BR’ER FOX TACKLES OLD BR’ER TARRYPIN[Q]
One day Br’er Fox struck up with Br’er Tarrypin right in the middle of the big road. Br’er Tarrypin he heard Br’er Fox coming, and he say to hisself that he’d sort of better keep one eye open; but Br’er Fox was monstrous polite, and he begin, he did, and say he hadn’t seen Br’er Tarrypin this ever so long.
“Hallo, Br’er Tarrypin, where you been this long-come-short?” says Br’er Fox, says he.
“Lounging round,” says Br’er Tarrypin.
“You don’t look sprucy, like you did, Br’er Tarrypin,” says Br’er Fox.
“Lounging round and suffering,” says Br’er Tarrypin, says he.
Then the talk sort of run on like this:
“What ails you, Br’er Tarrypin? Your eye look mighty red,” says Br’er Fox.
“Lor, Br’er Fox, you dunno what trouble is. You ain’t been lounging round and suffering,” says Br’er Tarrypin, says he.
“Both eyes red, and you look like you is mighty weak, Br’er Tarrypin,” says Br’er Fox, says he.