The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-12-01
How Mr.. Rooster Lost His Dinner.

The following is from "A Rainy Day
with Uncle Remus," by Joel Chandler
| Harris
The afternoon wore on and the ram
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 perspective beyond ,gradu
ally became one with the darkness. Uncle
Remus had thoughttuly placed tin pan
under a leak in the roof, and the drip
drl)- drip of the water, as it fell in the re
sonant vessel, made not unmusical ac-
compartment to the storm.
| The old man fumbled around under his
bed and presently dragged forth large
bag filled with lightWoOd knots, which,
with an instructive economy in this partic-
ular direction, he had stored away for an
emergency, A bright but tlickering flame
was the result OF this timely discovery and
the effect it produced was quite in keep
ngwth all the surrounding. Theran, and
wind, and darkness held sway without,
while, within, the unsteady lghtwood
blaze seemed to rhyme with the d1p-
03lp-dfip IN the pan. sometimes the
shadow Of nce RemuS as he leaned over
| the hearth, would tower and fill the cab
lu ana again would fade and disappear
among the sWaying and swinging cob
webs that curtalned the ratters.
''W'en bedtime come, honey" said
| Uncle Remus, in soothing tone, II II des
snatch down yo' pa buggy umGIelP fun
up dar in de corner, en- III des taken
take you und' my arm en- set you down
on Miss Sally hath des ez dry en- ez WON
ez rat mes inside tcdder-stack.r
At this juncture, Tidy, the house girl,
rushed in out of the rain ard darkness
with water proof cloak and al umbrella,
and announced her mission to the little
boy without taking time to catch her
| breath.
"AIiss Sally say you gotter come right
long" she exclaimed. "kazc she sheered
hghtnin' gWine strike 'roun' in yer 'mongs
! deZe high trees somer's.7
Uncle Remus rose from his stopping
posture in front Of the hearth and assum-
ed a threatening attitude
"Well, is anybody year de beat er
dat !" was his indignant exclamation
| 'Look yer, gal don't you come toolin'
longer me now, don't you do it, kaze
eff you does, I'll taken hit YOU a clip
w'at'll put you ter bed 'fo' bed time
! comes. OATS wat "
'Iawdy. Wat done gone en- done ter
Ink Remus, now 2" asked 'Tildy, with a
| great aifectation of innocent ignorance
Elm gwinler put on my coat en- take
dat atarumbrell', en- I'm gwine right straight
up ter de big house en- ak Miss Sally eff
she sont dat kinder wud down yer, " zen
| . Il llf M Sit ra,,
me. I'm gWlneter AK her. cont inued
| Uncle Remus, zen eff she aint sont dat
Wud, den I'm gwinter fetch myself back
| Now, You des watch my notions
''Well, year Miss Sally say she teard
| lightnin' gWineter strike some'r's on de
| place" said ''TildY, in tone which mani
| tested her willingness to compromise all
! differences, zen den aXt er kin come
! down yer, en- den she say better bring
deze yer cloak en- pairsol."
"Now you dun brung um,' responded
| Uncle Remus, ''yOu des better put um in
dat cheer over dar, en- take yo'sef off,
Thunner mighty ap' ter hit close ter whar
deze Yer slick head niggers Isl"
But the little boy finally prevailed upon
the old man to allow 'Tildy to remain
and after a while put matters on d peace
| footing by inquiring if r0osters crOwed at
night when it was raining.
"Dat dey duz,' responded Uncle Re
mus ''Wet er dry, dey tops der wings
en- wakes up all de neighbors. Law bless
my soul - he exclaimed suddenly, "w'at
make | done gone en- forgit bout Mr.
Rooster :"
"What about him n inquired the little
boy
zone time way back yunder.7 said
| Uncle Remus, knocking the ashes off his
hands and knees, ''dey wuz two planta-
tons right 'longside er wunner n'er, en- on
bOfe er deZe plantations wuz whole pas
sci er fowls. Dey wuz mighty socabe
in dem days, en- it tun out dat de fowls
on one plantation gun a party, Wich dey
sont out der invites ter de fowls on de ter
| plantation.
Gwen the day come, Mr.. Rooster, he
blow his hawn, he did, en- 'sembled um all
tergedder, en- after dey sembled dey got
in line. M Rooster he tuck dc head,
en- after i'm came old lady Hen ell Miss
Pulet, en- den dar wuz Mr. Peafowl, en-
Mr. Turkey Gobbler, en- Miss Guinny
Hen, en- Miss Puddle Duck, en- all de
balance III UNI Dey start Off sorter rag
gedy, but 'twa'nt long 'fo' dey al kotch
de step, en- den dey march down by de
spring, up thoo de hoss-lot en- cross by
de Clubhouse, en- twa'n't long 'fo' dey ct
ter whar de trolic Wuz.
"Dey dance, and dey play, Ell dey sing.
Mo speshually did dey pla! en- sing dat
ar song w'ich it run on like dis:
"'Come under come under
My honey, my love, my cwn true love:
My heart bin aweepin
Way down in Galilee
''Dey wuz gwine on lis away, havir
der 'musements, Wen, Dimehy, ole AIr.
PeafoWl, he got on de comb Ell de barn en-
blow de dinner -hawn. Dey all wash der
face en- hans in de back -po'ch, en- den dey
went in ter dinner. " en- dey git in dar,
dey don't see nothin' on de table but a
| nreat lir niln nr com -lrnal De nnnns