🧚 Opening, part 11

XLVII.1

DE NEW NIGGER AN EH MOSSA.2

Er New Nigger notus say eh Mossa heap er time duh seddown wid eh foot cross, yent duh say nuttne an yent duh do nuttne, wen him haffer wuk all de time.3 One day eh ax eh Mossa huccum dat.4 De Buckra man answer: “Wen you see me duh seddown, an you tink me duh lazy, same time me duh wuk long me head, an duh mek plan, an study pon ting.”5

Soon arter dat de Buckra man come pon topper de New Nigger een de fiel.6 De sun hot.7 Eh bin drap eh hoe, an bin er seddown on de cotton bed duh res ehself.8 De Buckra man git bex case de Nigger bin er glec eh wuk, an eh say ter um: “Huccum you stop de wuk wuh me bin gen you fuh do?9 Wuh mek you duh lazy disher fashion?”10 Den de New Nigger, him mek answer: “Mossa, me duh wuk long me head.”11 Wen de Buckra man quire wuh kind er head wuk him duh do, de New Nigger say: “Mossa, ef you see tree pigeon duh set on dat tree limb, an you shoot an kill one er dem, how many gwine leff?”12 Eh Mossa reply: “Any fool kin tell dat.13 Ob scource two gwine leff.”14 De New Nigger, him mek answer: “No, Mossa, you miss.15 Ef you shoot an kill one er dem pigeon, de edder two boun fuh fly way, an none gwine leff.”16

De Buckra man bleege fuh laugh, an eh yent do nuttne ter de New Nigger case eh glec eh wuk.17

XLVIII.18

BUH RABBIT AN DE KING DARTER.19

Dere was er King wuh bin hab er pooty Darter, an heap er people bin er cote um.20 De gal couldnt mek up eh mine which one fuh tek, an so eh ax eh farruh fuh help um pick.21 Den eh farruh, wuh bin de King, gen out wud say de one wuh kin fetch ter um de Alligatur yeye teet, an water from de Deer yeye, shill hab eh Darter.22

All dem wuh bin er cote de gal fix plan fuh git dem ting, but dem fail.23 Ebry body bin faid Alligatur, an nobody could outrun Buh Deer.24 Buh Rabbit, him bin berry lub de gal, an him hanker arter marry um, so eh study bout de ting an mek eh scheme.25 Eh tek eh fiddle an eh gone ter de ribber bank, an eh play er funny chune, an eh sing er funny song.26 Buh Alligatur yeddy um; an bimeby eh crawl outer de mash grass, an eh leddown close by Buh Rabbit, so him kin ketch all wuh Buh Rabbit der play an der sing.27 Buh Rabbit do eh bes, an de ting tickle Buh Alligatur so bad eh laugh berry harty.28 Buh Rabbit play an sing, an pick eh chance, an wen Buh Alligatur duh shet eh yeye an open eh mout fuh laugh, eh tek eh fiddle bow an, all ob er sutten, eh knock one er Buh Alligatur yeye teet outer eh head.29 Befo eh fine out, Buh Rabbit done pick up de teet an gone.30

Den Buh Rabbit notus way Buh Deer blan ramble der wood, an eh dig er deep hole, an eh kibber um ober complete long dut, an pine straw, an oak leaf.31 Eh hide een de bush oneside duh watch.32 Bimeby Buh Deer, him come long duh eat grass, an befo eh fine out, de groun gie way onder eh foot, an eh drap bottom er de hole.33 Buh Deer dat skaid eh dunno wuffer do.34 Eh scuffle.35 Eh holler, but eh couldnt git out.36 Buh Rabbit run day, an eh tell um say dog bin on eh track, an dat dem mose git day.37 Wid dat Buh Deer gib up, an biggin fuh cry.38 Den Buh Rabbit, him slip een de hole wid er leely calabash, an eh ketch de water duh run down from Buh Deer yeye.39 Arter dat eh gone home, an eh tek de Alligatur yeye teet, an de calabash wuh hab de Deer yeye water een um, an eh light out fuh de King house.40

Wen him show de King wuh him bring, de King gree say Buh Rabbit head er all dem wuh bin er cote him Darter, an eh gen um de gal, an dem bin hab er hebby weddin.41

XLIX.42

DE SINGLE BALL.43

Er Buckra man bin berry lub fuh hunt deer.44 Eh nussen fuh brag too.45 Eh hab er Serbant wuh always gone wid um der wood fuh dribe de deer.46 Him bin berry fond er eh Mossa, an eh ready any time fuh schway ter de tale wuh him tell bout how much deer dem kill, an way dem shoot um.47 One time dis Buckra man bin tell eh fren say him shoot er deer long er rifle, an wen eh gone fuh zamine um, eh fine say de ball shoot off eh hine foot an hit um een eh yez.48 Him fren couldnt see how dat happne, an dem yent bin want fuh bleeve de tale.49 Den de hunter man call pon topper him Serbant fuh proobe wuh him bin say.50 De Serbant speak de wud same luk him Mossa bin talk um.51 Den de gentlemans ax um how de same ball could er hit de deer een eh hine foot an een eh yez same time.52 De Nigger cratch eh head, an den eh mek answer: “Gentlemans, me spec wen Mossa fire pon topper um, de deer mus be bin er bresh fly offer eh yez wid eh hine foot.”53 Dat sorter saterfy de gentlemans, an sabe de Buckra man wud.54

Arter de gentlemans done gone, de Serbant call eh Mossa one side an eh say: “Mossa, me willin fuh back anyting you say bout hunt an kill deer, but lemme bague you nex time you tell bout how you shoot um, you pit de hole closer.55 Dis time you mek um so fur apart, me hab big trouble fur git um togerruh.”56

L.57

BUH ROCCOON AN BUH POSSUM.58

Buh Roccoon ax Buh Possum wuh mek, wen de dog tackle um, eh double up ehself, an kibber eh yeye wid eh han, an wunt fight lucker man an lick de dog off.59 Buh Possum grin eh teet same lucker fool, an eh say, wen de dog come pon topper um, dem tickle him rib so bad long dem mout dat him bleege ter laugh; an so him furgit fuh fight.60

Coward man hab all kind er lie fuh tell fuh scuse ehself.61

LI.62

BUH WOLF, BUH RABBIT, AN DE RAIN.63

Buh Wolf bin er set een de do er him house duh play eh fiddle.64 Lord er massy! how dat animel did mek dat fiddle talk!65 Buh Wolf yeye shet tight, an eh dis bin er rock from side ter side, an draw eh bow teh eh berry lenk, en der pat de time wid eh foot.66 Er hebby shower er rain come on.67 Buh Rabbit, him bin een de big road not fur from Buh Wolf house.68 Buh Rabbit yent lub rain, an eh try fuh shelter ehself onder er oak tree wuh kibber wid long moss.69 De rain lick um een eh yez, an eh leff fuh hunt better place.70 Es eh pass by Buh Wolf house, eh notus Buh Wolf duh set een de do duh play eh fiddle.71 Buh Wolf so tek up wid eh play dat eh shet eh yeye an yent duh watch wuh gwine on roun um.72 So Buh Rabbit mek up eh mine fuh slip een de do pass Buh Wolf, an set een him house tel de rain done ober.73 Buh Rabbit foot so sofe nobody kin yeddy um wen eh walk.74 Him no know, but Buh Wolf ketch sight er um outer de corner ob him yeye wen Buh Rabbit hop een de do an run back side er de room.75 Eh sed down day an mek ehself saterfy, an duh wait topper de rain.76 Buh Wolf him yent leh Buh Rabbit know say him shum, but eh biggin fuh tun eh chune, an eh play an eh sing: “Tenk God, rain done sen meat een me house.77 Tenk God, rain done sen meat een me house.”78 Buh Rabbit yeddy; an eh spicion say Buh Wolf smell um, an fine out say him bin een eh house.79 Buh Rabbit hair rise, an eh want fuh git out, but eh faid fuh slip back trough de do way Buh Wolf bin er sed down.80 Buh Rabbit berry oneasy een eh mine, an eh duh consider plan fuh mek eh scape.81