<h2><SPAN name="BRER_RABBITS_FROLIC" id="BRER_RABBITS_FROLIC"></SPAN>BRER RABBIT’S FROLIC</h2>
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<p>The little boy, when he next saw Uncle Remus, after hearing how the
animals went to the barbecue, wanted to know what happened to them: he
was anxious to learn if any of them were hurt by the dogs that had been
chasing Brother Rabbit. The old darkey closed his eyes and chuckled.
“You sho is axin’ sump’n now, honey. Und’ his
hat, ef he had any, Brer Rabbit had a mighty quick thinkin’
apple-ratus, an’ mos’ inginner’lly, all de time, de
pranks he played on de yuther creeturs pestered um bofe ways
a-comin’ an’ a-gwine. De dogs done mighty well, ’long
ez dey had dealin’s wid de small fry, like Brer Fox, an’
Brer Coon, an’ Brer Wolf, but when dey run ag’in’
ol’ Brer B’ar, dey sho struck a snag. De mos’
servigrous wuz de identual one dat got de wust hurted. He got too close
ter Brer B’ar, an’ when he look at hisse’f in
runnin’ water, he tuck notice dat he wuz split wide open fum flank
ter dewlap.</p>
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<p>“Atter de rucus wuz over, de creeturs hobbled off home de best dey
could, an’ laid ’roun’ in sun an’ shade fer ter
let der cuts an’ gashes git good an’ well. When dey got so
dey could segashuate, an’ pay der party calls, dey ’gree fer
ter insemble some’rs, an’ hit on some plan fer ter outdo
Brer Rabbit. Well, dey had der insembly, an’ dey jower’d
an’ jower’d des like yo’ pa do when he aint
feelin’ right well; but, bimeby, dey ’greed ’pon a
plan dat look like it mought work. Dey ’gree fer ter make out dat
dey gwine ter have a dance. Dey know’d dat ol’ Brer Rabbit
wuz allers keen fer dat, an’ dey say dey’ll gi’ him a
invite, an’ when he got dar, dey’d ax ’im fer ter play
de fiddle, an’ ef he ’fuse, dey’ll close in on
’im an’ make way wid ’im.</p>
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<p>“So fur, so good! But all de time dey wuz jowerin’ an’
confabbin’, ol’ Brer Rabbit wus settin’ in a shady
place in de grass, a-hearin’ eve’y word dey say. When de
time come, he crope out, he did, an’ run ’roun’,
an’ de fust news dey know’d, here he come down de big
road—bookity-bookity—same ez a hoss dat’s broke thoo de
pastur’ fence. He say, sezee, ‘Why, hello, frien’s!
an’ howdy, too, kaze I aint seed you-all sence de last time! Whar
de name er goodness is you been deze odd-come-shorts? an’ how did
you far’ at de bobbycue? Ef my two eyeballs aint gone an’
got crooked, dar’s ol’ Brer B’ar, him er de short tail
an’ sharp tush—de ve’y one I’m a-huntin’ fer!
An’ dar’s Brer Coon! I sho is in big luck. Dar’s
gwineter be a big frolic at Miss Meadows’, an’ her an’
de gals want Brer B’ar fer ter show um de
roas’n’-y’ar shuffle; an’ dey put Brer Coon down
fer de jig dey calls rack-back-Davy.</p>
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<p>“‘I’m ter play de fiddle—sump’n I aint done
sence my oldest gal had de mumps an’ de measles, bofe de same day
an’ hour! Well, dis mornin’ I tuck down de fiddle fum whar
she wuz a-hangin’ at, an’ draw’d de bow backerds
an’ forerds a time er two, an’ den I shot my eyes an’
hit some er de ol’-time chunes, an’ when I come ter
myse’f, dar wuz my whole blessed fambly skippin’ an’
sasshayin’ ’roun’ de room, spite er de fack dat
brekkus wuz ter be cooked!’</p>
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<p>“Wid dat, Brer Rabbit bow’d, he did, an’ went back
down de road like de dogs wuz atter ’im.”</p>
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<p>“But what happened then?” the little boy asked.
“Nothin’ ’t all,” replied Uncle Remus, taking up
the chuckle where he had left off. “De creeturs aint had no dance,
an’ when dey went ter Miss Meadows’, she put her head out de
winder, an’ say ef dey don’t go off fum dar she’ll
have de law on um!”</p>
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