The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-08-20

time, when all of us lived next door, on
! the other side of the spring, there was
/ a tremendous drought. l had been living a
| long time, but ] had never before seen
such long dry spell. Everybody was farm
! ing except myself. ana even / had planted
! a small garden.
well, tnere was a big rain about plant
ing time but after that came the drought,
and the hot weather with il. one month,
six weeks two months. ten weeks-anG still
no sign of rain. The cotton was all shrlV-
eled up, and the corn looked as If 1t would
catch a-fre. it was so dry; even the cow
peas turned yellow. Everything, was
parched. The creeks ran dry. and the
rivers got so low the mills had to stop.
remember that when Brother Bear tried to
carry me across the ferry his flatboat IAN
aground in the middle of the river and the
water low found We could wade
out.
"The drought got bad that everybody
was mplaining-everyb except mo
Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come
and sit on my front porch and do nothing
but complaint but / said nothing. l simply
smoked my pipe and shook my head, and
said nothing. They noticed this, after so
long a time, ard one day, while they were
sitting there complaining and declaring that
they were ruined, ] went in to get a drink
OF water. l came back gently and heard
them asking each other how il was that i
didn't join in their complaints. When ]
came out. Brother Wolf says, says he:
Brother Rabbit how are your craps?
remember he said craps
We'll, says [, my craps are middIing
good. They might be better, and they
might be worse. but l have no cause to
grUmble
"They looked at each other and then
Brother Bear asked If l had had any rain
at my house. None says /, to brag
about-a drizzle here and a drizzle there
but nothing 10 boast Of
They looked at each other in great sur
prise and then Brother Wolf spoke up
Brother Rabbit says he how can yoa
SeL q drlzEle ami the rest OF us not drop?'
well says l, some folks that know
me cal me the rainmaker They may be
nSht. They may be wrong. I'm not going
10 squapDie about II. You can call me what
you please. l Shall not dispute with you
PRESENTLY they Went away out il WASH
long before they came back, bringing with
them all the neighDors Tor miles around
They gathered in the porch and In the
yaru anu outside the safe and, begged me, if
1 was a ralnmaker to make il rain there
and then to save their crops They begged
me ana begged me, but l sat cross-legged
and smoked my pipe-this same pipe you
see here. Brother Fox who had done me
many a mean trick Though he was always
Wen paid for it, got on his knees and beg
Sed me TO make it rain for them.
FINALLY I told them that I'd make it rain
for the whole settlement on two conditions.
The first condition was that every one was
to pay toll.
" Toll is the pay the miller takes out al
the mill remarked Buster John.
Yes replied Mr.. Rabbit. ''you take your
turn of meal to the mill and the miller takes
his payment of the meal. Well, told them
they'd have to pay toll. They agreed 10
that, and then asked what else they'd lave
40 m | cqid we'd attend N thing
at n time. First let the toll be paid.
''rhey went off, and i'm due time they came
back. Some brought corn and some brought
meal; some brought wheat and some
brought flour; some brought milk and some
brought butter; some brought honey in the
clean, and some brought honey in the .'omb;
some brought one thing and some brought
another, but they all brought som thing.
Then they gathered around and asked
what else they had to do. Wen. says l.
you certainly act as Il you wanted rain
all of yOu-thcre'S no disputing that. You
have paid tn toll according to agreement.
You have surely earned the rain, and how
there's nothing for me to do bat TO End out
how much rain you want
with that they all began to talk at once
especially Brother Bear, who liv Il in the
upland district, where the drought had Leen
the worst, but l put end to that at 3nce.
"'Hold on there! says |, Just wait,
Don't get into any dispute around here. You
are on my grounds and at my house. Let's
have squabbling. I'm not feeling so
mighty well, anyhow, and the least fl IS
will b. enough to upset me. But the world
is wide Just go yonder hill ana fix up
the whole matter to suit yourselves. Just
come to some agreement as to how much
rain you want and as soon as you agree
send me word, and then go home and hoist
your parasols for there'H surely be sprin-
kle
We'll" Mr. Rabbit continued, this was
such a sensible plan that they couldn't help
but agree TO il, and pres -ntly they all went
to the hill and began to talk the matter
over, while l went into the house.
This was in the morning. Well, dinner
time came, but still nc word had come fl ON