Evening star., 1899-04-15

never had OF Remus to tell it; but dar is
| dat OF A'on, an OF Fountain, an Big Sal
| what dey been doin' all dis time eff dey
amt never tor you dat tale? Eff dey amt
| got sense nuff fer to tell you all de tales
| dey Is gwine, you better sic de dogs on um
| an run um off de place-ef you got any
| dogs lef'."
| well. they don't tell us any tales" said
Buster John truly enough. "Old Aunt
| Free Polly used to tell some; but that $
| been SO long ago that we've forgotten
| them. You ought not to have said amy
| thing about a tale if you didn't want to
| tell it,
| Aunt A1inervy Ann looked at the child
| and laughed. ''Heyo, here!" she ex-
| claimed; ''ef dey's gwine ter be any swell
| In up an gittin' mad, I'll tell de tale and
git way fun here des quick ez l kin.
amt come ter dis place fer ter git in no
| fuss"
The children composed themselves COM
| fortaby on the dead grass and Aunt Min
ervy Ann told this story of Brother Rab-
| bit and the COOLERS.
Way back yonder,'' said Aunt Ninervy
| Ann, relying her head handkerchief, "de
| times wild de creeturs wuz mighty much
| like dey is wild folks now, speshually we-all
up dar at de Perdue plantation. Dey wuz
hard times. l disremember whedder dey
had been a war and de army sweep long
| or whedder dey wuz a dry drouth. Dey
amt much diffunce when craps fail.
Well anyhow de times wuz mighty
hard Vittles wuz skacer dan hens tushes,
an dem what had it, hid it. An eff dey
amt hide it. dey stayed mighty close by
| 1t. OF Brer Rabbit wuZ in jest ez bad fix
] ez any un uIn, eff not wuss. Slick ez he
wuz he want slick huff fer ter git sump'n
| ter eat whar dey want none. De calamus
patch gun out, all de saplin's had been
! barked higher up dan Brer Rabbit kin
| reach, der tater patches empty, an
| de pea vines wuZ dry huff fer TO ketch fire
| widout any hep.
! so dar twuz. Like de common run er
| po' white folks, Brer Rabbit had a big
| family. De young uns wuz constant a-cry-
| in, Daddy! Daddy! fetch me sump'n ter
| eatp An OF Mis- Rabbit wuz dribblin' at
| de mouf she wuz dat hongry.
"OP Brer Rabbit WIZ so mad kaze he
can't git no vittles nowhar and nohow. dat
| he kicked a cheer cross de room wild his
| him foot and skeered de young uns so dat
! dey tipped under de bed, an dar they
stayed twel der daddy wuz out er sight an
| hearin'.
| "Brer Rabbit knowed mighty well dat
| 'twain't gwine ter do fer him ter be settin
| 'roun' de house wild de family dat hongry
dat dey can't skacely stan lone. So he
| comb his hair, an brush his hat an put
| on his mftts fer ter keep de sun frun
| frecklin' his hams, an tuck down his walk
| In cane, an put out down de road fer ten
see what he kin see, an hear what he kin
! hear
AT this point the children laughed Sweet.
est Susan convulsively, and Buster John
more sedately, but still heartily. Aunt
Minervy Ann paused and regarded them
with grave and inquiring eyes
| What de matter now?" she asked sol
| emnly. At this the children laughed louder
| than ever. Welt. she cried "ef YOU
gwine ter have conniption fits, I'll wait
| twell dey pass off,
| why, | was laughing because YOU said
| Brother Rabbit put on his mits to keep his
hands from freckling,'' explained Buster
| John; and Sweetest Susan. when she could
catch her breath, declared that she was
| laughing for the same reason.
| 'You-all must be mighty ticklish., re-
| marked Aunt Mnervy Ann, plucking at the
| dead grass. Il amt see nothin' funny in
dat You nee'n't think dat rabbits is like
| dey uster be. Dey done had der day. .Jr
| dem times dey growed big and had lots er
sense, an dey WIZ mighty keerful wild
| deyself But dey done had der day. Folks
come long and tuck der place. an since
den dey done dwindle way tweI dey AIM
nothin' mo- dan runts. an skaceiy dat
| Folks holdin de groun' now, but how long
! they gwine ter hor it? How Ions
| fo' sumpin elsel come long an take folks
| place? De time may be short er it NAV he
| long. but it'll come-you min what 7 tell
| you; an when 1t do come folks'u dwjndle
way and git ter be runts des like de cree.