“How ’m I going to get down, Br’er Rabbit?”
“Jump into the other bucket, Br’er Fox. It’ll fetch you down all safe and sound.”
Br’er Rabbit he talk so happy and talk so sweet, that Br’er Fox he jump into the bucket, he did, and as he went down, of course his weight pulled Br’er Rabbit up. When they passed one another half-way down, Br’er Rabbit he sing out:
“Good-by, Br’er Fox, take care of your clothes,
For this is the way the world goes;
Some goes up, and some goes down,
You’ll get to the bottom all safe and soun’.”
When Br’er Rabbit get out, he gallop off and tell the folks what the well belong to that Br’er Fox was down in there muddying up the drinking water, and then he gallop back to the well and holler down to Br’er Fox:
“Here comes a man with a great big gun;
When he hauls you up, you cut and run.”
But in about half an hour both of them were back in the new ground, working as if they never heard of no well, ’cept that every now and then Br’er Rabbit burst out and laugh, and old Br’er Fox he’d get a spell of the dry grins.
[P] From “More Funny Stories About Br’er Rabbit,” published by Stead’s Publishing House, London, England, and used with their permission.