Boys' Column. Nights with Uncle Remus.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1794, 5 January 1884, Page 6

Boys' Column. Nights with Uncle Remus.

By Joel Chandleii Habuis.

(Stories 1 elated in this paper aro supposed to be told to a little boy on a Southern plantation, before the war, by an old family servant.) LTHE MOON IN THE MILL POND. One night when the little boy made his uiual visit to Uncle Remus, he found the old roan sitting up in his chair fast asleep. The child said nothing. Ho was prepared to exercise a good deal of patience upon occasion, and the occasion was when he wanted to hear a story. Bat in making himself comfortable, ho aroused Unole Remus from his nap. " I let you know, honey," said the old man, adjusting his spectacles, and laughing rather sheepishly, " I let you know, honey, w'en I git's my head r'ar'd back dafc away, en my eyeleds shot, en inj moui open, en myohin p'intin' at de rafters, den day's some mighty quare gwines on in my min\ Dey 13 dat, dcs ez sho ez youer settin' dar. Wen I f U3S year you comin' down de paf," Uncle Bemus con- , tinued, rubbing his beard thoughtfully, " I 'uz j sorter fear'd you mought 'spioion dat I done gone off on my journeys fer ter see old man Nod." Thia was accompanied by a glance of inquiry, -which the little boy thought it best to respond. 11 Well, Uncle Remus," ho said, "I did think I heard you snoring when I oame in." " Now you see dat ? " exclaimed Uncle Remus in a tone of grieved astonishment ; "you see dat ! Man can't lean hisae'f 'pun his 'membunce, 'ceppin' dey's some un fer tor come high-primin ' roun' en 'lowin' dat he done gone ter sleep. Shoo 1 Wen you steps in dat do' dar I 'uz right in 'mungs some mighty quaro notions— mighty quare notions. Dey aint no two ways ; ef I 'uz ter up en let on 'bout all de notions wat I gits in munga, folks 'ud hatter come en kyar mo off ter de place whar dey puts 'stracted people." " Atter I sop up my supper," Uncle Remus went on, " I tuok'nyear some fiutterments up dar 'mungs de rafters, en I look up, en dar •wuz a bat sailin' 'rotm'. 'Roun' en 'roun', en 'roun' she go— and' de rafters, 'bove de ratters — on ez she sail she make notee lak she gritfcin' 'er toofies. Now, wat dat bat atter, I be bless if I kin tell you, but dar she wuz : 'roun' on 'roun', over en under. lax 'er wat do Bhe want up dar, but she aint got no lime fer ter tell ; 'roun' en 'roun', en over pn under. En bimeby, out she flip, en I boun' sho grittin' 'er toofies en gwine 'roun' en 'roun' out dar, en dodgin' en flippin' dos lak de elements wuz full er rafters en cobwebs. " Won she flip out I lent my head back, I did, en 'twa'nt no time 'io I git mix up wid my notions. Dat bat wings so limber en 'cr will co good dat she done dono 'er day's work dar 'fo' you could 'er run ler de big house on back. De bat put me in mm' er folks," continued Uncle Remus, settling himself back in his chair, "en folks put me in mm' er de creeturs." Immediately the little boy was all attention. " Dey wuz times," said the old man, with something like a sigh, " w'en do creeturs 'ud segashuate tergedder dos like dey aint had no fallin' out. Dera wuz de times w'en old Brer Rabbit 'ud 'ten' lak he gwine quit he 'havishness, on dey'd all go 'roun' same lak dey b'long ter de same fambly connexion. " One time atter dey bin gwine in cohoots dis away, Brer Rabbit 'gun ter feel his fat, he did, en dis make 'itn git projecky terreckly. De mo' peace wat dey had, de mo' wuss Brar Rabbit feel, twel bimeby he git restless in de min'. Wende sun shinehe'd go en lay off in de grass en kick at de gnats ; he nimble at de mullen stalk en waller in de san 1 . One night atter supper, wiles he 'uz romancin' 'roun', he run up wid ole Brer Tarrypin, en atter dey shuck ban's dey bot down on de side er de road en run on 'bout ole times. Dey talk en dey talk, dey did, en bimeby Brer Rabbit say it dono come tor dat pass whar he bleedz ter >iave some fun, en Brer Tarrypin 'low dat Brer Rabbit dc 3 de ve'y man he bin lookin' fer. " 'Well, den,' says Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'we'll dcs put Brer Pox, en Brer Wolf, en Brer Bar on notice, en ter-morrer night we'll meet down by de mill-pon' en have a little fishin' frolic. I'll do de talkin',' cays Brer Rabbit, sezee, ' en you kin set back en say yea,' sezee. " Brer Tarrypin laugh. " l Ef I ain't dar,' sezoo, 'den you may know de grasshopper done fly 'way wid me,' sezec. " • En you neenter bring no fiddle, n'er.' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, ' kaze dey ain't gwineter be no dancin' dar', sezee. " Wid dat," continued Uncle Remus, " Brer Rabbit put out fer home, en went ter bed, en Brer Tarrypin bruise 'roun' en make his way torda de place so he din be dar 'gin 'de 'p'inted time. "Nex' day Brer Rabbit sont wud ter de yuther creeturs, en dey all make great 'miration, kaze dey ain't think 'bout dis deyse'f. Brer Fox, he 'low, he did, dat he gwine atter Miss Meadows en Miss Motts, en de yuther gals. " Sho nuff, we'en de time ccme doy wuz all nar. Brer Bar, he fotch a hook en line ; Brer Wolf, he fotch a hook en line ; Brer Fox, he fotch a dip-net, en Brer Tarrypin, not ter be out-done, he fotch de bait." " What did Mis 3 Meadows and Miss Motts bring ? " the little boy asked. Uncle Remus dropped his head slightly to one side, and looked over his spectacles at the little boy. " Miss Meadows en Miss Motts," he continued, " dey tuck'n stan way back fum de aidge er da pon' en squeal eve'y time Brer Tarrypin shuck de box er bait at am. Brer Bar 'low he gwine tor fish fer mud-oats ; Brer Wolf 'low he gwine ter fish fer horneyheads ; Brer Wolf 'low he gwine ter fish fer peerch fer de ladies ; Brer Tarrypin 'low he gwine ter fish fer minners, en Brer Rabbit wink at Brer Tarrypin, en 'low he gwine ter fish fer suckers. ",Dey all git ready, dey did, en Brer Rabbit march up ter de pon' en make fer ter th'ow he hook in de water, but dcs 'bout-dat time, hit seem lak hp see sump'n. De t'er creeturs, dey stop on watch his motions. Brer Rabbit, he drap he pole, he did, en he stan dar scratchm' he head en lookin 1 down in de water. " De gals dey 'gun ter git oneasy w'en dey see dia, en Miss Meadows, she up en holler out, she did : " ' Law, Brer Rabbit, wat de name er goodness de marter in dar ? " " Brer Ribbit scratch he head en look in de water. Miss Motts, she hilt up 'er petticoats, she did, en 'low she monstus feared er snakes. Brer Rabbit keep on scratchin' en lookin'. " Bimeby he fetch a long bref, he did, en he 'low : " ' Ladie3 and gentermuns all, we dcs might ez well make tracks fum dish yer place, kaze dey aint no fishin' in dat pon' for none er dis crowd.' - " Wid dat, Brer Tarrypin, be scramble up ter de aidgo en look over, en shake he head, en 'low. ~ '"Tooby sho'— tooby shot Tut-tut-tut I ' en den he crawl back, he did, en do lak he wukkin' he min'. " ' Don't be skeert, ladies, kaze we er boun' ter take keer un you, let come wat will, let go wat rnus',' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. ' Accidents got ter happen unter we all, dcs game ez dey is unter yuther folks j en dey aint nothin much de marter/ceppin' dat de Moon done drap in de water. Ef you don't b'leeve me you kin look fer yo'se'f, sezee. " Wid dat dey all went ter de bank en lookt in ; en, Bho nuff, dar lay do xnoon aswingin' an a-swayin' at de bottom er de" pon 1 ." The little boy laughed. He had often seen the reflection of th§ sky in shallow pools of water, and the startling depths that seemed to lie at his feet had caused him to draw back with a shudder/ 11 Brer Fox, ha look in, he di 4, en he 'low,Well, well, well.' "Brer, Wolf, he loot in, en he 'low, ' Mighty bad, mighty bad' Brer )

Bar, he look in, en he 'low, • Turn, turn tuna ! ' De ladies dey look in, en Miss Meadows, she squall out, ' Aint dat too much 1' Brer Babbit, he look in agin, en he up en 'low, he did : " ' Ladies en gentermuns, you all kin hum en haw, but less'n we gits dat Moon out er de pon', dey ainfc no fish kin be ketch 'roun' yer dis night ; en ef you'll ax Brcr'Tarrypin, he'll tell you de same.' " Pen dey ax how kin dey get de Moon out er dar, en Brer Tarrypin 'low dey better lef dat wid Brer Babbit, Brer Babbit he ehot ho eyes,* he did, en male lak he wnkkin he min\ Bimeby, he np'n 'low : " ' De nighes' way out'n dish yer diftikil h fer ter sen' roun' yer too ole Mr. Mud-Tnrkle en borry bis sane, en drag dat Moon up fnm dar,' sezee. " ' I 'clar' ter gracious I mighty glad you mention dat,' says Brer Tarrypin, sezee. ' Mr. Mud-Turkle is setch ctas't kin ter me dat I calls 'im Unk Muck, en I lay ef you sen' dar atter dat sane you wont fine Unk Muk so mighty disaecomerdatin'.' " Well," continued Uncle Eemus, after one of his tantalizing pauses" dey sont atter de sane, en wiles Brer Babbit wnz gone, Brer Tarrypin, he 'low dat he done year tell timo en time agin dat dem wat fine de Moon in de water en fetch 'im out, lakwise dey ull fetch out a pot er money. Dis make Brer Pox, en Brer Wolf, en Brer Bar feel mighty good, en dey 'low, dey did, dat long e£ Brer Babbit been so good ez ter run atter de sane, dey ull do de sanein'. " Time Brer Babbit git back, ha see how de lan lay, en he mak lak he wanter go in atter de Moon. He pull off his coat, en ho 'uz fixin' fer ter shuck his wescnt, but de yufcher creeturs dey 'low dey want gwine ter let dry-foot man lak Brer Babbit go in de J water. So Brer Fox, he tuck holt er onestafl er de sane, Brer Wolf he tuck holt er de ynther staff, en Brer Bar he wade 'long behirne fer ter lif de sane' cross log 3 en snags. " Dey make one haul — no Moon ; n'er haul, no Moon ; n'er haul, no Moon. Den bimeby, dey git out furder fura de bank. Water run in Bror Fox year, he shake he head ; water run in Brer Wolf year, he shake he head ;^water run in Brer Bar year, he shake he head. En do fus news you know, wiles dej wuz a-phakin', dey come to whar do bottom shelfed off. Brer Fox ho step off en duck hisse'f ; den Brer Wolf dnck hisqg'f ; en Brer Bar he make a splungo_en duck hisso'f; en, bless gracious, dey kick en splatter twel it look lak dey 'uz gwine ter slosh all de water outer de mill pon'. " W'en dey come out, de gals 'uz all asniokerin'en a-gf^glin', en well dey moughfc' 'lease, go -fl-har you would, dey want no wuss lookin' creoturs dan dam ; en Brer Babbit, he holler, sezee : '"I speck you all, gents, better go home git some dry duds, on n'er time we'ull bo in better luck, sezee. ' I year talk dat de Moon'll bite at a hook ef you take fools *er baits, en I lay dats de onliest way fer tar kotch 'er' sezee. "Brer Fox en Brer Wolf en Brer Bar went drippin' off, en Brer Babbit and Brer Tarrypin dey wen home wid de gals.