun’ en ’roun’, he did, en gun Brer Tarrypin a good ride, en den bimeby he sail down ter de groun’ en let Brer Tarryin slip off’n he back.
“Nex’ day he come ’roun’ agin, ole Brer Buzzard did, en gun Brer Tarrypin ’n’er good ride, en de nex’ day he done de same, en he keep on doin’ dis away, twel atter w’ile Brer Tarrypin got de consate dat he kin do some fly’n’ on he own hook. So he up en ax Brer Buzzard for call ’roun’ one mo’ time, en gin ’im a good start.”
Here Uncle Remus paused to chuckle a moment, and then went on—