Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-21
At the Big House
How Mr.. Terrapin Lost His Plumage
and Whistle.


Well said Janey. as Aunt Phrony nm
fshed telling Of the loss Of Mr.. Terrapin s
beard ST saw a terrapin the other day, and
II didn't LOOT az tbo,,ob n euar had had a
,aaa = 1919. 4l,4 .. -. -,
oeaiu OF "atties' lhousht ~ was fea'
ugly.
Law. chill" answered the stOry-teller,
..you KANT tell wat one'r desc yer Greet
urs bir, In de times mas, les. nv lookin, at
,a,, 80, M. - -,
80 ,, oe uas Din eh VI man
larr PIN Wuz plumb harnsum. he done bin
trick out er mon jes his by'ud an wattles.
I kin tell you.,.
ooh ,,,easa do FOL, usp, Dried Ianav and
,,..,
little hit came ana leaned on her knees ana
looked up into her face and echoed u.s.
please to tell u.s.
Thus besiexed. Amt ,rbronv consented To
tell how the Terrapin lost his plumage and
his whistle.
II done tor YOU" said she. TAR pin wuz
onct a harnsum man, an dat de sho'-'nuff
trufe. fer he had nice. sof' fedders al, over
his body. an fine big. spreadin' tail. an.
his eyes wuz mighty bright an his voice
wuz a greet man in dem DAYS. 1 tell YOU
dat an his house wuz chock fun er all
sorts er fine fixin's. He had sof furs ter
set on an long strings er shells fer money.
pine quilts. an he had spears an bows an.
arrers an deer-hawns, an I dunno wat
all sidesen dat
"In dem days de Quail wuz a homely, no.
kyount creetur. Wild sca'cely any feeders.
speakin' NV He wuz po'. too. an nob,dy
tuck much notuss NV him, les call him dat
ar OF Bob White an. he go wannerin' up
an down de kyountry all by his lonesome
Zone day he come long pas Mistah Tarr'-
pins house. an he peek in thu de do, he
did, an wen he see all de fine doiu's. seem
lax he KANT TEX his eye way rum de
crack. Den he seed Tarr'pin comm down
de road home an he low ter hisse'f. he
did. dat dish yer de harnsumes' man wat
he uver seed. an he be pufiickly sassified
ef he cu'd look jes lax dat. He Git mo- an
mo- enviable NV i'm an tuck ter hangin'
round de naberhood, peekin' an peerfn'
in at Tarr'pin w'enuver he git de chanel.
Las he say ter hisse'f dat he les natchuIIy
'bleeged ter have dem fedders an dat tail
an whustle. but he aim KNOWN jes' how
ter cit 'em. so he p'lone Off fer Az do hs,n
NV a wise OF wolf whar live way .way
up on de mountain an whar wuz one'r dem
conjerers done tor Won bout. Ex he
went long he wux Akin up a tale ter tell
wolf. an wen he git ter de kyave whar de
eunJerer live he knock an woif 'spor,'.
Come in!' in sech a deep Rrowiy voice dat
i'll Quail felt kind er skeery. an he feel
mo- skeery yft wen he go hoppin's In an
see wolf settin' dar Wild bones strowed ali
round him. an showin' dem long. white
tools err his ey'y time he open his mont
But he perch hisse'f up in front er wolf.
an he say in a voice dat w,lz right trinity
'Howdy, Uncle Wolf. howdy, I done coined
all de way up yer ter ak, yo hen. 'kasa
knows dar aim nair' nu'rr man on dis
mountain whar knows half ez much ez wat
You does. Please. sub, tell me wat ter do
bob White. you is a ri OF fool. seq
wolf. sezee, how kin tell You wat ter do
Wen you ain tor me wat it's vo,, wants9
Den Quail he gift IN mo' nearter on,
he try ter mex wolf feel please so he saw
'Laws-a-m ussy! Uncle Wolf. / done fereft
-
smart 1 thought you mouEht know widout
me tellin''
"'Drap dat fooiishness.' seq Wolf sezee
an iepnme know wat vnn co,,a5' at.ar:.
too OF ter feel please wild de flatt'ry: show
me de man whar is: lots nv sem gifts ketcbad
by dat. nuttin' mo- ner less and here
Aunt 'Phrony cast a scornful glance at
Nancy. who answered It by a toss of the
head.
well. den." she resumed ~ouaii start
inter de meanness he hin hatcbin' I'm a,;
he say. sezee, Uncle Wolf. deys man
down dar below whar gittin. ter be dan
greet chieft an a sho'-'nnff firbter an. ba
kin do bout wat he please wild t,,'rr rraa.
turs. A man lax dat bonn. ter v,,,lr ME
chief Now, sub, eff you sesso. pears ter
me hit be mighty good notion Tor faL svar
his good looks an dat nleasin. voice vhor
he uses ter .suade de people wild an: ON
'em ter some err de ouief an. neace:h1a fo1Ls
whar ain all de time stfckin' t1erse'fs fer
de front an tryin' ter lead de peonie Now
yer l is. You bin KNOWN. me die 1901
vile. an Won knows INV nun,hiIstve ~.
submissity am eff Won mex me da noa IL .ar
do de deed an den give me de- lxin;s 20
NV trouble. kwine feel dat ta1r.t W 20
well refuge 'em.' RIGHT 5ar he NUT S;s
haid ON one side an, look I'm at Wo,t u,tah. -s
meek an innercent e..''
"Wolf he say he rwine think bout h,t an,
he tell Quail ter come hack IN sava,, 40 -" We
an, git de arnser so Ouail he 90 hi,.,,,tts,'
hoppin. down de mountains thinL,n. ha NJ
mighty smart. an wlnnerin. ef he hin etc ~
hit ter wait seven mo, DAYS bafa, he rnh
DO or Tarr'pin.
"Wolf he went off biohar VII to- a. 49,
er de mountain fer tar nv DC sri,to,, ~ ~
seven urr VOLTS mo- older an wiser dan
wat he wuz. Dew talked an; dew .snntad
toge.rr fer seven DAYS an. ntrbt. M
Wolf come back an Ouail made ha.,a ~.
ter see him ag'in. He sav OuaiI ,,vs, ~
ter Tarr'nin's house at rnidnteht on: dc .ss,
lax he tell i'm to. or hit he wnssar sar
him. stidder better. ouaiI iissan on.
wild dat he eslone az les. % da s,ra IN. a.,
midnight. Wen de hats wux AVN. . 3.
de sauinch-owIs hootin' an. dc iackv-my-
lantums trabelIin' nm am DOWN he knock
on ,Mistah Tarr' pins do am gin ont dat he
wuz a trabeller whar coined n f,,r wavs
an WINS pow'f,lI tired an honrrv
'.Tarr' Din wuz a Kin, man So he ,vited him
In au' cir bsy,, c,,,,v,,fr -. - 80 s-s.-1.