Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-20
Uncle Remus' Folklore.
BRER RABBIT AND THE BUTTER.


BRKR RABBIT AND THE BUTTER.
sDe anemuleS en- de beaSteSSes" said Uncle
Remus shaking his coffee around in the bottom
of his tin cup, In order to gather up all the su-
wild wunner nudder, twel bimeby, twant long
TO- Brer Rabbit en- Brer Fox en- Brer Possurl
got ter sorter bunchtn' der perwishions terged.
der In de same house. After while de roof sorter
gun ter leak, en- one day, Brer Rabbit en- Brer
Fox, en- Brer PossHm, 'semble fer ter see ef dey
couldn't kinder patch her up. Dey had a big day s
wuk In frunt I'm UNI, en- den dey fotch der dinner
en- de butter wat Brer Fox brung dey goes en-
puts In de spring 'ouse for ter keep cool en- den
dey wen Yer Wuk, en- 'twan't long for Brer
poster I'm. Dat butter er Brer Fox's sot heavy
on his mine, and his mouf water eve'y time he
member bout it. Presently. he say ter hisself
dn he y his pans NIP f neN
know, W lie dey wuz all wukkin' long, Brer
Rabbit raise his head quick en- ding his years
forrerd en- holler out:
Here is Wat you want wild me?' en- of
he put like sump'n wuz after i'm.
he sailed 'roun, old Brer Rabbit did, and
after he make sho dat nobody amt foller'n I'm,
inter de spring ouSe he bOunceS, en- dar he stays
twel he git bait er butter. Den he Santer on
back en- 60 ter wuk.
..Whar you bin?' SEE Brer Fox, sezee.
"1 hear my chiluns calm me- says Brer
Rabbit, sezee, zen halter go see wat dey want.
My ole oman done gone en- tuck mighty sick,
icy Wuh Ou UWel UlI1eDF dc DuGC6r CaSe so
good dat ole Brer Rabbit want some mo-. Den
he raise up his head. he did, en- boiler out:
",Meyo! Wait! I'm comln'H en- off he put.
dis time he stay right smart while, en- Wen
he git back Brer Fox ak whar he bin.
81 bin ter see my ole oman, en- she's sink
1n',' seZee.
':Dreckly Brer Rabbit hear um calm i'm
agfn en- off he goes, en- dis time bless yo' soul,
he gifts de butter out SO clear dat he kin see his
SET in de bottom er der bucket. He scrape it
clean en- lick it dry, en- den he go back ter wuk
lookin' mo samer dan niger wat de patter-
rollers bin had olt up.
elbows yo' ole oman dis timer SEE Brer Fox,
sezee. L.
Bit sezee, but Pm fear'd she's done gone by
now en- dat sorter make Brer Fox en- Brer Pos
sum feel In moanin wild Brer Rabbit.
"Bimeby, wen dinner time come, dey all got
out der vittles, but Brer Rabbit keep on lookin'
lonesome, en- Brer Fox and Brer Postum, dey
sorter russle roun' for to see eff dey can't make
Brer Rabbit feel sorter splimmy."
what Is that, Uncle Remus?" asked the lit
tie boy.
''Sorter splammy, honey-sorter like he's in
crowd-sorter like his ole oman ANTI dead ez
she mont be. You know how foxes duz we'en
dey gifts whar peoples moanin.'"
The little boy didn't know, fortunately for
him, and Uncle Remus went on:
''Brer Fox and Brer Postum rustic rOun,' dey
did, gittin' out de vittles, en- Bimeby Brer Fox
"a Brer Postum. you run down to de spring en-
fetch de butter, en- I'll sail 'roun' yer en- set de
table, Sezee.
"Brer Postum he lope Off after de butter, en-
dreckly here he come lopin' back wild his years
a trimblin' en- his tongue hangin out. Brer
Fox, he holler out:
"'W'at de matter now, Brer Possum?' sezee.
You all better run, yer foxes SEE Brer
Postum, sezee. DE las drap er dat butter done
gone
"'whar she gomez SEE Brer Fox, sezee.
':'Look like she dried up says Brer Pos
sum, sezee.
"Den Brer Rabbit he look sorter wise, he did,
II speck dat butter melt in somebody s mouf,
seZee.
Den dey went down ter de spring with Brer
dey wuZ syuttn over der wunderment Brer Rab-
bit says he see tracks all roun' dar. and he pint
out dat II dey all go ter sleep he ken keteh de
en- Brer Fox en- Brer POsSum dey soon drap of
ter sleep, but Brer Rabbit he stay wake, en-
Wen de time come he raise up easy en- smear
Brer Possum's mouf wild de butter on his paws,
and den he run off en- nibble up de bes er de din
ner wat dey lef' lay1n' out, en- den he come back
en- wake up Brer Fox en- show'im de butter on
Brer mOu Rey den wake Brer Pos
sum ny it ter de las. Brer, Fox, dough he's
a kinder lawyer, en- he argafy dis way-dat Brer
Postum wuz de fus one at de butter, en- de fus
signs on his mouf. Brer Postum see dat dey got
i'm damned up In cornder, en- den he up en-
say dat de way fer ter ketch de man wat stole
de butter is ter bill big brush-heap en- set her
after, en- all hands try ter jump over, en- the one
wat fall In, den he de chap w at stole de butter.
Brer Rabbit ell Brer Fox dey bofe gree, dey did,
en- dey whirl In en- biz de breSh heap en- dey
biz her high en- dey brl' her wide, en- den dey
totch her of. Wen she got ter blazin' up good,
Brer Rabbit he tuck de fuS turn. He Sorter step
back, look 'roun' en- g1ggle, en- over he went mo-
samer den bird flynn. Den come Brer Fox.
He got back little fudder, en- spit on his hans
en- den lit out en- made dc jump, en- he come so
nigh gittin in dat de cen er his tail kotch af1er
Amt you never see no fox, honey ~ inquired
Uncle Remus in tone that implied both concil-
tation and information.
The little boy thought probably he had, but
he wouldn't commit himself.
Well, den," continued the old man, mex.
time you see one un UNI, you look right close en-
see eff de cen er his tail amt white. Hits deS
like tell you. Dey bars de skyar er dat bresh-
heap down ter dis day. Dey er marked-dat'S
wat dey iS-dey er marked"
'And what about Brother Postum" asked the
boy.
sole Brer Postum, he tuck a runnin' start, he
did, en- he came lumberin' long, en- he hit-ker-
blam right in de middle er de fire. en- dat
waZ de las er ole Brer Possum.'
But, Uncle Remus, Brother Postum didn't
steal the butter afterall said the little boy who
was not all satisfied with such summary lnjus-
tice.
:" Dat wat make say wat duz, honey. In
dis worrl lots er folkeS gotter suffer fer under
foxes sin. Look like hits mighty onwrong: but
hits deS dat way. TribbalaShun seem like
she's waittn roun' de cornder fer ter ketch one
en- all un US, honey."-Ahanta (Ga.) Corastitu-
ton.