The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-12
THE LAST DAYS OF "BRER RABBIT"


mails used to talk together a long time ago, and
in the stories 'Brer Rabbit always comes out
ahead of the other animals; did you ever hear
any stories of that kind!7
Law, honey" said Aunt Dinah, as she sprin-
killed. another handful of raisins into the mince-
meat which she was mixing, Il done h'yeard
mo- stories NV dat kin dan you got
fingers an toes an years in yo'
whole life. I h'yeard yo NANNY
readin' bout dem brash k'yarryin's-on NV Mr..
Rabbit sev'al times lately throo de dinin,room
do, and a-lissenin' so closte yistiddy ~mawnin,
stidder tendin' to my ps an q's, wuz de ve'y cause
NV my breakin' yo' mammy's china waste, wen 1
wuz a-dustin' so keerless-ike wild my hans an
alissenin' so keerful wild my eahs an mouf wide
open" said the sable goddess of the culinary de-
p%artment as she gave herself a deprecatory re
buke in her impatient tone of voice.
Mamma was mad, said the little boy; 'but
did the rabbit never get caughtp
60 way from here, honey, an doan worrit me
wen Ise gittin' dinnah, an wen all my wuk's done,
an l gin to heel de ole mans sock, I'll tell you
de slap-bangist best comeuppin's dat ole man
Rabbit come long side NV dat he evan got in his
bawn days, an it wuz de EN- NV him dat time,
sho'," and Aunt Dinah chuckled in great glee in
remembrance of the justice meted out to "Brer
Rabbit"
The little boy hung around a little while lon
ger, and then ran out for a few more slides on
the hill to make the time pass rapidly.
After the kitchen was put to rights, and Aunt
Dinah had drawn her chair up by the window,
and had adjusted her spectacles and her knitting
sheath, the child came into the kitchen in an I'M
usually quiet manner, and drawing a chair
close to Aunt Dinah, awaited her pleasure in
silence.
Without looking up, the old woman continued
to hum a tune in a kind of whistling whisper,
until the child coughed to attract her attention.
"1'clar to erasmus, honey, you tuck me on
sprise; you amt banged de do, nor gin it a kick
after you got in, nor upset nuthin', an Use
monstus feared suthin's gwine to happen to you,
dat [ is" said she with well-feigned astonish-
ment.
Il thought you might be thinking up the rab-
bit story, and l didn't want to spoil your
thoughts, said the child considerably.
II wuz sorter w'is1in' long TO de chune dat
Mr.. Rabbit halter dance at las, an
I'll tun in an gin you a zample NV de music
wiles I'm busy wild my knittin', let alones dat l
KANT tell a story as smoove an quick as ole
man Remus, by IA long shot.
Hits de Lords trufe dat ole man Rabbit
done ben a mighty smoove eiterZen, but hits a
long lane wat amt got no fence conders to tun
fOun III, an all Ue cfeeINelS done EOu0 QlS OUT
after dey bin n'glectin' dere fam1ys an disfud-
din dere mines and wearin' out dere strenk wild
persooin' after Mr.. Rabbit so long, witch make
i'm git so biggity long NV his own cuteness dat
he git monstus stuck up.
HE done fool Kunnel Man outen
seval messes O. green's; he wuz de
means NV tJedge Bar losin' his
fine. long tail in a game nv smickem-s moove; he
ct up Miss Tukky Buzzud; he intfered wld all
de social doins NV de neighborhoOd; he cut Cap'n
Fox outen King Deer's daughter; he shoe some
mighty fine chances Nv marryin' away from Miss
Meadows an de gals, besides a sight NV yuther
devilment; an he got dat dizzy wild de suekcess
NV his pranks dat he got Tightly in his mine, an
gun to undrate de natschul smahtness NV all his
'quaintances, JUS fur all de wor' like some folks
does"
The little boy laughed uproariously at the re-
capitulation of "Brer Rabbits tricks, so famil-
lar to him, and Aunt Dinah made her
needles fairly fly back and forth
across her knitting in her earnestness.
she went on dis way continued the narrator,
'icordin' to his custom of mishaveishness: till
he got a perlite s'fciency NV fun, an den he gun
to ten to his own business fur de lone sakes NV
de var'usness, an de yuther animals kind O guy
i'm up as a bad case, wich dey's glad TO let
alone.
Here the old woman scratched her head with
the end of a knitting needle, and gazed out at the
window with a PARKWAY look on her face.
Hit pears to me" she continued, refiectively,
las we'll as my 'membrance serves me, dat Mr..
Mink wuz one NV desc say-nothin' fellahs dat
didn't take much intruss in de fairs NV nobody,
an helt hissef alufe widout lowin'a any familyus-
ness. Hit happen one day dat Mr.. Mink wuz
windin' long de road, wen who should
he come up wild, b%eceppin' old
Capin Fox. Dey make de com
plerments NV de day wild one yuther, an den
Cap'n Fox gun to gossip bout de fairs NV de
neighborhood, mungs wieh he mention de name
NV Mr.. Rabbit.
Mr.. Mink he cas- his eyes on de groun' an
rub his hams togedder in a bashful sort O way,
an Jpn say dat he ain'tcote Mr.. Rabbits quaint
ance ner his il-wiQ needer, but thinkin' on de
way he done trick de whole settlement, as a
mattah of Scientific %jestice he'd like to see m
brot back to de pit w'ence he wuz dug up
"Capn Fox make anser dat dat wuz de mag
nan'mus 'spreshun NV de feelin's NV de whole
neighborhood, but how in de name NV erasmus is
dey gwine to bring Mr.. Rabbit down a peg or
twol"
Mr.. Mink he say: Else 'spectin
| a cousin NV mine to make me a visit in q few
days seze, an low dat he's de very man watts
come down from de times Nv ole Noah fur de
lone puppus to hol Mr.. Rabbit level"
Mr.. Mink say all dis mighty humblyfed,
cause he member dat one NV his relashuns,
little Waffle Weasel, done trick all de animals be-
ceppin' Brer Rabbit, long time ago, an he anx-
ious to git de family strannin' back.
Capn Fox Jpn make duration watts his name,
and Mr.. Mink ply dat its Cousin Ferret, and de
Cap'n ak Wen he. be hyer, an Mr.. Mink say
he's lookin' out fur i'm 'mediately.
an wen he git his trunk onpack, an de
dus' ofrn his close, and his face an hans wash
he'll lay de mattah fo' his mine an let 'em all
know bout his 'cision. Wild dat dey pass some
wuds bout de GOODNESS NV de wedder. an go dey
own roads. Capin Fox skurry roun' an kyarry
de news all over de settlement dat dey's gwine
to be a mass meetin' dat evenin' wiles Mr.. Rab-
bits gon to town, to csider NY de bes' intruSs NV
de whole community. Sho' huff, after de sup
per dishes all wash'd, dey all 'ssemble at Capin'
Fox's house, and in come Mr.. Mink wild a puny-
lookip' slim creetyer at his side, wich he inter
duce as Mr.. Ferret.
After de meetin' was called to order by Judge
Bar and its puppus laid fo' dey ais, dey p'rambIe
an 'dissolute dat de time done rive
fur a change, an dat dat raskle Mr.. Rabbit got
ter be tuned out, sho'.
After dat a pefsnittee wuz 'pinted to skort Mr..
Ferret to de platoon, an he dress his fellah-cit-
GREENS jus like de pollytishuns do desc days.
He tole 'em dey1l halter gin him time to ten
to de case, an after a few mo- 'couragin' wuds.