The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-03-26
Uncle Renus.
The Fate OF a Tattling Bird.

| [Atanta (Ga) constitutional
| You'll tromple on dat bark twell hit won't
be fitten fer ter fling way, let lone make hoss
collars out'n," said Uncle Remus, as the little
boy came running into his cabin out of the
rain. All over the floor long strips of "wahoo''
bark were spread, and these the old man was
weaving into horse collars
"I'll sit down, Uncle Remus," said the little
boy
"Well den, you better, honey" responded
the old man, "kaze 'spizes fer ter have my
wahoo trompled on. Eff 'twuz shucks, now,
hit mout be diffunt but I'm gittin too ole fer
ter be projjikin' longer shuck collars
For few minutes the old man went on with
bis work, but with a solemn air altogether un-
usual Once or twice he sighed deeply, and
the sighs ended in prolonged groan that
seemed to the little boy to be the result of the
most unspeakable mental agony. He knew
| by experience that he had done something
which failed to meet the approval of Uncle
Remus, and he tried to remember what it was
so as to frame an excuse; but his memory
| failed him. He could think of nothing he had
done calculated to stir Uncle Remus's grief.
He was not exactly seized with remorse, but
he was very uneasy. Presently Uncle Remus
looked at him in sad and hopeless way and
| asked
wv at dat long rigmarole you wuz tellin'
Miss Sally bout yo' little brer dis mawnin'?"
(which, Uncle Remus?" asked the little bow
blushing guiltily.
"Dat des wat I'm a-axin' un Won now I
hear Miss Sally say she's gwineter stripe his
Jacket, EN- den 1 knowed you wuz tellin' on
i'm"
we'll Uncle Remus, he was pulling up your
onions, and then he went and flung rock at
me-" said the child plaintively
"Lemme tell you dis" said the old man.
laying down the section of horse-collar he had
been plating and looking hard at the little
boy; "lemme tell you dis-dar amt no way fer
ter make tattlers en- tale-b arers turn out good.
No, dey amt. bin mixin' up wild foxes now
gwlne on eighty year, en- I amt seed no tattler
come ter no good end. Dat amt. En- of ole
man M'thoozlum wuz livin' cleant vel yit he'd
upn tell you de same. Sho ez youer settin'
dar You member vat come er de bird wat
went tattlin' roun' bout Brer Rabbit?''
The little boy didn't remember, but he was
very anxious to know, and he also wanted To
know what kind of bird it was that so dis
graced itself.
hit wuz wunner deze yer uppity little
sparrers, l speck," said the old man; '.dey wuz
allus bodderin' longer udder fokes's bizness. en-
dey keeps at it down ter dis day-peckin, YER.
and pickin' dar, en- scratchin' over wander
One day, arter he bin fool by ole Brer Tarry-
pin, Brer Rabbit wuz settin' down in de wood.
studyin' how he wuz gwineter git it even. He
feel nifty lonesome en- he feel nifty mad Brer
Rabbit did. Taint put down in de tale, but
speck he cusst en- r'ared roun' considerbul.
Leas ways he wuz settin' out dar by hissef, en-
dar he sot, en- study en- study, twel oimeby he
jump up en- holler out:
We'll, doggone my cats ef 1 can't gallon
roun ole Brer Fox. en- I'm gwineter do it. ri
snow MISS Meadows en- de gals dat I'm de boss
Little bird up in de tree, he hear Brer Rab-
bit, he did, and he sing out:
I'm gwine tell Brer Fox. I'm gwine tell
Brer Fox! Chick-a-biddy-wi BLOWN '-acuns-
fallin'! I'm gwine tell Brer Fox"
Uncle Remus accompanied the speech of the
bird with peculiar whistling sound in his
throat that was marvellous imitation of
sparrow's chirp, and the little boy clapped his
hands with delight and insisted on a repeti-
tion.
''Dis kinder tarrify Brer Rabbit. en- he
skasely know at he gwine do; but bimeby he
study to hisse'f dat de man wat see Brer Fox
tus wuz boun' ter have de inturn, en- den he 90
hoppin, OF lords home. He didn't got fur
Wen who should he n eet but Brer Fox, en-
den Brer Rabbit he open up:
w at DIS twlx you en- me. Brer Fox?' sez
Brer Rabbit, sezee. L hear tell you gwine ter
SEN me ter 'struckshun, en- nab my family, en-
'stroy my house. seZee.
Den Brer Fox he git mighty mad.
Who bin tellin' you all dis?' sezee.
Brer Rabbit make like he didn't want ter
.eli, put Brer Fox he sisted en- sisted, twel at
las Brer Rabbit he up en- tell Brer Fox dat he
hear little bird say all dis
Co-se, sez Dref nabtfI, sezee, w,uu t,t, -ptr,,
tell me dat 1 flew up, did, en- 1 use some
langwidge w'ch Tn mighty glad dey wern't
no ladies ,roun' nowhars so dey could hear me
Brer Fox he sorter gap he did, en- say he
speck he better be santern on. But, bless yo'
soul, honey, Brsr Fox didn't santer fur TO de
little bird Tipped down on a 'simmon bush by
de side er de road en- holler out:
'Brer Foxl Oh Brer Foxi Brer Foxp
Brer Fox he des sorter canter long he did
en- make like he don't hear i'm. Den de little
bird up'n sing out agin:
'Brer Fox! Oh Brer Foxl Hold on, Brer
Fox! got some news fer you. Wait, Brer
Fox! Hit'll 'stonish you.'
Brer Fox he make like he don't see de bird,
nor needer do he hear i'm, but bimeby he lay
down by de road en- sorter stretch hissef like
he hxin fer ter nap. De tattlin' little bird, he
hew'd long, en- keep on calm Brer Fox, but
Brer Fox he amt sayin' nuthin.' Den de lit
tie bird, he hop down on de groun' en- futter
,roun 'mongst de trash. Dis sorter track
Brer Fox 'tenshun, en- he look at de tattlin'
bird, en- de bird he keep on callin'. ~
4 got sump'n ter tell you, Brer Fox
Git on my tail, little Bird sez Brer Fox.
Sezee, kaze I'm def in one year en- can't hear
out'n de udder. Git on my tall sezee.
Den de little bird, he up'n he on Brer Fox's
tail.
Git on my back, kaze I'm def in one year
en- l can't hear out'n de udder.'
Den de little bird hop on his back.
hop on my head, kaze I'm def in bofe
Up hop de little bird
Hop on my toof kaze I'm def in one year
en- can't hear outn de udder.'
De tattlin' little bird hop on Brer Fox's
toof, en- dem
Here Uncle Remus opened wide his mouth
and closed it again in a way that told the whole
story.
"Did the Fox eat the bird all-all-up?r
asked tine little boy.
"Jedge Bar come long mex day." replied
Uncle Remus, zen he fine some fedders. en-
FUN dat word went fort dat ole man Squinch
Owl done kotch nudder watzizname.'"
NoTE.-An Atlanta friend heard this story I'm
Florida, but an alligator substituted for the fox
and little. boy for the rabbit There is another
version IN which the impertinent gosng goes to tell
the fox something her mother has said and IL
caught, and there may be other versions have
adhered to the middle Georgia version, which is
there different versions of all stories the shrewd
creators OF the mythology Of the old plantation
adapting themselves with ready tact to the years,
tastes and expectations Of their juvenile audiences
G, A. Sala on Amarican Railroads