Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-19
OLD zCK HUMMIDY
A PLANTATION LEGEND THAT UNCLE REMUs
R{D NOT GET
BY,sAW Pamela
Written Exclusiveis for The Evening Star.

|
/ Old Augusts mAs back, as I was sure he
would be, for besides being old and lame,
had, heard that he was not welcome
among his married children. So We built
him tiny cabin in a corner of the yard,
and here he is. surely settled for lite
| as the blossoms come and go on the orange
trees in front of his door.
His oddly bent figure, his snow-white
wool and plantation dialect, have had from
the first a fascination for my little johnnie.
| Today Johnnie has 1ventured into the old
mans cabin, and is interested in the roast
ing of some sweet potatoes in the ashes.
Johnnie plays in the ashes with a stick for
some time before the old man perceives 1T.
Now, ILL boy. you dess come out dem
ashes. Look t dat blue-navy suit you
nanny done fix up TO school, Res O. dem
school-schollars IL be CALM you ash-cat;
en- how you gwine lax dat?'
whats an ash-cat, Uncle August?'
"Him's err po' w'ite trash wat bin raise
up in de hath Mos inginerly dey's no-ac-
count. But Ise tell de truf; dey do tu'n
out smart sometimes
Johnnie.
Know UNI? Does 1 know anybody?
know plenty ash-cats. Ill marser."
The child pondered awhile, and then said:
|
If you know stories. why don't you tell
en- like Uncle Remus?"
The mention of that magic name is to
| August the touching of a wound to the
| very quick His shriveled lips CULVER with
| jealousy.
You call dem stories? I done know all
un um-rar-baby, en- Bier Fox. en- Der
| Rabbit, en- Bier Tarrypin-fo Remus was
Dawn. Dcy is OIL. dey is. My g'andaddy
tell UNI t me, he g'andaddy tell um t.
him. en- dataway crar down t Adam"
Did Adam tell 'em to Cain and Abel?"
asks Johnnie. opening his eyes very wide.
wen, nit wus dishaway. Wen Cain en-
Abel Wus chilluns dey dldlen hah no urrer
boys t play wi; 50 wen dey got tired
t play wi Bier Rabbit en- Der Bar en-
Der Coon. Dass de way dey got dey fir
donation bout de beasses. Remus air
yere UNI all somer dc bes' ain got in de
PACK part o Remus' haid.''
Won't you tell me one? About the ash-
cat; says Johnnie anxiously
TN halter, dis time. You mussen come
boddrin' me too much. Dis storys bout
Zick Hummidy, dough Jack is in it."
JACK "us de ash-cat. He nanny wus
daid. en- he ganmammy raise UNI in de
asnes. Dey wus dreffie po; dess lax dem
po' crackers in de fiatwoods, wat you all
pase by gwineter chu'ch. De OF CONAN
wus err WITCH de bigges' in all dem flats
en- she rarn Jack cherry bitter her cunjur
JACK want noner yer mealy-mouf
chaps W at dunno muffin; he wus smart en-
iashus. Time he wus growed he know
heap mo- cupirn en- he g'anmammy.
one time da oil witch come in en- say:
ty-one: en- de OK Boy hisse'f cain Earn you
no mo- cunjUn.
So Jack come put en- put on he newes'
homespun, en- my, eff he want de pretties'
en- dandies' young Teller in dem flats De
OF CONAN. she walk 'roun' UNI Ell mex heap
O. 'miraton. ).
Yo Mey you ,a swne' Jeck? T. see dem
Not dis time in de mawnin' Fuss ting
1se gwine fQ lick Hummidy. He ain
gwine do much mo- meanness 'roun' we're
"Doan YOU be too biggty. Jack; oil Kick
Hummidy eat you up t mouffle."
t. GU neentsr be. skeered. kin outcunjur
OIL lick HummidH sezee," en- he struck out
TO lick Hummidy's bone yard. He know
he fin um dare, kase dey's wey he come t
eat dc people, attarr he ketch UNI. or Kick
bV sho ny Tys Wis ds ass too
| you would cut me down froo my nose en-
my wais' en- leave one laig en- one YARN.
In co'se, he ha' de side W at he heart beat
on. Dat wus de kiner man he wus; but
nobody eDer see UNI; big-bugs ner witches,
ner none. Dey dess know UNI by de feelin'
en- de hearin'. Jack wus de onlies' one
wat Farm -ez much cunjur ez him, let lone
mo-.
Wen Jack git t. de aidge O. de op'nin',
he oil lick Hummidy proguein roun' in
de bones t. fin some wild meat on UNI.
Jack aim mex up he min yit. how he
gwine 'sass'nate UNI. en- bein' fat en- sassy.
he sot out t ha' some fun wi UNI.
He tu'n hisse'f inter humble bee and fly
behime Kick Hummidy. en- tun back t
Jack dess long 'nough t say:
"Ah, you, lick Hummidy." En- t de bee
| ergin.
Zck Hummidy Jump 'roun' on he one
foot. en- look TO- dat sassy man. He ain
um-"bip!' on de jaw, en- fly erway. After
vile he go proguein roun de bones some
mo- en- fergit. bout it. Den de humble
| "Ah you Kick Hummidy''-en Is de bee
/ onct mo-.
lick Hummidy look back, en- dat same
humble bee-zip!-right on he half nose. en-
fly off.
Dis time he mex sho dat wus somebody;
dat ain no bee. He say he ain gwine be
fooled nurrer time He mex out he mighty
| busy wi de bones, but he doan do huff n
| but watch out de corner o he eye.
Jack ain mekkin no noise flynn up, en-
he doan' git too cloSt Wen he he's er bee,
en- say:
or lick Hummidy spin roun' en- dat
bumble-bee come-bop-on de back O he
skull, en- fly froo de woods.
He know now, somebody smartern him.
en- he mad s dat wet hen w at you nanny
duck yistiddy TO sett'n He say nobody
ain gwneter see him en- live. Dat urrer
wizard gotter die. He cotch err scrootch
owl out er graveyard tree, en- done he cum
,, jerment, en- fin out hit wus Jack. grow t
de bigges' wizard in dem flats He study
t en- study, en- study, en- he say:
Il git you, MI. ASh-cat. lou WATCH me
now
He turn hisse'f inter pretty young Missy
en- sa'nter pass Jacks do up en- down. wi
de pa'sol mos ez scrumptious ez yo1
NANNY wen she gwineter town.
Jack ain fooled. He kin tell lick Hum
mildly froo all dat liz wife skin en- lady
ways He study, en- study, en- study, Ell
seZee:
cat TO muffin"
So he walk out ez biggity ez B'er Rab-
bit eber did, en- bow monsous p'hte t de
ae hep 'er obeI de cross-ties lax he fought
she wus sho' 'nough young lady. Dey
went t. co'tin'. en- hits my pinyern dey
didden los no time ner vase much bref:
Hit wus Shoog one side. en- Hon turrer. TO-
| dew know it.f Det rock long dataway TO-
de longes kase bofe ub UNI wus skeered er
| turrer.
| he min he got Jack dess wey he want
UNI; en- vile dey out promenadin' de
young lady ak JACK cn IN do fE sr nn st
'er some simmons.