PAGE 2
Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match At Last
by
“‘Gents, is you ready?’
“Brer Rabbit, he say ‘yes,’ en old Miss Tarrypin holler ‘go’ fum de aidge er de woods. Brer Rabbit, he lit out on de race, en old Miss Tarrypin, she put out for home. Jedge Buzzard, he riz en skimmed long fer ter see dat de race wuz runned fa’r. W’en Brer Rabbit got ter de fus’ mile-pos’ wunner de Tarrypin chilluns crawl out de woods, he did, en make fer de place. Brer Rabbit, he holler out:
“‘Whar is you, Brer Tarrypin?’
“‘Yer I come a bulgin’,’ sez de Tarrypin, sezee.
“Brer Rabbit so glad he’s ahead dat he put out harder dan ever, en de Tarrypin, he make fer home. W’en he come ter de nex’ pos’, nudder Tarrypin crawl out er de woods.
“‘Whar is you, Brer Tarrypin?’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.
“‘Yer I come a bilin’,’ sez de Tarrypin, sezee.
“Brer Rabbit, he lit out, he did, en come ter nex’ pos’, en dar wuz de Tarrypin. Den he come ter nex’, en dar wuz de Tarrypin. Den he had one mo’ mile fer ter run, en he feel like he gittin’ bellust. Bimeby, ole Brer Tarrypin look way off down de road en he see Jedge Buzzard sailin’ long en he know hit’s time fer ‘im fer ter be up. So he scramble outen de woods, en roll ‘cross de ditch, en shuffle thoo de crowd er folks en git ter de mile-pos’ en crawl behime it. Bimeby, fus’ news you know, yer come Brer Rabbit. He look ‘roun’ en he don’t see Brer Tarrypin, en den he squall out:
“‘Gimme de money, Brer Buzzard, Gimme de money!’
“Den Miss Meadows en de gals, dey holler and laff fit ter kill deyse’f, en ole Brer Tarrypin, he raise up fum behime de pos’ en sez, sezee:
“‘Ef you’ll gimme time fer ter ketch my breff, gents en ladies, one en all, I speck I’ll finger dat money myse’f,’ sezee, en sho nuff, Brer Tarrypin tie de pu’s ‘roun’ his neck en skaddle*[1] off home.”
“But, Uncle Remus,” said the little boy, dolefully, “that was cheating.”
“Co’se, honey. De creeturs ‘gun ter cheat, en den fokes tuck it up, en hit keep on spreadin’. Hit mighty ketchin’, en you mine yo’ eye, honey, dat somebody don’t cheat you ‘fo’ yo’ ha’r git gray ez de ole nigger’s.”
FOOTNOTE:
[1] It may he interesting to note here that in all probability the word “skedaddle,” about which there was some controversy during the war, came from the Virginia negro’s use of “skaddle,” which is a corruption of “scatter.” The matter, however, is hardly worth referring to.