Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-18
At the Big House.
Why the Htmouse Has a Blunt
Tongue

| Copyright 1904, by the Bobbs- Merrill Company
The children sat perfectly quiet after Aunt
| 'Phrony had finished telling them about how
Mr.. Hare lost his horns, for they remem-
| bered that they had promised not to pes
| ter" for more. But the story teller was in
an amiable mood, and. without solicitation.
| went on to relate another tale, in which
| Mr.. Hare figured again.
"Onct," she said, "or Hyar' wuz Twin
| way off in de mountains, so high up dat he
| cu'd look out over de kyountry an see evy
! thing an know jes' 'zackly wen anything
wuz gwine on. Evy time he seed a big
| smoke he knowed a fire bin built an dat
| sumpn er nu'rr wuz in de wind. so he I'D
| jes' light out fer de place, an Wen he git
dar he alluz start up some trouble er ru RI.
"One time dar wuz a heap err sickness
mongs de people. an so dey went ter wuk
an had a medincin -darnse."
The little folks wanted to know what a
| medicine dance might be.
"Oh, honeys!' Aunt 'Phrony exclaimed,
Il tell you medincin darnse wuz one big
time, dat hit wuz! My daddy done toll me
all bout hit. Dey mos in gtn'ly hilt de
darnse in de fall, dem Injun folks. but some
times 'twuz in de spring, an er dar wuz
any desc yer ketchin' diseases 'roun, dey
htlt hit mos any time ter keep Off de sick
! ness. My daddys people blieve ev'ything
dat grows got some use in sickness. Dey
SEES dat long, long time ago de anermuels
got toge'rr an made up der minis dat dar
WuZ 100 MANY mems III Oe "Ofl So Oey pulS
der haids togerr and got up a pow'ful lot er
diseases fer ter kill off de people. Den all
de CROWN things, W en- dey got de news er
dis, dey ses, Veal is de frens er men, we
gwine gin EN- W at he p we kin in dis mar
ter So each er de trees an de bushes an
de YARDS an de grasses an de MOSES dey
| greed ter gin a kyore fer some one'r de dis
eases de anermuels done brung pun de peo-
pie. An de people got so dat dey knowed
bout desc kyores, an dat huCcOme dey
have de medincin darnse.
Il done toll you 'twus a mighty big time.
De medincin' men de'd Carr de YARDS an
git de medincin raidy, an den de leader
he'd git up an sing stump n at de res er de
medincin' men, an den dey'd 'spon' back at
i'm wild some mo singin. Dey'd keep hit
up dat-a-way a vile an den de darnse wuz
hllt. An all de time hit wuz gwine on de
people WIZ drnkin de medincin'. Hit wuz
pass roun to EN- wild seven dippers in each
mess er de medincin', an ev'y pusson
bleeged ter teck some. Dey KEEP de darnse
up TO days, an de foth day dey halter go
wdout eatin' all day long. W'ensomuver
dey have de medincin' -darnse dey alluz fol-
Ter hit up wild de eagle-darnse. an de pigeon
darnse, an each I'm EN- las TO days. In de
eagle-darnse dey use de eaglefedders an
daddy say 'twuz a fine sight all dem eagle
fedders. each un EN- tip off wild Ill bit er
fur fun de deer's tail. Dem wuz gran
times, l tell you!
well, 1 done toll you dar wuz a lot er
sickness and de people wuz holdin one'r
dem medincin' darnSes, an oil Hyar' Off up
IN dc mountains see Uc SlHOhe SI ue llIeS
an come down ter jine in de fun. Wen he
fin out bout de sickness, hit come inter his
min ter play doctah, SO he go roun' saying
he Wuz a greet medincin man an AKIN
folks ter putt out der tongues. He'd say,
Come yer. sub, an putt out yo tongue, fur
z you kin, don be shame err de lenk NV
hit, tain ev'ybdy got sech good swollerer
ez dat Den he'd come a Ill closter an
teck de tongue in his han an say, 'Sho!
sho! yo' tongue mighty coated, sub. Pears
lax yo' stummick KANT be Wu'kkin lax she
orter; lessee bout dis Wild dat he'd gin de
tongue a snatch dat pull her clean out by
de roots. He kilt two er thee puSsons dat
away an den tucken hissef off an hid in
de big mountains whar dey KANT fin him.
de people dey wuz plumb outdone, so dey
hilt kyouncil an mex up der minis dey
wuZ gwine ketch i'm an fix him so st de
fus' thing he knowed he DON know muffin.
Dey say, De bes' way ter git I'm down FUN
de mountains be ter build a fire., SO dey all
got togerr an built monstou big fire,
fus' lightwood an den bresh an den logs,
an dey KEEP pilin' her up an pilin' her up
'twel you cu'd see de light fer miles. Dat
fetched i'm. But he wuZ too smart an too
skittish not ter know dey wuZ iayin fer i'm,
so he tucken his medjures 'cordin'. He
have de power ter turn hissef inter mos
anything he wanter, so he jes tucken de
shape up bar an come scrunchin' long
an squat down by de fire. De people wuz
hid off in de bresh wild der bows an arrers,
but W en- dey see 'twan't muffin but bar
dey ses, We ain have no qu'oil wild Mistah
h ar. JeS we let MIN lone an save OW
arrers fer dat mis'able OF Hyar'.' So dey
done dat an Hyar' he sot dar an sot dar
sort er DARN 'em ter come on, but dey ain
'spicion nuttin an after vile he got tired
an moseyed long back ter de mountains
leavin' EN- settin' dar watchin' an layin'
fer i'm.
"Dey KEEP on buldin' fires an he kept on
comm an settin' by EN- fus' in one shape
an den in anu'rr 'twel las de people gun
ter see thu de dodge an dey ses, We'll, sub,
de fool-killer orter come long yer an tend
ter veal. we sut'ny has ac lax plumb
Tits lettin' dat or rapscallion come yer
night after night an set by de fire an WON
hssef an do-lall de own de place. We ain
got no sense t all er we'd knowed 'twan't
boldly else in de worF. boun' you he bin
havin' "a good laugh bout us wild ne nabers
Wen he got home. 'Twont do fer let dis
run on no longer. fer eff we does he sho' ter
git we-all into hot water somehow er nu'rr
dis is jes ter set back in de bresh an let
hisse'f by dat fire. We mus jes s'roun' de
fire an let de arrers zip him FUN ev'y side.'
Den dey went ter wuk an Sont noration
all thu de kyountry dat evy pusson whar
kin hannle bow an arrer mus come ter
de meetin dat night, even de lii boys wuz
ter jine in. All dat day de men an de boys
wuz keepin der hans in, shootin' at marks,
an de wimminS an de chillen WIZ bringin'
de bresh an de wood an piin' hit high fer
de fire. Soon ez 'twuZ dark dey lit er, an