The Russellville Democrat., 1892-08-25
PLANTATION FABLES.--V
DEATH AND TIE NEGRO MAN.
BY yoKL cHAsDLKR HARRIS.
loagrrlel.ea. lsag. lsy lhs Author ]


 One day Uncle Remus was grind ing the axe with which he chopped kindling for the kitchen and the big house. The axe was very dull It was full of gaps, and the work of putting an edge on it was neither light nor agreeable. A negro boy turned the grindstone, and the little boy poured on water when water was needed.
 Eff dis yer ax wuz yard longer, it nd be a cross cut saw, en den ef we had de lumber we could saw it up en build us a house, said the old man.
 The negro boy rolled his eyes and giggled, seeing which Uncle Remus bore so heavily on the axe that the griEdstone could hardly be turned. The negro boy ceased giggling, but he continued to roll his eyes
 Turn it, exclaimed the old man. Turn it. Elf you don't turn 1t I'll make you stan dar plum twel night gwine thoo de mo- tions. I'll make you do like de nigger man done when he got tired CT work
 The old man stopped talking, but the grinding went on. After a while the little boy asked:
 What did the man do when he got tired of workf"
 fDat's q tale, honey, en tellin tales is playin' y replied Uncle Re- mus. He wiped the blade of the axe on the palm of his hand and tried the edge with his thumb. "She won't shave" he said, by way of comment, but I speck it Il do ter knock out kindlin' Yit ef had de time I'd like ter stan here en see how long dish yer trihin' vilyun would roll dem eyes at me. "
 In little while the axe was sup posed to be sharp enough, and then, dismissing the negro boy, Uncle Remus seated himself on one end of the frame that supported the grind stone, wiped his forehead on his coat sleeve, and proceeded to en- joy what he called breathing spell.
 Dat CT nigger man you hear me talk about" he remarked, "wuz a gittin sorter ol en be got so he ain i want ter work no how you kin fix 1t. When folks hangs back fun work what dey bin sent ter do, hit naehaliy makes bad matters wuss, en dat de way 'twuz wid dish yer nigger man. He helt back en he hung back, en de white folks got fretted wid i'm en sot i'm a task. Gentlemans, dat nigger wuz mad. He wuz one CT deze yer Affriky nig gers, GU you know how dey is bow legged en bad tempered. He quoiled en he quoiled when he 'uz by his own lone self en he quoiled when he us wid tudder folks.
 He got so mad dat he say he hope ole Gran sir Death Il come take him of, en take his marster en de oyerseer long wid i'm. He talk so long en he talk so loud, dat de white folks hear what he say. Den de marster en de overseer make it up 'mongst deyse'f dat dey gwine ter play prank on dat nigger man.
 So den, one night, lettle alter midnight, he got i'm a white coun- terpane, he did, en wrop hisse'f in 1t, en den he cut two eye holes in pillar case, en drawed 1t down over his head en went down ter de house whar de nigger man stay. Nigger man ain't gone ter bed. He been fryin meat en smokin' ashcake, en he sot dar in de cheer, noddin' wid grease in his mouf en big hunk CT asheake in his han. De door wuz half way open en de fire burnin' low.
 "De marster walk in, he did, en sorter eler up his throat. Nigger man ain't wake up, Ef he make any movement, it luz ter clinch de ashcake a lettle tighter. Den de rnarster knock on de door, blim- blim-b -bEm Nigger sorter fling his head back, but 'twan't long fo' hit drapt furrerd agin, en he went on wid his noddin' like nottin' ain t happen. De marster knock some mo blam- blam- -blam Dis time de