Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-07-27
How Mr.. Rooster Lost His Dinner.

/ How Mr.. Rooster Lost His Dinner.
The following is from "A Rainy Day
with Uncle Remus," by Joel Chandler
Harris. in the Midsummer Scyibner:
The afternoon wore ON and the rain
continued to fall. In some mysterious
way. as it seemed TO the little boy, the
gloom of twilight fastened itself upon the
dusky clouds, and the great trees without,
and the dismal prospective beyond, grad
ually became one with the darkness Uncle
Remus had lhoughtfuly placed a tin pan
under n leak in the roof. and the drip-drip
drip OF the water, as it fell in the resonant
vessel. nItde not unmusical accountant.
ment to the storm.
The old man fumbled around under his
bed. and presently dragged forth "A large
bag filled with lightwoOd knots, which.
with an instructive economy in this parlic-
ular direction. he had stored away for an
emergency. A bright but Pickering fame
was the result of this timely discovery,
and the result it produced was quite in
Keeping with all the surrounding The
ram and wind and darkness held sgny
without, while within the unsteady light
wood blaze seemed to rhyme with the
drip drlp-drip in the pan. Sometimes
the shadow of Uncle Remus, as he leaned
over the hearth, would tower and fill the
cabin. and again it would disappear among
the swaying and swinging cobwebs thnt
curtained the raflers.
Wen bed time come, honey sud
Uncle Remus in a soothing tone, I'm des
snatch down yo' pa buggy umbrell' FUN
up dar IN de corner, en- III taken You
und' my arm en- set you down on Miss
Sally hath des "a dry en- ez won ez n
rat mes inside a fodder stack.
AT this jancture. Tidy, the house girl
rushed in out of the rain and darkness
with water proof clolk and umbrella,
and announced her mission to the little
boy without taking time to catch her
breath:
Miss Sally say you come right
aiong!' she exclaimed; "kase she skeered
lightning gwine strike 'ruun in yer
mohgS dcze yer high trees some'r's.
Uncle Remus rose from his STOPPING
posture in front of the hearth and assumed
a threatening attitude.
4" Well is anybody yere de beat er dat!'
was his indignant exclamation. LOOK
yer, gall don't yer cum fooIin' longer me
now don't you do it. kaze eff you does,
| II tax hit you clip wat put you ter
bed TO bed time comes. OATS w'at!"
q" Lawdy! wat done gone en- done ter
INK Remus, nowP" asked Tidy with a
great atfectation of innocent ignorance.
Pm gwine ter put on my coat en- take
dat ar umhreli', en- I'm gwine right
straight up ter de big house en- AZ Miss
Sally eff she sent dat kinder wud down
yer. W en- she know dat chile sttn' we're
langer me, I'm gwine ter AK her." con
tinued Uncle Remus, Zen ef she aint sonl
dat wud, den I'm gwineter fetch myse's
back. Now, you des watch my motions"
"Well, year Miss Sally say she feared
lightning gwineter strike some'r's on de
place." said Tildy, in tone which mani
tested her willingness to compromise all
differences, zen den 1 axt 'er kin I come
down yer, en- den she say | better bring
dezA yer cloak and psrisol.'
Now you dun brung um," responded
Uncle Remus, "you dcs better put um in
dat cheer over dar, en- take yo'se'f off,
Thunner mighty apter hit close to whar
deze slick headed niegers is.'
But the little boy finally prevailed upon
the old man TO allow 1ildy to remain, and
after II while he put matters on a peace
footing by inquiring if roosters crowed ut
night when ii was raining.
dat dcy duz responded Uncle Renus.
"Wet er dry, dey hops der wings On
wakes up all de neighbors. Law bless
my soul!' he exclaimed suddenly; "waat
make | done gone en- fergit bout Mr..
Roosterw
" What about himp" inquired the little
boy.
"Onr time, way back yunder.'' y said
Uncle Rcmus. knocking the ashes off his
hands and knees, dey wuz two planta-
tions right 'longside er wunner n'er, en- on
hofe er dez" plantations wuz whole pas
sci er fowls. Dey wuz mighty sociable
in dem days, en- it tu'n out dat de fowls on
one plantation gun party, W ich dey
sont out der invites ter de fowls on de'L'or
plantation.
wen de day comes, Mr.. Rooster, he
blow his hawn. he did, ENSEMBLE um all
tergedder, en- after dey 'semble dey got in
line. Mr., Rooster, he tuck de head, en-
after i'm come ole lady Hen en- Miss
Pullet, en- den dar wuz Mr.. Peafowl, en-
Mr.. Turkey Gobbler, en- Miss Guinny
Hen, en- Miss Puddle Duck, en- all de bal.
ance I'M UNI Dey start off sorter raggedy,
hut 'twa'nt long 'fo'dey all kotch de step.
an den dey march down by de spring, up
thoo de hoss-lot en- cross by de clubhouse,
en- 'twa'nt long TO dey git ter whar de
frolic wuz.
"Dey dance, and dey play, en- dey sing.
Mo- speshually did dey play en- sing da. ar
song w'ch it run on like dis
Come under come under
My honey, my love. my own true love-
Ny heart bin a weeping
Way down in Galiles"
"Dey wuz gwine on dis way, havin' der
'muscments, wen bimeby, ole Mr.. Peafowl,
he got on lie comb er de barn en- blow de
dinner hawn. Dey all wash der face en-
hans in de back po'ch, en- den dey went In