The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-08-07
How Uncle Abe, Of Alabama, KecOT.
cred His Pullets

''De circumventions and de cir.
COMMUNICATIONS of dis here plisint
genration am pas my compre-
tensions" exclaimed old Abe as he
entered his cabin and held up for in
spection chicken partly denuded Of
its feathers.
"Call dem wurds ober agin, daddie,"
said young Jake, throwing his hand be-
hind his ear as if very suddenly afflicted
with deafness.
"Whar's yer larning, boy?" testify
replied the old man. "You'se dun bin
tending dat skule desc pas two years
and it pears like as how you aint larnt
nuting but i'll manners, you young var
mint.
''Woll. dad" coolly retorted the
youngster, 81 is de brag scholar of dat
skule, but it strikes me dat dem jaw
smashers what you jist mentioned amt
no whar in my dicturhary, but you was
eddicated long afore was born and
dem words may be fus-class spressions,
so faint no use to take teller up so
short like"
"Hole yer tongue, jake" COM
manded old Rachel, ''and let your
daddie tell us as how he dun got ses-
sion OBJ dat pullet what dun bin gone
desc hull two days"
"Wall," began the old man, 81 hab
my 'spicions bout dis here chicken,
but l amt say much. jis' lie low and
watch de case. Thinks /, Brudder Dick
bin powerful han on de stealing
question, and / don't see as how his
'ligion dun prove him any, so l jis'
keep my eye on his motions. Jis' now,
as was a passing his house, hear a
mighty singing and patting OBJ be feet,
like Brudder Dick feel monstrous
happy. Den peeps fro de crack and
dar, bress God, l seed de old sinner jis'
a taring de feders outen dat pullet.
Den walked back few steps and sot
up singing, too; and when l gets to
his house / hollers out: 'Brudder
Dick, is you darP'
'Den he answers up, skeert-like, Use
here, Brudder Abe. What's yer
pledger?'
"'Pse cunning in to sit awhile says
1, and l shuffies about like dere is q
powerful site O. mud on my feet, kase I
was boun' fer to hab leetle fun, and
wanted to glib de ole man time to hide
de pullet.
"When I goes in, Brudder Dick was
jes' shoven basket of fedders under
de bed. 'Hab q cheer, brudder,' saws
he, powerful perlite, Use sure glad fur
ter see yer. Bring dat cheer higher to
dc fiah.'
''Den we talks and talks, and while
1ank 7so1r11 I roo- ,aiooo oh aok
pullet sticking outer his pocket"
'Brudder Dick says 'dus you carry
rabbit foot for good luck?' And gin a
grab fur de chicken; but no, bress de
Lord, the ole man too peart fur ME and
he clap he hand on his pocket and he
holler out: Don't tech my rabbit foot,
kase you spile all my luck!'
''Dat's de truff, say [; den l sot to
thinking how l was gwine to get dat
pullet outen dat pocket.
''Arter awhile says I: 'Brudder
Dick, Use dun los dat fine Plymouth
Rock pullet what | sot so much store
by
"'You amt tell me so, he plies, in
nercent like as dove; how dot dun
happen, brudder!'
81 can't in no wise tell, says !, but
L bress de niggah what eats dat
chicken. kase dun put de ebil spell on
it, and it is conjured elar to de back
bone. l is shure seen dat pullet afore
now stan on its head and walk on its
tail.
"'You amt say so, he 'sclaims, and
his eyes look Ike dey wus gwine to pop
outen his head, and see him hitch
back his coat like he wus skeert fur de
pocket to touch him. links l, ole man,
you'se all right now, and l tells him
good night and leabs.
''Den l hides ahind a tree fur to see
what he gwine fur to donext' ,and bime-
by he Gums to de door and peep OUT
he amt see nobody and he gin run
and flung de chicken inter my yard.
Den hear hesay to hisself: If dat dere
chicken is coniured | is dun fixed up ole
man Abe's dog, kase Cash is boun'
fur to eat it afore mornin'.' Den he
slips in de house and gifts to dat pullet
in a hurry, and here it is now ready fur
de cooking, old oman. Ha! ha! hai''
laughed the negro, ''I is cunning as q
coon; it is hard to kotch up wild dis
niggah.
you're right dar," acquiesced his
wife, while young Jake, with a know
ing grin, quietly asked: "Daddie, amt
dis here de little speckled chicken you
made me run down and kotch dat Sun
day Miss Amy and de boss dun been
gone to churchp'
"Hole yer tongue, you meddlesome
young rascal, you is so chock full of
bigotness and circumwentions you is
mighty nigh unsportable. Desc here
children what am dun bin brung up
since slabery times is gotten clar outen
my comprehension"
Il is kotch up wild de facts Of dis
ting" muttered old Dick, who had
slipped in Abe's yard to see what effect
the coniured pullet would have on Cash.
He hearing the old man talking, had
peeped through the crack and seen
how cunningly he had been cheated out
of his chicken supper.
."Tll git eben wild de ole coon yit, -
nc mentally calculated, and spying .
stray chicken roosting near, he dex-
trously transferred it to his capacious
pocket without any outcry from the
feathery prisoner, and he gleefully