🧚 Opening, part 8

Wen dem git ter de ribber bank, day was Buh Porpus duh wait fur Buh Rabbit.1 Buh Rabbit mek um quaintum wid Buh Wolf, an arter er while Buh Wolf ax Buh Porpus fuh fine um een fish same luk eh fine Buh Rabbit, an Buh Porpus gree fur do so.2 Den Buh Rabbit, him say: “Leh we hab some fun, an see who kin pull de strongis: Buh Porpus genst me an Buh Wolf.”3 Buh Porpus say him willin.4 Wid dat, Buh Rabbit git one long grape-wine, an eh tie one een roun Buh Porpus head, an de tarruh een eh tie fus roun Buh Wolf body, an den roun him own; but eh leff de een loose, so him kin slip out.5 Den eh gie de wud fuh pull.6 Es eh done dat eh slip outer de wine, an leff Buh Wolf lone fuh pull genst Buh Porpus.7 At de fus, wen Buh Porpus ease isself off een de ribber, eh pull sorter light, an den eh gie way, and Buh Wolf, him tought him gwine outpull um.8 But een er leely while Buh Porpus sorter hump eh back an flut eh tail, an yuh Buh Wolf come fuh de water.9 Eh dig eh paw een de san, an eh holler ter Buh Rabbit fuh tun um loose; but Buh Rabbit wouldnt tetch um, an so Buh Porpus drag um, duh scuffle an duh holler, clean een de ribber an onder de water, an drown Buh Wolf.10 Arter dat Buh Porpus swim back ter de bank an Buh Rabbit tek off de grape-wine from roun eh neck, an dem leff Buh Wolf een de water fuh shark an alligatur fuh eat.11

Buh Rabbit an Buh Porpus done Buh Wolf er mean trick.12

XXXIV.13

DE DEBBLE AN MAY BELLE.14

De Debble, him kin tek all sorter shape fuh cahr out him plan an fool people.15 Sometime eh mek isself inter wolf fuh kill you sheep.16 Narruh time eh tek de shape er alligatur fuh worry you duck an goose.17 Den eh look lucker white deer, an eh fly tru de wood, dout mek no noise, fuh skade people duh walk long de big road.18 Den eh come same lucker owl, an eh holler down you chimbly an eh tarrify ebry body wen dem duh tun flour een de pot.19 Den wen you sick, eh gone eensider you lucker a wurrum, an eh gie you all sorter misry.20 Den gen, eh kin tek de shape er man, en pass isself off fur great gentleman long de lady.21 Day yent nuttne wuh de Debble cant do ef eh mek up eh mine ter um.22

One time day was a berry pooty noung ooman name May Belle.23 Him farruh bin rich, an eh dress um up ter de notch, an eh gie um saddle horse fuh ride, an carriage fuh dribe, an plenty er serbant fuh wait on um, an ebry good bittle fuh eat, an rockin-chair fuh set een, an orgin fuh play topper.24 All de noung man een de county bin er cote um an er try fuh marry um.25

One day one strange man come fuh wisit um.26 Eh dress up better ner all dem tarruh gentlemans.27 Eh hab on new beber hat, wuh shine lucker glass, an eh hab side whisker comb so nice, an glub on eh han, an new cloze, an eh dribe up een er fine carriage wid four horse, an de driber hab er keen lash wuh pop so clear you could yeddy um way down de road.28

De noung lady tek wid um right off.29 Eh hab sich er good manners, an eh talk so perlite, an eh ack so rich, ebry body gie way ter um, an eh outshine all dem tarruh Buckra wuh bin er cote de gal, an eh marry um befo de week out, an eh tek um een eh carriage, an eh dribe um off ter him house.30 Dat house bin een er deestant part er de country, buil on er hill.31 Nobody bin lib close.32 Eh bin de fines house een de whole settlement.33 Eh hab piazza all roun an roun, an eenside ebry ting look berry nice an pooty.34

Wen dem dribe up ter de step, de Debble, wuh bin de husbun, han eh Bride een de pahler, an set um een one rockin-chair, an tell um de whole house blanks ter um, an eh mus mek isself saterfy an joy isself.35

Ebry ting gone long berry well fur some time, an de noung wife hab ebry ting him call fur.36 One mornin, wen eh husbun leff de house fur ten ter eh bidness, an eh wife bin er ramble bout de room, eh fine one key duh heng up by isself.37 Eh wonder wuh key dat, an wuh do eh open.38 Eh tek um an eh try one lock arter anurrer, but de key wunt fit.39 Bimeby eh gone duh garret, an eh see one do up day wuh bin lock.40 Eh pit de key ter de hole an eh onlock de do, an wen eh open um lo! an behole! eh see een de closet tree noung ooman duh heng up long dem neck, an dem bin all dead.41 De ting skade de gal so bad eh scacely hab han fuh shet de do an lock um gen. But arter a while eh manage fuh do dat, an den eh mek hase an heng de key way eh bin fine um.42 De Bride faid fuh ax eh husbun bout de ting.43 All eh joy done gone.44 Eh want fuh git way, but him dunno how fuh do um.45 Eh yent hab nobody fuh truss fuh sen ter eh farruh an bredder fuh come an tek um way.46

Eh husbun bin gen um one nice ridin horse fuh tek eh pledjur long ebry mornin an ebenin.47 De Debble so busy eh wife haffer ride by isself.48 De po gal yent say nuttne ter nobody bout wuh eh see een de closet der garret.49 Eh hide eh feelin, but eh berry onsaterfy een eh mine.50

De nex mornin, wen eh bin er tek eh ride, soon es eh git outer yearin, eh biggin fuh cry, an fuh pity isself, an say eh wish eh bin back ter eh farruh house, an talk eh mine dat eh faid eh husbun, wen eh git tired long um, gwine kill um an heng um long de tarruh ooman wuh day een de closet duh garret.51 Him no know de horse wuh him duh ride bin a yeddy um, an duh notus wuh him duh say.52 All ob er sutten de horse open eh mout, an eh ax eh missis: “Enty you know who you marry ter?53 You husbun duh de Debble, an wen eh saterfy long you eh gwine bex wid you an kill you same luk eh done kill dem tarruh wife wuh eh bin hab befo eh bring you yuh.”54 De po ooman dat skade eh ready fuh fall off.55 Eh mose faint way.56 Eh heart duh flutter een eh bres.57 All eh strenk gie way.58 Eh cry.59 Eh gib up fuh loss.60 Den eh bague de horse fuh pity um, an help um, an tek um back ter him fambly.61 De horse sorry fur um, an eh prommus fuh try an sabe um, but eh tell um fuh keep eh mout shet, an mek no rackit bout de ting.62 Mo na dat, eh tell um, de nex mornin wen eh come fuh ride, eh mus fetch een eh pocket four big nail wuh day on de mantlepiece een de Debble room, an dem will help um fuh git way.63