The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-06-20
THE IDLE CHILLUN."
The African Tells a Story and Shapes
 Moral to Suit Himself.

"Uncle Ike" said young Mulkittle, ap- preaching the old man who sat under the shade of a tree, "i have been bringin' you meat an bread an every thing for d long time, but l don't believe you ever would tell me story if didn't give you something"
 "Look heah, chile, yer's gestin' too sharp an servant fur CT youth O de lan' Whut do de bible tell yer2 Tells yer not to question de acks O CT all chillun O lzrel. l'se a chillun O lzrel, so yer better look out. Klamity allus ready ter drap on CT chile dat tries ter pry erroun' so much"
 ain't tryin' to pry around"
 Yes, yer is, yes yer is. Spyin' roun' me all de time. Oats de way de chillun done de ole prophet but CT klamity wuz hangin' roun' ready ter drap an it trapped, too. De she bars wuz tickled almos' ter death when de ole man say. come on heah an hep yerselfs ter desc heah pryis' chillun.' So yer better look out an not tamper wid me-"
 "Uncle Ike, you uster be good but now you are as mean as you can be-"
 " l ain't so sich O CT blame thing, sah. |. Keep on, keep an CT putin yer essermate on CT ole chillun O l1rel an de k'lamity will drap like CT brick-bat outen de cloud. kuowd CT awful putty white chile onct dat WIZ allus tamperin' wid an 'cuzin' CT ole chillun O Izrel. He had been CT monstrous good chile an had gin de ole chillun CT good deal O suthin' ter eat, but he fell of from de grace an want no longer CT good pusson. De ole chill lun 'monstrated wid him-'monstrated is gogafy, honey. Nobody but wise men an edycate pussons uses dat word; yas, he 'monstrated wid de chile, but de chile wouldn' come ter taw. One day arter de boy had been tamperin' wid de ole chil- lun he went down ter de creek ter ketch Ash. Putty soon he got CT bite. Nibble, nibbie. Den he jeIked an hauled out CT great big eel, almos' CT long e CT fence rail. De boy wuz powerful glad he had kotch sich CT fine eel, but jes' ez he wuz bout ter take him of de hook, de eel he flop up, spit out de hook am wrapped hissef roun' de boy. De boy want much skeered an wuz sorter tickled at fust, but he soon foun' dat he couldn' git de eel of He tugged an tugged, but 'twan't no use. He tried ter set down but he couldn't. De eel wouldn't let him bend his laigs. Den de misery bergun. Er bout three fut O de cells tail hung loose an wid dat awful insterment he gunter larrup dat boy. An, Lawd, how he did whuP him. De hcy hollered an hollered, but 1t want no use, fur de eel kep' on CT whuppin'. De boy struck CT trot-"
 @ How could he trot, Uncle Ike, if he couldn't bend his legs ?"
 "Huh l" said the old man, with look of disgust.
 "H Hew could he bend his legs when the eel was wrapped all around himT
 "Dat wuz dc cells lookout. Doan yer bodder dat head O your'n bout whut dat eel done. He knowed his business, l thankee. sah. He want no slouch, lem me tell yer. He unwoun' hissef CT little so de boy could run, an' de Lawd, how he did larrup dat white chile. Ter whup, ter whup; ter whup, ter whup-heah da went, bookety, bookety, ober de logs den out inter de road. De boy he hollered an he ciied, but 'twan't no use, tell yer, not CT blame bit O use. De boys daddy heahed him CT hcllesin' an pitched out ter see whut wuz de matter. He seed de boy runnin' an tried ter kesch him but couldn' do it. Larrup, larrup, an de boy come CT runnin'. Arter CT while de ole chillun-whut knowd all de time whut wuz gwine on-stepped outen de woods and 'sciaimed:
 Eel's ia de creek an' snakes in de hoiler
 log
 Judy rock de baby an' kiver up de pan, Puppy's in de ce'n trof CT snappin' at de
 yailer dog,
 Judy rock de baby jes' CT easy CT yer can.'
 "When de eel heard dat prockerma- ton, he unvoun' hisse'f an tuck CT shot cut fur de creek. De boy wur hut pow erful bad an all ober him he had raised up marks like de ridges on CT sweet per- taser. Bet yer life, azter dat de chile