The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-06-24
UNCLE FELIX'S SroRl.


In the summer time old Uncle Felix
used to sit under the willows down by
the creek for hours and hours. When
the fish were in biting humor Uncle
Felix didn't like company, but when his
line hung idly in the water he would tell
stories from noon until shutdown.
''De sum en- substins oh de matter am
dat dc big fish skeet off inter deep water
wen day hears folks a chinnin', " he would
remark, BY way of apology for refusing
to entertain the boys on busy occasion.
One afternoon the boys came along
and, seeing by the empty basket that
Uncle Felix wasn't catching anything,
they began to pave the way for a story.
Charlie had n little book of ''nonsense
rhymes" in his pocket and, opening it at
n place where leaf was turned down,
he pretended to read.
wat dat yo're readin'?' asked Uncle
Felix.
.'About the Jobberwock, said Charlie.
"De wat?"
1.-The Jobberwock: did YOU ever hear
of such an animal?"
mos pears to me has" said Uncle
Felix, closing both eyes and letting his
head fall back against the tree at the
roots of which he was sitting, for Uncle
Felix never would admit his ignorance
of thing. "Mos' pears to me-" he
continued, "dat us boys cot jabber-
wuck way down in de swamp long while
back, wen L was bout yo' size"
''How did it happen, uncle?" asked
John; and the three boys cuddled around
the old fisherman, whose eyes were bent
upwards, evidently searching for facts in
the topmost branches of the willow
I'm dem days, said the old man, ''yo'
Unkle Felix was wul1kin for Moss Billy,
en- dar was annuder darkey named Pomp,
de same dat was struck by hghtnin' in
de yeah AZ. in de day time we darkeys
hoed con, and many night we freed
coons in de swamp. De las coon hunt
we TUX togedder was on n cloudy night
bout fifty yeah back. We slipped long
inter de hawt of de woods, tarrin' tro
briars en- wadin' tro muck, but de dogs
fust smelt dis tree, en- den dat widout
findin nary coon. Bimeby old Snap,
Pomp's dog, Civ snort en- was off, Oh
cease we follered heels ober head, en-
purity soon bof dogs anker'd under n gum
tree, en- gun to rip music outen dere
froats wussen whole team oh bullfrogs
on an April ebenin."
"Dat coon's up dis gum, Pomp seq,
EN- sez: 'Coase he am Den Pomp seq:
Il sees de moon up dis gum Wharf
SEE me, lookin' whar Pomp was pintin.'
Oar, SEE Pomp, sezZee. Sho' nuf dar
wuz a roun ball of fire way up on de top
linn.
Felix SEE Pomp, kline % feelin
skeered, watts de moon doin' out on
cloudy night like dis fur?'
"Alitey GURUS, SEE me.
LETS run, says Pomp."
''Jess den de moon gin to mobe, en-
Pomp en- me drapped down under de
bushes. FL we drapped dar cum a voice
from outen de bushes behine us, sayin' /:
'Ker-wuckl ker-wuckl ker-hooi ker-hool
'Lissen, seq me, gibbin P%np's hand
pinch, but Pomp was shakin' all ober
wild an ager. Den / spy de moon en- hel
my BRET. De moon was uncurlin' hisself
on dat linn, en- soon | sees dat he hab
tail en- head en- body, Jess de same ez
emmy animul. De dogs by dis time he'd
gun TO sneak off At dat minnet dar cum
annuder voice from outen de bushes say
in: 'Ker-wuckl Ker-wuck! Ker-hool
Run, little niger, rumsr Up bof oh us
bounced, but fore we got outen de bush
es down cum de moon like n flash oh fire.
Pomp yelled loud nuf fur steam mime
wen dars a COW on de track Way we
scampered wild de- four-Ieggd moon arter
MS, de dogs runnin' wild der tails twixt
dar legs yelpin EN- howlin' fit to kill"
Did you get caught, uncle?' asked
Charlie.
Watts dat? Git cotched? Dress yo'
little soul, honey, we made tracks outen
de swamp quicker's a flash OBJ lghtnin'.
Git cotched? No Stree"
but what was 1.-THE jobberwock?"
Uncle Felix folded his arms around his
knees and squeezed himself as though
to hold III the laughter with which he
threatened to explode.
Dress yo' souls, chillen, it was no
mo- de moon den it was dis ole hat oh
mine. 1t was rale libin coon"
"A coOn!"
''Sho's yo' bon OATS wat it was. and
dis am de way it happen: Young Moss
Billy he'd cum home from school up dar
In Phildelfy. He was jolzin' sort oh
young 'un, EN- he cot coon en- rubbed
him all ober wild fussfurus dat berry
night"
Rubbed the coon with phosphorus F."
Deed he did; rubbed him wild dat
shiny stuff he'd learn'd bout at school
en- den sot him free, kind o KNOWN dat
me and Pompd tree him TO mo'nin.
Laws-a-massy but dem little darkeys
was skeered to def fur monfl'
Just then Uncle Felix felt nibble at
his hook, and indicating to the boys with
several energetic hobs of his head that
he was through with them for the day,
he bent to the task of searching for his
supper.