🧚 Opening, part 3

One time Buh Alligatur, him been er eat crab.1 Him bin hab one teet wuh hab hole in um.2 Dat teet duh hot um berry bad.3 Buh Alligatur blan chaw up crab, shell an all.4 Wen eh der eat dem crab, one er de claw fastne in him rotten teet, and hot um so bad eh mek um holler.5 Eh cant do nuttne cept open eh jaw an moan.6 Eh foot yent long nough fuh pick de claw out.7

Wile eh bin a moan an suffer, Buh Mash-hen pass by.8 Buh Alligatur hail um an tell um wuh happne, and mek um sensible how bad de claw duh hot um, an how eh yent hab de power fuh git um out, an eh bague um fuh pull de ting out wid eh bill.9 Buh Mash-hen yeddy um, but eh fade fur trus eh head between Buh Alligatur jaw.10 Eh spicion say Buh Alligatur guine trick um, an kill um, an eat um, an eh tell Buh Alligatur him too scheemy.11 But Buh Alligatur, him schway to Buh Mash-hen dat eh yent guine trubble um, an dat ef eh would bleege um an pick de ting out, eh would be fren ter um an eh fambly all dem life, an mek all dem tarruh Alligatur fren too.12

Wen Buh Mash-hen see Buh Alligatur duh bague so harde, an wen eh fine out eh bin der tell de trute, eh tek pity on um, an eh pit eh head in eh mouf an eh pull out de crab-claw, wuh fastne in eh teet, wid eh bill.13

Dat ease Buh Alligatur, an eh tell Buh Mash-hen heap er tenky.14 An eh mek all eh quaintunce sensible er de big faber wuh Buh Mash-hen bin done ter um.15

Buh Alligatur, him keep eh wud.16 Ebber sence, Buh Mash-hen kin walk bout de mash an de ribber, an buil nes, an ketch fiddler an shrimp all round Buh Alligatur, an eh yent try fuh bodder um.17

Dat de way Buh Alligatur an Buh Mash-hen come fur lib togerruh luk same fambly.18

XII.19

BUH FOWL-HAWK AN BUH TUKREY BUZZUD.20

Time bin berry harde.21 Bittle oncommon scace.22 Buh Fowl-hawk an Buh Tukrey Buzzud, dem bin a sail backwud and forrud in de element, duh look fuh see wuh dem kin pick up fur eat.23 Es dem pass one a nurruh, Buh Fowl-hawk, him ax Buh Tukrey Buzzud how him mek out.24 Buh Tukrey Buzzud mek answer dat eh yent mek out wut; dat half de time eh cant fine nuttne fuh eat; dat eh so hongry eh mos ready fuh perish; but dat eh mek up eh mine ter keep on guine, an ter wait on de Lord.25 Den eh quire ob Buh Fowl-hawk how him duh git long dis yer tight time.26 Buh Fowl-hawk, him switch eh tail, an eh say him smarte nough fuh git him libbin; dat him dont lack fuh bittle; dat Lord er no Lord, him manage fuh fine all him want fuh eat.27

Wid dat dem part compny, an gone dem own couse.28

Bimeby dem sail pass one anurrer gen, an Buh Fowl-hawk, him call to Buh Tukrey Buzzud, an him say: “Enty me bin tell you me hab no trouble fuh fine bittle wenebber me want um?29 You see dat black chicken down yander?30 Me guine ketch um now fuh me dinner.”31

Wid dat, eh leff Buh Tukrey Buzzud, an eh mek eh lunge fuh kibber de chicken.32 Stidder eh bin one chicken, eh tun out fuh bin er sharp-pinted stump; an befo Buh Fowl-hawk fine out de diffunce, an kin check eh speed, eh hit eh bres gin de stump an kill ehself.33

Two, tree day arter dat, Buh Tukrey Buzzud bin a sail ober de same groun, an eh cotch de scent er someting dead.34 Eh fole eh wing an eh come down.35 Wen eh come fuh fine out, eh see Buh Fowl-hawk duh led down dead.36 Den eh say: “Enty me bin tell you eh heap better ter wait on de Lord stidder trus ter you own luck?37 You wouldnt yeddy me, an you see wuh happne.38 Now me tun come, an you flesh guine ile me bade.”39 Wid dat, eh eat up Buh Fowl-hawk.40

“De man wuh trus in ehself,” moralized Daddy Sandy, “guine fail; wile dem dat wait topper de Lord will hab perwision mek fur um.”41

XIII.42

BUH WOLF AN BUH RABBIT.43

Buh Wolf and Buh Rabbit bin a cote de same Gal.44 De Gal bin rich an berry pooty.45 Dem tuk tun fuh wisit um.46 Buh Rabbit, him gone der mornin, and Buh Wolf, him gone der ebenin.47 De Gal harde fuh mek up eh mine.48 Eh sorter courage bofe er um.49 One mornin Buh Rabbit bin a mek fun er Buh Wolf ter de Gal, an eh tell um say Buh Wolf yent duh nuttne mo den eh farruh ridin horse.50

Wen Buh Wolf pay him wisit de same ebenin, de Gal tell um wuh Buh Rabbit bin say bout um.51 De ting mek Buh Wolf bex, an eh say Buh Rabbit lie, an eh guine fetch Buh Rabbit ter de Gal an mek um tek back dat big wud befo eh face.52

Buh Wolf leff de Gal an gone straight ter Buh Rabbit house.53 Buh Rabbit bin spicion say de Gal guine tell Buh Wolf wuh him bin say bout um; an eh know, wen Buh Wolf yeddy, dat eh boun fur tackle um bout um.54 So Buh Rabbit, him fix eh plan.55

Wen Buh Wolf git ter Buh Rabbit house, eh fine um all shet up.56 Eh look same luk nobody bin day.57 Eh knock ter de do.58 Eh knock.59 Eh knock.60 No ansur.61 Eh gone ter de winder.62 Eh shake um.63 Nobody mek ansur.64 Den eh holler: “Buh Rabbit, Buh Rabbit!”65 Arter a while eh yeddy er leely woice eenside say: “Who dat?”66 Buh Wolf ansur: “Duh me, Buh Wolf.”67 Buh Rabbit say: “Wuh you want, Buh Wolf?”68 Buh Wolf, him say: “Lemme come in, Buh Rabbit; me bleege fuh see you on tickler bidness.”69 Buh Rabbit, him mek ansur: “Buh Wolf, me cant see you now; me berry sick; me day in me bed; me too weak fuh open de do.”70 Buh Wolf say: “Buh Rabbit, you mus lemme in: you de only man wuh kin ten ter de bidness wuh bring me yuh.”71 Buh Rabbit try fuh pit um off.72 Eh tell um eh hab high feber, an eh cant rise; dat eh back bin er hot um so bad eh cant tun in eh bed.73 But Buh Wolf cist so strong, Buh Rabbit slip to de do, an eh draw de bolt, an eh tiptoe back ter eh bed, an den eh say: “Well Budder, ef you mus see me, bad off es me yiz, come in.”74 Wen Buh Wolf come in, eh fine Buh Rabbit kibber up in eh bed, duh pant an duh moan berry pittiful.75 Buh Wolf tan by de bed, an eh ax Buh Rabbit: “Enty you tell de Gal, wuh we bin a cote, say me bin nuttne but you farruh ridin horse?”76 Buh Rabbit say: “Me nebber did.”77 Buh Wolf say: “You yiz bin tell um so.”78 Buh Rabbit say: “Me yent.”79 Den Buh Wolf schway: “De Gal done tell um say Buh Rabbit sisso, an eh bleebe de Gal.”80 Buh Rabbit run Buh Wolf down dat eh nebber bin nuse no sich wud.81 Den Buh Wolf say: “Ef you nebber bin say no sich wud, you mus git up an go long me, an knowledge befo de Gal dat you nebber bin sisso.”82 Buh Rabbit hole back.83 Eh say eh too weak fuh git outer de bed, and dat ef eh did get up eh too weak fuh walk ter de Gal house.84 But Buh Wolf foce um.85 Eh say: “You got ter go.86 Me guine help you outer de bed, an ef you cant tek you foot, me guine tote you.”87 Wen Buh Rabbit fine no chance fur um fuh dodge no mo, an dat Buh Wolf boun fuh mek um go, eh git Buh Wolf fuh help um outer de bed.88 Arter eh git on de flo, Buh Rabbit sorter faint way.89 Buh Wolf tek um up an cahr um ter de do, an fan um.90 Buh Rabbit bin a play possum all de time.91 Wen eh come too, Buh Wolf liff um up an pit um on eh back.92 Buh Rabbit say: “Hole on, Buh Wolf, me cant set on you back dout fall off: me mus hab someting fuh steady me; you mus gimme someting fuh me fuh hole on ter.93 Yuh me farruh ole saddle an bridle.94 Lemme pit dem on you, an den me tink me kin manage fuh go long wid you.”95 Buh Wolf, him yent spicion nuttne, an eh tan still an leh Buh Rabbit pit de saddle an bridle on um.96 Onbeknowinst ter Buh Wolf, Buh Rabbit slip behind de do an pit on er pair er keen spur.97 Den Buh Wolf help um on eh back, an state fuh trot fuh de Gal house.98 Buh Rabbit say: “Buh Wolf, dont go so fas: me so weak me cant hole on; you mus walk.”99 Buh Wolf, him haky ter um, an eh come down ter a walk.100 Wen dem retch de abnue wuh lead from de big road ter de house way de Gal lib, dem shum all dress een white duh settin in de piazza.101 Soon es dem pass tru de big gate, Buh Rabbit, him gedder de range in eh han, an eh slap spur to Buh Wolf.102 Buh Wolf say: “You fool, wuh you duh do?” an eh rare an pitch an try fuh trow Buh Rabbit off.103 Buh Rabbit stick on, an eh clap de spur wus an wus ter Buh Wolf.104 Wen Buh Wolf fine out eh cant do nuttne, eh keep de abnue straight fur de house.105 Wen dem duh nigh de house Buh Rabbit holler ter de Gal: “Wuh me bin tell you?106 Yuh me come pon me farruh ridin horse,” an eh rip spur een Buh Wolf an eh hole um tight.107 De spur hot Buh Wolf so bad eh couldnt do nuttne but run.108 Buh Rabbit tun um dest by de piazza, an eh light off eh back, an eh run up ter de Gal, an eh say: “Wuh you tink er me farruh ridin horse?”109 Buh Wolf so painful, so bex, an so shame, eh keep on run, an eh nebber come back fur see de Gal no mo.110