<h2><SPAN name="HOW_MR_LION_LOST_HIS_WOOL" id="HOW_MR_LION_LOST_HIS_WOOL"></SPAN>HOW MR. LION LOST HIS WOOL</h2>
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<p>“Twuz des sech a day ez dis dat Mr Lion lost his wool,”
remarked Uncle Remus to the little boy, “Mr. Man tuck a notion dat
de time done come fer him fer ter have a hog-killin’ an’ he
got ’im a big barrel, an’ fill it half full er water fum de
big springs. Den he piled up ’bout a cord er wood, an’ ez he
piled, he put rocks ’twix’ de logs, an’ den he sot de
wood after at bofe een’s an’ in de middle.
’Twan’t long ’fo’ dey had de hogs killt,
an’ eve’ything ready fer ter scrape de ha’r off. Den
he tuck de red-hot rocks what he put in de fire, an’ flung um in
de barrel whar de water wuz, an’ ’twan’t long, mon,
’fo’ dat water wuz ready fer ter bile. Den dey tuck de hogs,
one at a time, an’ soused um in de water, an’ time dey tuck
um out, he ha’r wuz ready fer ter drap out by de roots. Den
dey’d scrape un wid sticks an’ chips, an’ dey aint
leave a ha’r on um.</p>
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<p>“Well, bimeby, dey had all de hogs killt an’ cleaned,
an’ hauled off, an’ when eve’ything wuz still ez a
settin’ hen, ol’ Brer Rabbit stuck his head out fum behine a
bush whar he been settin’ at. He stuck his head out, he did,
an’ look all ’roun’, an’ den he went whar de
fier wuz an’ try fer ter warm hisse’f. He aint been dar long
’fo’ here come Brer Wolf an’ Brer Fox, an den he got
busy.</p>
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<p>“He say, ‘Hello, frien’s! howdy an’ welcome! I
’m des fixin’ fer ter take a warm baff like Mr. Man
gi’ his hogs; wont you j’ine me?’ Dey say dey aint in
no hurry, but dey holp Brer Rabbit put de hot rocks in de barrel
an’ dey watch de water bubble, an’ bimeby, when
eve’ything wuz ready, who should walk up but ol’ Mr. Lion?</p>
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<p>“He had a mane fum his head plum ter de een’ er his tail,
an’ in some places it wuz so long it drug on de groun’—dat
what make all de creeturs ’fear’d un ’im. He growl
an’ ax um what dey doin’, an’ when Brer Rabbit tell
’im, he say dat’s what he long been needin’.
‘How does you git in?’ ‘Des back right in,’ sez
ol’ Brer Rabbit, sezee, an’ wid dat,</p>
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<p>“Mr. Lion backed in, an’ de water wuz so hot, he try fer ter
git out, an’ he slipped in plum ter his shoulder-blades. You kin
b’lieve me er not, but dat creetur wuz scall’d so dat he
holler’d an’ skeer’d eve’ybody fur miles
aroun’.</p>
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<p>“An when he come out, all de wool drap’t out,
’cep’ de bunch you see on his neck, an’ de leetle bit
you’ll fin’ on de een’ er his tail—an’
dat’d ’a’ come off ef de tail hadn’t
’a’ slipped thoo de bung-hole er de barrel.” With
that, Uncle Remus closed his eyes, but not so tightly that he
couldn’t watch the little boy. For a moment the child said
nothing, and then, “I must tell that tale to mother before I
forget it!” So saying, he ran out of the cabin as fast as his feet
could carry him, leaving Uncle Remus shaking with laughter.</p>
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