den if you duz, sump'n 'ill drap fum up yer, en my gol'-mine
won't do you no good, en needer will yone do me no good.'

"But 'fo' dey got down fum dar, Brer Rabbit done tole all 'bout
de crap, en he hatter prommus fer ter 'vide fa'r en squar. So
Brer Buzzard, he kyar 'im back, en Brer Rabbit he walk weak in
de knees a mont' atterwuds."


XXII. A STORY ABOUT THE LITTLE RABBITS

"FIN' um whar you will en w'en you may," remarked Uncle Remus
with emphasis, "good chilluns allers gits tuck keer on. Dar wuz
Brer Rabbit's chilluns; dey minded der daddy en mammy fum day's
een' ter day's een'. W'en ole man Rabbit say scoot,' dey scooted,
en w'en ole Miss Rabbit say 'scat,' dey scatted. Dey did dat. En
dey kep der cloze clean, en dey ain't had no smut on der nose
nudder."

Involuntarily the hand of the little boy went up to his face, and
he scrubbed the end of his nose with his coat-sleeve.

"Dey wuz good chilluns," continued the old man, heartily, "en ef
dey hadn't er bin, der wuz one time w'en dey wouldn't er bin no
little rabbits--na'er one. Dat's w'at."

"What time was that, Uncle Remus?" the little boy asked.

"De time w'en Brer Fox drapt in at Brer Rabbit house, en didn't
foun' nobody dar ceppin' de little Rabbits. Ole Brer Rabbit, he