The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-04-12
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~vasvS-> HEN l was boy | had an
Z 44M X old friend called Uncle
= w 9 Handy. He was an old ne
N gro that used 10 work gar
1ol< dens iii the little town
where we lived. Uncle Handy was
born IN slavery times, and was brought
mp ON farm. He was good work
man. as most CT the ex-slaves were,
and he lad all the attractive qualities
of the old-time darkey. Allqthe chi'-
dren loved him, and called him I'm
Gle. this being n title Of respect.
Though Uncle Handy could not
write his name, and could not tell one
letter from another he knew more
about dogs and foxes and rabbits
ard possuris and coons, and all kinds
OF animals shan any other person
ever saw. We were always glad when
he came TO work our garden, for 1t
meant new story for us.
Uncle Handy was sitting on our
back steps. one noon in spring. rest
ing after dinner and smoking a corn
cob pipe. My brother was playing
with old Turk. making him fetch a
ball. Presently brother said to me:
"Just look at Turks mouth. how
ragged It Is. His lips look like they've
been torn
Then for the first time noticed that
the edges of a dogs mouth are not
smooth, and said:
Yes. they do; they look like they've
had stitches ia them
An dat's Jess zactly what It's chlle,''
put IN Uncle Handy "If dat dawg
could talk, he'd tell ron sump'n."
What would he tell, Uncle Han
dy:'
~gie'd tell you how come his lips DAT
way
why. haven't they always been that
way"
Nav. sub! Dat dee amt. Away
back yonder in ole times de dawg bad
smove lips same as any udder animal
An in dem times de rabbit had one
O. de fines tails you see anywhere.
He want no Molly Cotton Tall In dem
days: he had long. bushy tail like q
squirrel
Dat was in de times when de ami
mails was mos ingenerally socIable wild
each udder. Dee ugter say 'Howdy' to
one anudder when dee met In de road
and dee uster talk and visit one an
udder like folks.
But de rabbit and de dawg didn'l
Git along well togedder. De rabbit
was a mighty big talker, and he uster
sass all urr animals.
''Now de dawg want gwine to stan
dis. an he sont word TO de rabbit dat
II he ever caught him ne was gwlne
to cat him up.
But. la de rabbit want skeered
He could hear so well wild his big
years dat he knowed de dawg couIdn'l
slip up on him In de woods. An II
de dawg did come, de rabbit could
run jess bout as fas' as de dawg
aud git home befo' de dawg could
ketch him. You know de rabbit be
live in a hollow tree, where de dawg
Cuu XII n uiin
"wel, sub. after de dawg say h,
gwine eat de rabbit up. old man rab
bit he git mo sassy dan ever. Hs
useter be all time gendin' messages
to de dawg. an ak him If he wu'
gittin' very hongry.
Tell Mister Dawg amt IA
enough yit.' de rabbit usetes. say. An
ON top o dat do rabbit useter *
constant to de dawg's garden. at night
while de dawg sleepin' in de house. an
eat coIlards an cabbage an anythin' HI
please. 1t seem like. do what h'
would. de dawg couldn't ketch da
rabbit. IL he try to sit up all night
he 90 to sleep shore, an de rabbit hoI
about so light de dawG can't hear him
"WelI. things went on dis way an
de dawg kept losing so much greer
truck dat he 'fraid he ain't gwin'
have no collards for de winter; an h
know he gotter do sump'n. So mex
time he went to town he bought hin
i steel trap, I'M he set it at de hole ii
de fence where de rabbit come In ever.
night
We'll, sub. shore 'auh, next mawn
in when de dawg went out to de gar
den, dar wuz de rabbit wild his loni
tail caught in de trap. De dawg ex
pect to see de rabbit pull an jerk
an try to git away. But nav, sub
as soon as de rabbit heard de dawi
comm be set up on his behine leg
an begin to whistle tune.
"'Good mawnin'. Mister Rabbit sail
de dawg. Nice mawin's say he.
DE rabbit nod his head, but b
didn't stop whistlin'
"'Im much obliged to you for com
in, Mister Rabbit said de dawg. :
think you're fat enough to eat now
says e.
But de rabbit kept on whistIin' hi
trne. Den de dawg ak him:
s.sHow did you learn how to whist
so welI?" says e.
40. it's easy, said de rabbit