🧚 Opening, part 6 · page 2

Anurrer time, wen eh bin berry hongry, eh gone ter Buh Cooter house, an eh fool um same fashion, an eh git er hebby dinner day too.83

Eh do dis way fuh some time, guine from house teh house.84

At lenk eh miss an gone ter Buh Fox house, an tell um bout eh rock-soup.85 Buh Fox, him no fool.86 Him duh er smate man, an eh see tru de ting right off.87 But eh yent leh Buh Rabbit see dat eh spicion anyting, an eh tell um fuh go head an mek eh soup.88 Eh han out wuhebber Buh Rabbit call fuh, an eh wait topper um tel de soup done.89 Den eh tase um, an wen eh fine eh tase same luk any edder soup mek long de ting wuh eh han Buh Rabbit fuh pit een de pot, eh tek Buh Rabbit rock, an eh trow um down de well, an eh cuss Buh Rabbit fur er swindler, an mek um shame befo all eh fambly, an mek um leff.90

Buh Rabbit an Buh Fox, bofe er dem berry cunnin, but dis time Buh Fox him cunnin moner Buh Rabbit.91

XXIX.92

DE TWO FREN AN DE BEAR.93

Two fren, dem bin a mek one journey togerruh.94 Dem haffer go tru one tick swamp wuh full er bear an edder warmint.95 Dem prommus fuh tan ter one anurrer, an help one anurrer out ef de warmint should tack dem.96 Dem yent bin git half way tru de swamp wen one big black Bear jump outer de bush an mek fur dem.97 Steader one er dem tan fur help fight um, eh leff eh fren an clime one tree.98 De tarruh fren bin yeddy say Bear no gwine eat dead people, so him leddown on de groun, an hole eh bref, an shet eh yeye, an mek out say him bin dead.99 De Bear come up ter um, an smell um, an tun um ober, an try fuh ketch eh bref.100 Wen eh fine eh cant ketch eh bref, eh gone off leely way an eh watch um.101 Den eh tun back an smell um gen, an notus um close.102 At lenk eh mek up eh mine say de man bin dead fuh true; an wid dat eh leff um fuh good an gone back der wood.103 All dis time de tarruh fren duh squinch ehself up een de tree duh watch wuh bin gwine on.104 Eh dat skade eh wunt do nuttne fuh help eh fren, er try fuh run de Bear off.105

Wen eh fine de Bear done gone fuh sho, eh holler ter him fren say: “Wuh de Bear bin tell you?106 Him an you seem luk you bin hab close combersation.”107 Den eh fren mek answer: “Eh bin tell me nebber fuh trus nobody wuh call ehself fren, an wuh gwine run luk er coward soon es trouble come.”108

XXX.109

DE OLE MAN AN DET.110

One Ole Man bin berry tired long wuk.111 Him want fuh stop an tek eh pledjur all day een him house.112 Eh bex long de Buckra wuh gie um task, an mek um ten ter um.113 Eh constant duh pray, so people kin yeddy um, dat Det would come an cahr way eh Mossa, an eh Mistis, an de Obersheer.114 De Obersheer him yeddy wuh de Ole Man bin a pray fuh, an eh tell de Mossa, an dem fix plan fuh hab fun long de Ole Man.115 Wen night come, an ebryting on de plantation done gone bed, de Mossa, him tek one long white gown wuh ketch down ter eh foot, an eh pit um on, an eh gone ter de Ole Man house.116 Eh push de do open, an day bin de Ole Man duh siddown on eh bench duh nod by de fire.117 De Ole Man yeddy say some body come ter him do, an wen eh tun roun fuh look, eh see one tall somebody all wrop up head an yez een white.118 Eh git skade, an tink duh Sperit.119 Eh quire: “Who duh dat?”120 De Sperit, wuh bin de Mossa dress up een de white gown wuh kibber um all ober, mek answer way down een him troat: “Duh me, Det, wuh you bin a pray fuh.”121 Den de Ole Man say: “You come fuh Mossa?”122 De Sperit shake eh head.123 Eh say gen: “You come fuh Mistis?”124 De Sperit shake eh head gen. De Ole Man quire gen: “Den you musser come fuh de Obersheer?”125 De Sperit shake eh head gen. De Ole Man rale skade now, an eh study fuh leely while, an den eh questun gen: “Ef you no come fuh Mossa, ner Mistis, ner de Obersheer, who de Debbie you come fuh?”126 Den de Sperit, eh bow eh head low an eh mek answer: “Me come fuh you.”127 De Ole Man hair rise.128 Eh git up.129 Eh bus tru de back do.130 Eh run tru de gaden, an eh mek fuh de wood.131 Nobody yent shum tel arter brukwus next mornin, an den eh tell ebry body say Det bin come fur um last night, but dat him bin dodge um.132 Arter dat nobody ebber yeddy um mek no mo prayer bout Det.133

XXXI.134

DE KING AN EH RING.135

One time dere was a King wuh bin done git marry, an eh bin hab one fine Ring wuh him bin call eh gagement Ring.136 Dat King, him bin hab tree serbant wuh wait bout him table, an clean him shoes, an do wuhebber him want um fuh do.137 Dem bin tek tun een clean de shoes.138 One clean um one mornin, anurrur one clean um nex mornin, an de edder one clean um de nex.139 One er dem serbant tief de King Ring.140 De King try fuh fine out which one er de tree bin tek um, an eh fail.141 Dem wunt tell topper one anurrur, an de ting bodder de King berry bad.142 Eh faid say ef eh cant git back eh gagement Ring all eh good luck gwine leff um.143 Eh call een eh fren an wise man fuh help um pint out de tief an fine dat Ring, an dem cant.144

One day de King notus er strange man duh walk bout him gaden, an eh sen an hab um brung ter um.145 Wen eh questun um, de man tell um say him bin a po man, an dat eh mek eh libbin by cunjur.146 De King tell um eh bin dis de man eh duh hunt fur, an eh want um fuh fine eh Ring.147 Eh mek um quaintun bout wen de Ring tuk, an who eh tink tief um; an eh say eh gwine gie um fibe day time fuh pint out de man wuh bin tek de Ring, an mek um tun um.148 Mo na dat, eh prommus um big money ef eh git back de Ring widin de fibe day; but eh treaten um fuh kill um ef eh fail fuh fine um eenside dat time.149 Eh charge eh serbant fuh tek good care er de conjur man, an feed um high.150