“Was it Ned Dog’s Billy Goat?” and Willis was contented to lay aside the harness.
“Hit wus Billy’s gran’pa, ole Cap’n Goat. Cap’n Goat wus walkin’ up an’ down de branch washin’ his foots an’ takin’ er swall’r er water ev’y now an’ den, an’ whin Tom Cat come erlong an’ op’n up an’ tell his biznes’, de Cap’n git so ’cited, dat he stomp water all ov’r creation, an’ Tom git right sharply sprinkl’d. He jump up an’ shake hisse’f, he do, an’ sorter start up ter de shade er de chestnut tree. Dey pass er heap er conversation, dey does, but de upshot uv hit wus, dat Cap’n Goat ’cide ter put Jack Donkey up es er dark hoss.
“Mist’r Tom Cat, he run an’ tell Brer Mule, an’ Mist’r Dur’m Cow, an’ Mist’r Brindle Cow, an’ ole man Hog, ter run quick ter de ches’nut tree, dat Cap’n Goat’s got sumpin’ big ter tell ’em! Whin dey gits dar, an’ passes de news back’ards an’ fur’ards ’mongst derse’fs, dey ’cides ter run Jack Donkey in de race.
“Mist’r Dur’am Cow say, ‘Jack’s mo’ stronger’n Race Hoss.’
“Ole man Hog say, ‘Yas, an’ he kin wurk long’r an’ mo’ hard’r’n Race Hoss.’
“Oh, dey praises Jack Donkey up moutily, an’ all uv ’em say dey’ll whup Mist’r Race Hoss so bad dat he’ll be ’sham’d ter trot ’long side uv er mud turtle.
“Dey so bizzy wid der confab, dat dey ain’ notice Mist’r Wile Cat settin’ up on er lim’ er de tree. Atter dey spies him, dey axes ’im ter pass his ’pinion on de meetin’.
“He up an’ low, he did, dat he know Brer Bar ain’ in de race, but, sezee, ‘Jack Donkey can’t do much bet’r’n Brer Bar, ef you let fokes know ’im.’
“Dey axes him how dey kin hope hit.
“He tell ’em ter run him by de name er Bline Billy.