Bypaths in Dixie: Folk Tales of the South

by Sarah Johnson Cocke

“He say he done fergit all ’bout dat ole black, warty head’d crow, dat he gwine marry Miss Tishy Peafowel.

“His pa tell him he dunno nuthin’ tall erbout dis new fangled way er doin’, dat he allus heahs de ole fokes say birds bett’r stick ter der own fe’th’r.

“He stan’ up an’ sass his pa scan’lous, an’ say jes’ ’caze his fambly wus buzzards, dat ain’ no rees’n fur him ter be one. He say he mo’ finer lookin’ dan dem. ‘In fack,’ sez he, ‘I’m jes’ like dem Eagle boys, an’ I’m gwine pass off fur one de fambly, too.’

“Ole lady Buzzard cry an’ beg him ter stay at home; she say ef he jes’ make er man er hisse’f, he kin be de bigges’ buzzard on Dead Man.

“He pat his ma on de back, an’ laf’ sorter gran’ like an’ say, ‘’Ooman fokes am’ got ’nuf sense ter ’vise in men fokes ’fars.’ Den he flop his wings an’ come flyin’ ’zackly like dem Eagle boys flies.

“Whin de birds on Tink’r seed him comin’, dey ’gun ter pass jedgement ’bout who hit mout be. Sum says hit’s one, sum says hit’s ernuth’r, but all uv ’em says one thing dey knows fur sartin an’ sho,—’Tain’ no ole buzzard.”

Willis had come slowly, step by step, until he had climbed up by Mary Van, on the joggling board.

“Big Eye Buzzard sorter circle ’roun’ lookin’ fur er good place ter light. Bimeby, he see Doct’r Peckerwood lancin’ er bile on one dese tall Pine trees, an’ he start circlin’ ’roun’ de Pine tree. Atter while heah he come an’ light on de ve’y top’es lim’. Doct’r Peckerwood howdy sorter short ter him, ’caze he bizzy tryin’ ter keep de Pine tree fum moanin’ ov’r de bile, but er lit’le thing like dat doan both’r Big Eye, he up an’ spon’, ‘I’m feelin’ poly m’se’f, an’ I stop ter git sum med’cine, an’ ax Mist’r Tall Pine ef he kin spar’ me er room.’

“Doct’r Peckerwood ax him wharbouts he hu’t, an’ wharbouts he come fum, an’ what’s his name, an’ whut he bin eatin’? Yer see Doct’r Peckerwood want ter git sum news ’long wid de symptoms.

“Big Eye say, ‘I’m tendin’ ter sum biznes’ fur m’ Unkle Jedge Eagle, an’ I ain’ eat nuthin’ sense I lef’ Mill Mount’in, whar de Eagleses lives at.’