Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-24
PLANTATION STORIES
4 Rainy Day With Uncle Remus-Nr. Benjamin
Ram AMI His Wonderful Fiddle.

Seritrcr's Monthly.
speek you done year ten er ole man Benjer-
mum lam, said Uncle Remus. with great
auecfafion OF Indifference. after pause
Old man whe?" asked the little boy.
ole man Bentrmun Ram. 1 'speck you done
year tel er him too long go ter talk bout
why. no, haven't, Uncle Remusi" cx-
claimed the lite bog, protesting and laughing.
lie must have seen mighty funny old man. y
Tat S ez may De-" responded Uncle Remus,
sententiousiy = Fun deZe days wouldn't er
counted fer fun II dem days; en- meny's de time
wat see folks laashin', continued the old man
with such whitening sarcasm that the little boy
Immediately became serious-smany's de time
)" AT see I'm taaghin' en- laughin', wen lay
dey amt kin tel wat deyer laughin' at deyse'f.
En- talnt der laurAin' wat posters me. nudder."-
rcehting little-.hit' dish yerev lastin snickle
en- giggle. giggh en- snlcSle''
having thus mapped out, in dim and uncer-
tain way what oder people than the little boy
might nave been excused for accepting as a sort
OF moral basis, Uncle Remus proceeded:
"Dish yer Mr.. Benjermun Ram, witch he done
come up inter m, min, wuz wunner deze yer ole
timers. Dey telk me dat he 'uz.a fiddler fun
away back yander-wunner dem ar kinder fid-
diefs wat can't Sit de chune down fine less dey
pats der loot. lie stay all by his own-alone SET
way out in de middle I'm big ncx-groun', en-
mes seen a handyman fer ter have at frolic dat
tie yuther creetur. like i'm mighty WELL en- wen
dey tuck notion fer ter shake der foot, witch
Gle notion tuck n struck nm eve'y once In a vile
nuthln ud do bu dey mus SEN fer ole man Ben
lefhun Ram en- h fiddle; en- dey do say" con-
t'hted uncle Renus, closing his eyes in sort OF
ecStasy, DAT Wen he squar' hisse'f back in a
checr, en- git in weavin' way. he kin DIES snatch
aem oie-tlme caunes fun who lay de rail. En-
den wen Gle ffdIc wuZ done, dey'd all fling in.
deih yuther creeurs would. en- fill up bag er
peas Ter ole Mr.. Beniermun Ram fer ter kyar
home wild i'm.
lone time. des bout Christmas, Miss Mead
ows en- de gals, dty upn' say dat dey sorter gin
a blowout, en- DIV got wui ter ole man Benier-
mum lam wien dey 'speected lin fer ter be on
nan. wen de tine done come fer Mr. Renter
mum Ram Ter tOstart, de win blow cole en- de
cloud gun ter sprad out cross. de elements
no matter fer dat; ole man Ben)ermun Ran tuck
down his waikiki cane. he did. en- tie up his fil-
die in bag, en- sot out fer Miss Meadows. He
thunk ne Know de way. but hit beck on gittin'
col er en- cofer, IN mo- cloudy. twel bimeby fus'
news you knOw,0le Mr.. Benjermun Ram done
lose de way. Eff he'd er KEEP on down de
pig road rum detart, it mouter er ben difflnt,
put ne tuck nigh-cat, en- he amt git
fur 10 he done os' sho' 'nuf. He go dis away,
en- ne go dat away, en- he go de yuther way
ylt all de same h wuz done los Some folks
would er sOt rigt fiat down whar dey wuz en-
study out de way but ole man Benjermun Ram
amt got wrinkle On his hawn fer nOthin', kase
ne done got de nSqae er ole Billy Hartlhead long
TO dat. Den a'yan. some folks would er stop
right still In der tacks en- boiler en- bawl fer ter
see II dey can't rtnse up some er de neigfbors
but ole MIR. Benjemun Ram, he des stick his jowl
IN de WIN, he id, en- he march right on DIES
Hactly IKE he tnOw he amt gwine de wrong
way. He keep a. but twa'n't long TO he gun
ter feel right lonesome, mo- speshually wen hit
come up in his MIN how Miss Meadows en- de
gals en- all de cenpny be bleeged fer ter do de
bes dey kin wido1 any fiddln': en- hit kinder
make his marrer git cole wen he study bout
how he gotter slep out dar in de- wonds by his
SELF.
Yit, all de sane, he keep on twel de dark
gun ter drap down. en- den he keep on STILL en-
Dline-by he come or a little rise whar day wuZ a
ciay-gail. Wen he git dar he stop en- look
roun, ne did, en- way off down in de hOer dar
ne see light slnin', en- wen he see dis, ole
man Benierlnun hm tux mis- foot in his ham en-
make his way tods it des like it de vey place
wat he ben huntif 'Twa'n't long 10 he come
ter de house wharae light is, en-. bless Won soul.
he don make no ones er knockin'. Den some
body hOller out
'''Who dat?'
I'm Nj. BenjTnun Ram en- done lose de
way. en- come feEter AK eff you can't take me in
fer de night seze.
In common" ontinued Uncle Remus ...ole
Mr. Benjermun lam wuz a mighty rough-en-
spoken somebody, but you better bleeye he talk
mOnst' us perlite ds time
Den some I'm on ter side or de do ak Mr..
Benjermun Ram tr ter walk right in, en- wild
dat he open de d. en- walk in en- make a bow
like 1ddin' folks Oes wen dey goes in comp'ny;
but he amt no sOner make his bow en- look
'roun twei he 'gan ter shake en- shiver like he
or Inn do
settin right dar b. de fer wus ole Brer w off wild
his tOofles shOwif up all wife en- shiny like dey
WIZ bran new. Eff old Mr.. Benjermun Ram
amt bin so ole or stiff boun' you he'd er broke
en- run, but mos 'fOhe had time fer ter study
bout gittin' way. ole Brer Wolf done bin jumD
up en- shet de do en- assen FER wild a great big
chain. Old Mr.. Beermun Ram, he know he in
fer't, en- he tuck'n put on a bor face ez he kin,
but he des nat'ally hone fer ter be los in de
woods some mo- Den he make 'n'er low bow,
en- he hope Brer Wdf en- all his folks is well, en-
den he say sezee dat ne des drap in fer ter
won hisse'f en- 'quie Nv de way ter Miss Mead
ows', en- ef Brer Won be SO good ez ter set i'm
in de road agin, he 5e Off putty soon en- be much
'blige In de bargains.
SO Tooby sho', VI. RAM SEE Brer Wolf sezee,
w1les he lick his shops en- grin; 'des put yo
walkin' cane in de cOrnder over dar en- set yo
bag down on de flo en- make yo'sef at home
sezee. We amt gt much, sezee, but w at we
is got Is yOne wil6 you stays, EN- bOun' We'll
take good keer un you,' sezee; en- wild dat Brer
Wolf laugh en- show hts tOoties so bad dat ole
man Benjurmun Ram come mighty nigh havin
'n'er ager
''Den Brer Vol tuck'n' flung 'n'er lighter'd
knot on de ner, en den he slip inter de back
room, en-, presently, w'iles ole Mr.. Benjermun
Ram wuz settin' lar shakin' in his shoes, he year
Brer Wolf whisptn' ter his ole 'oman:
ole oman! id oman! Fling way yo' smoke
me0t-fresh met fer supper! Fling way yo'
smoke meat-frah meat fer support
''Den ole Miss Wolf she talk out loud. SO Mr..
Benjermun Ram kin year:
"'Tooby sho' I'll liz i'm some supper We er
way off yer in de woods, SO fur fun comp'ny dat
goodness knows I'm mighty glad fer ter see Mr.
Benjermun Ram
''Den Mr.. Benjermm Ram year ole Miss Wolf
whettin' 'er knife on q rock-shirrah! shirrah
shirrah!-en ever time he year de knife say shir-
rah he know he dat much higher de dinner-pot.
He know he can't git way, en- w'iles he settin'
dar studyin, hit come cross his min dat he des
mOut es well plsy ORB mo- chune on his fiddle
TO de wuss come ter de wuss. Wild dat he ontie
de bag en- take out de fiddle, en- gun ter chune
'er up-plink, plank, PUNK, pink! PUNK,
plank, pink, pluakT
Uncle Remus' imitation of the tuning of a
fiddle was marveOus enough to produce a start
ling effect upon amuch less enthusiastic listener
than the little boy. 1t was given in perfect
good faith, but tie serious expression on the
old mans cOuntemlce was so irresstibly comic
that the child laughed until the tears ran down
10 f.nNn TY,,,lo Damn