Uno, Ino and Cumticocalico cum abustin roun de cordner of de house. De varmint jumped down from de side of de house and tuk to de woods. De dogs ketch him at de gate,—knock down de gate an tore down de fence. He got away, but dey jus’ natchally tore up de earth runnin him ’way frum dar. De man tuk, he did and went back to bed and went to sleep.
’Way long in de night, jus befo day, de man he heard sup’ner down de hill, sayin:
“Uno, Ino, all I want’s my Ta-a-a-a-a-a-iley-po.”
By and by he heard him in de crack up over de do, sayin:
“Taileypo, I want’s my Ta-a-a-a-a-a-iley-po.”
De man call de dogs, “Yer! Yer! Yer!”
De dogs didn’t cum: de Taileypo dun car’ed em off sumeres in de woods, lost em or kil’t em.
Arter a while—de Taileypo stop. Everything was still. De man drapped back on his pillow, but fo long he feel supen and heard supen scratchin and clawin at de foot of de bed. Supen ketch holt er de kivers, and clawed lak a cat a’climin up. De man rais his haid up and look, and he see two bright eyes, lak balls er fire, lookin right pine blank at him frum de foot er de bed. De varmint crawl up nigher and nigher on de man. He can see his little short ’years by de light er his eyes. De varmint say right easy to de man again:
“Taileypo—I want my te-e-e-e-e-e-eley-po!”
De man try to holler. He opens his mouf, but lak a man in his sleep, he ca’nt mak a soun’. De varmint crawl right up on top er de man and say right easy again: “Taileypo.”