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diff --git a/41598-8.txt b/41598-0.txt index f696f0e..0d757a5 100644 --- a/41598-8.txt +++ b/41598-0.txt @@ -1,38 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Bypaths in Dixie, by Sarah Johnson Cocke - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: Bypaths in Dixie - Folk Tales of the South - - -Author: Sarah Johnson Cocke - - - -Release Date: December 10, 2012 [eBook #41598] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BYPATHS IN DIXIE*** - - -E-text prepared by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team -(http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (http://archive.org) - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41598 *** Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. @@ -73,7 +39,7 @@ With an Introduction by Harry Stillwell Edwards New York -E·P·Dutton & Company +E·P·Dutton & Company 31 West Twenty-Third Street Copyright, 1911 @@ -4586,7 +4552,7 @@ the mountains would call up the spirits of Mist'r Bad Simmon Tree, Miss Wile Grape, de Reed gals, and their forest companions. Thou lessons teachest through tree and vine - A crookèd twig's to thee a sign + A crookèd twig's to thee a sign For moral lect-- In the dim perspective of the street a flying object arrested my thoughts. @@ -4682,362 +4648,4 @@ picture of the impotent bumps on Sis Nanny Goat's head. But I seemed to catch the faint echo of Mammy's voice saying: "Hit taint time you orter be cryin' fer, hit's sense." - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BYPATHS IN DIXIE*** - - -******* This file should be named 41598-8.txt or 41598-8.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/1/5/9/41598 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></p> -<p>Title: Bypaths in Dixie</p> -<p> Folk Tales of the South</p> -<p>Author: Sarah Johnson Cocke</p> -<p>Release Date: December 10, 2012 [eBook #41598]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BYPATHS IN DIXIE***</p> <p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="http://archive.org">http://archive.org</a>)</h4> <p> </p> <table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> <tr> @@ -4802,360 +4786,6 @@ recovered.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BYPATHS IN DIXIE***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 41598-h.txt or 41598-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/1/5/9/41598">http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/5/9/41598</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed.</p> - -<p> -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.</p> - -<p>Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></p> - -<p>This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.</p> - +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41598 ***</div> </body> </html> diff --git a/41598.txt b/41598.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ff8f98a..0000000 --- a/41598.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5043 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Bypaths in Dixie, by Sarah Johnson Cocke - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: Bypaths in Dixie - Folk Tales of the South - - -Author: Sarah Johnson Cocke - - - -Release Date: December 10, 2012 [eBook #41598] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BYPATHS IN DIXIE*** - - -E-text prepared by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team -(http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (http://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 41598-h.htm or 41598-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41598/41598-h/41598-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41598/41598-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - http://archive.org/details/bypathsindixiefo00cockrich - - - - - -BYPATHS IN DIXIE - - -[Illustration: "DES LIKE SHE RUB'IN ON YORN."] - - -BYPATHS IN DIXIE - -Folk Tales of the South - -by - -SARAH JOHNSON COCKE - -With an Introduction by Harry Stillwell Edwards - - - - - - - -New York -E.P.Dutton & Company -31 West Twenty-Third Street - -Copyright, 1911 -By E. P. Dutton & Company -Reprinted, May, 1912 - - - - -TO MY HUSBAND - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -When Thomas Nelson Page began his stories of the old South in the early -"Eighties," the reading people of America suddenly aroused to the -realization that a vein of virgin gold had been uncovered. There was a -rush to the new field and almost every Southerner who had a story to tell -told it, many of them with astonishing dramatic force and power. As by -magic a new department was added to American literature and a score of new -writers won their way to fame. From a notably backward section, in point -of expression, the South stepped easily, with the short story, into the -front rank and has held her place ever since. The field once entered was -explored faithfully, the eager minds of her sons and daughters running -through the Ante-Bellum, Revolutionary and Colonial eras, and when Joel -Chandler Harris developed the "Brer Rabbit" stories, "The Little Boy" and -"Uncle Remus," it seemed as though future work must lie in refining for -the ore was all in sight. - -But there was one lead almost entirely forgotten or undervalued in the -scramble for literary wealth and this lead was into the Southern nursery -where the real black Mammy reigned. With the better lights before us now -we realize the astonishing fact that the very heart center of the Southern -civilization had not been touched. - -Mrs. Cocke in the charming stories contained in this volume is the happy -pre-emptor of the new find. Every Southerner old enough will recognize the -absolute truthfulness of the scenes and methods therein embalmed, and -applaud the faithfulness with which she has reproduced that difficult -potency, the gentle, tender, playful, elusive, young-old, child-wise mind -of the African nurse in the white family; the mind to which all things -appeal as living forces and all lives as speaking intelligences. - -The naturally developed mind of the African slave had no leaning to -violence. The influence of the wildness of nature, the monotones of -forests, fields and running waters, the play of shadows and the wind -voices lingered in it and the tendency to endow all life surrounding it -with human or god-like powers as strong in an humbler way as with the -early Greek. But the Greeks were warriors; the African slave tribes, -never. Where one worshipped force, the other bowed to shrewdness and -cunning and by these lived within a hostile environment. The rabbit that -survives and multiplies was to the African slave always mightier than the -lion that fell to the hunter's gun or spear, and the rabbit was and, to a -large degree still is, the best personification of the negro mind in its -method of approach and treatment. Brer Rabbit in the stories retold by -Harris is really the child-wise, world-old mind of Uncle Remus, himself a -type. The absence from them of some of the moral laws is in itself one -proof of faithful reproduction. - -But in the nursery we had by necessity the moral laws grafted on the -African mind by master and mistress through daily association and the -singular application of these is within the memory of many grown-up -Southern children. I take issue with those who declare that the black -Mammy did have equal authority in the punishment of refractory children. I -have never known an instance in which punishment by her was inflicted in -blows. A child might be dragged forcibly to its nursery, restrained by a -turned key or remorselessly carried away to solitude, in arms, but struck, -never! Blows were unnecessary with the wise-old Mammy. There were the -cupboard and pantry, the fruit orchard, the kitchen stove, and there were -the birds, beasts and fowls to be invoked in song and story. Thus were the -children restrained, guided and taught, and doubtless many a flower in -our literary gardens to-day is but an old-time seed matured. This is the -best side of the picture. The seed was not always well chosen; the -impression, a good one. All black Mammies were not good and superstitions -fertilized with fear were often sown in childish minds never to be -eradicated. The writer to this day could not under any temptation bring -himself to touch a spider or sleep in the dark and somehow feels that life -will not be entirely complete without a chance to even up with the female -Senegambian who filled his mind with weird stories Saturday nights and -prepared him for religious service Sunday mornings. - -Mrs. Cocke's work speaks for itself. It is a difficult work presented with -but few of the stage accessories. But I believe it is admirably done and -will endure in a niche of its own. Certain it is that those to whose -memories it appeals will receive it gratefully. - -HARRY STILLWELL EDWARDS. - - Macon, Ga., - April 10, 1911. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I THE ROOSTER TELEPHONE 21 - - II OLD MAN GULLY'S HANT 37 - - III JACK O'LANTERN AND THE GLOW WORM 57 - - IV MISS RACE HOSS AN' DE FLEAS 79 - - V MISS RACE HOSS'S PARTY 91 - - VI NED DOG AND BILLY GOAT 107 - - VII HOW THE BILLY GOAT LOST HIS TAIL 121 - - VIII SHOO FLY 139 - - IX ELECTION DAY 153 - - X MISTER BAD 'SIMMON TREE 177 - - XI BIG EYE BUZZARD 197 - - XII MISS LILLY DOVE 219 - - XIII MISTER GRAB-ALL SPIDER 243 - - XIV MISTER RATTLESNAKE 261 - - XV MISS QUEEN BEE 281 - - XVI MISTER TALL PINE'S CHRISTMAS TREE 301 - - XVII AN AFTERWORD 319 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - -(From drawings by Duncan Smith.) - - - "Des like she rub'in on yorn" _Frontispiece_ - - PAGE - - "Dat ole roost'r squattin' und'r de baid - ain' nuv'r tak'n his eyes off'n Abe" 50 - - "Hep! Hep!--Somebody come hope me!" 60 - - "Wid dat dey all uv 'em lose dey manners - an' start ter 'busin' Brer Bar scand'lous" 102 - - "Shoo Fly holl'r, 'Look out fur m' legs!'" 148 - - "Bimeby he git ax'd ter be er pawl b'arer - ter all uv 'em" 206 - - "Mist'r Grab-All, 'cose you gwine jine de - Yall'r Jackits' side, ain't yer?" 244 - - - - -[Illustration: The ROOSTER Telephone] - - - - -BYPATHS IN DIXIE - - - - -I - -THE ROOSTER TELEPHONE - - -The telephone had just been mended again, and the man suggested as he left -that the little boy find another plaything. Phyllis indignantly protested -that Willis had done no damage to the instrument, and that the frequent -defects were due to the failure of the workman to put it in proper -condition. Being thus defended by so strong an ally, Willis lost no time -in attacking the forbidden object as soon as the door was closed. - -"Let de ole telerfome erlone, baby," said Phyllis in a tone of -sympathetic protest. But the boy could not resist such an opportunity. -"Dat table tiltin' right now." She caught her breath as the table righted -itself. "An' dat telerfom'll bus' yo' haid wide op'n." - -"I'm going to talk to my papa." - -"You gwinter talk ter er bust'd haid, dat's who you--" At that moment, -table, telephone, boy and all fell to the floor with a bang. "What'd I -tell yer?" - -Willis answered with a succession of screams that admitted of no argument -or consolation. Phyllis offered none until she had satisfied herself that -a bumped head and a much frightened little boy were the extent of the -damage. - -"Mammy gwine whup dat telerfome," she continued, "an' de flo' too, caze -dey hu't her baby." And she proceeded to execute the threat. - -"Don't whip the telephone--whip the table!" he screamed. - -"Dat's right," striking the table with a towel; "'twas dat ole table done -all de mischuf--Mammy gwina rub camfer on dat telerfome's haid des like -she rub'in on yorn, an' beg his pard'n too," looking for the raised place. -"Come on ov'r ter de wind'r so Mammy kin see her baby's haid good!" - -"I don't want you to see it good!" And the wails redoubled. - -"Lawsee! Look at dat ole rooster in de yard!" half dragging the little -fellow to the window; "he's done gone an' telerfome ter Miss Churchill's -rooster 'bout you holl'rin' an' kicken' up so!" - -"No, he shan't!" blubbered Willis. - -"He done done it, an' he fixin' ter do hit ergin!" - -Another crow from the rooster: "I tole yer so! heah 'im? An' Miss -Churchill's rooster done telerfome ov'r ter Miss Coxe's roost'r, an' dey -keeps on telerfomin' ter de nex' yard tell all de roost'rs in dis whole -place'll know you settin' up hyah cryin' an' yellin' like you wus Ma'y -Van." - -"I don't want 'em to tell," said the little boy, burying his face on her -shoulder. - -"I doan speck yer does, but he done tole hit!" A fresh burst followed, -which Phyllis strove to quiet. "Hyah, eat dis nice butt'r'd biskit Mammy -bin savin' fur yer." Willis pushed the bread away. She coaxed, "I speck ef -you eats er lit'le, an' thows er lit'le out yond'r ter ole man Roost'r, -he'll git in er good humor (like all de men fokes does whin dey eats), -an' he'll telerfome ter Miss Churchill's roost'r dat he jes foolin' him, -an' Miss Churchill's roost'r'll keep de wurd passin' erlong dat way tell -all de roost'rs'll know our ole Shanghi jes pass er joke off on you." - -"Where's his telephone?" sniffled the boy, only partly diverted by the -chicken pecking up the crumbs of bread. - -"He keep hit in his th'oat whar de Lawd put hit." - -"How can he eat?" Willis turned from the window to gaze into the old -woman's face. - -"Pshaw, boy, you think er stool an' er table wid er telerfome on hit's in -dat roost'r's th'oat?" and she laughed aloud. Moistening the handkerchief -again with camphor, she parted the curls and tenderly pressed the cloth -to the bumped place. "Nor suhree! dey ain' no sich er thing in dat -roost'r's th'oat. Mist'r Man put dat un in hyar fur yo' ma," pointing in -the direction of the 'phone, "but de Lawd hook up dat un out yond'r in ole -man Roost'r's th'oat. Yas, Lawd! He put hit in dar fur Roost'rs ter talk -wid an' fur fokes ter lis'n ter whut dey talks. You 'member de uth'r night -when you wus took sick in de night, an' Mammy keep er tellin' yer ter stop -cryin' 'bout de cast'r oil, an' lis'n ter de roost'rs crowin'? Well, our -ole roost'r wus jes gittin' news fum Peter's roost'r den." - -"Who's Peter?" Willis shook the camphor cloth from his head. "Who's Peter, -Mammy?" he insisted. - -"Lemme see how I kin 'splain ter yer who Peter is," scratching her head -under the bandana. "Lemme see--Peter wus er gent'mun de scriptur speak -erbout dat trip hissef up on de 'Bridge er Trufe' an' fell er sprawlin' -flat; an' de Lawd sont er roost'r 'long 'bout dat time ter pick 'im up. -Cose you know de roost'r didn't pick 'im up wid his foots, but he raise -him up wid er speeret de Lawd put in 'im fur dat 'speshul 'casion. Oh, I -tell yer, de Lawd talks er heap er talk ter fokes thu fowels an' beastes, -but nobody doan take no notice uv 'em; dey 'pears ter fergit how dat fowel -hope Peter up, an' pint'd de road ter Glory fer 'im." - -"Mammy, can roosters talk show nuf?" - -"Roosters kin talk good es you kin,--hits jes fokes ain' got nuf speeret -in 'em ter heah whut dey says. Way back yonder time whin hants an' bible -fokes projeck' wid one nuth'r, beastes an' speerets confabs wid fokes, -jes like me an' you talkin' now! Yas, suh, an' fokes lis'ns ter de confab -dem sorter creeters talks too! Whar you speck ole man Balim wud er bin -terday ef hit hadn't er bin fur dat mule er his'n? But screech owels an' -jay birds an' er heap mo' 'sides chicken roosters is got speerets in 'em -in dese days too. Some fokes calls 'em hants!" - -The door opened and little Mary Van, who had caught the last word, tripped -quickly to the old woman's side and whispered in suppressed excitement: -"Where's the hants, Mammy Phyllis?" - -"Nem'ine whar de hants is terday. I'm talkin' 'bout de rooster telerfome. -Yer see Peter's rooster's settin' up in rooster heb'n keepin' his eye out -fur all de news. He nuv'r do go ter sleep reg'lar; sometime at night he -sorter nod er lit'le, but he nuv'r do git in bed, caze he feer'd Mist'r -Sun wake up 'fo' he do. Well, whin he heah ole man Sun gap loud, an' turn -hisself ov'r an' scratch, he know he fixin' ter git up, an' dat minit he -flap his wings an' telerfome loud es he kin 'de break er day is -c-o-m-i-n'' (imitating the rooster). Ole man Diminicker down yonder on yo' -gran'pa's rice plantation, down on de aige er de oshun, is de fus ter git -de news. He stir hissef erbout an' flop his wings, an' telerfome loud es -he kin, 'de break er day is c-o-m-i-n'.' De rooster on de nex' plantation -gits de wurd an' dey passes hit on tell our ole rooster gits hit way up -hyah in de mountains. Den our ole Shanghi keeps de wurd er gwine, tell -ev'ry chickin fum one side de country ter de uth'r knows day fixin' ter -break." - -"Mammy, Mister Rooster wants some more biscuit." - -"I 'speck he do; did yer ev'r know er man dat wus satisfied wid what wus -give him? Yas, Lawd! dat rooster'll stan' dar an' peck vit'als long es you -thows hit ter 'im, eb'n whin he feel hissef bustin' wide op'n; he'll -stretch his neck ter git one mo' bite whilst he's dyin'." - -"Who's dyin?" - -"Nobody ain't dyin', caze dat rooster ain' gwina git ernuf fum me an' you -ter do him no harm." - -"Make him telephone again." - -"Nor, he say he want ter pass er lit'le conversation wid Sis Hen, an' Miss -Pullet, an' tell 'em, mebbe ef dey scratch hard ernuf, dey'll fine some -crum's er his but'r'd biskit." - -"Why didn't Mister Rooster save 'em some?" - -"Who, dat rooster?" Phyllis shook her head. "Dem wimmen hens doan git -nuthin' but whut dey scratches fur," then thoughtfully she added: "Cose -all roosters ain' 'zackly erlike. Dey's er few, but recoleck I says er -pow'ful few, dat saves mos' ev'ything fur de hens an' chickens; den der's -some uv 'em dat saves right smart fur 'em; den der's er heap uv 'em dat -leaves 'em de crum's, but de res' er de rooster men fokes doan leave 'em -nuthin', an' de po' things hatt'r scratch fur der sefs." - -"Less give Sis Hen and Miss Pullet some biscuit too," Mary Van insisted. - -"You think Willis's pa got ter feed all de po' scratchin' hens in dis -worl'?--well, he ain't." - -"Give 'em this piece. It hasn't got any butter on it." Willis handed her -the bread. - -"Lawsee," she threw up the disengaged hand and brought it down softly on -the little boy's head, "but ain't you 'zackly like all de uth'r -roosters--an' hens too fur dat matt'r--willin' ter give 'em dat ole crus' -atter you done eat all de sof but'r'd insides out'n it!" - -A lusty crow sounded from the rooster in the yard. - -"Mammy, what did Mister Rooster say?" - -"He say 'dey's er good little boy in h-y-a-h,'" trilled Phyllis, imitating -the rooster's crow. - -Willis smiled while his hands unconsciously clapped applause. Slipping -from her lap, he ran about the room flapping his arms and crowing: -"There's a good little boy in h-e-r-e, there's er good little boy in -h-e-r-e." - -Mary Van started in the opposite direction: "There's a good little girl in -h-e-r-e." - -"Hush, Mary Van," commanded Willis; "you can't crow, you've got to -cackle." - -"I haven't neether; I can crow just as good as you. Can't I, Mammy -Phyllis?" - -"Well," solemnly answered Phyllis, "it soun' mo' ladylike ter heah er hen -cackle dan ter crow, but dem wimmen hens whut wants ter heah dersefs crow -is got de right ter do it," shaking her head in resignation but -disapproval, "but I allus notice dat de roosters keeps mo' comp'ny wid -hens whut cackles, dan dem whut crows. G'long now an' cackle like er nice -lit'le hen." - -[Music: - - Cack-le, lack-le, lack-le, lack-le ear-ly in de - dawn-in'; Nice fresh aigs for yer brek-fus' ev-'y - mawnin'; Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck caw caw caw an' er - cock-er doo-dle doo (Cock crows............ - ..............) An' er cock-er doo-dle doo.] - -[Illustration] - - - - -II - -OLD MAN GULLY'S HANT - - -"Put some bread crumbs on top of the barrel, Willis, and less see if he -can peck it off," suggested Mary Van in baby treble. - -The Langshan seemed to understand, for he watched Willis with interest as -he crumbled the bread; and after due consideration, and with an almost -human scorn towards the hens, measured his steps to the barrel, and -stretching his long neck, removed every crumb from the top. After this he -slowly raised one foot as though to return to the company of hens, but -changing his mind, stood with the foot poised in air and one eye -apparently fixed upon Phyllis. - -"Come on, chillun, I ain' gwine stay hyah an' let dat ole chicken conjur -me." - -"I don't want to go, Mammy, I want to stay and feed the chickens," -protested Willis. - -"I want to see him eat off the barrel some more," pleaded Mary Van. - -"Dat rooster ain't no chicken, I tell yer, 'tain' nuthin' in dis worl' but -er hant." - -This closed the argument, for they felt the mysterious influence of -"hants" that was upon Phyllis, hence they followed like the meekest of -lambs until she stopped at her own room in the yard. After stirring some -embers to a flickering sort of blaze, she looked insinuatingly about her -and broke into an excited whisper: "Whinsomev'r yer sees enything right -shiny black, widout er single white speck on hit nowhar, you kin jes put -hit down in yo' mine, _dats er hant_! 'Tain' no use ter argufy erbout it; -dem's de creeturs dat speerets rides whin dey comes back ter dis worl'. -An' 'twas one er dem same black, biggity Langshans dat ole man Gully's -hant come back inter." Phyllis had taken her seat by this time, and the -children had scrambled into her lap. "Sakes erlive! You all mos' claw me -ter death. How yer 'speck erbody ter be hol'in' two growd up fokes like -youall is?" But the children continued to climb, one on each knee. Phyllis -put out her foot and dragged a chair in front of her. "Hyah stretch yer -foots out on de cheer, an' mebby ef yer sets still, I kin make out ter -hole yer." - -"Mammy, where do hants stay?" asked Willis. - -"Hants is ev'r whars," she looked about her; "dis hyah room right full -uv 'em now." - -Mary Van's head was immediately buried on the old woman's shoulder, while -Willis's arms locked tightly around her neck. - -"Yas," she continued, in low mysterious tones, "dis whole wurl's pack'd -full uv 'em, but 'tain' no use ter git skeer'd, long es dey ain' got no -bisnes' wid you. De time ter git skeer'd is whin _you sees 'em_!" (A -scream from Mary Van answered by a tremor from Willis.) "Some fokes doan -git skeer'd den, kaze dey knows 'tain' no use ter git skeer'd er good -speerets--hit's jes dese bad hants dat does de damage." - -"Tell us about a good, good spirit, Mammy," came in muffled tones from -Mary Van. - -"Cause we don't want to hear about bad old hants," finished Willis. - -"How yer speck me ter tell yer enything wid you chokin' me, an' Ma'y Van -standin' on her haid on m' should'r. Set up like fokes--you hole dis han' -an' let Ma'y Van hole dis un, an' I'll tell yer 'bout old man Gully's -hant." - -"Ole man Gully wus de biggites' creetur' you ev'r seed; he jes nachilly so -biggity he 'fuse ter do er lick er wurk. Plantin' time er harves' time -ain' make no diffunce ter ole man Gully. He set up on his front po'ch an' -smoke his pipe, an' read de newspaper an' eat same es one dese ole -buckshire hogs, whilst his old lady, an' de chilluns, an' der ole nigg'r -Abe, done all de wurk. - -"Ole Miss Gully wus pow'ful sot on de ole man; she think he's de mos' -pow'fules' gran' man in de wurl. Ef he say 'I wants er chaw er 'bark'r,' -de ole lady'd break her neck runnin' ter de fiel' ter tell Abe ter take -de mule out'n de plow an' fly ter town fur de 'bark'r. Den she'd git de -old broke down steer an' go ter plowin' tell Abe come back. All dis time -ole man Gully snoozin' on de po'ch in de cool. Ef er rainy spell come an' -spile de wheat, er ef fros' come an' kill de fruit, ole man Gully 'buse de -ole lady an' de chilluns, an' say ef dey had er done like he tole 'em hit -nuv'r wud er hap'n'd. - -"One day long 'bout de mid'le er de sum'r, Mist'r Gully say he bleeg ter -have some possum vit'als. Cose nobody doan eat no possum dat time de ye'r, -an' 'taint' no time ter hunt 'em nuthe'r, but ole man Gully says, 'I wants -de possum,' an' dat wus 'nuf fur de Gullys. Abe an' de chillun stops all -de wurk on de farm an' go possum huntin'. Dey hunts all day, an' dey hunts -all night 'fo' dey so much es come 'crost er single possum track. Bimeby, -att'r day had mos' give out, hyah come er big lean, lank ole possum up er -'simmon tree full er green 'simmons. Dey runs home quick an' giv' hit ter -dey ma, an' Lawsee! by de time dat possum an' tat'rs 'gun ter cookin' up -good, de smell uv hit jes nachally make Abe an' dem chilluns mouf dribble -tell dey can' do er lick er wurk fur standin' 'roun' de kitchen smellin' -dat possum. Miss Gully had er plenty er fat meat an' sop fur de chillun, -but dat big deesh er possum an' tat'rs at de haid er de table done steal -all der appertite, an' dey wus settin' dar turnin' ov'r in der mines which -one gwine git de bigges' piece. - -"Pres'ntly Mist'r Gully sorter cla'r his thoat an' push his plate erway -an' pull de deesh closter ter 'im an' cas' er eye 'roun' de table sorter -mad like, an', honey, dem chillun know right den an' dar dat dey got ter -eat fat meat an' sop fur sup'r, er dee doan git no sup'r. De bigges' boy -sorter wipe his eyes er lit'le, an' de nex' two chillun, dey out an' -sniffle. De ole lady twis' her mouf like she tryin' ter say 'doan spile -yo' pa's sup'r.' An' de ole man make out he ain' heah nuthin' nur see -nuthin'. Pres'ntly he look up wid his mouf right full er tat'rs an' possum -an' see de chillun's eyes feas'in' on 'im, an' der moufs wurkin' like -his'n, an' he feel sorter 'shame. He swaller hard he do, like he's fixin' -ter give 'em some, den he change his mine an' say, 'G'long in de yard, -chillun,--Pappy's sick, let Pappy eat de possum.'" - -"Make Mister Gully give them some, Mammy," said Willis indignantly. - -"He hatt'r go back like Niggerdemus an' be born'd ergin ef he do. Nor -suhree, he eat up ev'y speck er dat possum, an' he sop up ev'y drap er dat -gravy too; den he stretch hissef an' say he 'speck he'll g'long ter bed -an' try ter git er good night's res'. Den all de fambly hatt'r g'long ter -baid too, so de old man kin git ter sleep. Bimeby, long' 'bout time de -moon sot, hyah come sump'in' nuth'r knockin'--knockin'--knockin', on de -wind'r blines. - -"'Who dat?' sez ole lady Gully. - -"Sumpin' nuth'r keep er knockin' an' er knockin'. Bimeby de old dog 'gun -ter howlin', an' de chickens 'gun ter crowin', an' de pigs 'gun ter -squealin', an' de kitchin do' blow'd wide op'n, an' de sumpin' nuth'r come -tippitty, tippitty, tip, 'long up de hall. - -"'Who dat?' sez ole lady Gully ergin. - -"De sump'in' nuth'r keep er comin' tippitty, tippitty, tip, right 'crost -de ole lady's foots on de baid. She holl'r an' squall fur de ole man an' -de chillun' ter come kill hit. De chillun an' Abe come er runnin' but de -ole man ain' stirry er speck. - -"'Lawsee mussy! Light de candle quick,' sez she. - -"An' whut 'twus you 'speck dem chillun foun'?" - -"What, Mammy?" came in a chorus. - -"Er big ole Langshan rooster, jes like dat varmint out yond'r. Yas suh, -dar hit sot on de foot er de baid, quoilin' an' grumblin' like fokes. De -ole lady tell Abe ter run Langshan out 'fo' he wake up de ole man, but -Lawd er mussy! Abe 'gun ter howlin': 'Oh! my Lawd, Marst'rs daid! -Marst'rs daid! an' dis hyahs his hant!' Sho' nuff de ole man wus layin' -dar stiff an' stark daid!" - -"Is Papa's rooster old man Gully, Mammy?" whispered Willis. - -"Hit mout not be dis same ole man Gully, son, but hit's some ole man -Gully, sho' es you born. Well, de ole lady she 'gun ter moanin' an' takin' -on tur'bl', she did, an' de Langshan he settin' up cluckin' an' quoilin' -tell nobody can' heah der own ye'rs. Dey darsn't ter drive 'im out--nor -suh, eb'n de und'r tak'r skeerd ter do dat, so 'tain't long 'fo' dat ole -Langshan chick'n boss ev'ythin' on de farm. Yas suh, I tell yer, Abe an' -dat ole 'oman act scand'lous ter dat chickin. De ole lady, she love hit, -but Abe, he jes nachelly skeer'd er de hant. Dey nuv'r raise sich er crap -b'fo', 'caze dat rooster scratchin' all ov'r de fiel', an' Abe say he -know whut you doin' wheth'r he lookin' at yer er not. - -"Ev'y time Langshan 'ud speak sof' ter de hens, Miss Gully'd holl'r ter -Abe, 'Yer marst'r want some fresh wat'r, run quick,' Whinsomev'r -Langshan'd crow, she run an' git him mo' vit'als. Oh, I tell yer dem -dominicker hens whut kep' comp'ny wid him sholy got fat an' lazy eatin' -all day an' doin' nuthin' but cacklin' conversation wid him. An' dey's er -heap er fokes in dis town too, dat doan do no mo' dan dem hens does." - -"Did the children call Langshan papa?" interrupted Willis. - -"Nor, darlin', dem boys doan b'leef in hants, an' dey tell dey ma dat de -rooster jes foolin' her, but she crack 'em crost de haid wid de broom -stick, an' dey darsn't say so no mo'. - -"Long 'bout Chris'mus time Miss Gully wus took down wid de rumatiz. She -can't lif' er finger, let lone git up, so she tell Abe ter bring de ole -man up in de house. Yas suh, dat rooster strut hissef all ov'r dat house. -He peck at hissef in de lookin' glass, an' he light up on de pianny in de -parler; he fly up on de baid an' peck Miss Gully's nose, an' she tell Abe -de ole Man's lovin' her. Hit sho' wus cur'us 'bout dat rooster, caze ev'y -time de doct'r come, he hop up on de foot er de baid an' cluck, an' cluck -tell de doct'r git up an' go. One day de doct'r tell Miss Gully she gwine -die. She sorter cry 'bout hit er spell, den she sont fur de ole man's -hant. Abe he go an' shoo de roost'r in de room, but he can't make him fly -on de baid. Abe he tiptoe an' wave his han's sof' like b'hime him, but de -rooster run und'r de baid an' cackle, an' cluck, an' make so much fuss -dat de boys wanter run him out, but Miss Gully say he talkin' ter her. She -answer back ter him, 'Yas, suh,--dat's right,--yas, suh, I'm gwine do jes -like you says.' She keep er gwine on dat erway er long time, tell bimeby -she tell Abe ter go git lawyer Clark ter make her er will. She say de ole -man say she got ter give him all de money, dat de chillun'll spen' hit ef -she don't. De lawyer argufy wid her 'bout doin' sich er trick es dat, but -he thowin' 'way his bref, caze by de time he git thu' wid dat speech, Miss -Gully wus done daid." - -The children took a long breath. "Did the hant kill her, Mammy?" - -"Hit conjur her so she dunno whut she doin', jes like dat ole chickin try -ter do me." - -[Illustration: "DAT OLE ROOST'R SQUATTIN' UND'R DE BAID AIN' NUV'R TAK'N -HIS EYES OFF 'N ABE."] - -"Did the children cry when their mama died?" came tremulously from Mary -Van. - -"Dey car'ied on right sharply, caze she wus er good ole 'ooman 'fo' she -got conjured, an' she wus jes doin' what she think wus right den; but der -cryin' wusn't nuthin' ter dat nigg'r Abe howlin' an' moanin' ov'r in de -cornd'r. Yer see dat ole roost'r squattin' und'r de baid ain' nuv'r tak'n -his eyes off'n Abe, an' Abe want 'im ter g'long an' keep comp'ny wid -somebody else sides him. So he holler', 'Mistis, fur de Lawd's sake make -Marst'r g'long wid yer.' Den de ole rooster start ter cluckin' an' -fussin', an' hit 'pear dat he fixin' ter go to'ards Abe. Abe he start ter -hol'rin': 'Nor suh, nor suh, I doan want yer ter g'way fum hyah! I wants -Mistis ter come back in one dese big Langshan hens, so you won't git so -lonesome, dat's whut I wants.' De rooster keep on er cacklin' an' er -fixin' ter fly out'n de wind'r, but Abe think he gwine jump on him, an' he -yell, 'Please suh, doan hu't Abe, Marster, caze whin I dies, I'm gwine -come back in one dese fine gooses, an' wait on yer plum tell jedgement.'" - -"Did old Langshan get all the money, Mammy?" the financial side appealing -to Willis. - -"He git much uv hit es hit take ter buy pizen ter make er conjur pill ter -kill him wid." - -"Can you kill a hant?" he asked incredulously. - -"Yer can't kill 'em 'zackly, but yer kin run 'em inter sum uth'r creet'r, -dat is ef de conjur pill wurk." - -"Mammy," began both children at once. - -"Hole on,--jes one ax at er time--let de lady have de fus time, caze -you'se Mammy's man. Now den, ax yer sayso, Ma'y Van." - -"Did Miss Gully turn to a hen?" - -"She done bin eat up long ergo ef she did," then turning to Willis, -"Whut's Mammy's man got ter ax?" - -"I want to know how Abe turned to a goose." - -"Abe didn't hatt'r turn ter no goose ertall, caze de Lawd done alreddy -born'd him er goose.--Come on now, an' less play in de yard." - - - - -III - - -JACK O' LANTERN AND THE GLOW WORM - - -"Mammy, you cut m' Jack-my-Lantern for me." Willis was struggling to carve -features in a huge pumpkin. - -"I tole yer ter let Zeek make dat foolish lookin' thing," grumbled -Phyllis, faithfully striving however to cut the pumpkin according to -Willis's instructions. - -"Make Mary Van one too," he demanded. - -"I got one," and Mary Van blew into the kitchen door with a gust of chilly -wind, "and Papa's made a pretty one for you too, Willis--ain't you glad?" - -"Whut you all think dem Jacky-Lanterns is enyhow?" Phyllis asked with an -air of mystery. - -"They are--" Willis hesitated, "they are--funny pretties," he finished. - -"Dey ain' nuthin' funny 'bout er show nuff Jack-my-Lantern, I kin tell yer -dat fur sartin an' sho!" Her face assumed a grave expression, "and--take -keer, boy, Kitty'll spill hot greese on yer," making a dive at Willis in -time to save the cook from stumbling. "Come on out er dis hyah -kitchen,--'tain' no place fur chillun no how." - -"Mammy, less go over to Mary Van's and get m' Jack-my-Lantern," coaxed -Willis, as Phyllis directed the way toward the nursery. - -"Nor, yer doan need hit tell dark. Jack-my-Lanterns doan come out 'cep'in' -at night. Leastways fokes doan see em." - -"Jack-my-Lanterns ain't anything but big old pumpkins, are they, Mammy -Phyllis?" Mary Van asked to reassure herself. - -"Dat dey is," the old nurse's expression grew fearful and cunning. "Dey's -de wuss sorter hants--dat's whut dey is." - -This ended the contention of going to Mary Van's. - -"You memb'rs," she began after an ominous silence, "ole man Gully's hant, -doan yer?" - -"Old Langshan rooster, Mammy?" Willis whispered. - -"Dat's de ve'y hant--yas suh--ole lady Gully ain't skeercely in her grave -'fo' dat rooster hant start ter gwine down in de cellar--an' peckin' -'roun' like he huntin' fur sumthin'. - -"Abe tell de boys he seen de ole man take er bag er gole down dar onct, -an' he 'speck old Langshan know whar he berry hit--but howsumev'r dat -is--one thing wus sho'--dat rooster peck in one cornder er dat celler, -tell dem boys pis'n him." - -The children moved closer to Phyllis. "Mammy, did he come back in another -rooster?" - -"No, ma'm, he didn't,--he say he nuv'r speck ter come back in no mo' -creeturs ter git pis'n'd ergin. 'De nex' time I comes back,' sez he, -'hit's gwine be in sumthin' nuth'r fokes can't projick none er der -dev'ment wid.' Ahah,--an' yer knows whut dat is, doan yer?" - -Both little heads shook a trembling negative. - -"Well, hit's er Jack-my-lantern!" said Phyllis, and at her solemn -statement the children looked aghast. - -[Illustration: "HEP! HEP!--SOMEBODY COME HOPE ME!"] - -"Yas, ma'm,--an yas, suh," she bowed to each in turn, "he come back -straight es he kin float hissef ter de swamp down yond'r on yo' granpa's -rice plantation." She waited for this to be entirely absorbed by her eager -little listeners, then added: "I seen 'em m'sef winkin', an' blinkin' all -erbout dar," suiting facial contortions to her words. - -"One day Miss Gully's bigges' boy went down in de cell'r ter git some -tat'rs fur dinn'r, an' fus' thing yer know he start ter yellin' 'Hep! -hep!--Somebody come hope me!' - -"Abe an' de uth'r boys wint down dar, an' seed de boy layin' flat on de -floo' whar de hant thow'd him--" - -"Mammy, lemme get in your lap," begged Mary Van, while Willis jumped on -one of her knees. Mary Van followed suit, and before Phyllis could reply -they had cuddled upon her, almost taking her breath. - -"Sakes erlive! you all gittin' 'way wid me wusser'n dem hants done de -Gully boys." - -"Go on, Mammy," they both urged. - -"Well, Abe an' de uth'r two boys fotch him up sta'rs an' lay him on his -ma's baid. Dey lef' him er minute ter go git some cam'fer, an' when dey -come back, dar sot er crow on de haid er de baid tellin' de boy: - - "'Go foll'r de light, - Don' feer ter fight, - An' yer'll git er bag er gole!' - -"He git up, he do, an' go out de do', but hit's s' dark he tell de crow he -can't see how ter git erlong. Jes den Jacky-Lantern flash up an' say: - - "'Foll'r me, sonny, - I got de money.' - -"De boy run up ter de light, but hit go out jes es he git clost up ter -hit. He say: 'Hole on dar, whar yer takin' me?' Jacky-Lantern say - - "'Foll'r me, sonny, - I got de money.' - -"Johnny Squinch Owel fly b'fo' him an' say: - - "'Unch-oo, unch-oo, - Doanchu go, doanchu go!' - -"Boy tell him, 'Git out'n m' way, Johnny, I'm atter money--I ain' got no -time ter talk ter you.' - -"Johnny, he keep er foll'rin' de boy an' holl'r: - - "'Unch-oo, unch-oo, - Doanchu go, doanchu go.' - -"Jacky-Lantern light up ergin, an' de boy start up runnin'. 'I'll git yer -dis time,' he say; but Jacky-Lantern drap down in de groun' ev'y time he -git enywhars near 'bouts him, an' Willie Wisp pop up way ov'r de uth'r -side." - -"Who was Willie Wisp, Mammy?" - -"He wus er nuth'r hant dat tak'n up wid ole man Gully. When de boy see -Jacky-Lantern pop up hyah, an' Willie Wisp pop up dar,--he jump fus' dis -erway, an' dat erway tell--" - -"What was the boy's name?" asked Willis. - -"Lemme see, I b'leef dat boy name Jack." - -"No, Mammy, Jacky-Lantern's name, Jack," Willis reminded her. - -"Dat's so." She dropped her head on one side: "Dat Gully boy's name, -Bill--Bill Gully's his name. Dem uth'r two boys an' Abe takes atter Bill -an' holl'r ter him ter let dem hants erlone, but Bill tell 'em ter 'ten' -ter der own biznes, dat he atter gole. - -"Dey holl'r back, 'Dey's er plenty er gole in de cell'r--come on back an' -hope dig hit out.' - -"'I doan want no lit'le gole you fines at home,' sez Bill. - -"Abe he holl'r back ergin, 'Please, suh, come back, dar's er heap mo' hyah -dan you kin git dar.' - -"But he so tie'd runnin' fus' atter Jacky-Lantern, an' den atter Willie -Wisp, dat he hatt'r stop an' blow er lit'le. Abe an' de boys dey kotch up -wid him, an' dey tussels consid'rble tryin' ter git him back, but dat boy -Bill skuffle scand'lus. He thow ev'y one uv 'em flat in de mud. - -"'You all ain' nuthin' but er passel er gooses,' he say, 'talkin' 'bout -huntin' gole at home. Don't yer know yer got ter fight an' scratch, an' -run, an' keep er gwine tell yer gits ter whar dese hyah gol' lights -lives--den yer fines de bag er gole?' - -"Fo' de boys an' Abe kin git dersefs up of'n de groun' whar Bill knock -'em, Bill wus gwine like er race hoss atter Jacky-Lantern. Bimeby de -groun' 'gun ter git pow'ful sof', an' Bill, his foots 'gun ter sink down -tur'bul. He can't go fas' no mo',--I tell yer de trufe, hit wus all Bill -cud do ter pull hisse'f erlong." - -"What was the matter with Bill, Mammy Phyllis?" whispered Mary Van. - -"He in de swamp, honey, whar de groun' wus mirey,--an' hit wus full er -hants too. Bill feel er hot flash pass him, an' er Jacky-Lantern'd pop -up--hyah come ernuth'r hot sumthin nuth'r, an' Willie Wisp 'u'd pop up -right 'long side er him. - -"Bill say, 'Is dis whar yer lives?' - -"Jacky say: - - "'Foll'r me, sonny, - I got de money.' - -"Johnny Squinch hoot up in de tree: 'Unch-oo, Doanchu go.' - -"Brer Bull Frog holl'r: 'Go back, go back.' - -"Ole lady Gully's hant come up in er big ball er light, an' she moan ter -Bill: - - "'Foll'r yer track, - Ef yer wanter git back.' - -"Bill say: 'Who is you?' - -"Miss Gully say: - - "'I'm yo' Mar-- - Doan go so far.' - -"Bill say, 'I done start atter dis gole, an' I'm gwine see de race out.' - -"Jacky-Lantern an' Willie Wisp, an' all de res' er de bad hants down in de -swamp jes er poppin' up ev'y which er way, an' all uv 'em holl'r: - - "'Foll'r me, sonny, - I got de money!' - - "'Foll'r me, sonny, - I got de money.' - -"Bill he dunno which way ter go, so he ax 'em: 'Which one got de money sho -nuf?' But dey keeps er bobbin' up: - - "'Foll'r me, sonny, - I got de money.' - - "'Foll'r me, sonny, - I got de money.' - -tell Bill say ter hissef: 'I'm gwine foll'r de one look like he got de -mostes.' He take er step dis er way, an' he sink down so fur dat he pull, -an' pull, an' pull, tell he pull his shoe off. Some mo' Jackys calls him -way ov'r yond'r: - - "'Foll'r me, sonny, - I got de money.' - - "'Foll'r me, sonny, - I got de money.' - -"So he try ter take er long step ov'r ter dem, but he sink so fur dis time -dat he pull, an' pull, an' pull, an' pull, but he can' git his foots up. - -"His ma's hant ris' up den, an' bus' out cryin': - - "'Yer done los' yer sole, - An' yer ain' got de gol'.' - - "'Yer done los' yer sole, - An' yer ain' got de gol'.' - -"Bill he keep tryin' ter pull hisse'f up, but he done sink down ter his -gallus straps." - -"Please, Mam, pull him out, p-l-e-a-s-e," pleaded the little girl. - -"Doan yer worry yose'f, his ma's wid dat boy." - -"Yes, but she's only a spirit." - -"Doan keer ef she is er hant, she's his ma,--an' de Lawd nuv'r do let dat -part die out in no 'ooman. Well, dar wus Bill jes er sinkin' an' er -sinkin'--" - -"But he wusn't any deeper than his waist, you said, Mammy," begged Mary -Van. - -"He bleeg ter be er lit'le deep'r by dis time, but his ma wus cryin' an' -beggin' de Lawd so hard ter spar' de boy an' give him er-nuth'r chanct, -dat er big thorney bush grow up quick 'long side er Bill an' retch out -hits arms,--an' de thorney part stick right thu Bill's close, so -Jacky-Lantern, an' Willie Wisp an' de res' er de bad hants can't pull 'im -no fur'r. Bill 'gun ter see dat he wus hangin' ov'r torment, an' dat wus -de place de gole he bin runnin' atter stay, so he rech out an' grab de -thorney bush, he did, an' de blood come tricklin' down on his han's whar -de briers stick him, but his ma's speeret come out on de thorney bush in -er big, big, big ole glow wurm, an' she say: - - "'Hole fas', - Hit can' las'.' - - "'Hole fas', - Hit can' las'.' - -"He notice den dat all de uth'r lights poppin' up an' poppin' out, an' -hoppin' erbout, but de glow wurm's light wus studdy." - -"Did Bill know it was his mama?" Bill's safety was uppermost in Mary Van's -mind now. - -"He doan 'zackly know hit, but he think he do, caze he know nobody ain' -gwine stick ter him atter dey's in heb'n cep'n his ma. Darfo' he keep his -eye on de glow wurm, he do. He know dat studdy light wus his ma's -speeret." - -"Don't let his hands bleed any more, Mammy," she begged. - -"Doan yer git too skeer'd er de blood uv 'pentence, chile. Bill done sin, -an' he got ter be born'd ergin, thu suf'in an' mis'ry. Howsumev'r he -foll'rin' de studdy light er dat glow wurm, so 'tain' long 'fo' she show -him er tree on t'oth'r side dat wus smooth an' strong, an' Bill tu'n -loose er de bush an' grab holt er de tree--Bob Wind he come an' hope de -tree ter lif' Bill up,--an' Bob give one er ole man Harricane's blows dat -take Bill clean out'n de mirey clay, an' lan' him on de rock." - -"Was he clear out of the swamp?" - -"And where was his mama?" both children pressed their questions. - -"He wusn't clean out, but he wus clost on ter de aige--all he need is er -lit'le mo' uv his ma's studdy light ter show him de way home,--an' he got -hit too, fur dar she wus by him on de rock, whin he come thu. She crawl -'long mouty slow b'fo' him, caze Bill wus in er pow'ful bad fix, but her -light ain' flick'r, an' hit keep bright an' studdy, an' bimeby atter er -long time she lan' him at home safe an' soun'." - -"How could it take long?" Willis was keeping tab on the time. - -"Yer see, baby, yer kin nachelly fly wid Bob Wind when yer's on de road -ter Satan wid Jacky-Lantern, an' Willie Wisp lightin' hit up so purty fur -yer; but whin yer starts back, an' de road's dark--an' yer got jes one -lit'le light, hit take er long time ter fine yer way erbout." - -"Was Abe and the boys waiting for Bill?" Mary Van desired to see the home -reunited. - -"Dey wus waitin', but dey wusn't settin' down waitin'. Abe an' dem boys -had done dig dat gole out'n de cell'r an' buy 'em er passel er mules, an' -cows, an' chick'ns, an' bilt 'em er fine house, an' raise sich craps, dat -de ole farm tu'n out ter be de bigges' plantation in dem parts." - -"Did Bill get home?" - -"Ter be sho', son, ain't I done tole yer de glow wurm gwine p'int out de -road fur him?" - -"Did they give Bill some money, too?" - -"Cose dey did, gal, der ma's speeret light up der h'arts so bright dat dey -ain' see no rees'n ter keep all de money jes' 'caze dey stays at home an' -fines hit.--Sut'nly dey give Bill his sheer." - -"Did the glow worm stay with them?" - -"Dey ma's speeret stay's dar, but de glow wurm hatt'r g'long back ter de -swamp ter hope de res' er de po' sinn'rs dat gits tang'led up runnin' -atter Jacky-Lanterns an' Willie Wispes." - - - - -IV - - -MISS RACE HOSS AN' DE FLEAS - - -"Come on hyah, baby! Let de dog er loose--sleepy time done come ter us." - -"No, Mammy, I ain't goin' ter sleepy!" - -"Who say you ain't?" - -"I say so, 'caus' my papa says I'm er man! My papa don't go ter sleepy in -the day time!" - -"Lordee! I bet he do if he gits er chanct. Dat dog gwine bite yer if you -don't quit foolin' wid es tail." - -"Bray ain't goin' ter bite me--Mammy, you tie the bow." - -"Tie er ribbin bow on er dog's tail?" - -"Oom hoo!" - -"Ooom hoo? Is dat de way you speaks ter yo' ole Mammy?" - -"I says, yes, ma'm." - -"Well, gimme de ribbin!--but what you wanter tie er bow on er dog's tail -fur? Folks puts bows 'round dey necks." - -"But I want ter fool Bray, and make him think this is his head." - -"You'se er sight, you is! Who on earth but you'd er thought er tryin' ter -make er dog think es tail was es head! Nev' mind! Yer bett'r take keer dat -he don't play er wusser joke on you, like ole Sis' Cow, an' Sis' Dog, an' -Sis' Sow, an' Sis' Cat done ter ole Miss Race Hoss when she try ter pass -off one er her jokes on dem!" - -"Did they hurt Miss Race Hoss, Mammy?" - -"Dey mos' driv her crazy, dat's what dey done!--but you wait tell I ties -dis heah bow, an' den we gwinter slip off up-stairs 'fo' Bray wake up an' -ketch us." - -"All right, Mammy." - -Most elaborately Phyllis tied and patted the soiled blue bow. - -"Now, den, Bray's sho' gwine hatt'r strain 'es mind ter fine out which -een' his head stays on! Jump up hyah in Mammy's arms, so we kin run fas' -'fo' Bray wake up!" - -Quite out of breath, Mammy reached the room up-stairs. Little Willis, -interested only in the flight from Bray, did not realize the ruse she had -played upon him until he found himself in his little crib bed. Open -rebellion began. - -"Boo hoo, boo hoo!" - -"Ssho boy! You gwine wake Bray, an' den he's jes es sho' es sho' kin be -ter play dat trick on us dat his Gran' Mammy Dog play'd on ole Miss Race -Hoss," remonstrated Phyllis. - -"Boo hoo, boo hoo, I don't wanter--" - -"Hush, now! Lawsee! I b'lieve I heahs er race hoss comin' down de road -now! You hears him, don't yer?" - -"Oom hoo!" sobbed the little boy. - -"Oom hoo?" - -"Yes, ma'm!" - -"Well, dat's de way ole Miss Race Hoss soun' when she come er -single-footin' down de road, an' seed ole Sis' Cow layin' ov'r in de -cornder er de pastur' chewin' her cud, an' talkin' ter ole Sis' Sow, an' -Sis' Dog, an' Sis' Cat. She look' in de pastur', she do, an' see Sis' -Cow's little calf jes' er jumpin' an' er kickin' out his b'hime legs; so -she holler she do: - -"'Law, Sis' Cow, whatchu doin' wid my little colt ov'r dar?' - -"Sis' Cow say, 'Law, Miss Race Hoss, you sholy ain't callin' my po' little -calf yo' colt?' - -"Miss Race Hoss say, 'Sis' Cow I sho' is s'prised you can't tell er calf -frum one er my fine colts! Jes' look how he's prancin'. I'm gwine jump -ov'r dis fence, an' prance 'long side him an' let you see if we ain't -'zackly like.' - -"Wid dat, she tuck er sorter back-runnin' start, an' jump blip! right in -de middle er de pastur'. Sis' Cow's little calf was so proud when Miss -Race Hoss 'gun ter caper her fancy steps 'long side him, dat he clean -furgit 'es ma, an' try ter fancy step 'long side er Miss Race Hoss down de -middle er de field. - -"Po' Sis' Cow beller' an' beller' fur Mister Cow ter come an' run Miss -Race Hoss off, but law, Mister Cow bizzy tendin' ter 'es bizness an' he -don't hear ole Sis' Cow. Jes' den, Sis' Dog an' Sis' Sow an' Sis' Cat -sorter whisper 'mongst deysefs. Pres'ntly dey all jumps up an' starts ter -shakin' deyse'fs whensomever Miss Race Hoss git clost ter 'em. Fus' thing -yer knows, Miss Race Hoss stop' her fancy steppin' an' holler, 'How 'pon -earth come dese fleas ter git on top er me?' She jump' an' she roll', she -jump' an' she roll', an' I speck she'd bin er jumpin' an' er rollin' plum -tell now, ef dem fleas teeth had er bin strong nuf ter er bit thu Miss -Race Hosses hide, but yer see wid all de bitin' dey bin doin', dar wasn't -one uv 'em dat got er good clinch on Miss Race Hoss. So Sis' Sow's fleas -say dey gwine back home ter vit'als dey wus rais'd on, an' Sis' Dog's -fleas say dey wus gwine back whar de meat wus tender, an' Sis' Cat's fleas -say dey don't see no use tryin' ter git er livin' off'n hoss hide when dar -wus plenty er kitten meat dat would melt in yo' mouf. So wid dat, all uv -de fleas give er jump, an' lands back on Sis' Sow an' Sis' Dog an' Sis' -Cat; an', honey, dem fleas ain't no sooner jumpt, dan Miss Race Hoss jump, -too. She give er back-runnin' start an' wus ov'r dat fence 'fo' you know'd -it; an' bless yo' heart, she come mouty nigh ter jumpin' on her own little -colt dat had done foller' her onbeknownst. De colt nev'r seed es ma mirate -an' car'y on so b'fo', an' he got so occipi'd watchin' her dat he plum -fergit ter mention he was dar. Howsomev'r, when Miss Race Hoss come er -flyin' ov'r dat fence she come so close ter de little colt dat whil'st he -was er gittin' outen de way, he trip' es own sef an' fell er sprawlin' -flat. - -"Po' little colt commenc' ter whinnyin' an' cryin', an' his ma was so -sorry an' miserbul dat she tuck him in her arms an' 'gun ter pattin' an' -er singin' ter him jes' like dis: - - "'Mama luvs de baby, - Papa luvs de baby, - Ev'ybody luvs de baby, - Hush yo' bye, doan you cry, - Go ter sleepy lill'e baby. - - De lill'e calfee an' de lill'e colt, too, - Dey keeps mighty close ter dey mama, - Caze Jack Frost's out er huntin' all erbout, - Ter ketch lill'e chillun when dey holler. - Hush yo' bye, doan you cry, - Go ter sleepy lill'e baby. - - Mama luvs de baby, - Papa luvs de baby, - Ev'ybody luvs de baby. - - All dem horses in dat fiel' - B'longs ter you lill'e baby: - Dapple, gray, de white an' de bay, - An' all de pretty lill'e ponies. - Hush yo' bye, doan you cry, - Go ter sleepy lill'e baby. - - Mama luvs de baby, - Papa luvs de baby, - Ev'ybody luvs de baby.'" - -Softer and softer grew the crooning, until the little boy dropped into -peaceful slumber. - -"Now, den, de ole man's drapt off at las'. Bless de chile, he is er man -sho' nuf; an' de way he prove he gwine be jes' like de res' er de men -folks, is de way he lets de wimmen fool him; eb'n er old black 'ooman like -I is!" - -[Music: - - Mam-ma luvs de ba-by, Pa-pa luvs de ba-by, - Ev-'y bod-y luvs de ba-by: Hush yo' bye - doan you cry; Go ter sleep-y li-'le ba-by - Mam-ma luvs de ba-by, Pa-pa luvs de ba-by, - Ev-'y bod-y luvs de ba-by. De - li'le.. ca-fee, an' de li'le.. colt too, Dey - keeps might-y close ter dey mam-ma, Caze - Jack Frost's out er hunt-in' all er-bout, Ter - ketch li-'le chil-len when dey hol-l'r. Hush yo' bye, - doan you cry, Go ter sleep-y li-'le ba-by.] - - - - -V - -MISS RACE HOSS'S PARTY - - -Willis drank his soup noisily, insisted upon eating with his knife, upset -a glass of milk on Jane's new Easter dress, and in the end was carried -from the table kicking and screaming. - -Mammy's attempts to pacify him proved futile, and fearing the wrath of his -father, she gathered up the squirming, screaming boy as best she could and -ran to her own room in the rear. Letting him fall upon the bed, she -breathlessly dropped into a chair, and wiped the perspiration from her -face with the corner of her apron. - -"Now, den, jes' holl'r an' kick, tell you hollers an' kicks yo'se'f plum -out." - -This the boy did at a length and with a violence unbelievable, Mammy -sitting all the while at the side of the bed to see that he did not roll -off and humming broken pieces of song as though perfectly unconcerned. -When the screaming had spent itself, and naught remained of it but long -hard sniffles, Mammy began mumbling, "Well, bless de Lawd, I bin thinkin' -I wus nussin' er fuss class qual'ty chile all dis time, an' hyah it tu'n -out I bin wor'in' m'se'f wid one er Sis' Sow's mis'r'ble little pigs." - -A low wail was the only answer to this thrust. - -"Hit's de trufe! An' I done make up m' mine I ain't gwine do it no longer. -What's de use er me stayin' hyah, nussin' er pig chile, when I kin g'long -an' nuss er fuss class qual'ty chile like Mary Van, an' I'm gwine do it, -too!" - -One little arm reached out to the old woman: - -"Mammy!" - -But she continued: "M'ye'rs is broke wid all dat pig holl'rin'! I don't -speck I ev'r is ter heah no mo', neither!" - -Sobbing and sniffling, the little boy crawled to her lap, and tried to -look into her ear. She continued obstinately: "Can't heah er thing! I -knows you'se in m' lap, but les'n I seed yo' face I cudn't tell ef you wus -laffin' er cryin'." - -Both arms went tight around her neck: - -"Mammy, I won't be bad no mo'!" - -Pretending to weep, Mammy said pathetically: - -"I wush I cud heah! I speck Miss Lucy'll tu'n me out now, 'caze m'ye'rs -won't hear no mo', an' den I'll hatt'r go off ter de woods an' die by -m'se'f 'mongst de beastes; an' I speck dey'll kill me, 'caze I can't heah -'em comin'! Boo hoo!" - -At this, Willis's suffering became so intense she feared to continue the -punishment and so began another strain. - -"But dey tells me dat ef folks whut's bin bad prays ter de Lawd an' kisses -de place whut hurts, dat some time de Lawd makes de place well ergin; dat -is,--ef de bad chile promise he ain' gwine be bad no mo'." - -Instantly the little swollen lips moistened with blubbers, covered first -one black ear and then the other. - -"An' dey got ter pray, too," suggested Mammy. - -"Now I lay me!" came in broken sniffles. - -Suddenly throwing up her hands, a look of rapture on her face, Mammy -shouted: - -"Lawsee! I b'lieve I heahs you snifflin'!" She listened carefully: "I -does! Tell Mammy you loves her an' lemme see ef I kin heah you." - -"I loves--" began the little boy, nestling in her arms. - -"'Cose I kin heah, but I tell yer de Lawd ain' gwine ter notice yo' -pray'rs no mo', ef you keeps letting de '_pig chile part_' er you come -out." - -"I don't want ter be er pig chile!" - -"I don't speck you does, but you sho' 'pear terday like you come straight -up fum de pigsty! Don't you 'member dat party Miss Race Hoss giv' an' -'vite Sis' Sow an' her chilluns ter come ter it?" - -Willis shook his head. - -"Look er hear boy, who you shakin' dat head at?" - -"I says, no, ma'm!" - -"You'se late in de day sayin' it, too. Enyhow, Miss Race Hoss giv' er -party an' 'vite Sis' Cat an' her chilluns, an' Sis' Dog an' her chilluns, -an' Sis' Cow an' de lit'le calf; an' she sorter pass conversation wid -Mist'r Race Hoss 'bout 'vitin' Sis' Sow an' her fambly. Mist'r Race Hoss -say long as he's in pol'ticks an' want ter git 'lected ergin ter be ruler -er de beastes, he speck she bett'r 'vite Sis' Sow. So Miss Race Hoss say -all right! An' she done it. - -"Oh, I tell you Miss Race Hoss fix up er fine party! She had mouses fur de -cat fambly, an' dey wus nice, fine, live mouses too, an' bones an' meat -fur de Dog fambly, an' hot bran mash mixt wid cott'n seed meal fur Sis' -Cow's fambly, an' she had buttermilk in er big trauff fur Sis' Sow an' her -chilluns. An' she pile apples, an' carrots, an' ev'y sort er thing in de -middle er de table. An' she had salt fur dem dat wants salt, an' sugar fur -dem whut mus' have sugar. - -"Well, de fuss uns ter come wus Sis' Cat an' her chilluns. Sis' Cat had -done wash' her kittens' faces jes' es clean an' put dem mitt'ns on 'em dat -yo' ma read ter us erbout. - -"Den hyah come Sis' Dog an' her fambly. Dey all had bows 'roun' der necks -an' look mouty gran'! Sis' Cow an' de calf wus curri'd slick es glass, an' -I tell yer Miss Race Hoss wus glad her an' de little colt had dem ribbins -tied up in der manes, 'caze Sis' Cow was sho' pressin' 'em in slickness. - -"Ole Brer Bar he come down fum de woods ter 'tend ter de dinin' room an' -see dat ev'ybody git de right vit'als. - -"Atter dey bin waitin' fer er spell, Brer Bar 'nounce dat soon es Sis' Sow -come de party wus ready. - -"All uv 'em want ter go ter eatin' dat minit, 'caze dem cats smell dem -mouses, an' dem dogs moufs jes' er dreanin' wid de smell er dat meat; but -dey sets dar like dey done fergit all erbout vit'als, 'caze dese heah wus -qual'ty animals wid manners, I tell yer. - -"Pres'ntly Miss Race Hoss low dat she see Sis' Sow comin' now, an' she -seen her, too, fur hyah come Sis' Sow an' all her chilluns er runnin' ev'y -which er way, wid mud all ov'r dey backs. Some uv 'em wus wet an' some uv -'em wus dry. Dey come er runnin' an' none uv 'em ain't nuv'r stop ter pass -howdy wid Miss Race Hoss, 'caze dey smell de vit'als, an' dey ain't got -nuff manners ter hide de pig in 'em. Dey come er rootin' an' er gruntin' -all 'roun' b'hime folks an' b'fo' fokes, tell dey pass too close ter Sis' -Cat's chilluns, fur dey sorter raise up dey backs an' bushy out dey tails, -an' raise up dey paws, but Sis' Cat she sorter growl sof' an' dey passify -deysefs an' sets still. Sis' Dog's chilluns wanter snap es dey come er -trompin' on top er dey foots, but dey 'strains deysefs 'caze dey wus fuss -class qual'ty dogs. - -"Brer Bar see Sis' Sow rootin' an' gruntin' her way ter de table, so he -'nounce fur 'em all ter come in ter de party. He sorter push Sis' Sow an' -her chilluns off ter de buttermilk trauff. De uther folks dey sets down at -de table an' acts like fuss class folks does, but Sis' Sow an' her pig -chilluns ain't seed dey vit'als 'fo' all uv 'em try ter git in de trauff -wid dey foots. Dey pushes an' tromps 'pon one 'nuther, an' squeals, an' -eats loud _like you done terday_!" - -The brown eyes fell and an humble little voice said, "I ain't gointer do -it no mo'." - -"De Lawd knows I'm glad to hear it. Well, Sis' Sow an' dem, quoil an' make -so much fuss, tell de uther fokes can't pass no conversation er tall, tell -pres'ntly Sis' Sow an' de pigs eat up all dey vit'als an' dey come -gruntin' an' er rootin' fur mo'. Dey spy dem apples an' things on de -table, an' 'fo' yer knows it, dem pig chillun wus 'pon top er dat table. - -"Wid dat, Brer Bar git so mad he slap 'em off fas' es dey gits on; but de -fust un he slap' off fell right in 'mongst Sis' Cat's kittens. Whoopee! -Dem kittin chillun fergits all 'bout manners an' 'gins scratchin' an' -fightin' same es pigs. Sis' Dog's chilluns jes' nachelly cudn't stan' no -sich er strain on dey manners es dat, an' 'fo' yer kin say 'Jack Robson,' -de kittins an' de puppies an' de pigs wus er squealin', an' er barkin', -an' er spittin', an' er growlin', tell you can't hear yo' ye'rs. Sis' Sow -start ter runnin' down de road wid de pigs atter her, an' de puppies atter -de pigs, an' de kittins atter de puppies. Wid dat de little calf git -'cited an' he start ter kickin' out his b'hime legs, which happen ter hit -de lit'le colt, an' he r'ar' hissef back an' come down on de calf, an' -bofe uv 'em take out down de road er holl'rin' an' er kickin', an' er -twistin' deysefs _like you done terday_!" - -Again the brown eyes fell. - -"Atter all de chilluns done loss dey manners, dey ma's sets up lookin' at -one nuther like dey loss dey las' frien'. Pres'ntly Miss Race Hoss say -hit's all her fault, 'caze she had no biznes ter mix up qual'ty folks wid -pig folks. - -"Wid dat Sis' Cow an' Sis' Cat an' Sis' Dog speak up. 'No, Miss Race Hoss, -'tain't yo' fault, an' it 'tain't our chilluns fault, it's jes' dem pigs' -fault.' Jes' den ole Brer Bar ris' up an' clap his han's an' laff like he -splittin' his sides. Miss Race Hoss look 'stonish' dat he act dat er way, -an' she ax him whut ail him. Soon es Brer Bar kin stop laffin', he say: -'Youall thinks yo' chilluns ain't got no pig in 'em, does you?' den he -start ter laffin' ergin. Miss Race Hoss r'ar' back herse'f an' say, 'Brer -Bar, you done fergit whar 'bouts you'se at; 'member you'se 'mongst fuss -class qual'ty!' Den dey all throws dey heads back an' tu'ns dey noses -up at po' Brer Bar. Brer Bar git mad den an' he stop laffin' an' say, 'Yo' -chilluns ain't de onliest uns got pig in 'em! All youall got it, too. -Ev'ybody got it. Some folks got mo' en uthers got; all dis hyah mann'rs -you'se braggin' 'bout ain't nuthin' but er kiv'r ter hide de pig dat's in -yer. Keep er way fum de pigs ef you don't wanter show yo' pig side.' - -[Illustration: "WID DAT DEY ALL UV 'EM LOSE DEY MANNERS AN' START TER -'BUSIN' BER BAR SCAND'LOUS"] - -"Wid dat dey all uv 'em lose dey manners an' start ter 'busin' Brer Bar -scand'lous. Sis' Cow beller' out her madness, an' Sis' Cat mew an' spit -out her'n, an' Sis' Dog growl an' bark out her'n, an' Miss Race Hoss jes' -r'ar' up an' foam at de mouf. - -"Brer Bar look like he fixin' ter hu't sumbody, den he amble off t'ards de -woods he did, an' den tu'n hissef 'roun' an' holl'r, 'I tole yer so!' -Jes' lis'n ter all er youall right now, actin' wusser en dem pigs in de -buttermilk trauff." - -"An' Brer Bar speak de trufe! An' he speak de trufe when he say all us got -er pig side, too." - -"My mama ain't!" - -Phyllis hesitated: "No, I don't speck she is; dat is, ef she is, her -'ligion done wash it all out, 'caze yo' ma think' mo' 'bout ev'ybody else -'fo' she do herse'f,--but you got er pig side, an' ef you don't take keer -hit'll grow ter be er hog side, too, dat you nuv'r is ter git nuff manners -ter hide neither. Come on an' go finish yo' dinner, boy, an' let Mammy eat -her'n." - - - - -VI - -NED DOG AND BILLY GOAT - - -Phyllis was dozing on the top step of the side veranda while little -Willis, in the gravel walk below, was playing with a Noah's Ark. The -animals were in grand parade when one of them met with an accident. Willis -thought a moment, then, taking the loose ends of a string tied to one of -the fuzzy toys, he climbed the steps to where Phyllis had just fallen in a -peaceful nod against the pillar. He clumsily slipped the string between -her open lips, and, with a slap and sputter, Mammy opened her eyes. - -"Name er de Lawd, boy, whut is you tryin' ter do?" - -"I want you ter be er billy goat." - -"You wants sumthin' I nuv'r is ter be. I'm willin' ter be er hoss an' on -er pinch I'll be er mule, but dey ain't no time I'm willin' ter be no ole -billy goat fur nobody." - -"Please, Mammy," laying a hand on her cheek in an effort to pull her face -to him, "m' billy goat's got his legs broke, an' I won't have any goat if -you don't be one." - -"How come you don't tu'n one dem dogs in er goat?" suggested Phyllis, her -face obstinately averted. - -"They haven't got any horns!" - -"I ain't got no horns neether," asserted Mammy. - -"But you can make some," persisted Willis. - -"You think I'm gwineter pull dis bandanner off an' roll my ole gray wool -inter horns, does you?" chuckled the old nurse. - -Willis nodded. - -"Well, you foolin' yo'se'f, dat's all I got ter say." But when Willis -began to fret, Mammy relented: "I tell yer dat dog won't know 'esse'f fum -er goat, ef you calls him goat; 'caze I knows erbout er dog an' er goat -dat can't tell t'other fum which." - -"No you don't," objected the tormentor tugging at her arm. - -"I tells you I does, 'caze one day Mister Man went out ter hunt er dog an' -er goat fur his lit'le boy. He see Sis' Dog an' her fambly on de side er -de road, an' dey 'pears ter be in er mouty commotion 'bout sump'n. Mister -Man holler' an' ax whut ail 'em. Sis' Dog say she foun' one er Sis' Nanny -Goat's chilluns layin' out in de pastur' des er blatin' all by 'esse'f, -an' she dunno whut ter do wid it. Mister Man say, 'I'll take keer uv it, -an' I'd like moutily ter take keer er one er yo' chilluns, too.' Sis' Dog -tell him 'surtiny,' dat it 'ud make her turr'bul proud fur one er her -chilluns ter live up at his fine house. So Mister Man liftes de goat an' -de puppy up on Miss Race Hosses back 'long side er him an' flies 'crost de -country ter his house. When Mister Man's ole lady see him, she th'ow up -her han's an' say, 'Name er de Lawd, Mister Man, whut you specks ter do -wid dat goat?' Mister Man say: 'Oh! I'll des put it out hyah wid de puppy -an' raise 'em bofe tergether.'" - -"Wasn't the little boy glad his papa kept the goat?" interrupted Willis. - -"Is you glad I'm tellin' dis tale?" - -"Yes'm." - -"Dat's 'zackly de way Mister Man's boy feel, 'ceptin' mo' so. Dey puts er -pan er milk out in de cow house, an' bofe uv 'em eats outen it tergether. -When dey gits big ernuf ter eat like sho' nuf beastes, de little boy puts -goat feed fur de goat an' dog vit'als fur de dog." - -"What's the dog's name?" - -"He wus jes' name Collie Dog when he live wid his mammy, but when he start -ter livin' wid white fokes, de lit'le boy name 'im Ned." - -"An' what's the goat's name?" - -"He ain't got nuthin' ter do wid dat, 'caze de Lawd done already name him -Billy. Well, when Billy Goat look' at his feed, an' Ned Dog look' at his -vit'als, dey bofe feels mouty proud, 'ceptin' dey don't seem ter make out -howcum it ain't mix'd tergether; so Billy he take an' run over an' try -ter eat bones an' meat, an' Ned he run ter Billy's box an' try ter eat hay -an' bran mash; an' dey keep on tryin' ter eat one nuthers vit'als long es -dey live'. Pres'ntly, Billy grow so big dat he 'gun ter grazin' roun' -'mongst de flow'rs an' grass, an' I speck he run in de house sumtimes, -too, but it 'pears dat flow'r buds tas'e mo' nicer ter 'im dan grass; so -Mister Man's old lady 'gun ter quoil an' mirate an' tell him, 'You des got -ter tetter dat goat!'" - -"I don't want 'im ter tetter Billy!" exclaimed the child, and his brown -eyes filled with tears. - -"Pshaw, boy, er tetter ain't nuthin' ter hu't nobody! It's des er rope you -ties roun' de horns er beastes an' de uther een' you ties ter er stob in -de groun'! Well, when Billy find 'esse'f tied ter dat rope so he can't go -in de house and can't go in de flow'r gyarden, he des cry an' cry. Ned Dog -try ter stay wid 'im much es he kin; but when he see Mister Man an' de -little boy settin' off down de road on Miss Race Hoss an' de little colt, -his foots des nachelly go bookety! bookety! b'hime 'im 'd'out knowin' it. -His heart tell him ter g'long back an' stay wid Billy, but his foots say -dey ain't er gwine do no sich er thing. 'Cose he cudn't hep 'esse'f ef his -foots 'fuse ter take 'im home. Atter while, when he gits back, Billy done -cry 'esse'f plum sick. He say he don't see howcum he tied up an' Ned Dog -ain't; an' Ned Dog say he don't neether; 'caze you see Ned think Billy's -er dog an' Billy think 'esse'f er dog, too. Dat's de way wid some fokes. -Heap uv 'em thinks dey's big dogs when dey ain't nuthin' but er old -goat!" Mammy concluded with emphasis. - -"Go on, Mammy," demanded Willis, pushing her hand off of the curl she was -trying to straighten. - -"Ain't dat ernuf? I done prove' you kin make er goat outen dat Noah's ark -dog." - -"Yes, but I want the little boy ter let Billy loose." - -"Well, his ma'll give him er spankin' ef he do. Dat boy darsent ter tech -dat tetter. Long 'bout atter dinner time, Ned he git so miserbul lis'nin' -ter Billy hollerin' dat he 'gun ter gnaw an' pull at de stob; den he try -ter scratch it up; but it was too deep; so he take an' go ter pullin' at -de rope ergin'; an' bimeby de knot come off. He ketch de knot in his teef -and den he tell Billy ter g'long whar he's er mind ter. Billy kick up es -b'hime legs an' fly down de road wid Ned Dog b'hime him holdin' on ter de -rope. Billy he eat all 'long de road, an' Ned Dog foll'r 'long b'hime -wharsomever Billy choose ter go, 'caze yer see Ned feel de 'sponsibility -er loosin' Billy. Atter while, Ned Dog beg Billy ter come on an' go home! -He tell 'im his jaws nigh 'bout broke clampin' on dat knot. But Billy say -he ain't er gwine, tell he eat 'esse'f plum full er dem flow'r buds. No, -Lawd, Billy ain't thinkin' bout Ned long es he kin joy es own sef. Ned he -'gun ter howl an' bark wid de jaw ache, but Billy too full er 'esse'f ter -notice Ned. Yes, Lawd, Billy des like some fokes I knows, too." - -"Me, Mammy?" demanded the intent little boy. - -"Yes, I speck de cap fit you er heap er times, but you wusn't de pusson I -had m' mine on des den," replied Mammy complacently. "Billy keep er gwine -on, an' Ned des er draggin' 'esse'f erlong wid de jaw ache tell bimeby, -dey comes ter de old log fence 'roun' de pastur'. Billy he try ter jump de -fence, but Ned he crawl thu; but yer see Billy can't jump high ernuf 'caze -Ned's pullin' de rope on de uther side, so Billy gits tangled up on one er -de rails. Ned he run back when he see Billy's hangin'; but he gits back -thu er diffunt hole ergin, an' dat twistes de rope so tight dat Billy gits -in er mouty bad fix 'fo' you knows it. He 'gun ter blate an' holl'r an' -Ned drop' de rope an' 'gun ter howl; but dat nuv'r done no good, an' it -nuv'r do, do no good in dis woel." - -"What, Mammy?" - -"Jes' ter stan' up an' holler an' cry like _you_ does sometimes! You got -ter go ter work an' do sumthin' ef you 'specks ter ontangle yo'se'f in dis -woel', an' dat's whut come 'cross Ned's mind atter he stan' up an' holler -hisse'f hoarse. He lope out an' run home, he do, an' he bark at Mister Man -an' run out to'ards de road. He bark' at de lit'le boy an' run out ergin; -but none uv 'em can't make out howcum he act so cur'us. He run out in de -back yard an' howl an' bark, an' de lit'le colt ax him whut ails him, he -tell 'im Billy's mos' chok'd ter death, hangin' on de pastur' fence. De -colt give er jump ov'r de back fence an' him an' Ned take out, jes' er -t'arin' down de big road. De lit'le boy an' Mister Man seed de colt break -loose an' dey flew atter him an' all uv 'em got ter Billy jes' in time -ter keep 'im fum chokin' ter death." - -"Did Billy die?" asked the little boy in anxiety. - -"Nor, honey, 'caze he nuv'r had rope ernuf; but ef he had er had er little -mo' rope him an' all de uther foolish folks like 'im wud er bin dead long -ergo!" - - - - -VII - -HOW THE BILLY GOAT LOST HIS TAIL - - -The side lawn was the scene of a noisy fray between the old house cat and -big dog, Bray. Servants from the neighborhood had quickly gathered to urge -on the sport. Some of the children, Willis among the loudest, were crying -and beseeching the men servants to save "poor Kitty," which they -reluctantly did to the extent of allowing her to escape up an old crab -apple tree. - -"I wush ter de Lawd he had er kilt her," said Phyllis, letting her -rheumatic limbs down by degrees to a sitting posture on the grass, -"'Ceitful old thing, I don't blame Bray!" - -"I love my Kitty!" cried Willis as he ran to the tree. There he earnestly -advised the cat to stay just where she was until Bray went to sleep. A few -of the larger children lingered expecting another fight, as Bray continued -to bark and jump about the tree. - -"You ne'en ter tell dat cat ter take keer er _her_se'f! She des settin' up -dat tree glis'nin' dem old green eyes on Bray an' sayin' ter 'erse'f: -'Nuv'r mind, I'm gwine fix you soon es I git down fum hyah!'" - -"What can she do, Mammy Phyllis?" asked one of the larger girls. "She's -too little to hurt Bray!" - -"Yas, an' ole Sis' Cat wus lit'ler'n her, an' yit she come mighty nigh ter -fixin' Ned Dog an' Billy Goat, too! Doan nuv'r put no 'pindence in Sis -Tabby's fokes." - -"Oh, Mammy Phyllis, _please_ tell us about Ned Dog," and the children -gathered around her pressing the request. - -"Doan ax me ter tell nuthin' long as Willis keep foolin' roun' Bray wid -dat switch!" - -Mammy pretended to rise, but two of the older children ran and coaxed -Willis to sit by them and listen to the story. "Now, Mammy Phyllis, go on, -he's going to sit still, ain't you Willis?" said one. - -"I want ter whoop Bray," muttered Willis only half satisfied. - -"Atter I tells you how 'ceitful Sis' Cat act ter Ned Dog, I boun' you'll -change yo' chune! 'Member dat party Miss Race Hoss give an' how it broke -up wid all uv 'em quoilin' an' 'busin' ole Brer Bar? Po' Brer Bar nuv'r -got no vit'als neeth'r. Well, when Sis' Cat lef' dat party, she wus so -mad she cudn't walk straight! She come er flyin' down de big road right -catacornder'd! Dat is, she run in de road one minit, an' de nex' un, she -fotch up on de side er de mount'in; den hyah she come back ergin in de -road! Well, one uv de times she lit on de mount'in she fotch up right in -front er Mist'r Rattlesnake's house. Mist'r Rattlesnake had des got out er -bed an' stuck his head out'n his house ter git er little fresh air, when -Sis' Cat come _blip! right in his face_! He lick' out his tongue an' say: - -"'Name er de Lawd, Sis' Cat!' - -"Sis' Cat say: 'Name er de Lawd, Mist'r Rattlesnake! Howcum you gittin' up -dis time de year?' - -"'I thought I heerd m' 'larm clock go off,' he say. - -"'You ain' hyah no thunder Mister Rattlesnake! You kin g'long back ter -baid an' take er three weeks' nap,' sez Sis' Cat. - -"'I'm sho' I heerd thunder er som'thin' pow'ful like it,' sez Mister -Rattlesnake. - -"Sis' Cat tell him: 'You des heah de breakin' up uv Miss Race Hoss's -party! Dat's whut you heah! Brer Bar act so outlashus we des hatt'r 'buse -him an' run him off!' - -"Mist'r Rattlesnake set an' look at Sis' Cat er minit, 'caze yer see he -ain' wake' up good yit. Den he lick out es tongue an' say: 'Sis' Cat, you -sholy ain' th'owin' erway no fren's is yer? I knows I ain' got narry -single fren' an' I knows you got pow'ful few yo'se'f! 'Pears ter me yer -better g'long an' eat up dem words you sed ter Brer Bar!' Den he lick out -his tongue ergin an' go on back ter baid. - -"Sis' Cat set right dar an' study, she do! Den she make up her mind ter -take Mist'r Rattlesnake' 'vice. She slunk eroun' sorter soft an' sneakin' -like thu de woods tell she come ter Brer Bar's house. She bum! bum! on de -do' an' Brer Bar ax, 'Who dat?' - -"She say: 'Sis' Cat.' - -"'Is you Sis' Wile Cat er Sis' Tabby Cat?' ax Brer Bar. - -"'Sis' Tabby Cat.' - -"'You'se at de wrong do', Sis' Tabby Cat,' sez Brer Bar. - -"Sis' Cat start ter cryin': 'Oh! Brer Bar! Brer Bar! _please_ lemme come -in! I'm mos' dead, Brer Bar!' - -"Brer Bar say: 'You bett'r git erway fum hyah, Sis' Cat, 'caze I'm li'ble -ter eat enythin' I lays my paws on! I nuv'r had ernuf ter eat at de party, -an' I ain' pervide m' fambly wid nuthin' ter eat, an' we'se all s' hungry -dat we'se dangus', Sis' Cat!' - -"Sis' Cat keep on cryin': 'I know'd dat Brer Bar;--I know'd you an' yo' -fambly was hongry, an' dat's howcum I ter come, Brer Bar! I come ter tell -you whar some good vit'als was des waitin' fur yer!' - -"When Brer Bar hear dat, he sorter crack de do' an' poke his nose thu: -'Sis' Tabby Cat,' he say, 'you smells good ernuf ter eat yo'se'f!' - -"Sis' Cat mos' skeerd ter death when she heah dat, an' she mos' die when -she feel Brer Bar's mouf dreanin' an' drippin' on her back; so she stop' -cryin' an' sorter back off kinder easy like an' tell Brer Bar dat Ned Dog -got de fattes' Billy Goat he ev'r seed; an' ef he'd come down ter de ole -sweet-gum tree in Mist'r Man's pastur' 'bout dark, she'd have him er -whole tree full er honey, an' de Billy Goat, too!" - -Willis's lips began to tremble. He suddenly left his place among the -children and falling on Phyllis's breast, sobbed aloud. - -"Brer Bar ain' eat de goat yit! He ain' eb'n got fur es de sweet-gum tree! -Set hyah in Mammy's lap so nuthin' can't git you, an' lis'n ter de res' er -de tale!" Snuggling him in her arms, she continued: "It nuv'r tuk Sis' Cat -long ter light out fum Brer Bar's house, I tell yer! Dat dreanin' mouf er -his'n skeer' her so bad dat she nuv'r tetch de groun' mo'n six times 'fo' -she wus plum out'n de woods. Den she come er cropin' up ter Mister Man's -house. She look all erroun' she do, an' see Ned Dog wusn't at home; den -she g'long in de barn whar Billy wus huntin' fur sumthin' ter eat. She -take er seat in de winder by de little colt's stall. Bimeby she say, -'Billy, Miss Turkey Hen's givin' er mouty fine party ternight, down at de -old sweet-gum tree in de pastur' an' she tole me ter ax you ter come.' -Billy couldn't fine nuthin' ter eat in de barn but some old straw Miss -Race Hoss had done slep' on, so he turn' roun' mouty quick when Sis' Cat -tell him he wus ax ter er party. He sorter laff an' say: 'I wond'r howcum -her ter ax me.' - -"Sis' Cat say: 'Caze she say you'se de fines' an' slickes' uv all Mister -Man's beastes; an' she gwine have some nice lit'le tender rose bushes fur -you ter eat, an' er heap er fine vit'als you loves.' - -"Billy Goat des switch his tail an' grin, 'caze yer know he wusn't nuthin' -but er man goat, an' 'cose he b'lief all de comp'ments Sis' Cat choose -ter stuff 'im wid. An' all de men fokes is des de same, tell dis day! ev'y -Lord's blessed one uv 'em! When Sis' Cat see she done turn Billy's head -plum roun' she tell 'im not ter tell Ned Dog erbout de party, 'caze Miss -Turkey Hen say she ain' got 'nuf room but fur des one uv de fambly. Den, -when Sis' Cat heah Ned Dog er comin', she lit out, 'caze she nuv'r want -'im ter know dat she had enything ter do wid Brer Bar eatin' Billy Goat. -Yer see Sis' Cat wus tryin' ter keep in wid bofe sides." - -Slipping her fingers under the bandanna kerchief bound about her head, and -scratching slowly, Mammy chuckled to herself: "Dey's er heap er fine folks -in dis hyah town des like Sis' Cat, too! Yes, Lawd, er heap uv 'em!" - -"Don't talk about people! We just want to hear about beastes!" urged -little Mary Van. - -"I hatt'r do it sometimes, chile, 'caze fokes an' beastes has er heap er -symptoms des erlike! Well, bless de Lawd, Billy ain't no sooner seed Ned -'fo he 'gun ter brag erbout de party. - -"'Whose party?' sez Ned Dog. - -"'Miss Turkey Hen's havin' er fine party down at de ole sweet-gum tree -ternight 'bout dark,' sez Billy. - -"Ned Dog think Billy tellin' er story, an' he say, 'Sis' Turkey Hen ain' -givin' no party ternight! I done see Mist'r Turkey Gobble an' de chilluns -in bed when I come thu de peach orchard an' old Miss Turkey Hen, she wus -des tyin' her nightcap on her own se'f.' - -"But, yer see, Billy wus too hard-head'd ter lis'n ter enybody, so he up -an' say, 'I can't hep whut you seen; Sis' Cat say she gwine have spechul -vit'als fur me, an' I'm gwine!' Den Billy walk up an' down breshen de -flies off'n his back wid his long tail." - -Seeing that some objections were about to be raised as to the length of -the tail, Phyllis hastened to add: "In dem days goats had tails des like -hosses. Soon es Billy menshun Sis' Cat's name, Ned Dog tell him Sis' Cat -layin' er trap fur him; but 'tain't no use ter argufy wid hard-head'd -fokes like Billy, so Ned Dog let 'im g'long ter de party; but he crope -close on b'hime 'im, an' on de way, he come up wid Mist'r Bloodhoun' an' -ax 'im ter g'long wid 'im. Mist'r Bloodhoun' say he pow'ful broke down -trailin' er runaway nigger all day, but ef Ned was 'spectin' er rompus he -'speck he'd hatt'r jine him. Bimeby, when Billy wus mos' down ter de -sweet-gum tree, dey hides deyse'fs in er clump er red haw bushes. Ole Brer -Bar he had done come down fum de mount'in early, an' wus standin' b'hime -de tree des er gorgin' 'esse'f wid honey an' peepin' out, lookin' fur -Billy Goat. When he see Billy come switchin' 'esse'f 'cross he pastur', he -'gun ter fidgitin' so he can't wait ter git es teef in him, an' he bus' -out fum b'hime de tree an' come er runnin' t'ards Billy. Billy wus so -skeered he jes' had sense ernuf ter turn 'esse'f roun'! Brer Bar ketch 'im -by de tail. Brer Bar pull, an' Billy pull. Billy pull, an' Brer Bar pull! -Bimeby, de tail come off in Brer Bar's claw. Den Billy lit out; but Brer -Bar grab 'im by de b'hime leg. Des den Mister Bloodhoun' an' Ned Dog wus -on top er Brer Bar! Ned Dog grab Brer Bar's paw in es teefs an' Brer Bar -drop Billy an' grab Ned by de ye'r an' wus mos' clampin' es jaws on Ned's -haid when Mist'r Bloodhoun' clinch 'im by de th'oat! Brer Bar ax Mister -Bloodhoun' please ter turn es th'oat loose, dat he got sumthin' ter tell -'im! Mist'r Bloodhoun' 'nounce: 'I won't turn you plum loose, but I'll -hol' yo' th'oat easy like tell you kin 'splain yo'se'f!' - -"Den Brer Bar splainify 'esse'f an' beg so hard, tell bimeby dey 'scuses -'im, an' he amble' on home fas' es he kin. Den dey come on home ter settle -matters wid Sis' Cat. Sis' Cat was er settin' by Billy moanin' wid him -'bout losin' es tail." - -"Did his tail ever grow out any more?" asked a sympathetic boy. - -"No, honey, goats ain't nuv'r had no tails ter speak uv sense dat day; but -hoopee! hyah come Ned Dog an' Mister Bloodhoun'! Dey come er yelpin' wid -dey tongues er hangin' out. Dey pounce right whar Sis' Cat wus settin', -but dey ain't pounce quick as Sis' Cat kin jump; 'caze by de time dey hits -Sis' Cat's seat, Sis' Cat, she was plum on top er de cow house, standin' -dar wid 'er back up, an' her tail bushy out. Ned Dog dare her ter come -down an' splain 'erse'f; but Sis' Cat say she ain't got nuthin' ter -'splain, an' what's mo' she doan take no dog's dare. An' dat howcum dey -quoil an 'spute whensumever dey meets tell dis day." - -"But, Mammy Phyllis, _all_ cats are not as mean as ole Sis' Cat," ventured -a little girl. - -"Honey, my gran-mammy wus black! What color is I?" - -"Black!" chimed all the children. - -"An' dat crab apple tree,--what sort er apples does you git off'n _hit_?" - -"Crab apples!" was the answer. - -"Well, ole Sis' Cat was mean an' 'ceitful, an'all 'er chillun is gwine ter -be des like her long es I stays black an' dem crab apples stays sour. Now -run erlong,--dere's de fust bell!" - - - - -VIII - -SHOO FLY - - -Phyllis was eating her dinner under the cherry tree near the kitchen door. -Willis seated himself on the grass in front of her. - -"Mammy, you swallowed a fly then," he said with earnestness. - -"Look er heah, boy, ain't you had ernuf ter eat, dat you got ter set hyah -an' sight ev'y piece uv vit'als I puts in my mouf?" - -"Well, you didn't want to eat a fly, did you?" he answered defensively. - -"Ef I eats er fly, hit's me doin' hit, ain't hit?" with a leg of a chicken -poised half way to her mouth. - -"But Mama said they'd poison you." Willis was in trim for argument. - -"Yo' ma got er heap er new fangl'd notions; I dunno howcum fokes jes' -startin' ter git fly pis'n'd. We bin eatin' vit'als dat flies lights on, -sense long 'fo' yo' ma wus born'd. An' An' Ca'line, dat's mos' er hundred -ye'r ole, say dat whin er fly light on her 'lasses she lick ev'y speck uv -hit off'n him 'fo' she let him git erway." - -"Uncle Hugh says they'll make you awful sick," he pressed, though feeling -his position weakened. - -"Dey doan make nobody sick, but dem whut puts on so miny airs," trying to -talk with her mouth over full. - -"My mama don't put on airs," he insisted with a tone of injury. - -"She do too--dey ain' nobody put on es min'y fly airs es yo' ma. I heah -one dese ve'y lit'le shoo flies talkin' 'bout Miss Lucy las' week. Shoo -Fly settin' up heah on de lim' er dis tree talkin' ter Hoss Fly. He tell -Hoss Fly he ain' had er squar' meal fur er mont'. - -"Hoss Fly tell 'im ter come on an' g'long down ter de stable an' take -dinn'r wid 'im. - -"Shoo Fly say, 'I can' git no sumthin' ter eat out'n corn, an' oats, I -wants chickin' pie, an' sweet tat'rs, an' blackberry dumplin' sich es -fokes eats--go off, boy,' he say, 'I ain' no Hoss Fly.' - -"Hoss Fly say, 'Hits er pity yer ain't--yer wud live ter be er ole'r man -if yer wus.'" - -"Why, Mammy, 'caus' Mister Hoss Fly's the biggest?" His eyes followed her, -as she went to the kitchen door and exchanged her plate for one of -blackberry dumpling. - -"De bigges' ain' got nuthin' ter do wid hit," as she resumed her seat; -"hit de fokes dey haster 'sociate wid, dat's dang'us. Dey ain' nuthin' -mo' dangersum ter er fly'n yo' ma," she looked him straight in the eye. -"She got all de wind'rs fas'n'd up so yer can't shet er bline; an' she got -dat sticky pap'r you sets in ev'ytime yer goes in de kitchin; an' she got -dem pisnous flow'r boxes settin' ev'ywhar; an' she run 'roun' all day -atter one fly, hittin' 'bout de house like de fly wus pis'n, sho' nuf. -Miss Lucy's er sight, dat's de trufe, an' I doan blame Shoo Fly fur busin' -her." - -The soft dumpling rolled down her throat, and Willis swallowed in -sympathy. - -"Is Shoo Fly on the limb now?" - -"Nor, he tak'n din'r wid me terday, an' las' night, he tak'n supp'r wid -Miss Lucy," she laughed aloud. - -"Did Mama try to kill him?" anxiously. - -"She sho' did, son, but dis heah Shoo Fly got er haid er Miss Lucy las' -night," still she laughed. "Yas, suh, Shoo Fly tell Hoss Fly he sho' gwine -perish ef he doan git er bite fum sumwhars. - -"Hoss Fly ax 'im: 'Is yer skeer'd ter go in Miss Lucy's house fur -vit'als?' - -"Shoo Fly say, 'I ain' feerd er no Miss Lucy--I bin buttin' m' haid up -'ginst sum'in' nuth'r in de wind'rs, tell m' haid right full er bumps.' - -"Hoss Fly say, 'You ain' got no sense, Shoo Fly,--'cose you can't git in -dat wire foolishness! De onlies' way ter git in, is ter set up on de -porch, an' wait fur sum de fokes ter op'n de do'.' - -"Dat peart'n Shoo Fly up moutily, an' he say he gwine dat minit, an' he -do. He git ter de front porch jes' es Miss Ma'y wus fancy talkin' ter one -er her beaux. Shoo Fly slip in, an' fly back ter de pantry an' light on -sum er dis heah right heah," she scraped the butter sauce from the edge of -the plate and smacked her lips. "Whoopee, dat sort'r vit'als drive de -skeer out'n enny fly. Shoo Fly jes' hop erbout, an' gorge hisse'f, tell -bimeby he can't hole no mo'. He start ter go out de wind'r, but he 'memb'r -'bout dem bumps on his haid, so he tu'n roun' ter go in de parler, whin he -come 'cross Miss Lucy! She start at 'im wid her fly-kill'r, an' sakes er -live!--you ort'r seed de way Shoo Fly make Miss Lucy run erbout dat -house!" Again she laughed, calling to mind Miss Lucy's daily fly fights. -"But Shoo Fly hide b'hime yer gran'pa's pictur' ov'r de mantelpiece, an' -wint fas' ter sleep. He doan wake up no mo' tell supp'r time, neeth'r. He -g'long in de dinin' room ter supp'r wid de fambly, an' whin dey sets down, -he tak'n his seat on de cream pitch'r. Miss Lucy knock at 'im, she do, den -he recoleck de fuss him an' her done had wid one nuth'r, so he g'long ov'r -ter Miss Ma'y's beau's plate, whar he know he kin eat all he want ter." - -"Wasn't he afraid of Shoo Fly?" asked Willis, surprised. - -"I nuv'r heah 'im pass no 'pinion 'bout de matt'r. Shoo Fly know dat man's -eyes too bizzy lookin' at sum'in' purtier'n him, an' he know ergin de man -got too much mann'rs ter set up an' fight flies whin he's vis'tin'. - -"Miss Lucy, she sot dar an' mos' fidgit herse'f ter death, whin Shoo Fly -light fus' in de gent'muns vit'als, den up on his nose. De man breash 'im -off his nose er heap er times, but Shoo Fly g'long back ev'y time, 'caze -hit wus er nice place ter wash de greese off'n his face an' han's. An' -ev'y time he git coffee er ice cream, er enny thing on his foots, he -g'long back ter sumwhars on dat man's face ter wash his han's, an' wipe -'em on his coat tails. Miss Lucy say she know de man think she got er -million flies in dat house. - -"Shoo Fly done full er vit'als now, so he g'long ter bed b'hime yer -gran'pa's pictur'. In de mawnin', he git up an' look erbout, he do, an' I -tell yer he git pow'ful wo' out waitin' fur dem sleepy haid'd niggers ter -start dey wurk, so by de time de cant'lopes git fix'd, Shoo Fly wus so -hongry dat he eat hisse'f plum full er mush-mil'n 'fo' brekfus' time. He -fly 'roun' an' zamine dat fly pap'r but he ain' got no room fur no mo' -eatin'; den he look at dat cur'us Pison flow'r, but he keep way fum dat, -'caze he say he ain' no bee. Jes' den heah come Miss Lucy wid 'er -fly-kill'r. Him an' her dances considerbul ergin, but bimeby he g'long ter -take er nap b'hime yer gran'pa, an' Miss Lucy set down ter read de mawnin' -pap'r. - -"Whin he wake up, he sort'r feel holl'r, he do, 'caze cant'lope res' -mighty light yer knows, so he g'long ter hunt sumpin' nuth'r ter eat. He -think Miss Lucy done fergit 'im by now, but no, Lawd, he dunno Miss Lucy, -fur he ain' buz hisse'f mo'n er time er two, 'fo' Miss Lucy take atter -him. She skeer 'im so bad, dat he fergit all 'bout dem wire things in de -wind'r, but Lawsee, whin his haid come 'ginst de wire, hit knock de senses -out'n 'im, an' whin dat fly-kill'r er Miss Lucy's hit his toe, hit tu'n -'im so sick, he fell blip! right on de fly pap'r. Mussy grashus! you -ort'r heah Shoo Fly holl'rin' an' er buzzin' fur Hoss Fly. - -"'Bout dis time, whin Hoss Fly doan see nuthin' er Shoo Fly on de cherry -tree, he g'long ter git er peep in at de wind'r ter see ef he kin git enny -news uv 'im; an' bless de Lawd, he ain' git ter de wind'r 'fo' he heah -Shoo Fly holl'rin': 'Oh, Hoss Fly, p-l-e-a-s-e come hope me out'n heah!' - -"Hoss Fly run ter de front do', but dat's shet tight, so he take an' run -'roun' ter de kitchin do' whar he know dey's allus keerles'. He fly ter de -kitchin' do' an' seen Kitty standin' wid her foot in de do' passin' news -wid ole An' Malviny, an' he know he got plenty time ter go in an' 'ten' -ter his biznes', 'fo' dat do' git shet ergin. He fly thu de kitchin, an' -make fur de liberry, whar po' Shoo Fly had done mos' buzz hisse'f ter -death. - -[Illustration: "SHOO-FLY HOLL'R, 'LOOK OUT FUR M' LEGS!'"] - -"Hoss Fly swoop down an' grab 'im by de wing, but Shoo Fly holl'r, 'Look -out fur m' legs! Oh, Lawdy, you'se pullin' m' wing off--Oh, Lawdy, Lawdy!' - -"Nobody dunno de mis'ry po' Shoo Fly wus in. I tell yer Hoss Fly wurk -mouty keerful ter git 'im all out tergeth'r. Den he liftes 'im up, but he -doan hatt'r hole on ter 'im, 'caze Shoo Fly so sticky he hole his own se'f -on. Hoss Fly come er flyin' back thu de kitchin." - -"Did Kitty have the door open for him?" - -"Cose, boy, ain't I done alreddy tole yer Kitty an' Mal gwine talk tell -Miss Lucy come an' put 'em ter wurk? Yas, suh, Hoss Fly didn't had no -trub'le gittin' 'im out er dat kitchin,--an' he come flyin' straight ter -de stable, an' light wid Shoo Fly on top er de kerrige. He tell 'im ter -roll hisse'f erbout on de kiv'r tell he git shed er dat sticky pison on -'im." - -"Did Shoo Fly go back to the house when he got well?" - -Willis rose as he saw the old woman preparing to take her plate to the -kitchen. - -"Nor, suhree, Shoo Fly say, he done got his full er big fokes! He say he -done foun' out hit wus er heap bett'r ter g'long an' live whar de Lawd -born'd yer ter live at, dan ter go 'mongst fokes dat doan want yer." - - - - -IX - -ELECTION DAY - - -"Mammy, can't my papa be mayor if he wants to?" bragged Willis, darting a -satisfied look at Mary Van. - -"I'll tell yer mo' 'bout dat dis time termorrer," was the unexpected -reply. - -"Yahn, yahn, yahn," taunted Mary Van. - -"He can, too," retorted Willis. - -Willis's papa was a candidate for mayor, hence in the family politics -colored the conversation from the parlor through the nursery even to the -kitchen. - -"De reason I says whut I does," Mammy apologized, "is 'caze dey tells me -er dark hoss kin jump in at de las' minit an bus' de whole thing all ter -pieces." - -"Does he kick up and run away?" Willis jerked at her apron to hasten the -reply. - -"Dey runs erway wid de 'lection sometimes, ef de uth'r run'rs ain' sho' -nuf race hosses an' got mighty strong harnes' on 'em." - -"Mammy, less me an' Mary Van be race hosses, an' you be er dark hoss, an' -see which one can beat." - -"I low ef we-all wuster race hoss 'roun' dis hyah garret, 'tain' long fo' -yo' ma'll be de dark hoss ter do de beatin'." - -"No, Mammy, put m' harness on," shaking the bells in impatience. - -"I can't play no race hoss up hyah terday, boy, 'caze Miss Lucy got her -mine on 'lection news, an' she say you got ter be quiet." - -"No, I'm going to be a race horse, put m' harness on!" - -"Auntie might whip you, Willis," ventured Mary Van, "mightn't she, Mammy -Phyllis?" - -"She whup 'im in er minit, ef he fool wid her terday." - -"Well, Mammy--" he fretted. - -"Lis'n hyah, baby--Miss Race Hoss settin' ov'r yond'r in de pastur' -waitin' jes' like yo' ma is terday." - -"What's she waiting for?" - -"Waitin' ter hyah ef Mist'r Race Hoss beat Brer Bar ter be ruler er de -beastes. Oh, I tell yer Ned Dog mos' run hisse'f plum ter death gittin' -votes fur Mist'r Race Hoss; an' Mist'r Wile Cat, he de haid man gittin' -votes fur Brer Bar." - -"But, Mammy--" - -"Lawd, boy, I wush you cud heah de scand'lous bettin' gwine on in dat -pastur'--ev'ybody puttin' money on Mist'r Race Hoss, 'caze dey see Brer -Bar's too slow an' sleepy mind'd ter keep up wid Mist'r Race Hoss. An' -den, too, nobody doan trus' Mist'r Wile Cat fur nuthin'. Mist'r Wile Cat -all time projeckin' wid some sorter big sumpin' nuth'r dat nuv'r do tu'n -out ter be er thing. So yer see nobody ain' gwine vote fur Brer Bar, 'caze -dey skeer'd er Mist'r Wile Cat's dealin's. Dey talks all dis out in de -pastur', an' Mist'r Tom Cat he set an' lis'n ter de confab. Sometime he -buse Brer Bar, an' sometime he make out he 'sleep an' doan heah. - -"One day Mist'r Jack Donkey wint up ter de fod'r rack ter git er chaw er -fod'r, an' whin he come thu de cow shed he come 'cross Mist'r Tom Cat -stretchin' his claws. Atter dey passes howdy wid one nuth'r, Mist'r Tom -Cat, he say, 'Jack, I heah some fokes say, dey wush ter de Lawd you wus -in Brer Bar's place.' - -"Jack, he tu'n his ye'rs 'roun', he do, an' say, 'Who say dat, Tom?' - -"Tom Cat say, 'Ev'ybody jes' wushin' fur er big sho' nuf man like you ter -come in an' whoop out dat ole stuck up Race Hoss.' - -"Whin Jack Donkey heah dat, he sorter switch his tail, an' stomp fus' one -foot an' den de uth'rs uv his foots, an' he keep his ye'rs tu'nin' 'roun' -an' 'roun'." - -"What's the reason he does that, Mammy Phyllis; were the flies bothering -him?" asked the little girl. - -"He studyin', honey, dat sort'r confab'll wurk on men fokes, let lone er -donkey. Jack sort'r tu'n matt'rs ov'r in his mine, an' he say ter hisse'f, -'I sho' is er sho' nuf big man, an' I sho' is got er heap er sense, 'caze -I kin outdo Mist'r Man up yond'r enny day. Nobody can't make me do -nuthin' my mine ain' sot on doin', an' enybody kin hitch up dat high -steppin' Race Hoss, an' make 'im plow er do enny sort'r thing whut dey -pleases. Yas,' he says, 'I got mo' sense dan Race Hoss, an' bless de Lawd, -ef I doan b'leef I'm bett'r lookin', too!' - -"Mist'r Tom Cat ain' say er thing, he jes' keep er stretchin' his claws, -waitin' fur Jack Donkey ter git plum full er hisse'f. Bimeby, he git full -ernuf ter bile ov'r, an' he say, 'Brer Tom, I ain' much on pol'ticks, you -knows dat,--but ef de plantation is jes' brow beat by dat ripsnortin' Race -Hoss, an' can't git shed er him no uth'r way, 'cep'n fur some uth'r bigg'r -man 'n him ter run 'ginst 'im, den I'm yer man.' - -"Tom, he light out fum dar, an' make tracks all ov'r de pastur' tell he -come ter Mist'r Billy Goat's house." - -"Was it Ned Dog's Billy Goat?" and Willis was contented to lay aside the -harness. - -"Hit wus Billy's gran'pa, ole Cap'n Goat. Cap'n Goat wus walkin' up an' -down de branch washin' his foots an' takin' er swall'r er water ev'y now -an' den, an' whin Tom Cat come erlong an' op'n up an' tell his biznes', de -Cap'n git so 'cited, dat he stomp water all ov'r creation, an' Tom git -right sharply sprinkl'd. He jump up an' shake hisse'f, he do, an' sorter -start up ter de shade er de chestnut tree. Dey pass er heap er -conversation, dey does, but de upshot uv hit wus, dat Cap'n Goat 'cide ter -put Jack Donkey up es er dark hoss. - -"Mist'r Tom Cat, he run an' tell Brer Mule, an' Mist'r Dur'm Cow, an' -Mist'r Brindle Cow, an' ole man Hog, ter run quick ter de ches'nut tree, -dat Cap'n Goat's got sumpin' big ter tell 'em! Whin dey gits dar, an' -passes de news back'ards an' fur'ards 'mongst derse'fs, dey 'cides ter run -Jack Donkey in de race. - -"Mist'r Dur'am Cow say, 'Jack's mo' stronger'n Race Hoss.' - -"Ole man Hog say, 'Yas, an' he kin wurk long'r an' mo' hard'r'n Race -Hoss.' - -"Oh, dey praises Jack Donkey up moutily, an' all uv 'em say dey'll whup -Mist'r Race Hoss so bad dat he'll be 'sham'd ter trot 'long side uv er mud -turtle. - -"Dey so bizzy wid der confab, dat dey ain' notice Mist'r Wile Cat settin' -up on er lim' er de tree. Atter dey spies him, dey axes 'im ter pass his -'pinion on de meetin'. - -"He up an' low, he did, dat he know Brer Bar ain' in de race, but, sezee, -'Jack Donkey can't do much bet'r'n Brer Bar, ef you let fokes know 'im.' - -"Dey axes him how dey kin hope hit. - -"He tell 'em ter run him by de name er Bline Billy. - -"Dey ax 'im how he speck Bline Billy name gwine keep fokes fum knowin' -Jack Donkey whin he 'pear ter make his canvas. - -"Wile Cat say ter make 'im kiv'r hisse'f up whinsumev'r he rise 'fo' de -congregation. - -"An' dat's whut dey done, an' nobody 'cep'n dem fokes und'r de ches'nut -tree know Bline Billy's sho' nuf name. - -"Ned Dog, he go tell Mist'r Race Hoss 'bout dis new fine run'r dat's -makin' sich fine speeches 'ginst 'im. Mist'r Race Hoss tell Ned Dog ter -git der side tergeth'r so dey kin confab erbout de mat'r. Ned Dog, he -passes de wurd ter 'em all, an' he 'speshully tell Brer Mule ter be dar -sho'. - -"Brer Mule tell him he can't make up his min' which side he's on, he say -he kin ter Bline Billy, an' he ort'r vote fur him. - -"Ned Dog tell him he mustn't fergit dat him an' Mist'r Race Hoss kin, too. - -"He say he ain' fergit hit, an' dat's howcum he so twist'd up 'bout -votin'. He set an' study, he do, an' de mo' he study, de mo' he can't make -up his mine." - -"Make him vote for Mister Race Hoss, Mammy." - -"Make who, boy?--Brer Mule settin' up on dat fence stud'in' jes whar Ned -Dog lef' 'im." - -Willis became discouraged over Mister Race Horse's prospects and insisted -with much feeling that Phyllis had influenced the animals in Jack -Donkey's behalf. - -"Go off, boy, how I gwine make dese trashy creeturs vote fur high tone -fokes like yo' pa an' Mist'r Race Hoss? Dey dunno nuthin' 'cep'n whut de -murchine tell 'em ter vote," shaking her head in condemnation and mumbling -to herself. "Sometimes I studies ter m'se'f ef de wimmin fokes cud do enny -bett'r." - -"Mammy Phyllis, please make somebody come to Mister Race Horse's meetin'," -urged Mary Van. - -"Doan you both'r yose'f 'bout dat meetin', 'caze Ned Dog both'rin' nuf fur -bofe uv yer. He go tell Mist'r Rooster ter telerfome ter Mist'r Turk'y -Gobler, an' Mist'r Peacock, an' he tell Mist'r Bloodhoun' fur him ter run -an' tell Mist'r Jersey Cow, an'--" - -"An' Mister Turtle," suggested Willis, trying to help the meeting along. - -"Nor, suh, ole man Mud Turtle ain' got no bisnes' at dis meetin', he -'longs wid de Bline Billy crowd. Ef you talkin' 'bout Mist'r Di'mon' Back -Terrapin, den you'se right, 'caze he wus dar on de amen bench, an'--" - -"Where were the sheep, Mammy?" - -"Dat's so, baby, I mos' fergit all 'bout de 'spute Unk Bell Weth'r an' ole -Daddy Ram Sheep had 'bout de mat'r. Daddy Ram Sheep wanter vote fur Bline -Billy, but Unk Bell Weth'r say dey got ter heah mo' speakin' 'fo' dey got -nuf sense ter know which one de bes' side. - -"Well, de speakin' start' an' I tell yer hit kep' up scand'lus, too. - -"Mist'r Race Hoss 'vite Bline Billy an' Brer Bar bofe uv 'em ter speak -wid 'im, but Brer Bar feer'd ter, an' ev'y time Jack Donkey say he gwine -mix speeches wid Mist'r Race Hoss, ole Uncle Gee-Haw Steer giv' er big -kick 'ginst hit. - -"He say, 'Twon' do, twon' do!' - -"Fin'ly Ned Dog ax Cap'n Goat ef Bline Billy skeer'd ter meet Mist'r Race -Hoss on de same stump, will he 'gree ter meet 'im on diffunt stumps but -tolerbul close tergether, so dey kin see which one kin out do de uth'r. - -"Cap'n Goat say Bline Billy ain' skeer'd er no race hoss dat ev'r capr'd -on er track, an' ter 'nounce de time an' name de stumps, an' Blin' -Billy'll be dar wid fo' foots an' er tongue dat'll make Mist'r Race Hoss -eat up all dat big talk he bin scat'rin' 'roun'. - -"Whin ole Unk Gee-Haw Steer heah 'bout de meetin' he kick er 'ginst hit, -he say dat donkey gwine make er jack er hisse'f sho' es sho' kin be; dat -fokes'll fin' out who Bline Billy is, ef he start ter talkin' wid Mist'r -Race Hoss. - -"Mist'r Tom Cat say, 'Nor, Jack Donkey gwinter keep hisse'f kiv'r'd up -plum tell de 'lection's ov'r.' - -"Sez Unk Gee-Haw Steer, 'I wants yer all ter 'member I kick'd 'ginst hit -ter de ve'y las'.' - -"Oh, I tells yer dar wus mouty times gwine on gittin' reddy fur dat -'casion; de pastur' wus plum full er flags. - -"Sis' Tabby Cat, she slip ov'r ter Miss Race Hosses house an' say, 'Miss -Race Hoss, Mist'r Tom Cat say hit mos' kill him ter vote 'ginst Mist'r -Race Hoss, but Cap'n Goat done bin sich er good frin' ter our fambly dat -Tom bleege ter do like de Cap'n ax 'im, but hit mos' killin' Tom, 'caze he -say Mist'r Race Hoss is de man fur de place, an' he hope he gwine git -'lect'd.' - -"Miss Race Hoss ain' sayin' nuthin'. She know all 'bout Mist'r Tom Cat's -doin's an' Sis' Tabby wusn't foolin' nobody but herse'f. Lawd, chillun," -she mused, preparing to cut some quilt pieces, "how menny Sis' Tabby Cats -is bin ter see Miss Lucy heah lately?" - -"Well, de speakin' day come. Bline Billy wus settin' off on his stump all -kiv'r'd up, so nobody kin tell him. Cap'n Goat settin' right close ter him -whisperin' all de time, an' Brer Turkey Buzzard he swoopin' all eroun' de -congergation takin' messages fur Cap'n Goat, an' pickin' up eny scrap uv -vit'als he kin fine. - -"Mist'r Race Hoss settin' on his stump, too, wid Jedge Eagle perch'd 'long -side er him an' Ned Dog on de uth'r side. - -"Mist'r Bull-finch an' John Mockin' Bird wus de lead'rs er de ban' an' I -tell yer dat musick wus sumthin' ter heah sho' nuf. - -"Cap'n Goat say dey doan want no musick playin' at der speakin'. - -"Brer Bull Frog say: 'Nor, suhree, you git er jug-er-rum an' put hit wit -Sis' Ginny Hen's boys up in de gal'ry, long wid Miss Wile Lucy Goose's -chilluns, an' you got nuf fuss fur fifty meetin's.' - -"Mist'r Tom Cat slap down on his leg an' say, 'Dat's de very thing; dat ef -Mist'r Race Hoss git ter th'owin' off too much language, jes' ter git Brer -Bull Frog ter start off de Ginny chorus an' he bet Race Hoss won't heah -his own se'f talk.'" - -Willis moved closer. "Was all of 'em sittin' together, Mammy?" - -"Nor, dey wus fur nuf erpart fur bofe uv 'em ter keep der own crowd." - -"Where did Brer Mule sit?" Mary Van remembered to ask. - -"And where did Uncle Bell Weth'r take the sheep?" put in Willis. - -"Brer Mule had bisnes' dat take 'im clean off'n de plantation, honey, an' -dat bisnes' keep 'im plum tell 'lection day's ov'r. Yas, Lawd, an' er -whole passel er yo' pa's frien's went wid him ter hope 'im ten' ter his -bisnes'." - -"Did Uncle Bell Weth'r and the sheep go, too?" - -"Nor, son, dey jes' nachelly ain' got der mines sot yit, an' dey ain' -settin' wid one nur t'other. Dey huddl'd tergeth'r right b'twixt de two, -waitin' fur Unk Bell Weth'r ter ring de bell, den all uv 'em gwine move -tergeth'r. - -"But youall keep er talkin' so much, Mist'r Race Hoss an' Bline Billy -gittin' wo' out settin' on dem stumps." - -"Tell 'em to start, Mammy." - -"Dey done start, baby. Bline Billy's ginny chorus jes' er pot'rackin' hard -es dey kin, 'caze Brer Bull Frog so full er jug-er-rum, dat he start 'em -off too soon. Cose de gooses turn loose soon es de ginnies give de fus -'potter-rack.' - -"Cap'n Goat tuk an' whisp'r ter Brer Turkey Buzz'rd ter go tell Jim Duck -fur de Lawd sake ter stop de fuss, so Jack Donkey kin speak, 'caze Mist'r -Race Hoss wus jes' er speakin' gran' an' gittin' way erhead; an' Cap'n -Goat settin' up dar pullin' his whisk'rs an' farely chawin' de een's off. -Fin'ly Brer Turkey Buzzard whisper ter Jim Puddle Duck, but Jim Duck -sorter deef an' he think Brer Buzzard say fur his fambly ter go he'p 'long -de fuss. So he go, he do, an' geth'r 'em up, an' Miss Screech Owel's -fokes, too, an' dey starts sich ernuth'r holl'rin' es nobody ain' nuv'r -heah befo' nur sense. Cap'n Goat try ter shout out er few wurds, but -nobody can' heah er wurd, so Mist'r Durham Cow raise his beller ter try -ter hope him, but dat done do no good. Den Mist'r Tom Cat see ef he kin -git in er wurd, but nobody wud know he wus talkin' les'n dey see his mouf -wurkin'. - -"Whoopee! Jack Donkey wus so mad, he hop up ter holler, too, but Mist'r -Wile Cat hidin' b'hime 'im, grabs 'im by de kiv'r an' tell 'im ter set -still tell dey holl'rs derse'fs out. He say, 'Den you kin speak atter -Mist'r Race Hoss gits all wo' out.' But nor suhree, dat 'vice ain' suitin' -Jack Donkey, an' whut's mo', he too hard haided ter lis'n enyhow, so he up -an' start ter holl'rin his 'He-haw, he-haw.' - -"Whoopee! dat stop de fuss! Somebody 'gun ter holl'r: 'Bline Billy ain' -nobody but ole Jack Donkey!' All uv 'em say, 'De idee er Jack Donkey -puttin' hisse'f up ter be rul'r er de beastes.' - -"Unk Bell Weth'r shake de bell, an' all de sheep flocks ter Mist'r Race -Hoss's side. - -"Oh, I tell yer dar wusn't but er han'ful er fokes lef' on Jack's side." - -"Why did Jack Donkey pull his cov'r off, Mammy?" - -"He didn't hatt'r pull his kiv'r off, son, caze Jack call out his own -name--can't you tell er donkey whin you heahs him bray?" - -At that moment a band and shouts of people were heard coming up the -street. - -"Lawsee! chillun! Less git down fum heah; I b'leef in m' soul Mist'r Race -Hoss done beat dis race sho' nuf." - - - - -X - -MISTER BAD 'SIMMON TREE - - -"Look at that big old grape tree, Mammy Phyllis," said Mary Van, as she -ran beside the little boy gathering wild flowers in the woods back of the -house. - -"That's not a grape tree, Mary Van--it's a grape vine," corrected Willis. - -"'Tain't, it's a tree, isn't it, Mammy?" - -"It's a vine," he emphasized with a shake of her arm. - -"Make him stop, he's knocking my flowers." - -"Dey ain't no use youall 'sputin' 'bout Miss Wile Grape. Bofe uv yer's got -hit right. She uster be Miss Wile Grape Vine 'fo' she take an' marry ole -man Holl'r Tree. Now she call herse'f Miss Grape Vine Tree." - -"Where's Old Man Holl'r Tree?" - -"Yond'rs him,--standin' b'hime Miss Wile Grape. Dey's er heap er men fokes -hidin' b'hime der ole ladies in dis worl', too! Yas, suh! an' dey's er -heap uv 'ooman fokes dat act jes' like Miss Wile Grape done whin Mist'r -Wise Oak tell her long time ergo ter stop keepin' comp'ny wid Holl'r Tree. -Mist'r Wise Oak tell her Holl'r Tree ain' fit'n fur nuthin' but ter hide -possums in. - -"She say, 'I doan keer ef he can't do nuthin', I kin make er livin' fur -bofe uv us, but I'm jes' bleeg ter have sumbody ter lean on.' - -"He say, 'Doan git er long s' fas', Wile Grape; lay low fur er while, an' -'twon' be long 'fo' young Johnnie Live Oak'll reach out an' ax you ter -lean on him.' - -"She say, 'No, I ain' gwine 'ginst Holl'r Tree jes' 'caze he's gettin' ole -an' ball.' - -"Miss Crab Apple tell her, 'Dat's right, grab yer fus' chance, 'caze yer -ain' gwina git no mo'.' Dat hu't po' lit'le Wile Grape's feelin's, an' she -sorter wilt an' creep on de groun' tell Miss Bizzy Bee come an' tell her -Holl'r Tree say ef she doan come on, he gwine tumble ter pieces. Den she -lif' up her haid an' git Bob Win' ter take her up ter Holl'r Tree, an' she -bin dar ev'r sense, tryin' ter hide his ole ugly se'f; an' de wurser he -look, de mo' purty leaves an' grapes she try ter kiv'r ov'r him." - -"What'd Miss Crab Apple say?" Mary Van wanted to hear the gossip. - -"Nobody ain' lis'n ter whut she say, 'caze she so sour an' mean, ev'ybody -keep out'n her way." - -Willis darted ahead. "Look, Mammy, look at the persimmons!" and he began -hurling stones towards the tree. - -"Nobody doan want no green 'simmons, boy." - -"They're not green, they're yellow," and another stone followed. - -"Let dem 'simmons 'lone, I tell yer--dey ain' fit'n fur nothin', doan keer -ef dey is yaller. De fros' got ter fall on 'em 'fo' eb'n possums'll eat -'em." She added, under her breath, "Like dese heah sour fokes dat don't -nuv'r git sweet tell trub'le hit 'em." - -"I don't care, I'm going to knock 'em down anyway." - -"Ahah, you gwine be hard-haid'd jes' like 'Simmon Tree wus whin he wus er -lit'le hard-haid'd boy tree, an' his ma tell him ter stop sassyin' old -fokes." - -"Who did he sassy?" Willis looked with indecision at the stone in his -hand. - -"I ain' gwine tell yer nuthin' tell yer th'ows dat rock down an' gits fur -nuf fum 'Simmon Tree ter keep him fum lis'nin' ter whut I says, 'caze he -'memb'rs long time ergo whin all de trees wus waitin' ter see which one -gwine have de fines' crap er chillun. Early hyah in de spring, 'fo' Jack -Fros' go ter see Miss White Snow, Dandy Lion come peepin' out; all de -trees bowin' an' swingin' derse'fs erbout axin' de news 'bout der chillun. -Dandy Lion say, 'Don't yer heah lit'le Weepin' Will'r cryin' an' holl'rin' -ov'r yond'r now?' Sho' nuf dar she wus tellin' her ma 'bout lit'le Maple -Tree an' all uv 'em pushin' her out fus' ter see ef Jack Fros' fixin' ter -pack his trunk." - -The stone slid noiselessly from Willis's hand, while Phyllis led the way -beyond the green persimmons. - -"Did Jack Frost bite little Willow Tree?" - -"He don't bite 'em less'n dey gits hard-haid'd an' sassy him. But hyah -come lit'le Aspin, an' lit'le Sugar Maple, an' dey says Lit'le 'Simmon -Tree an' de res' uv de tree chillun is reddy ter come, soon es ole Unk' -Sun warm up de room fur 'em er lit'le. Bimeby, all uv 'em gits der haids -an' hands out, 'cep'n Pine Tree chile. Ev'ybody axin' Miss Vilet, an' Miss -Honey-suckle an' all uv 'em wharbouts Pine Tree chile wus at. Pres'ntly -ole Tall Pine say, he do: 'Jes' 'ten' ter yer own biznes', my boy know -whut he doin'. He ain' gwine come up hyah rippin' an' tar'in' 'roun', an' -den hatt'r stan' dar an' die in his tracks. Whin enny er my fambly comes -up in de woods, dey comes ter stay,' sez he: 'De res' er you all goes off -in de winter time, but me an' my fokes stays right hyah; darfo', I done -lernt my chillun ter git er good start 'fo' dey comes thu!' - -"I tell yer, Pine Tree chile wus workin' hard ter tap wat'r so he kin keep -up wid de res' er de trees atter he jines de woods." - -"How can he tap water?" interrupted Willis. - -"Dey taps hit wid der roots. Sometimes er pine tree whut ain't no big'r'n -my han' is got roots fifteen foots long. An' I tell yer Pine Tree tellin' -de trufe, his boy know der fambly bleege ter have wat'r ter live on, an' -he ain't gwine take no stan' in dis woel he know he can't keep up wid. De -trees dey talks 'bout him mouty bad at fus', but he don't pay no 'tenshun -ter 'em, he jes' mine his own biznes', an' bimeby he git big 'nuf ter -look on de top uv all 'em." - -"Did he look down on the top of Mist'r Wise Oak?" broke in Willis. - -"Tall Pine so high an' straight hisse'f, he ain't thinkin' 'bout de top er -nobody's haid. He know Mist'r Wise Oak's de big'es' man on Tinker Knob an' -he proud ter keep comp'ny wid him." - -"Who was running against Wise Oak?" the race for mayor still lingering in -his mind. - -"Well, son, dar wus er heap uv 'em dat want ter git in, but dey can't git -nobody ter put 'em up. Lombody Poplar ax Holl'r Tree ter put him up, but -Holl'r Tree tell him ter look at hisse'f, an' see how fokes 'ud t'ar him -ter pieces. He say he dunno howcum. - -"Holl'r Tree say, 'Whut's you done ter make fokes vote fur you? You doan -give no fruit, an' you too stingy ter eb'n stretch yer arms out an' make -shade fur ennybody.' - -"Lombody say, 'Yer doan want me ter spile m' shape does yer?' - -"Holl'r Tree say, 'Dat's hit. You thinks too much 'bout yer own se'f ter -serve de woods.' But I ain' got time ter tell yer all whut de trees talks -erbout. I jes' wanter tell yer 'bout whut Mist'r bad 'Simmon Tree got. - -"Whin he wus er lit'le boy tree, he all de time bein' hard-haided an' -makin' fusses twixt de trees er de beastes er enybody dat 'ud lis'n ter -him. His ma whoop him er heap 'bout tellin' tales, an' meddlin' in fokes' -'fars, but ev'y time Bob Win' come thu de woods 'Simmon Tree'd lean way -down ter de groun' totin' tales ter sumbody. One time Mist'r Brindle Cow -come walkin' long thu de woods, huntin' fur some nice lit'le chaws er -wile flow'rs, an' 'Simmon Tree hol'r fur him ter come set down an' talk -ter him. Mister Brindle say he ain' got no time ter fool wid chillun. Wid -dat 'Simmon Tree holl'r back: 'Yer bet'r take time, 'caze ev'y body know -you done bin runn'd out'n de pastur'.' Whoopee! Mist'r Brindle Cow give er -jump an' lan' hisse'f 'pon top er dat sassy little tree, an' I tell yer he -nuv'r lef' dar tell he had tromp 'Simmon Tree clean down ter de groun'. -Den he curl his tail in de air an' go bellerin' back ter de pastur'. - -"'Simmon Tree sorter raise up one fing'r, den he lif' his haid up er -lit'le bit, but he hurt so bad near 'bout his foots dat he cry an' beg -sumbody ter please hope him up. - -"Jes' den Mist'r Man an' his lit'le boy come ridin' thu dar on Miss Race -Hoss. Mist'r Man stop, he do, an' say, 'Look at dat nice lit'le 'Simmon -Tree sumbody done tromp'd down. I'm gwine tie hit up an' give hit er -chanct,' sez he. So him an' de lit'le boy liftes hit up, an' 'Simmon Tree -holl'r, 'Oh! Lawdy! yer's killin' me,' but dey ties him up an' put sticks -up 'ginst him ter keep him fum fallin' down, an' 'tain' long 'fo' de hu't -part wus kur'd tergeth'r fine, an', by de time he wus grow'd up, nobody -cud tell he ev'r wus er bad lit'le boy dat mos' got kilt by his badness. -Oh, he wus er starchy lookin' tree I tell yer. Look like he wus de fines' -lookin' uv all de tree chillun." - -"One day Bob Win' put on his fine linnin duster an' he come er projeckin' -an' frolickin' 'roun' de Reed gals down in de Cane Break. Dey has er heap -er fun, I tell yer. Bob allus crackin' his jokes ter 'em tell dey mos' -die fallin' 'ginst one nuth'r laffin'. - -"'Simmon Tree git so mad 'caze he can't fly 'roun' an' projeck wid de gals -like Bob, dat he 'fuse ter speak ter Bob's howdy. Bob he sorter laf an' -flutt'r 'Simmon Tree's leaves back'ards. 'Simmon Tree git mad es fire den, -an' he tell him ter 'clar out!' - -"He say, 'You does er heap er braggin' an' blusterin' in dese parts Bob -Win', but I ain' nuv'r seed nuthin' in yer but bad mann'rs.' - -"Bob say, 'I see yer done forgit de les'n Brer Brindle Cow learnt yer whin -you wus lit'le.' - -"'Simmon Tree say, 'I ain' skeer'd er all de Mist'r Cows in de pastur', -an' you th'ow'd in ter boot. You ain' nuthin' but er win' bag ennyhow.' - -"Bob Win' say, 'Git reddy, suh, we gwine proof whose de bes' man 'fo' -sundown.' - -"Bob go ax his pa, ole man Harricane, ter loan him his cyarpet bag, he -tell him he want ter take sum fightin' close 'long on er trip he gwine on -thu de woods. Ole Kerlum-bang Thunder say he gwine 'long ter see de fun. -Po'-Down Rain say he gwine too, but Bob tell 'em he doan want nobody ter -hope him. - -"Po'-Down Rain says he ain' gwine hope nobody, he say, 'Mist'r Wise Oak -sont fur me er mont' ergo, an' I ain' had time ter go yit, but I'm gwine -now, 'caze I wants ter see you whin you tu'ns yose'f loose.' - -"Ole Kerlum-bang Thund'r say, 'I ain' gwine hu't nobody, I'm jes' gwina -shoot off er few fier wurks, an' rat'le 'roun' er lit'le.' - -"Bob see he can' do nuthin' wid 'em, so he start off. Fus' he come sorter -sof' whrrrrrrrr, whuuuuuuuu. All de trees lafs an' howdy's ter one nuth'r -'cep' 'Simmon Tree. He 'fuse ter russ'le so much es er leaf. Bob come -Brrrrrrrrr, sorter strong like, de leaves on de groun' try ter hop up an' -cap'r wid dem on de trees, an' de Reed gals wus jes' laffin' an' th'owin' -derse'fs erbout scand'lous. 'Simmon Tree ain' flutt'r er leaf, 'cep'n whin -he bleeg'd ter. Bob Win' come Brrrrrrrr, Whrrrrrrrr, Brrrrr, Brrrrrrrr, -Whrrrrrr, Zuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzzzzzzzzzz, whoopee! I tell yer he's -comin' now! He rip an' t'ar, he do, ringin' an' twistin' ev'ything dat -gits in his way. Ole Kerlum-bang Thunder give er clap an' tetch off er -fier crack'r dat skeer de Cane Break fokes mouty nigh ter death. Po'-Down -Rain come right 'long b'hime him. He wet dem woods mouty nigh ter flood -times. Ole Kerlum-bang drop his chunk er fier on a passel er big -fier-crackers, an'--" - -"And Roman candles, and sky rockets!" added Willis. - -"Yas, an' de fus' thing you knows Bob Win' had done swep' up dat groun' -b'fo' him clean es yo' ma's parler floor. He step up ter 'Simmon Tree an' -ax him ef he got ennything ter take back. - -"'Simmon Tree say, 'I done tole yer I ain' gwina pass wurds wid no sich er -blow hard es you is.' - -"Bob Win' grab him 'roun 'de trunk, he do, an' give er good twis' on his -haid, but dat nuv'r done no harm, an' 'Simmon Tree hit him back es good es -he sen'. Bob take him by de arms an' twis' wid all his might, but 'Simmon -Tree laff in his face, an' twis' back at him. Den Bob give er runnin' -jump an' wrop hisse'f 'long 'bout 'Simmon's foots. Well, suh, dat een' de -fight. Bob hit him in de weak part, an' 'Simmon Tree broke an' come, -kerblum', an' splint'r'd hisse'f all ov'r de groun'." - -"Mammy, I thought you said Mister Man cured him, so he was bigger and -stronger than all of the rest?" Mary Van had a good memory but Phyllis was -ever ready to answer the interruption. - -"Aha, aha, you 'members dat does yer? An' dat's jes' whut he wus--mo' -finer'n all uv 'em 'cep'n in dat weak place his hard haid make, whin he -wus er lit'le bit'r tree. An' er gal er boy"--she looked earnestly into -each face--"kin be sassy an' hard-haid'd whin dey's lit'le, an' whin dey -gits grow'd up an' 'gins ter rass'lin' wid triberlations, de ve'y fus' -fight dey gits in, dat weak bad, hard-haided place gwine give way fus', -an' dey'll splinter all ter pieces jes' like 'Simmon Tree done." - -"Can Bob Wind whip all the trees?" - -"He sho' kin, son, dat is, enny uv 'em dat's so big'rty an' hard-haid'd -dey can't lis'n ter nobody. I tell yer dar's er plenty er Bob Win's ter -whoop all de biggerty hard-haids 'mongst de men fokes, too." - -"I bet there isn't any Bob Wind that can whip my papa." - -"No, my Lawd, dat dey ain't," she laughed softly, then added: "Howcum you -reck'n yo' pa come ter be sich er big man?" she stopped to hear his -answer. - -"Cause he's my papa," defended the child. - -"'Tain't no sich er thing. Plenty fokes gots papa's 'sides you. Hit's -'caze he got de bignes' ter mine whut his ole lady say ter him ev'y onct -in erwhile. Come 'long, we ain' gwine git er Lawd's bit er dinn'r ef we -doan git out er dese hyah woods." - - - - -XI - -BIG EYE BUZZARD - - -"Mammy, less go up to Jim Weed's house, he's going to give me one of his -buzzard eggs." Willis was halfway to the gate. - -"Come back hyah, boy,--I ain' gwine stirry er step fum dis hyah tree tell -I churns dis milk fur Kitty, an' ennyhow yond'r come comp'ny ter see yer," -she nodded towards Mary Van, who was tip-toeing to unfasten the gate. - -"'Tain't anybody but Mary Van, and she can go, too." - -"Where, Willis?" and the little girl ran past him to the joggling board[1] -near Phyllis; "Put me up, Mammy!" - - [1] Joggling-board.--A long, springy board about three feet from the - ground, made fast at each end, and so arranged that children may jump - up and down, or joggle on it. - -Phyllis dropped the churn top in place and went to the assistance of Mary -Van. "Come on, son," she called over her shoulder, "an' let dem buzzard -aigs hatch right whar dey is, 'caze de Lawd knows dey's in de right nes'." - -"Jim Weed's er nice boy," resented Willis, refusing to come. - -"He ain' nuthin' but po' white trash." She stood with her arms akimbo, -waiting to lift him beside Mary Van. "Come on, an' hole Ma'y Van's han' so -bofe uv yer kin stay on de bo'rd whin yer joggles." - -"He's not poor white trash," exclaimed Willis hotly, "he's got a pigeon -house, and a dog house, and a bird house, and a--" - -"I doan keer how minny houses he got, an' I doan keer how much money he -got neeth'r--he ain' nuthin' in dis woel but po' trash," she announced -with a sweeping bow, then added to Mary Van, as she returned to the churn: -"Set down on de bo'rd, honey, tell Willis git reddy ter stan' up an' jump -wid you. He bleege ter cool off er while, fus', 'cose he know trashy fokes -got ter keep on bein' trashy, jes' like he know dat buzzard aig bleege ter -hatch out er buzzard; doan keer ef you puts hit in Lilly Dove's nes' er -way up yond'r in Jedge Eagle's nes', hit's boun' ter be er buzzard dat -pips dat aig shell." - -Swishing the dasher up and down in the churn, she continued addressing -herself to Mary Van. - -"Yas, Lawd, yer orter heah ole man Turkey Buzzard tell 'bout whin his boy, -Big Eye, turn hisse'f ter er eagle. Big Eye tell his pa he ti'ed -soshatin' wid de low down buzzards dat lives on Dead Man's Mountain, an' -he done make up his min' ter greeze his feath'rs an' shave de top er his -haid like de ball eagle, an' move ov'r ter Tinker Knob whar de fus' class -birds lives at." - -"Mammy, I thought buzzards were bald anyhow," said Willis coming a step or -two nearer. - -"'Cose dey bin ball ev'r sense Big Eye shave his haid. - -"His pa say, 'Doan yer know soon es fokes heahs yer name, dey kin p'int -out yer fambly?' - -"He tell his pa he gwine change his name ter Mist'r Mount'n Fowel, an' -tell de fokes he's kin ter Jedge Eagle's fambly, so he kin git vit'd ter -de fine parties. - -"His pa say, 'Fokes kin tell yo' buzzard lope' soon es you starts ter -dancin'.' - -"He say he ain' gwine dance no 'buzzard lope,' dat he gwine 'cut de pigeon -wing.' - -"His ma ax him, 'Whatchu gwine do 'bout marryin' yo' cousin Ashy Car'on -Crow?' - -"He say he done fergit all 'bout dat ole black, warty head'd crow, dat he -gwine marry Miss Tishy Peafowel. - -"His pa tell him he dunno nuthin' tall erbout dis new fangled way er -doin', dat he allus heahs de ole fokes say birds bett'r stick ter der own -fe'th'r. - -"He stan' up an' sass his pa scan'lous, an' say jes' 'caze his fambly wus -buzzards, dat ain' no rees'n fur him ter be one. He say he mo' finer -lookin' dan dem. 'In fack,' sez he, 'I'm jes' like dem Eagle boys, an' I'm -gwine pass off fur one de fambly, too.' - -"Ole lady Buzzard cry an' beg him ter stay at home; she say ef he jes' -make er man er hisse'f, he kin be de bigges' buzzard on Dead Man. - -"He pat his ma on de back, an' laf' sorter gran' like an' say, ''Ooman -fokes am' got 'nuf sense ter 'vise in men fokes 'fars.' Den he flop his -wings an' come flyin' 'zackly like dem Eagle boys flies. - -"Whin de birds on Tink'r seed him comin', dey 'gun ter pass jedgement -'bout who hit mout be. Sum says hit's one, sum says hit's ernuth'r, but -all uv 'em says one thing dey knows fur sartin an' sho,--'Tain' no ole -buzzard." - -Willis had come slowly, step by step, until he had climbed up by Mary Van, -on the joggling board. - -"Big Eye Buzzard sorter circle 'roun' lookin' fur er good place ter -light. Bimeby, he see Doct'r Peckerwood lancin' er bile on one dese tall -Pine trees, an' he start circlin' 'roun' de Pine tree. Atter while heah he -come an' light on de ve'y top'es lim'. Doct'r Peckerwood howdy sorter -short ter him, 'caze he bizzy tryin' ter keep de Pine tree fum moanin' -ov'r de bile, but er lit'le thing like dat doan both'r Big Eye, he up an' -spon', 'I'm feelin' poly m'se'f, an' I stop ter git sum med'cine, an' ax -Mist'r Tall Pine ef he kin spar' me er room.' - -"Doct'r Peckerwood ax him wharbouts he hu't, an' wharbouts he come fum, -an' what's his name, an' whut he bin eatin'? Yer see Doct'r Peckerwood -want ter git sum news 'long wid de symptoms. - -"Big Eye say, 'I'm tendin' ter sum biznes' fur m' Unkle Jedge Eagle, an' I -ain' eat nuthin' sense I lef' Mill Mount'in, whar de Eagleses lives at.' - -"Doct'r Peck'rwood say, 'Surt'n'ly he heah fokes tell 'bout de great Jedge -Eagle, an' fur him ter stay right dar tell he git good an' well, 'caze he -know Mist'r Pine Tree ain' nuv'r had one er de Eagle fambly at his house -b'fo'.' - -"Tall Pine say, 'I'm pow'ful po'ly m'sef, but hit 'ud make me proud ef yer -kin make yerse'f comf'bul, an' stay.' - -"Oh, I tell yer, dem Tree Frogs an' Lizzarts 'buse Mist'r Mount'in Fowel -scan'lous. Dey sez he keep 'em runnin' ev'y which er way all de time, an' -he ain' give 'em so much es er ole par er shoes. - -"Doct'r Peck'rwood g'long ov'r ter Miss Chicken Hawkes's ter give one de -chillun er dost er cast'r oil, an' he tell 'em dat de gentmun dey seed -wus Mist'r Mount'in Fowel, an' he wus kin ter Jedge Eagle. An' Polly -Parret wus spindin' de day wid Miss Chickin Hawk dat day, an' whin de -Doct'r g'long off, An' Polly make Miss Chicken Hawk fix up er nice chickin -fur her ter car'y up ter Big Eye. Miss Chickin Hawk want one er her gals -ter take de chickin, but An' Polly say dey too young ter be projickin' -'roun' whar gentmuns is at, but hit doan make no diffunce 'bout er ole -maid like her. Well, she car'd de chickin, an' she brung back de -news.--Big Eye stuff her so full, dat she can' hardly fly wid hit. She -come ter Miss Magpie's house, an' I tell yer dey wus jes' waitin' fur her. -Dey runs out ter meet her, an' she bile ov'r 'fo' she git in de house, an' -'fo' she git plum th'u, dem Magpie gals had done put on der fine close, -an' wus totin' dat news 'roun' like er gun wus b'hime 'em. Fokes sont him -fine vit'als ter eat, an' say soon es he git so es ter be erbout, dey -gwine 'vite him ter some parties. - -"All dis time, Big Eye settin' up on dat lim' gorgin' hisse'f wid der fine -vit'als, an' mos' killin' hisse'f laffin' 'bout how fokes loves ter be -fool'd. He know hits 'bout time fur him ter be gittin' well, an' he set -an' studdy how he gwine git de money ter keep up wid de hifalutin' a'rs -dese fine fokes puts on. Long 'bout dat time, Sis' Cow's cousin take an' -die. Dey keeps her out er day er two, 'caze dey fixin' ter have er fine -fun'al. Big Eye git well soon es he heah 'bout dat dead cow. He flop his -wings an' fly back ter Dead Man's Mount'in, an' tell de buzzards he got er -fine piece er meat ter sell 'em cheap. Dey barg'ins right den an' dar -fur all de dead an'mals on Tink'r, an' Big Eye sign de corntrack part, -ef dey promise dey nuv'r is ter come on Tink'r ter git 'em, 'cep'n on de -dark er de moon." - -[Illustration: "BIMEBY HE GIT AX'D TER BE ER PAWL B'ARER TER ALL UV 'EM."] - -"Let 'em come in the daytime, Mammy, they can't see in the dark," -suggested Willis. - -"Big Eye know dey'd run him clean off'n Tinker Knob ef dem fokes see he -git his livin' off'n der mis'ry. Nex' day hyah he come flyin' back wid er -big bunch er fun'al flow'rs wid ribbin streamers flyin' ev'y which er way. -Fokes wint ter de fun'al jes' ter see de flow'rs. Ev'ybody talkin' 'bout -de gran'nes' er Mist'r Mount'in Fowel, an' how he 'tend all de berryin's, -doan keer who 'tis. An' bimeby he git ax'd ter be er pawl b'arer ter all -uv 'em. - -"Miss Chickin Hawk give er party long 'bout den, an' Big Eye he act mouty -nice ter her gals, tell Mist'r Turkey Gobl'r 'vite him ter his house, den -he fergit he ev'r heah tell er de Chicken Hawkeses. He runnin' ev'y minite -ter Mist'r Turkey Gobl'rs house, makin' like he wus dancin' 'tendance on -Mandy Gobl'r, an' all he wanter do is ter git er peep at Tishy Peafowel -dat live nex' do'. Oh, I tell yer he talk purty talk ter Mandy, but he -cas' dem sheep eyes at Tish. Bimeby, Mandy, she pass Big Eye de -'quaintance uv Tishy ov'r de fence, an' hit 'tain't long 'fo' Big Eye gits -er invite ov'r ter Majer Peafowel's. Whin dat hap'n, hit look like he done -fergit wharbouts Mandy live, an' po' Mandy she look out de wind'r an' see -Big Eye an' Tishy sashain' in de yard, lovin' harder'n er mule kin kick. - -"Majer Peafowel say he want Tishy ter mar'y Johnny Squinch Owel, 'caze -he's de bigges' lawyer on Tinker. But Tishy say he too ugly ter look at, -let lone ter mar'y. - -"Johnny Squinch ain' sayin' nuthin', he jes' keepin' er lookout fur Big -Eye. He see Big Eye go out sumwhars ev'y dark er de moon, an' he low he -gwine fol'r 'im an' see whut he do. 'Caze yer knows de dark'r hit gits, de -bet'rer Squinch Owels kin see." - -"How can he see in the dark?" - -"I dunno how 'tis, Ma'y Van, but de Lawd fixes owels eyes so dey kin 'ten' -ter der night biznes', an' whin fokes gits ter lovin' an' gits in er tight -place like Johnny Squinch wus, de Lawd fixes der eyes so dey kin see th'u -de dark an' ev'y which er way, too. One night on de dark er de moon, Big -Eye start out ter meet de buzzards. He got fo' hosses, an' two cows, an' -er pass'l er birds. Big Eye, he wus jes' er takin' in de money I tell -yer. He can't see hit, but he kin feel uv hit, an' he know dey darsn't ter -cheat him. But Johnny Squinch settin' up on er lim' jes' ov'r his -haid,--he kin count de money, yassuh, ev'y cent uv hit, too. Dey ain' no -eyes kin see like Johnny Squinch's, 'speshally whin dey's lovin'. De nex' -day, Majer Peafowel fly up ter Pine Tree Holl'r ter see Mist'r Mount'in -Fowel 'bout whut Johnny tell him." - -"Mammy, could Major Peafowl fly up to the top of Mister Tall Pine?" asked -Mary Van in amazement. - -"Who sed he fly up ter de top? I sed he wint up ter de Pine Tree Holl'r. -De Majer ain' gwine bus' in nobody's room les'n he sen' his cyard up -fus',--an' how you know dey ain' got one dem ellumvat'rs like de new hotel -got?" - -"Oh!" apologetically, she exclaimed. - -Phyllis continued, "Whin de Majer ax him 'bout las' night's biznes', Big -Eye look him straight in de eye an' bus' out laffin', like hit wus de bes' -joke he ev'r heah. He say he wush ter de Lawd he had er know'd Johnny -Squinch wus dar, 'caze he nuv'r wud er bin helt up by dem night rob'rs. He -tell him, 'cose he wus countin' money, but hit wus de money de Jedge give -'im, an' he say he bleege ter count hit out fur de rob'rs, 'caze dey belt -er pist'l in his ribs. - -"De Majer brung de news home ter Tishy, an' she say Johnny jes' tellin' -tales on Mount'in Fowel, but Johnny tell her Mount'in Fowel ain' nuthin' -but er big ole low down buzzard, an' he gwine proof hit ter her. - -"De Majer say ef Mount'in Fowel dealin' in car'on, howcum hit dat de od'r -er his biznes' ain' stickin' ter him, dat he allus mighty sweet wid -colone whin he come ter der house. - -"Johnny say he too smart ter tech hit hisse'f, dat he set way off fum hit -an' jes' tetches de money. - -"Majer dunno which ter b'leef. Tishy car'in on so, busin' one an' lovin' -t'other, dat he make up his mine he gwine lay er trap an' see ef Big Eye -'ud fall in hit. Long 'bout dis time, Big Eye 'gun ter long fur de vit'als -he bin rais'd on, an' ev'y time he set an' sell dem dead an'mals ter de -buzzards, his mouf dribble so dat he 'termine he gwine tas'e er lit'le ef -hit kills him. He done hit too, an' whut's mo' hit tas'e so good, he tas'e -hit ergin, an' whut's mo' en dat, he slip out ev'y night an' take er good -bate er car'on. Fus' thing yer know, his colone nur his fine doin's -neeth'r can' hide dat sumthin' wus pow'ful wrong wid him. Tishy jes' cry -an' cry, an' say she doan see nuthin' wrong wid him, dat hits jes' -ev'ybody jellus uv 'im. Oh, she tuk on pow'ful. Johnny Squinch an' Brer -Brindle Cow dey confabs er while jes 'fo' de moon git dark ergin, an' de -upshot uv hit wus dat Brer Brindle g'long ter de fur een' er de pastur' -an' drap hisse'f down like he done fell dead. Den he lay dar. Big Eye seen -him whin he fall, an' hit look like ter him dark nuv'r wud come. Johnny -an' de Majer settin' b'hime de fence waitin' ter see whut gwine hap'n." - -"What did happen, Mammy Phyllis?" asked Mary Van. - -"Hit hap'n dat Big Eye's _buzzard-side_ grow'd fast'r dan his -hifalutin'-side, fur 'fo' dark come, he put out ter git some nice lit'le -pickin's off'n Brer Brindle, 'fo' de fun'l." - -"Did Johnny and the Major catch him?" asked Willis. - -"Ketch him, boy? You jes' orter seed Big Eye whin Brer Brindle rise up an' -say: '_cl'ar out_,' an' he cl'ar clean out too, fur nobody ain' nuv'r seed -er buzzard on Tinker Knob sense. - -"Lawsee, Johnny Squinch's lawyer sense done hit. He say, 'jes watch whar -de car'on lays at, ef you tryin' ter ketch er buzzard.'" Then turning a -warning look to Willis, "An' you 'mem'r no buzzard ev'r turn hisse'f ter -er Eagle in dis woel; an' you let dat Weed boy an' his buzzard aigs -erlone, yer heah me?" - -"Yes'm," he answered meekly, then forgetful of Mary Van, he jumped -suddenly from the joggling board and asked, "What did Tishy do?" - -Mary Van fell off. Phyllis hurried to see if she was hurt, and replied, as -she put her dress to rights, "Tishy was upsot, jes' like Ma'y Van is now, -'cep'in mo' so." - - - - -XII - -MISS LILLY DOVE - - -"Mammy, look at Tishy Peafowl in Mary Van's yard." Willis pointed across -the street to a peacock in full expression of his feathered pride. - -Phyllis went to the window and exclaimed, "You sho'ly ain' callin' Majer -Peafowl, dat ugly ole Tishy?" - -"You said Tishy was fine and pretty," reminded Mary Van. - -"She wus, tell Mist'r Mount'in Fowel tu'n out ter be nobody but er ole low -down buzzard. I tell yer dat gal act so scand'lous dat all her purty -feath'rs start ter drappin' out, 'caze she act so ugly on de inside, dey -wusn't nuthin' ter hole de purty on de outside." - -"Did all her pretty feathers drop out sho' nuf?" asked the little girl, -much concerned. - -"Dey ain' all drap out yit, 'caze she ain' loss all her inside purty yit." - -"What's Major Peafowel doing?" - -"He jes' stan'in' up dar watchin' dat fier on Tinker, an' wushin' hit 'ud -bu'n up Lilly Dove's house." - -Immediately the children became interested in watching the forest fire -which enveloped a part of Tinker Knob. - -"Did Lilly's house burn down?" asked Mary Van with feeling. - -"Bu'n up er holy Ghos' bird's house?" exclaimed Phyllis. "Why, gal, dat's -de bird de Holy Ghos' sen's, an' exsen's 'pon, whinsomev'r hit come down -'pon de earf! Jes' like Jay burds is Satan's burds,--fokes says dey goes -ter de Bad Place ev'y Friday night, an' I 'speck dey sees er heap er fokes -useter live heah too." - -"Mammy, I'm skeered God don't know the mountain's on fire," said Willis -anxiously. - -"Go off, boy, de Lawd ain' needin' you ter hope him 'ten' ter His -biznes'--now ef dat wus er Jay burd, hit wud er bin burnt clean up, but -bein's hit's er Holy Ghos' dove, dat hope ole man Noah ter lan' de Ark, de -Lawd ain' gwine let her swing er feath'r. Dis hyah ain' de fus' time Lilly -Dove put her trus' in de Lawd. Dat hit 'tain't," as she took from the -floor the book of Robin Redbreast, "an' dis hyah Cock Robin," placing her -finger on the picture, "is de ve'y man dat start all de fracus." - -"Didn't Robin like Lilly Dove?" Willis left the window to look at the -book. - -"Him an' Ginny Wren near 'bout foolish 'bout Lilly Dove--dat's howcum -Tishy Peafowel ter tu'n 'ginst Lilly like she done." - -Mary Van went over to Willis, and together they spread the book upon the -floor where the gay-colored pictures of the birds accentuated the -feathered characters of Phyllis's mind. - -"Tishy Peafowel nev'r wud er got so mean, ef An' Polly Parrit had er mine -her own biznes',--'stid er dat, An' Polly ax Cock Robin whut ail Tishy -feath'rs. Robin tell her Tishy ain' got no sense, dat ef she had much -sense es Lilly Dove got, she nuv'r wud er bin in de fix she in -now.--Whoopee! dat start de fracus. - -"An' Polly start right fum dar an' spen' de day wid ev'rybody in de -woods--she mixin' de 'pinions fokes got er Tishy an' Lilly. Atter she git -bustin' full er news, hyah she come ter spen' de day wid Tishy. Whin ole -Lady Peafowel see An' Polly take off her bonnet ter spen' de day, she run -an' git out de bes' china, an' she tell de cook ter have fried chick'n fur -din'r 'caze she know An' Polly gwine tell all erbout whut dey eats ter de -nex' place she go." - -She paused to lift a table near the window, when Willis called from the -floor: - -"Mammy, don't let Aunt Polly have fried chicken for dinner." - -"You sho'ly done los' yo' senses, boy. Ole lady Peafowel jes' es skeered -er An' Polly es yo' ma is er Miss Tilly Totenews.--'Cose she gwine have -fried chick'n an' mo' b'sides,--an' she doan let none de chillun do no -talkin' whar An' Polly's at neeth'r," she giggled. - -The children needed no further description of Aunt Polly, for they knew a -visit from Miss Tilly meant their banishment, as well as the strictest -injunction to yea, yea, nay, nay, whenever they chanced to meet her. - -"Yas, suh," she unfolded her quilt pieces and prepared to assort them on -the table, "An' Polly talk er nuf wurds ter Tishy dat day ter set her plum -on fier wid madnes'. Yer see mos' all Tishy's purty feath'rs wus out, an' -dem whut's lef wus right loose an' straggly, an' dat make Tishy wusser. -Yer see trubble done make Tishy so sour an' mean dat she hate ev'rybody -dat's purty'r'n her--an' she hate Lilly wusser en all uv 'em, 'caze Lilly -wus so kine, an' treat fokes so sweet, dat ev'rybody jes' nachelly love -Lilly. - -"Long 'bout dis time, de church fixin' ter have er sociable. Dey gwine -have speakin' pieces, an' singin' jes' like fokes has. John Mockin'bird, -he de haid man. 'Cose John wus lovin' Lilly, an' 'cose he want Lilly ter -sing er chune er do sump'in, but Lilly say she bleege ter him fur axin' -her, but de Lawd nuv'r make her ter sing like Laura Nightingale, an' -'tain' no use er her tryin' ter do hit. I tell yer Lilly had er heap er -sense--an' er heap er beaux, too; dar wus John Mockin'bird, an' Tom Jay -Bird, an' Bob White, an' mo' b'sides. But she ain' keer nuthin' fur none -uv 'em 'cep'in' John." - -"Mammy, did Lilly Dove know Tom Jay Bird went to the Bad Place every -Friday night?" Willis went over and stood by the table. - -"Cose she heah tell erbout hit, 'caze An' Polly Parrit done spen' de day -wid her on de subjec', but Lilly, she sot right still tell An' Polly git -th'u busin' him, an' callin' him low down gambl'r--den Lilly she up an' -ax, 'An' Polly does you recoleck whin you wus shet up in dat cage up at -Mist'r Man's house?' An' Polly say she nuv'r is ter fergit hit. Lilly say, -'Does yer 'memb'r whin Tom Jay ust'r fotch yer all dem fat wurms?' An' -Polly say she know Tom's er good feller, but she jes' tellin' whut _fokes -sez_. - -"Yas, suh, Tom wus er good feller, but we got ter git back ter de -sociable, er dem fokes git ti'ed er waitin'." - -Willis's foot accidentally upset the quilt basket. "Take yer foot out'n -Mammy's bask't, an' g'long back an' look at de pictur's wid Ma'y Van." - -"No, I won't--I'm tired sitting down on the floor." - -"Dat's jes' de way Tishy Peafowel talk whin her ma beg her ter stay at -home wid dem loose straggly feath'rs er he'rn, but Tishy say, 'No, I -won't,' jes' like you talks ter me sometimes. Jes' den one her purty -feath'rs drap out." - -"Well, Mammy, I do want to stand up," he added apologetically, "and we've -looked at all the pictures in that book." - -She found another book of birds which she opened on the table. - -"Hyah, stan' up an' look at dese,--dar's Tishy de ve'y fus' one." - -Mary Van was soon beside him: - -"Ain't Tishy pretty, Mammy Phyllis?" she said. - -"She sho' wus sumthin' ter look at 'fo' Big Eye Buzzard come erlong. An' -Tishy wus er good gal, too, but she nuv'r had nuf 'ligion ter stan' -trubble." - -"Did her mama let her go down town?" - -"Tishy done got so mean, her ma can' do nuthin' wid her. She tell her ma -she gwine ter see how John Mockin'bird gittin' 'long wid de sociable." She -added with a confidential air: "Tishy want ter act in de sociable, an' she -wanter give John er chanct ter ax her. - -"Oh, I tell yer John have er heap er trubble wid de diffunt kine er fokes -ov'r dat sociable. Dar wus de Sparrer fambly dat yer can' keep out no way -yer fixes hit, dey'll eb'n git ter parties whar nobody don't want 'em an' -den act like dey wus de bigges' fokes ax'd." - -"How, Mammy?" Mary Van thought of her own birthday party where she had -excluded Jim Weed. - -"Oh, dey does like Miss Bizzy Sparrer done Lilly Dove whin she give er -party one time. Miss Bizzy meet Lilly in de poplar tree an' say: - -"'I heah yer 'bout ter give er party, Miss Lilly, an' I jes' wanter ax yer -ef we got enything yer kin use?' - -"Lilly, she thank her an' tu'n de subjec', but Bizzy she git back on ter -hit ergin an' say: - -"'Ain't dey sumpin' I kin do? Lemme hope yer.' - -"Lilly say she doan need nobody ter do nuthin', but she kin come ter de -party ef she's er mine ter. - -"An' Bizzy come, too, an' whut's mo', her bruth'r hafter come ter bring -her, an' whut's mo'en dat, her sist'r can't stay at home by herse'f. Yas, -Lawd, an' 'fo' enybody know how dey got dar, de place wus right full er -Sparrers." - -"Mammy, did John ask Tishy to act in the sociable?" began Willis. - -"I'm gwine tell yer now 'bout whin she start ter see John, she come up wid -An' Polly. She ax An' Polly ef she know wharbouts John is. An' Polly say, -John gone clean ov'r ter de Peaks er Otter ter git some flow'rs fer Lilly -ter w'ar ter de sociable. - -"Tishy say, 'Yas, I speck Lilly Dove gwine be tryin' ter do all de singin' -an' de speakin', too.' - -"An' Polly say, ''Cose John gwine sing wid her ter keep fokes fum -laffin'.' Tishy git so mad 'caze she can't see John dat she flounce -herse'f roun' right in An' Polly's face an' strut herse'f home,--an' her -purty feath'rs drap out all 'long de road. Dat night at de sociable, -Lilly, she come wid John, an' I tell yer, man, she look purty, too, wid -dem gran' flow'rs John fotch her. John he so proud he mos' bustin'. He -take an' strut all roun' wid Lilly hangin' on his arm, an' all de fokes -talkin' 'bout how fine dey looks. Bimeby, hyah come Tishy wid Jack Sparrer -an--" - -"Wasn't Jack Sparrow too little for Tishy Peafowel?" appealed Mary Van. - -"'Cose he wus, but yer see Tishy done loss her chusin', an' she got ter -take whut she kin git.--Jack Sparrer doan wanter go wid her neeth'r, but -yer see Tishy wus so fus' class dat Jack ax her, so he kin mix wid de -hifalutin' fokes. Dem sparrers er sight, I tell yer," she mused. - -"Go on, Mammy," Willis shook the book. - -"Well, whin Lilly see Tishy look so pitiful long side er Jack Sparrer, she -go right straight an' walk 'long side er her, 'caze ev'ybody laffin' at -Tishy. - -"Lilly ain' talk ter Tishy long, 'fo' she fine out Tishy want ter sing er -chune. Lilly she go an' tell John: - -"'Yer mus' ax Tishy ter sing.' - -"John say, 'I'm too bizzy ter fool wid Tishy.' - -"Lilly coo sof' an' ax', 'Please, John.' - -"John say, 'All right.' - -"Oh, I tell yer, John sing ev'rybody's chune wid 'em. He so happy he can' -keep his mouf shet. Jes' den he 'nounce dat Miss Tishy Peafowel gwine -sing. Ev'rybody feel like shettin' der eyes whin dat straggly fe'th'r -Tishy walk up ter de pianny. She 'nounce, she do: - -"'I ain' sot er chune sense I got well, but ef youall's bleege ter hyah -me, I'll do m' bes'.' - -"Mussy gracious! de fokes hatt'r hole on ter der ye'rs,--" - -"Why, Mammy?" - -At that moment, the peafowl in Mary Van's yard uttered a piercing screech. - -"Dat's de rees'n," she answered. "Peafowel's bin singin' jes' dat erway -sense den. Whoopee, whin Tishy see fokes stoppin' up der ye'rs, she fling -herse'f 'roun' an' grab John Mockin'bird by de arm an' walk clean out'n de -meetin' house." - -"Was her feath'rs dropping out, too?" reminded Mary Van. - -"Dat dey wus, she scatter 'em ev'ywhar she go. Whin she git John out in -de dark, she flounce 'roun' an' say: 'You ain' sich er big sumbody, John -Mockin'bird! Lilly Dove say she jes' 'spise you an' yo' ugly ole -flow'rs--dat she wush ter de Lawd she had er nice gent'mun like Mist'r -Jack Sparrer ter car'y her home ternight. She say she jes' plum sick er -you.' John look at Tishy, tryin' ter make out whut she say, den he sorter -puff out his chist an' strut back in de meetin'." - -"Didn't he know Tishy was mean an bad?" asked Willis. - -"How he gwine know, son? Tishy wus mouty fus' class 'fo' Big Eye come -eroun'. Howsomev'r, whin him an' Tishy go back in de meetin' house, Tishy -had done los' ev'y one er her purty feath'rs, an' she wusn't nuthin' but -er ugly ole brown Peahen!--an' she bin ugly ev'r sense, 'caze she ain' -nuv'r got nuf purty on de inside, ter make no mo' purty on de outside -ergin." - -"Did Jack Sparrow take Lilly Dove home?" asked Mary Van. - -"Yas, mam, 'caze John ax him ter, an' John ax Lilly ter give him dem -flow'rs, too. Lilly dunno whut ter make whin she see John take an' th'ow -'em out'n de wind'r--she mos' die!" - -"Did she cry, Mammy?" Mary Van asked sympathetically. - -"She nuv'r cry den, but she sho' bus' her eyes op'n whin she git home by -herse'f. Po' Lilly, she stay er prayin' an' er cryin' all night long." -Phyllis's voice trembled in sympathy, and unconsciously the little girl -and boy found themselves on either side of her, so close as to prevent the -progress of quilt making. She laid the unfinished square on the table, -and placed an arm about each. - -"Yas, chillun, Lilly fix her eyes on de Lawd. Dat's de diffunce b'twixt -her an' Tishy--yer see, trubble make some fokes purtier on de inside 'n -ev'r. Lilly dunno whut ail John, but she _do know_ dat she holdin' on ter -de Lawd." - -"Tell God about Lilly quick, Mammy." Willis fidgeted. - -"Ain' I done tole yer de Lawd doan need fokes ter hope Him?" - -"But we don't want Lilly to cry any more," urged Mary Van. - -"She washin' her eyes in cole water now, 'caze An' Polly knockin' at de -do'. An' Polly see de cur'us doin's at de sociable las' night, an' she -can' wait ter eat her brekfus' 'fo' she go up ter Lilly's house. Whin An' -Polly see po' Lilly's sweet lit'le face all swool up, de Lawd tu'n her -h'art ter goodnes' an' she kiss Lilly an' say, 'I wants yer ter go out ter -de Water Falls, an' hope er po' lit'le bird Doct'r Peck'rwood say some bad -boy hit wid er rock.' - -"Lilly she tie her bonnet on, an' fly out ter de Falls 'fo' yer knows hit. -Den An' Polly she come on ter Tishy Peafowels an' ax Tishy, 'Whut in de -name er de Lawd ail Lilly Dove an' John Mockin'bird?' - -"Tish thow her head back an' laf one dese mean sorter lafs an' say: 'I -done hit, I wus jes' ti'ed uv ev'ybody runnin' atter dat mealy mouf Lilly -Dove, an' I jes' 'termine ter part her an' John--'caze John orter be my -beau, ennyhow.' - -"An' Polly mos' fall out'n de tree whin Tishy say dat. Yas, suh, she jes' -fly up ter John's quick es she kin. John, he walkin' up an' down wid his -han's und'r his coat tails, mumblin' an' grumblin' ter hisse'f, an' hit -wus right smart time 'fo' he see An' Polly settin' dar. - -"An' Polly, she say: 'John Mockin'bird, Tishy Peafowel done tole me dat -low down sto'y she tole you 'ginst Lilly Dove.' - -"John, he look at An' Polly like he can't make out whut she say. - -"An' Polly say, 'Hit's de trufe,--Tishy make up ev'r wurd she tell you, -an' po' lit'le Lilly bin cryin' her eyes out all night.' - -"John bus' out moanin', 'Whut mus' I do?' - -"She tell 'im: 'Lilly out at de Water Falls now.' - -"But John he feerd ter go whar Lilly at. So An' Polly, she fly wid him -tell dey sights de Falls, den she lef' 'im. John, he fly er lit'le, an' -hop er lit'le tell he git clost nuf ter see Lilly wrop'n up de po' lit'le -bird's leg, an' cooin' so sof' ter hit--den John, he fly on de tree, an' -cry out er chune ter Lilly dat mos' broke her h'art,--he sing: - - "'I ain' good nuf fur Lilly Dove, - But she de onlies' one I love.' - -"Lilly she stoop low ov'r de lit'le bird so John can't see whar she cryin' -at. An' John he fly down an' tell her he gwine jump in de Falls ef she -'fuse ter keep comp'ny wid him--but Lawd, whin he git clost ernuf ter see -dem tears er Lilly's, he th'ows his arms 'roun' her an'--but you all -chillun ain' got no biznes' knowin' no mo' en dat." - -"Please, Mammy, tell us if John jumped in the falls," sympathetically -begged Willis, eager to lose none of the details. - -Phyllis chuckled, "No, my Lawd, dey got marr'ed instid, an' went ter -housekeepin' in dat tall pine stump ov'r yond'r on Tinker Knob." - - - - -XIII - -MISTER GRAB-ALL SPIDER - - -"What made that old hornet sting me for, Mammy Phyllis?" demanded Mary -Van, regarding tearfully her little red swelling hand. - -"'Caze, honey," replied Phyllis, seating herself in a chair beside the -hammock, "he thought you had done jine Cap'n Yall'r Jackit's army ter -fight 'ginst him." - -"What they going to fight about?" Willis began to fidget to see the fight. - -"Set still, boy, you'll th'ow dis gal clean out'n de hammock." She -readjusted both of them, and resumed her seat. "Dey fightin' ov'r dat ole -pan er dirty cid'r settin' out yond'r b'hime de ash-hopp'r. Yer see Cap'n -Yall'r Jackit an' Cap'n Hornit, bofe uv' em, jes' er gwine back'ards an' -fur'ards 'mongst de varmints, tryin' ter see which one kin git de mo'es -fokes ter jine der side. Miss Queen Bee tell 'em, hit's de bizzy season in -de honey biznes' an' she ain' got no time ter fool wid none uv 'em. Cap'n -Yall'r Jackit sorter stop and study, he do, den he g'long down de big road -tell he come up wid Mist'r Grab-All Spid'r. He pass howdy wid 'im, den he -'nounce: - -"'Mist'r Grab-All, 'cose you gwine jine de Yall'r Jackits' side, ain't -yer?' - -"Grab-All Spid'r sort'r op'n an' shet his claws an' th'ow his 'bark'r quid -on de uth'r side his jaw an' 'spon': - -"'Nor, I'm jes' er plain ole biznes' man,--I ain' got no fightin' sense -like dese rip snortin', hifalutin' solger boys. I'll jes' stan' off an' -watch de battle, but,' sez he, 'I hopes you'll whup de fight, Cap'n Yall'r -Jackit, 'pon de wurd uv er gent'mun I does, 'caze dat pan er cid'r's wuth -er tussle, an' youse de man ter make hit.' - -[Illustration: "MIST'R GRAB-ALL, 'COSE YOU GWINE JINE DE YALL'R JACKITS -SIDE, AIN'T YER?"] - -"Yall'r Jackit sorter swell hisse'f out er lit'le big'r, an' Mist'r -Grab-All roll hisse'f up in er ball like he bin sleep er hundred ye'rs, -an' ain' nuv'r heah tell uv er Yall'r Jackit in his life. - -"Bimeby, hyah come Cap'n Hornit zoonin' down de big road. Old Grab-All -Spid'r onrap hisse'f an' start ter stretchin' his legs out, an' chawin' on -his bark'r quid ergin. - -"Cap'n Hornit say, 'Name er de Lawd, Mist'r Grab-All, is you bin sleep -th'u all dis fracus dat's 'bout ter bus' loose?' - -"Grab-All spit his quid out; an' gap loud er time er two, an' say, 'Whut -you torkin' 'bout, Cap'n Hawnit?' - -"Hawnit zoon erbout, an' holl'r, 'Wake up!' sez he, 'Wake up, I wants yer -ter hope me wipe dem Yall'r Jackits off'n creation.' - -"Grab-All set up an' take notice, like he gwine jine de hawnit's army dat -minit, den he sorter crumble hisse'f down, an' low, 'Lawdy, Lawdy, ef I -jes' wus er solger like you is, Cap'n Hawnit, I'd be de bigges' man in de -woel.' Whut's de use er you axin' enybody ter hope you fight?--Why you kin -whup out dem Yall'r Jackits 'fo' de time start ter commence!' Den he laf' -an' slap hisse'f on de knee, an' say, 'I wush ter de Lawd I wus er -fightin' man like you is, Cap'n!' - -"Cap'n Hawnit swell his chist out tell he look like he gwine bus' dem -solger butt'ns off sho', an' Grab-All roll hisse'f up ergin like he done -gone back ter sleep er nuth'r hund'rd ye'rs. - -"Soon es Cap'n Hawnit g'long off, Grab-All onrap hisse'f ergin, an' swing -er long on de lim' er de trees by his spid'r web." - -"Mammy, why didn't he walk on the ground?" - -"'Caze, son, he nuv'r want ter make no tracks, so fokes kin fine out his -biznes'.--Nor, suh, he swing hisse'f by dat spid'r web er his'n tell he -come ter Mist'r Inch Wurm's house. Inch Wurm's old lady say, 'Yond'r come -dat old Grab-All Spid'r, yer bett'r take keer how yer fools wid 'im.' - -"Jes' den Grab-All th'ow his hat on de flo' an' bow low down ter Miss Inch -Wurm an' sez he, 'I jes' come ter tell yo' ole man whar dar's er sight er -money waitin' fur somebody ter come 'long an' pick up.' - -"Ole lady Inch Wurm sort'r take notice, she do, an' ax 'im ter pass de -news erlong. Grab-All say: 'Nor, you jes' set right still tell me an' yo' -ole man come back an' fetch yer er hat full er money.' - -"Old lady Inch Wurm git up an' g'long down town, an' start ter spindin' -dat money right den. Soon es she done out'n de way, Grab-All tell Inch -Wurm 'bout de cid'r in de pan b'hime de ash-hopp'r; an', sez he, 'we'll -make de Hawnits an' Yall'r Jackits fight derse'fs ter death, den me an' -you'll 'vide de cid'r, dat is ef you kin mea'jer off how much dey is in de -pan 'thout lettin' fokes know whut you doin'.' - -"Yer see Grab-All sich er big biznes' man dat he bleege ter know how big -de pan is, an' how much's in dar, down ter de ve'y drap. So Inch Wurm he -put on his ole close an' went er crawlin' off ter mea'jer de cid'r, an' -'tain' long 'fo' hyah he come back ergin wid de news fur Grab-All. -Grab-All tell 'im: 'You done wurk fine, an' you done wurk quick,--in -fack,' sez he, 'you done yo' wurk s' good I gwine fix yer, so you doan -hatt'r do no mo' wurk long es you live.' Den he laf in his sleeve. - -"Mammy, don't let Grab-All hurt Inch Wurm," begged Mary Van. - -"Dat can't be hop'd, honey, Inch Wurm know too much 'bout Grab-All's -biznes', an' Grab-All got ter shet his mouf some way,--He take an' spin er -teenchy-weenchy lit'le web, right whar Inch Wurm got ter git out at. Inch -Wurm, he start off, feelin' pow'ful fine he do, an' 'fo' yer knows hit, -dar he wus all tangle up in Grab-All's web. Grab-All, he run 'roun' like -he tryin' ter hope 'im out, but he jes' spinnin' de web tight'r so Inch -Wurm nuv'r is ter git out no mo'.--He got ter starve ter death, 'caze he's -in Grab-All's way, an' Grab-All gwine see nobody doan come 'roun' dar ter -hope 'im neeth'r. 'Cose he doan mine Miss Lightnin' Bug passin' de time er -night wid him, 'caze she can' do nuthin' mo'en ter bright'n 'im up er -lit'le,--but he keep his eye on her, too. - -"Nex' day, de fight commence! Suh, I tell yer hit wus de pepperes' fight -yer ev'r seed. Dem Hawnits fly inter dem Yall'r Jackits, tell yer can't -see de groun' fur de dead Jackits; but hyah come de Jackits back at de -Hawnits! Lawdee! dey come wid der foots, an' der han's, an' der haids all -tergeth'r.--Yas, suh, dey come er buttin' an' er bitin' an' er stingin' -mouty nigh at de same time! Yas, my Lawd, de dead Jackits wus kiv'r'd up -wid de dead Hawnits! Oh! I tell yer dem varmints fit like sho' nuf war -times! - -"Whin bofe sides 'ud stop ter sorter blow er lit'le, an' think mebbe dey -kin confab de res' er de fight out,--ole Grab-All'd come fus' ter de -Hawnits, an' den ter de Jackits, an' tell 'em dey boun' ter whup out de -nex' jump. Whin he see de Hawnits gittin' de wus er de charge, he run tell -'em wharbouts ter hit de Jackits. Whin he see too minny er de Jackits -gittin' kilt, he run tell dem wharbouts ter cripple de Hawnits. He keep on -gwine fus' ter one, den ter de uth'r twell dey wusn't er han' full lef' on -bofe sides." - -"Why didn't they turn in and beat old Mister Grab-All?" Willis bristled. - -"'Caze bofe uv 'em think Grab-All wus on der side. Grab-All ain' lef' no -tracks ter pint out whar he bin--nor, suh, he so full er dat spid'r web -biznes' er his'n dat he kin swing hisse'f fum ennywhar,--an' fo' yer kin -kitch 'im, he done swing 'roun' in ernuth'r place onti'ly." - -"Captain Yellow Jacket's side beat the fight, didn't they, Mammy?" Mary -Van desired the hornets vanquished. - -"No, they didn't," contradicted Willis, "a hornet can beat a Yellow Jacket -every time!" - -"Jes' hole on dar!" Phyllis steadied the hammock. "I'm de onlies' one dat -seen who 'twas whup'd." - -"I want Captain Yellow Jacket's side to kill all of the hornets," -whimpered Mary Van. - -"But they can't," persisted Willis vehemently. - -Once more Phyllis held the hammock. "You dunno nuthin' tall erbout hit, -suh," as she saw the little girl about to cry, "Hawnits is got mo' pow'r -en Jackits is got, but er Jackit is mo' smart'r en er Hawnit. I 'speck ef -Grab-All had er helt his mouf out'n de fracus, de Jackits wud er outfit de -Hawnits, but es hit wus, Grab-All keep 'em fightin' tell dem whut wusn't -kilt wus hit so hard dat hit 'twan' long 'fo' de ve'y las' one uv 'em -died. Atter dat hap'n Grab-All, he got de cid'r! - -"He spin erlong b'ildin' on some houses he fixin' ter rent tell bimeby -Mist'r Blue Bot'le Fly an' his fambly come erlong. Mist'r Blue Bot'le -whisper ter his chillun ter give Grab-All plenty er road. I tell yer -Grab-All swing hisse'f down, he do, an' ax Mist'r Blue Bot'le whut ail his -fambly dat dey look so po'ly. - -"Blue Bot'le say: 'I ain' nuv'r see sich er time in m' life! De rich fokes -done stretch wire ov'r de vit'als s'tight dat dey ain' nuthin' fur de po' -flies ter do 'cep'n ter starve.' - -"Grab-All say, 'Dat's de trufe, Brer Blue Bot'le, an' I feels s' sorry fur -yer dat I'm gwine give you an' yo' fambly all de vit'als yer kin eat.' - -"Bot'le Fly so glad he gwine git sumthin' fur nuthin', dat he fergit ter -'member how raskilly Grab-All wus, an' whin he do 'member 'bout hit, he -think he gwine keep his eye op'n an' git de fus' lick. He jes' nachelly -can't let dat free vit'als git way fum 'im, doan keer how low down -Grab-All wus. So him an' his fambly foll'r Grab-All ter de pan er cider, -an' dey so hongry, dey fergits 'bout ev'ythin' 'cep'n eatin'. Grab-All set -up on de ash-hopp'r an' mos' kill hisse'f laffin'." - -"Why, Mammy?" - -"'Caze, son, he jes' fatnin' dem flies ter kill 'em off like yo' ma do -chickins. Whin de flies 'gun ter git fat, he spin er teenchy, lit'le web, -an' whin dey git kotch'd, he run an' make like he tryin' ter onhitch 'em, -but he tie 'em up wusser, an' sting 'em tell dey dies. Den he take 'em ter -one dem houses an' sto' 'em erway." - -"Did he kill all of Mister Blue Bottle's family?" asked Mary Van. - -"Dey wusn't er one uv 'em lef', honey, not eb'n Miss Blue Bot'le's baby -gal, an' nobody dunno de money Grab-All make on de fly trade dat winter -nuth'r." - -"Mammy Phyllis, are all spiders kin to Grab-All?" - -"Dey's all kin, but dey ain't all got de same name, 'caze yer see all uv -'em ain't got de same slicknes' ter git way wid fokes like Grab-All do," -she explained. - -"Did Mister Grab-All give the other spiders some of Mister Blue Bottle's -children to eat?" asked Mary Van, by way of suggestive generosity. - -"Nor, suh, Grab-All say he ain' got no pockit book kin--he say he need all -he got, an' mo' b'sides." Then she added: "But dey doan need Grab-All ter -give 'em nuthin' 'caze none uv 'em wus po'--all uv 'em got nuf spid'r web -in 'em ter swing erlong 'dout trackin' up der biznes'." - -She reached out to steady the hammock as Willis scrambled out. - -"Mammy," he exclaimed, "Captain Yellow Jacket and Captain Hornet didn't -get a thing." - -"Nor, suh," said Phyllis, lifting Mary Van to the ground, "an' nobody -nev'r do git nuthin' dat keeps der senses in der fistes 'stid er der -haids--Ketch Ma'y Van by de uth'r han' an' come on." - - - - -XIV - -MISTER RATTLESNAKE - - -"Whut yer givin' dat boy, Zeek?--I boun' hit 'tain' nuthin' fur no good." - -Phyllis started for the garden gate, where a suspicious conference was -going on between Willis and the gardener. "Howcum yer can't op'n yer haid -whin fokes speaks ter yer?" Seeing his unwillingness to reply, she threw -her apron partly over her head and quickened her pace. - -"Me an' de lit'le man wus jes' fixin' ter make yer 'quainted wid er -present I fotch him fum ov'r t'oth'r side de creek," explained Zeek. - -"Whar de present?" she interrupted with annoyance, as she perceived he -was trying to tease her. - -She took the little boy by the hand and started for the house. - -"Wait, Mammy," he begged, pulling back; "Unk Zeek, please gimme the -snakes." - -"Give you whut, in de name er de Lawd!" exclaimed Phyllis. - -"Jes' two lit'le gyarters I kotch an' put in er bottle fur de chile," Zeek -explained again. - -"Yas," returned Phyllis angrily, "you kotch dem snakes fur nuthin' but ter -tu'n 'em loose 'bout my foots, soon es you gits me in er tight place--I -knows yer. Yer orter be 'shame er yo'se'f,--an' callin' yo'se'f er deac'n, -too!" - -Zeek threw his head back and gave a roaring laugh. "Whew!" he finished, -"Sis' Phyllis, you is de slickes' 'ooman I ev'r seed. How yer know I -gwine tu'n dem gyrters loose on yer?" and Zeek laughed again until he held -to the gate for support. - -Phyllis turned without deigning a reply. - -"Hole on, Sis' Phyllis," Zeek ran and caught her by the arm, "hole on, -Sist'r,--you ain' mad sho' nuf, is yer?" - -"Tu'n me loose, Zeekiel," she demanded furiously. - -Instead, he caught the other arm also. "I ain' gwine let yer go mad like -yer is," then consiliatingly, "yer knows dem gyart'rs snakes can't bite -nobody--I jes' wanter see yer dance er lit'le," and again he laughed, as -the picture presented itself. - -"I gwine call Miss Lucy, ef yer doan take yer han's off'n me," stolidly -demanded Phyllis. - -"All right," he said holding on as tightly as ever, "I jes' want yer ter -wait hyah tell I goes down ter de orchard an' gets yer er hat full er dem -big peaches." This argument lessened the rigidity of her face. "Dey's de -fines' thing ter swage mis'ry er de speeret yer ev'r seed." She allowed -him to shove her gently to the ground under the lilac bushes. "Hyah, set -right hyah tell I comes back." Seeing the old woman partly restored to -good humor, he slammed the garden gate behind him and went down the path, -singing. - -"Come on, Mammy, less us get my lit'le green snakes Unk Zeek brought me," -Willis started back to the garden. - -"Come back hyah, boy," as she caught him by the skirt of his blouse, "dem -snakes wusn't brung hyah fur you, Zeek jes' makin' er 'cat's paw' er you. -He 'ceivin' you jes' like Mist'r Rattlesnake done Miss Eve." - -"No, he ain't, Unk Zeek loves me," defended the boy. - -"Dat's jes' whut Miss Eve think whin de sarpint temp' her." - -"What's er sarpint?" He still pulled against her. - -"Er sarpint is er snake, honey--dat's jes' his scriptur' name--come on an' -set in Mammy's lap an' she'll tell yer 'bout how ole Mist'r Rattlesnake -fix hisse'f up so fine, way back yonder time, an' come struttin' roun' -Miss Eve. He nuv'r come crawlin' like snakes does dese days neeth'r, nor, -suh, he come walkin' plum on de een' er his tail; an' he look s' fine an' -starchy dat--" - -"Didn't he have to hop?" Willis scrambled into her lap. - -"Nor, de Lawd fix hit so he doan hatt'r hop. I'm tellin' 'zackly de -trufe,--he come walkin' on de een' er his tail," she insisted, "an he look -s' fine an' gran', like some er de fine men folks, dat Miss Eve cudn't see -how black wid sin he wus." - -"You are not black with sin," and he pulled the wrinkled face to him and -kissed it. - -"Bless my baby," looking into his face as she hugged him, "dis hyah black -on Mammy's face is nig'r black," she squeezed him again, "but sin black, -like Mr. Rattlesnake got, stays in fokeses hearts whar hits hard ter see, -whin hit's kiv'r'd up wid fine man'rs an' er slick tongue. - -"So whin Mist'r Rattlesnake come bowin' an scrapin' ter Miss Eve wid dat -beav'r hat on, an' dat walkin' stick whirlin' roun' in his han', she git -so airish tryin' ter th'ow off man'rs like his'n, dat whin he tell her ter -eat dat pis'n apple, she et hit 'dout knowin' whut she doin'. Howsumev'r, -whin Mist'r Rattlesnake but'n up his long tail coat sort'r keerles' like, -an' strut hisse'f off, Miss Eve, she 'gun ter feel de mis'ry er dat pis'n -apple." - -"Did her mama give her some castor oil?" Willis sympathized with Miss Eve. - -"No, my Lawd, she sot dar an' holl'r tell Adam come an' ax her whut ail -'er. She start ter laffin' she did, an' say: 'I jes' callin' you ter eat -one dem fine meller apples Mist'r Rattlesnake fotch' me!'" - -"Did Mist'r Adam eat it?" asked Willis with much concern. - -"Who gwine hind'r him fum eatin' hit? An' de Eveses is bin pis'nin' de -Adamses ev'r sense--you 'memb'r whut Mammy tell yer, an' look out fur -'em." - -"Why didn't Mist'r Adam kill Mist'r Rattlesnake?" he resented. - -"'Caze his own sin done make him er coward, dat's de trufe!--Whin er man -do mean an' low life tricks hisse'f, he ain' got de face ter stan' up an' -whup nobody fur doin' de same thing; but Adam didn't hatt'r whup de -Sarpint 'caze de Lawd knock 'im flat 'pon de groun' an' tromp on 'im, an' -tell 'im he got ter crawl de res' er his life, ter keep up wid his low -down ways." - -Mary Van's voice sounded from the gate, "I can't open it." - -Willis sprang to her assistance, but Phyllis caught him: "Will yer run -right straight back, ef Mammy let yer onfas'n de gate?" - -The promise was given, and in a moment Willis returned with: "Mammy, less -show Mary Van m' two lit'le green snakes." He was off in a second, but -Phyllis again detained him. - -"Nummine 'bout dem gyrt'r snakes,--I ain' got start'd ter tellin' 'bout -Mist'r Rattlesnake yit. Come on hyah Ma'y Van, an' set down on de grass, -an' Mammy gwine spread out her ap'on fur you ter set on, 'caze she hatt'r -hole dis wiggly boy in her lap." - -"I want to see Willis's snakes," demurred the little girl. - -Phyllis looked thoughtfully a moment, then throwing her hands up suddenly, -"I wond'r is enybody got de news 'bout Mist'r Rattlesnake's toofake? You -ain' heah nuthin' is yer, Ma'y Van?" - -Mary Van shook her head in the negative. - -"Who you shakin' dat haid at, gal?" - -"No, ma'm," quickly corrected the child. - -"De las' time de snake doct'r come by hyah, he wus huntin' fur some yerbs -ter put in Mist'r Rattlesnake's toof," continued the old woman in an -interested tone. "Miss Eve, she tell de doct'r ter g'long an' git de same -kind er yerbs he give fur rattlesnake bite, dat Mist'r Rattlesnake jes' -got mad an' bite his own se'f, an' dat whut ail his toof." - -"Who made him mad?" Mary Van knelt on the edge of the apron. - -"De Lawd make him mad whin He tell him he can't git no mo' free vit'als -out'n Eden. De Lawd say, 'Nor, suh, yer got ter wurk, an' sweat, an' crawl -fur vit'als de res' er yo' life--an' you an' Miss Eve gwine fight one -nuth'r tell one er yer gits kilt.'" - -"When are they going to fight?" asked Willis eagerly. - -"Dey fit dat ve'y day; an' whin hit git too hot fur Miss Eve, she take an' -jump on top er ole man Elerphant's back 'fo' Mist'r Rattlesnake cud git -her. He try ter crope up ole man Elerphant's legs, but Elerphant keep his -foots wurkin' s' much, an' his snout flyin' roun' s' tur'bul, dat Mist'r -Rattlesnake hatt'r keep out'n de way. Miss Eve she set up an' laf' at him, -an' dat make Mist'r Rattlesnake so mad, he rip an' tar', an' fome at de -mouf, an' mos' turn hisse'f wrong side out'ards tryin' ter hop up an' bite -Miss Eve. Miss Eve she th'ow herse'f eroun' laffin' an' say: 'Ynan, ynan,' -at 'im, tell Mist'r Rattlesnake git so mad he jes' up, an' bite his own -se'f." - -"Did it kill him?" Mary Van crawled further on the apron and sat beside -the little boy. - -"Hit wud er kilt him ef he hadn't er run'd an' got dem rattlesnake yerbs -mouty quick,--an' dat's howcum Miss Eveses' chilluns know how ter kyore -rattlesnake bite." - -"How, Mammy?" demanded Willis. - -"'Caze Miss Eve watch de yerbs Mist'r Rattlesnake eat ter swage his pis'n, -den she tell her chilluns ter eat de same kine ef he ev'r bite dem."[2] - - [2] The old Cherokee Indian cure for rattlesnake poison is "Robin - Plantain, Sweet Fern, Pine Snake root, Salve Weed, Devil's Shoe - String, Wild Rosemary, and Red Joint." It was said that by infuriating - the reptile until a wound was self-inflicted and then observing his - selection of herbs as a remedy, the Indians found the antidote for - rattlesnake bite. Reptiles that were bitten and kept in confinement - died, while those allowed freedom to select and bite the herbs, - recovered. - -"Did Mist'r Rattlesnake bite Miss Eve's children?" asked Willis. - -"He bite 'em ev'y time he git er chanct." - -"But it don't kill them, because they know how to get cured, don't they, -Mammy Phyllis?" Mary Van disliked tragedy. - -"Miss Eve's Injun chillun kyores derse'f, but de res' er de fambly dies." - -"No, Mist'r Rattlesnake shan't bite Miss Eve's children," said Mary Van, -shaking her curls. - -"You late in de day gittin' in yo' sayso, 'caze Mist'r Rattlesnake bite -you ef you fools wid 'im; he ain' nuv'r git in er good hum'r wid nobody -sense de Lawd make him wurk fur his livin'. He bin crawlin' crookid, an' -doin' fokes crookid ev'r sense." - -"How does he work?" Willis pulled her face to him. - -"He wurk makin' uth'r fokes do his wurk fur 'im, dat's how he wurk. His -ole 'ooman an' de chillun keep de sto', an' Unk Toad Frog try ter wurk de -farm fur 'im, but Mist'r Rattlesnake done eat up so miny er de Toad Frog -fambly dat Unk Toad ain' got nuf han's lef' ter make er crap. He tell -Mist'r Rattlesnake ef he doan git sumbody ter hope him, he ain' gwine have -no corn, so Mist'r Rattlesnake take out down de big road huntin' fur farm -han's, he do. He come ter er passel er Hop'r Grasses settin' down on de -side de road doin' nuthin', an' he tell 'em ef dey come an' hope him raise -er crap er corn, he'll give 'em ha'f de crap. Well, suh, dem Hop'r Grasses -plow an' hoe, an' weed, an' pick bugs off an'--" - -"Mammy, don't call them 'hopper grasses,' Mary Van says you must say -'Grass-hoppers.'" - -"In de name er de Lawd, whut do Ma'y Van know 'bout varmints an' beastes?" - -"My papa says you must call them Grass-hoppers," protested Mary Van. - -"I doan speck Mist'r Hop'r Grass menshun ter yo' pa dat Hop'r wus jes' er -nickname, did he?" - -The little girl was obliged to acknowledge that no such communication had -taken place. - -"Den he ain' got no 'pin'ons ter scat'r on de subjec'--Hop'r Grass say he -wush ter de Lawd fokes'd stop nam'n' him hine part b'fo', ennyhow. He say -he plum ti'ed white fokes med'lin' in his 'far's--" - -"Mammy, go on about Mister Rattlesnake," Willis began to fidget. - -"Set still den, lemme see whar 'bouts I wus at--" - -"The Hopper Grasses were working in the field," Mary Van prompted. - -"Dat's de trufe, dat's jes' whar dem po' things wus at. Lawdee, how dem -varmints jes' nachelly wurk derse'fs mouty nigh ter death. Bimeby, de corn -'gun ter tos'l an' git ripe, an' Mist'r Rattlesnake see de harves' ain' -fur off, an' he know he bleeg'd ter 'vide dat corn wid dem Hop'r Grasses. -He lay out on de creek bank an' study how he gwine ter cheat 'em. One day -de Hop'r Grasses wus er settin' down in de shade er de corn jes' waitin' -fur Mist'r Rattlesnake ter give de wurd ter go ter cuttin', whin Mist'r -Rattlesnake crope up ter de back er de fiel' an' clim' on top er de fence -an' give er crack er his tail so loud dat de po' Hop'r Grasses scat'r all -ov'r de country ev'y which er way. Dey wus so skeer'd, hit take 'em er -long time fo' dey darsen't ter come back ter see whut 'twus skeer'd 'em. -By dat time, Mist'r Rattlesnake had done trench hisse'f on dis side de -law. Yas, suh, he tak'n his seat 'pon top er dat gate, an' 'fuse ter let -er one on 'em come in de fiel'. He tell 'em dey done flew'd off an' lef' -him 'fo' harves' time, an' dee done broke der corntrack, an' no law ain' -gwine hole him ter his'n, an' dey mout jes' es well ter g'long off an' git -ernuth'r job." - -"Didn't the Hopper Grasses fight him?" Willis' fists closed at the -thought. - -"Fight? Whut chanct wud dey had 'ginst dat low down Rattlesnake?" lifting -Mary Van from her apron and trying to pull herself up by the bushes. "Dey -done whut ev'ybody does dat runs up 'ginst snake law--dey got swindl'd." - -"What's snake law?" he tried to assist her. - -"Snake law is sin law, doan you nuv'r fergit dat," she smoothed her apron -out, and adjusted the little boy's blouse, "an' whin you gits ter be er -big man like yo' pa, jes' recoleck whut yo' Mammy tole yer, dat law whut -ain't right right, is snake law, an' dem whut foll'rs 'long b'hime hit has -got ter go in er crook'd track. 'Memb'r dat long es you live, Mammy's -man." - -Willis again begged to show Mary Van the green snakes, when Phyllis -exclaimed, "Sakes er live, look at de peaches dat nigg'r Zeek is got." - - - - -XV - -MISS QUEEN BEE - - -"Keep way fum dem bee hives, yer hyah?" admonished Phyllis from her old -rocking chair under the cherry tree, where she alternately dozed and kept -watch on the children playing around her in the yard. - -"Mammy, the bees are all crawling out of the hive," exclaimed Willis. - -"Lawdy mussy, dem bees fixin' ter swarm!" then raising her voice, -"Zeek'l,--ah Zeek!--come quick, yer bees fixin' ter swarm!" - -Zeek came running up through the garden, with a tin pan and stick in hand -calling, "Which way'd dey go?" - -But the bees answered the question themselves, for at that moment they -started in the direction of the garden. Zeek began to beat furiously upon -the tin pan, while the children screamed in excitement as they beheld the -bees hover a moment above Zeek's head, then descend one and all upon his -hat. Many straggling ones crawled about his face, one in its distraction -landed upon his eyelid, closing the eye. - -Zeek walked steadily without batting the open eye, until he reached an -empty gum. There with the assistance of Phyllis, he carefully relieved his -head of its dangerous burden. - -"Whew!" he exclaimed, wiping the perspiration from his head, "dat's de -out-bangin'es' hivin' I ev'r done in all m' life, an' dat hive in dat ole -gum ain't wurth er cent," he ended reflectively. - -"Howcum yer sayso?" - -"Lawd, Phyllis," he replied pushing his hat on the back of his head and -folding his arms across his chest, "you'se he'rd er menny time dat - - "'De bees dat swarms in May, - Is wurth er load er hay, - De bees dat swarms in June - Is wurth er silv'r spoon; - Dem dat swarms in July - Ain't wurth er house fly.' - -An' dem bees er swarmin' hyah in Argus' ain' wurth nuthin' but ter show -you whut er bee-hiv'r I is." - -"Hit show pertic'ler you ain' nuthin' ter make honey out'n," Phyllis -laughed. - -"I ain' notice none uv 'em smackin' der mouf' ov'r you yerse'f, Sis' -Phyllis," he retorted grinning. - -"Bees don't eat people, Uncle Zeek," Mary Van endeavored to explain, "they -just sting them like hornets do." - -"Does dey, honey? Well, I boun' none uv 'em ain' gwine wase er sting on -dat ole black bag er salt ov'r yond'r," pointing at Phyllis. - -"My Mammy's not any old black salt either!" And Willis squeezed her around -the neck. - -"She's er ole black nigg'r, dat's whut she is," teased Zeek. - -"She's not black!--and she's not a nigger either!" and he began to kiss -her face. - -"Name er de Lawd, ef she ain't er nigg'r, an' she ain' black, whut is -she?" Zeek thoroughly enjoyed the little boy's very evident discomfort. - -"She's my Mammy,--and she's purty like my mama." Willis was dangerously -near tears, as he left Phyllis's lap and made for Zeek. "I'll hit you if -you call my mammy a nigger." - -Mary Van had thrown an iron toy at him, whereupon Phyllis interfered. - -"G'long an' 'ten' ter yer biznes', Zeek,--I'm gwine call Miss Lucy ef you -starts dese chillun ter cryin'.--Chillun, youall bring yer lit'le cheers -yond'r an' set hyah in front uv Mammy, an' she'll tell yer 'bout Miss -Queen Bee an' her fambly." - -"Mammy, what made Miss Queen Bee move out from her house just now?" Willis -interposed. - -"'Caze she wanter git erway f'um An' Polly Parrit--she say she ti'ed An' -Polly pokin' her nose in her biznes'." - -"Papa says she has to move 'cause her children take up all the room." -Willis gave this information with an air of knowing more on the subject. - -"Dar now, yer hyah de preach'r, doan yer?" chuckling and looking with -pride upon him. - -"I speck you done outgrow'd dat confab Miss Queen Bee speak wid me too, -ain't yer?" - -Willis did not entirely gather her meaning, but he replied: - -"My papa says they won't sting you if you don't bother 'em." - -"Aha, yo' pa tole de trufe--'cep'n sometimes. Bees is cur'us creeturs, I -tell yer dey is. Dey ain' nuthin' but er passel er fokes wid wings on 'em. -Ole Miss Queen Bee settin' up dar, make 'em walk er chalk line, she do. -She de law--she sho' is. Ef she say fight,--dey fights. Ef she say, ax -der pard'n,--dey axes hit. But,--" and she hesitated, rubbing her arm, -"dey is sometimes whin bees gits jes' like crazy fokes an' loses all der -senses." - -"That's when they swarm, ain't it, Mammy?" suggested Willis -authoritatively. - -"'Tain't no sich er thing,--You done give out all de knowin' you know'd -'bout bees. Set still an' lis'n ter sumbody else," reverting to her -subject. "Dis time I'm talkin' 'bout wus whin triberlashun 'pon -triberlashun hap'n ter Miss Queen's fokes. - -"One day Miss Queen Bee's chillun was gittin' honey out'n de clov'r wid -Miss Black Bee's chilluns. De Bizzy Bees notice Miss Black Bee's fokes -doan seem ter be totin' much honey back and furrards, but dey ain' got no -time ter confab, so dey doan say nuthin'. Bimeby, Miss Queen Bee see one -de Black Bee fokes come in wid her chillun, an' she notice he ain' brung -no honey in wid him, but she do notice dat he tak'n considerbul out wid -'im." - -"Mammy, my papa says they ain't any little bees that don't work except the -drones," corrected the little boy. - -"Lemme tell yer sump'in, yo' pa know mo' 'bout pol'tics dan he do 'bout -bees. 'Caze I knows whin bees starts ter stealin', dey's de bigges' rogues -in de woel. An' dese black bees whut I'm talkin' 'bout, wus scan'lus -steal'rs, too. Bimeby, hyah come sum mo', an' mo', tell Miss Queen holl'r -out fur her fightin' squad! Dem Bizzy Bee boys swarms quick whin dey heahs -de war holl'r, an' 'tain' long 'fo' de Bizzy Bees an' de Black Bees wus er -buzzin' an' er clippin' at one nuth'r's wings, tell de wings wus fallin', -'round thick es gnats. I tell yer Miss Queen Bee's chillun had er mouty -hard fight ter keep der honey, but bimeby dey run all de Black Bees off -'cep'n dem whut dey kilt." - -"The Black Bees didn't hurt any of Miss Queen's children, did they?" asked -Mary Van. - -"'Cose some uv 'em got hurt'd, an' some uv 'em wint so far es ter git -kilt, but--" - -"Wasn't Miss Queen mighty sorry for 'em?" sympathized the little girl. - -"She ain' know nuthin' 'bout hit, 'caze Miss Queen Bee's chillun dat gits -sick er hurted doan nuv'r come home. Nor, suh, dey g'long off an' die by -derse'f." - -"I don't want 'em to go off. I want all of them to sleep with their mama -till they get well;" Mary Van nudged the old woman's knee, "make 'em go -and tell their mama wherebouts they hurt." - -"No, mam, Miss Queen say she ain' got no time ter nuss nobody, 'caze -Mist'r Rattlesnake crawlin' 'roun' her gum right now, an' she gittin' -pow'ful nervious. She know Mist'r Rattlesnake know how rich wid honey she -is, an' Rattlesnake know her boys comes home wid der pockits full ev'y -trip. Ole Grab-All Spider know hit, too, an' he crope up on de uth'r side -er de gum ter ketch de Bee boys whin dey lights. Whin Miss Queen see -Mist'r Rattlesnake an' ole Grab-All Spider settin' 'long side er her do', -she sen' Buzzy Drone Bee ter tell de fightin' squad ter git reddy ter -fight ergin whin dey heahs de war holl'r." - -"Why didn't she ask Mister Man to help her?" Willis stood up and leaned -against her knee. - -"Miss Queen ain' gwine ax nobody ter hope her do nuthin'. She fixin' ter -have er set'lement herse'f, but jes' es she fixin' ter git reddy, Mist'r -Rattlesnake an' ole Grab-All Spider start ter gobblin' de Bee boys es dey -lights." - -"Please, Mammy, make 'em stop!" Mary Van was up tugging at Phyllis' -shoulder. "Quick, Mammy, before they eat any more!" - -"Lawd, chillun, Miss Queen so mis'erbul 'bout dem chillun, she plum crazy -by now--she tell her chillun ter light out fum dar an' sting ev'y thing -dey kin git on, an' dey does hit, too, fer de Bizzy Bees allus tends to -dey biznes'." - -"They stung old Grab-All and old Rattlesnake first, didn't they?" Willis -was half in her lap. - -"No, suh, whin Grab-All an' Rattlesnake seen de blood in Miss Queen's eye, -dey lit out fum dar, an' de Bizzy Bees come down on Jack Donkey. Jack he -had jump de fence an' come up in de upper lot ter git er lit'le -watermillon rine he seen by de back porch, an' I tell yer he kick out -consid'rble whin dem bees drap derse'fs on him. He tak'n out fur de stable -ter git Brer Dur'am Cow ter rake de bees off'n him,--ev'y one Brer Dur'am -rake, light on his own se'f an' 'tain' long 'fo' him an' Jack takes out -fur Mist'r Man's, an' ax him fur de Lawd's sake ter cl'ar 'em uv de bees. -Mist'r Man's old lady, an' de lit'le boy come out ter see whut ail de -beastes, an' I tell yer de bees start dem ter holl'rin' an' dancin',--An' -Polly Parrit, she come out ter git de news, an' I tell yer de ole lady -git in de hottes' part er de fracus, too." - -"Did they sting Mister Man's little boy much?" Mary Van pushed Willis, who -was dancing all around Phyllis, out of her way. "Sit down, Willis." - -"Lawdee," continued Phyllis, gently forcing the little boy into his chair -again, "doan yer heah dat boy squallin' right now? Dem bare legs er his'n -right full er bees. Mist'r Man, he run an' start ter smokin' de bees, fas' -es he kin, an' bimeby, atter er long time, de Bee boys goes back ter dey -ma." - -"Mammy, you tell Miss Queen Bee to tell John Mocking Bird to eat old -Grab-All up," pleaded Mary Van, putting her arms around Phyllis's neck. - -"Ain' I done tole yer Miss Queen ain' gwine ax nobody fur nuthin', an' -she ain' gwine give nobody nuthin' neether? She tell her chillun ter -scuf'le hard an' make er heap er honey, an' den hit doan make no diffunce -whut happ'n. One day, one er her boys come out uv er flow'r so full er -honey dat he come _blump_ on de groun'. Ev'y time he try ter fly, hyah he -come back _blump_ on de groun' ergin. Nancy Hummin' Bird tell him ter git -up on her back an' she'd give 'im er lif'. He crawl on Nancy's back an' -she tuk 'im home. Whin Miss Queen seed him, she ax 'im how he got dar wid -sich er load er honey. He tell his ma Nancy fotch 'im. Hoopee! she buzz on -him I tell yer. Yas, suh! She say: 'Yer go straight es you kin an' pay fur -dat ride.'" - -"Did he pay five cents money, Mammy?" Willis rocked over backwards but was -up before Phyllis could rise. "It didn't hurt. Did she give him five -cents, Mammy?" - -"Nor, he give Miss Nancy some honey, whut she love good es de bees does, -but Nancy got nuf mann'rs ter tell him she doan charge 'im, but Bizzy pay -her enyhow, 'caze his ma done tole 'im dey ain' keerin' ter make no -'quaintance wid nobody 'cep'n wid flow'rs. Miss Queen say: 'Hit's all -right ter mix up wid de flow'rs, 'caze dat's biznes', but de res' er de -woel kin g'long whar dey's er mine ter.' Miss Queen totin' her haid -pow'ful high dese days, 'caze dat gum's full er honey an' she ain' owin' -nobody er cent. She say she ain' got no use fur nuthin' 'cepin' biznes'. -Dey g'long ter bed mouty biggity, an' feelin' pow'ful rich, but 'long in -de night er bad old man come an' take'n ev'r speck er honey in de gum. -Miss Queen think she done dremp er nightmar', but whin she git up in de -mawnin' sho' nuf dey ain' got er Lawd's bite er brekfus'. Miss Queen, she -say: 'G'long in de fiel', chillun, an' git us some brekfus'. 'Tain' gwine -be long 'fo' we'll git rich ergin.' - -"But Jack Frost meet 'em at de do', an' say, 'I'll bite de fus' man dat -sticks his nose out.' - -"Miss Queen say, 'Lawdy, Lawdy, whut we gwine do? De idee er rich fokes -like we all wus, settin' hyah waitin' fur po' fokes ter hope us.' - -"Jack Frost say, 'You done slip up right dar, Sis' Queen Bee, de Lawd ain' -nuv'r make nobody so big dey kin git 'long by derse'f, an' ef you had er -drapt er lit'le er dat honey 'long side de road whilst yer wus er makin' -so much uv hit, you'd er had some uv hit layin' 'round whar Mist'r Bad -Man cudn't er foun' hit.'" - -"Make old Mister Bad Man give 'em back some honey," Willis insisted. - -"Mister Bad Man done sole dat honey an' got hisse'f er pa'r er shoes ter -keep Jack Fros' fum bitin' his foots." - -Both children were clamoring for the rescue of the bees. - -"Nor, suh, dey done live by derse'fs whilst dey wus rich, an' now mis'ry -done ketch up wid 'em, dey got ter perish in de same way." - -"Boo hoo, boo hoo," wailed both, "I don't want Miss Bizzy Bee's children -to perish." - -"Hush cryin'." - -But they continued in genuine sympathy. - -"Y'uall cryin' so hard, yer can't see Mist'r Good Man comin' wid his han's -right full er bee vit'als. But dat ain' gwine be no less'n ter dem bees. -Dey gwine do de same thing dis time nex' ye'r, 'caze dey's dem kine er -fokes." - - - - -XVI - -MISTER TALL PINE'S CHRISTMAS TREE - - -"Mammy, I wanter telephone Santy Claus," fretted Willis, seeking excuse to -leave the nursery. - -"Nor, he done gone erway fum home ter hunt up whar de good chilluns stays -at," as she moved about putting the room to rights; "you an' Ma'y Van fix -dat lit'le Chrismus tree ov'r yond'r fur Ma'y Van's dolls, an' you be ole -man Sandy." - -"I got ter telephone Santy Claus about little Leonora--he don't know she's -come," insisted Willis. - -"I dunno whut's de rees'n--he brung her hisse'f dis mawnin'," still -moving briskly about. - -"I got to telephone Santy what to bring her," he persisted. - -"Dat baby ain' got her eyes op'n yit." - -"Yes, she has, Mammy," and Mary Van crossed the room and looked into -Phyllis's face, "they're big brown ones, 'caus I went over to Uncle Hugh's -house and looked at 'em good m'self." - -"Well, I doan keer nuthin' tall 'bout dat, Sandy Claus say she too lit'le -fur him ter fool wid yit." - -Mary Van turned to Willis, "Less us fix this tree for little Leonora." - -"No, I'm got to telephone to Santy Claus." He clung to the knob of the -locked door. - -"Well, ef yer 'bleege ter pass er wurd wid 'im, holl'r up de chimbly--he -settin' up dar lis'nin' ter see ef you'se er good boy." - -"No, I want to go downstairs and see my mama!" and he kicked violently -against the door. - -Instead of coercing him, Phyllis took her seat by the fire, and placing -her elbows upon her knees, spoke with her face towards the chimney: "Suh?" -pausing a moment to listen; "yas, suh--yas, suh, dat's Willis, but he ain' -no bad chile,--yas, suh, dat's him kickin' 'gainst de do', but he jes' -playin' foot ball wid hit--nor, suh, Willis ain' bad, he's de bes' boy in -dis town." - -Immediately both children were climbing into her lap asking and answering -their own questions. "Lawdy mussy 'pon me! Set down like fokes--whut's dem -lit'le cheers fur?" They, however, seated themselves upon the rug, and -pulled her down with them so as to be more convenient for further chimney -discourse. - -"Mammy, did he say he was going to bring my drum, an' billy goat wagon, -an'--" - -"An' my dolly with long hair that can talk, an' my--" - -"He say," she interrupted quietly, "he gwine bring yer all dem things you -done writ erbout, ef yer be's good chillun. De speshul news he giv' me -den, is 'bout de beastes; an' creeters' Crismus tree. He say Tall Pine -gwine be de Crismus tree, an' Mist'r Race Hoss gwine read out de names on -de pres'nts." - -"Mammy, can Mist'r Race Hoss climb up Tall Pine Tree?" - -"Whut he hatt'r clime hit fur? Ain't Mist'r Wile Cat dar ter scale de tree -an' ain' Doct'r Peckerwood settin' up dar wid his doct'r sissors, jes' -waitin' ter clip de strings?" - -"But Mister Wild Cat might eat up Doctor Peckerwood," said Mary Van, -distrustfully. - -"Honey, Mist'r Wile Cat's like er heap er slick fokes in de woel--he'll -wurk pow'ful good an' squar' long es he know fokes watchin' 'im. All de -beastes an' creeturs come ter de tree--an' I tell yer dar wus er Crismus -gif' fur all de good ones." - -"Mister Rattlesnake didn't get any, did he?" asked Mary Van. - -"Rattlesnake say Decemb'r too late fur him ter be settin' up, an' he say -he'd ruth'r sleep dan go ter enny ole Crismus tree ennyhow." - -"Tishy Peafowl was too bad, too, wasn't she, Mammy?" Mary Van remembered -the bad ones. - -"You slip up right dar, yas, mam, you is, fur Tishy done got 'ligion an' -jine de church." - -"Did her pretty feathers grow out again?" - -"No, mam! sin done eat 'em out by de roots, but de Lawd hang er mouty -prutty fe'th'r coll'r on de tree fur her, jes' ter show Tish he know she -tryin'." - -"And Tishy never was bad any more," assisted Willis. - -"Dat she wus, sin ketch'd up wid her er heap er times, but she recoleck -'bout de col'r, an' fight de bes' she kin, an' de Lawd doan ax fur no -mo'." - -"Was Jack Donkey too bad to come?" - -"Jack Donkey wusn't no wusser'n er heap uv 'em dat gits ter Crismus trees. -Jack he writ'n an' ax Sandy ter bring him er fine kiv'r so fokes can't -fine out he's er donkey. Sandy, he sen' him de kiv'r wid all sort er fine -doin's on hit, but whin Cap'n Goat fling hit on Jack, dar wus his b'hime -legs prancin' erbout, an' his long ye'rs still er stickin' out. Cap'n -Goat, he pull an' pull ter stretch de kiv'r, but hit won't stretch, den de -Cap'n tell him, 'Jack,' sez he, 'long es you keeps dem b'hime foots -wurkin' like you does, an' dem long ye'rs gwine ev'y which er way, yer -mout jes' es well call yo'se'f donkey, 'caze no kiv'r ain' gwine stretch -big nuf ter hide dem p'ints.'" - -Willis pushed her knee: "Give Cap'n Yellow Jacket and Cap'n Hornet -something nice 'cause old Grab-All got all their cider,--they didn't do -anything bad." - -"Lawdy, boy, dem fokes done kilt one nuth'r long ergo. Doan yer 'memb'r? -But der wid'rs got ax ter come, an' dey nev'r went, 'caze Grab-All Spid'r -tryin' ter dance 'tendance fus' on one, den tuth'r uv 'em." - -"Don't let old Grab-All get any present." - -"Lawsee, I mos' fergit ter tell yer 'bout de axdent dat hap'n ter ole -Grab-All, whin he come er sneakin' up de side er Mist'r Tall Pine. Yassuh, -Mist'r Wile Cat an' Doct'r Peck'rwood tryin' ter handle dat buckit er hot -cowpeas an' pot licker fur Sis' Cow, whin de whole thing slip an' come -down _blump_, on ole Grab-All." - -"Did it kill him?" - -"Nor, dorter, he too mean ter die, but dat's whut he got off'n de Crismus -tree." - -"Didn't Sis' Cow get some more peas?" asked Willis. - -"Nor, she say her an' Brer Dur'am 'ud jes' lick up whut dey cud off'n de -groun'. Sis' Cow say she willin' ter lose de peas jes' ter see ole -Grab-All git fixt. I tell yer de tree lookin' mouty fine by de time ole -Crismus night come. Yer see de beastes hatt'r have der doin's on ole -Crismus night." - -"What's Old Christmas?" - -"I donno whut 'tis, son, 'cep'n I allus heah dat twelve days atter -Crismus, 'zackly at twelve erclock in de night time, all de beastes an' -creeturs falls on der knees an' glorifies de Lawd,--an' I allus heahs -fokes call hit 'Ole Crismus.'" - -"Birds can't kneel, Mammy Phyllis," announced Mary Van. - -"Dey kin put der haid on de groun', an' make der cross mark, I reckin." - -"Where was Miss Queen Bee; you left her out?" - -"Miss Queen lef' herse'f out, she say she feer'd her rumaticks 'ud git -wusser, but dat ain' so--she feer'd sumbody gwine ketch her 'Crismus -gif'." - -"Did God fix their eyes like Johnnie Squinch's, so they could see the tree -good at night?" - -"Whut he got ter do dat fur, son? Ain' you seed de candles dat grows on de -een' er ev'y pine tree branch?" - -"No, Mammy Phyllis, I haven't," Mary Van insisted upon an explanation. - -"Shucks, gal, ain' yer seed dis hyah lit'le light green candle sorter -lookin' things comin' out'n de bushy een' er de pine tree branches?" - -"Are they candles?" the little girl did not quite remember. - -"Whut else is dey ter light up de Lawd's birfday party wid? I'll show yer -dem candles de nex' time we goes on Tink'r Knob. I tell yer whin de -Roost'r telerfome: 'Come on ter de Crismus t-r-e-e-,' 'Come on ter de -Crismus t-r-e-e-!' dey all comes er tar'in'. Ole man Roost'r, he fly up -ter de highes' rock on Tink'r Knob, an' watch de clouds. Miss Moon, she -bus' th'u er big Black bank uv 'em an' tetch off ev'y candle on dat -tree--an' ole man Roost'r say, 'Blessed be de L-a-w-d,' an' all de beastes -draps on der knees, an' says der pra'rs. Den dey gits up an' ketches one -nuth'r Crismus gif', an' den dey gits der pres'nts." - -"Mammy, did Ned Dog, an' Lilly Dove, an' Big Eye Buzzard get sumthin'?" -Willis wanted to remember all. - -"No," interrupted Mary Van, shaking her finger at Willis. "Mammy said the -bad ones couldn't come, and Big Eye was bad." - -"Well, I tell yer, dey let Big Eye come an' clean up de scraps fur 'em, -'caze he done name hisse'f Buzzard ergin, an' he wus gittin' long bet'r." - -"Mammy, did everyone that was good get something?" - -"Not ev'y single one, baby. Hit hap'n dat Sandy Claus make some mouty bad -meestakes, ev'y now an' den. Some time he give bad fokes de things de good -fokes orter have. You 'memb'rs dem fire crack'rs dat lit'le yaller dog ax -us ter take off'n his tail las' Crismus? Well, dat Weed boy's ole bad bull -dog gits er heap mo'n him." - -"Mammy, let Yellow Doggie come to Mister Tall Pine's Christmas Tree," -begged Willis. - -"He say he ruth'r eat Crismus dinn'r wid Ned Dog. But dar's er heap er -yall'r dogs 'mongst fokes I tell yer. Dat po' white 'ooman come beggin' -hyah las' week, wid dat raggity boy tryin' ter hope car'y de po' lit'le -ha'f froz' baby. No, Lawd," she shook her head, "dem fokes ruth'r have er -piece er corn bread, an' er han'full er fier'n all de Crismus tree yer kin -stick at 'em." The mental picture of the woman was still vivid, for she -continued: "I speck dat 'ooman got dat quilt yer ma give her, wrop roun' -her right now, squattin' close ter some hot ashes in de fierplace, wid de -baby squose up right clost ter her, an' dat boy gittin' clost es he kin -ter her und'r de quilt--an' I speck he say, - -"'Ma, doan yer wush we had er stockin' ter hang up, so Sandy Claus 'ud -bring us sumpin'?' - -"I speck his ma hug him tight wid one arm, an' moan, an' moan, an' moan, -an' I speck de boy say: - -"'Ma, yer reckin' Sandy 'ud give us er piece er bread, ef I wuster go down -ter de sto' wind'r an' ax him fur hit?' - -"An' I speck his ma jes' keep on er moanin', 'caze she know dat ole sto' -man's Sandy Claus ain' no bett'r'n de sto' man hisse'f. - -"He say, 'Ma, yer reck'n May Van an' Willis 'ud lemme look th'u de wind'r -at der nice warm fier, an' all der good sump'in' ter eat, an' de purty -Crismus tree?' - -"An' his ma mos' bus' her heart in two, 'caze she can' do nuthin' but jes' -luv 'im." - -"Mammy," trembled the little girl's voice, "why didn't the little boy -write to Santy like me and Willis?" - -"'Caze he nuv'r had no stamp ter put on de let'r. I tell yer hit takes -money ter buy Sandy Claus stamps." - -"We just sent ours up the chimbly," refuted Willis. - -"Dat boy didn't had ernuf fire ter make his'n go up de chimbly." - -"Why didn't his mama ask God?" half whispered Mary Van, as she laid her -head on Phyllis's shoulder. - -"Dat po' creetur's moanin' an' groanin' wus er heap loud'r'n enny pra'r -she cud pray." - -"Couldn't God hear her?" Willis clutched her by the arm. "Ask God to lis'n -good, Mammy." - -"De Lawd know his biznes', baby, bet'r'n we does. Dat 'ooman got ter set -dar an' shiv'r tell de Lawd git somebody ter het her up ergin." - -"Mammy," said Willis, his lips quivering, "le'ss weall take 'em some of -our goodies an' things." - -Mary Van begged, "Please." - -"Dar now!" She placed a hand on each baby head: "De Lawd done he'rd dat -po' creet'rs pra'r right now. He want you chillun ter go fix dat po' -'ooman's fier, an' give her sump'n' ter eat, so you won't nuv'r fergit how -good He is ter you, an' whin you kicks at de do', an' holl'ers loud, -you'll 'member ter fight sin like Tishy Peafowel do." - -Her suggestion went to each eager little heart. - -"Yas, suh, an' de Lawd say: 'Doanchu both'r no mo', lit'le boy, er ole -black mammy comin' roun' hyah terreckly wid er lit'le boy an' gal, an' dey -gwina bring all der ole toys, an' some der warm close too, 'long wid some -nice vit'als, an' der pa gwine sen' yer some fier, ter make er fier wid.'" - -There was no need to lock the nursery door on Christmas Eve afternoon, for -Phyllis and two radiant little children were in the rockaway, fairly -packed in under the good things they carried to some of the homes Santa -didn't know about. And when the happy little boy said his, "Now I lay me" -that night, he asked, "An' please tell Santy not to forget m' goat harness -and m' goat, an' m' drum, an' bring Mary Van a harness like my race hoss -harness with bells, an' please show Santy the way to all the lit'le poor -children's houses, an' give 'em some stamps for their letters, too. An' -please God tell Santy to hurry up an' come on. Amen." - - - - -XVII - -AN AFTERWORD - - -Expressions of regret have reached me that "Bypaths in Dixie" does not -open with a tribute in verse to old Mammy. Let me confess I share this -regret. It, therefore, occurs to me that the sympathetic readers who have -missed "Lines to Mammy" from my little book may be interested in the -following faithful account of the author's failure to furnish this tribute -to the heroine of these stories. I am, indeed, the more persuaded to offer -this personal experience of authorship, because I believe it explains in -no mean degree the missing poems from the pages of many women who follow -Art for Art's alluring sake along various pleasant byways, but who -journey for the most part on the broad highway of a very practical life. -Moreover, those who hold that poets are born, not made, may by the -following true story be constrained to add to their creed that born poets -may by some circumstances be unmade. - -The poem above referred to was thought of but not until the manuscript was -on the press, hence when the publisher wired "send at once" the would-be -poet succumbed to a nervousness calculated to destroy rather than inspire -poetic impulse. A chair from the chimney corner was drawn closer to the -fire in hopes that the odor of burning logs might woo association away -from radiators back to the old wood-pile, the chip basket, and the -lightwood knot. Nor did this simple ruse fail of expectation, for soon -the old home took shape in the flames. I could see the heavy green -shutters that tempered the summer sun in the nursery, and through these, -flung wide, I could look into the high pitched room, big and square, not -crowded for all the crib-beds of varying sizes, and Mammy with a child in -one arm stumbling over toys to the bedside of a rebellious charge: "Bett'r -shet yer eyes 'fo' ole Mist'r Grab All come an' git yer." And so the -pencil moved: - - In dreams I see thee bending o'er me. - To the old plantation home we rove, - Where-- - -At this moment Aunt Ellen opened the door and waited. Seeing she was -unnoticed, she began: - -"You ain' tole me er Lawd's thing 'bout dinn'r er bre'kfus, er supp'r." - -"Oh, Aunt Ellen, don't ask me what to have--fix anything." - - In dreams I see thee bend-- - -"Yassum, but yer got ter have sump'thin' ter fix 'fo' yer kin fix hit." - -"Mercy me," I fretfully turned, "have that roast from yesterday,--it was -scarcely touched." Then again over the fire: - - In dreams I see thee-- - -"Cose I kin heat de roas', an' put taters 'roun' hit, an'--" - -"Aunt Ellen," an idea seized me, "you know that old black dress of mine -you've been begging me for? Well, I'll give it to you if you will arrange -everything nicely and not ask me a thing." - - In dreams I see thee bend-- - -"All right, honey, I'll do hit too, att'r I tells you dey ain' no flour in -de house." - -"That barrel of flour gone?" - -"Good Lawd, Miss Sa', how long you 'speck flour ter las' an' you all -eatin' like yer does?" - -"Well order a sack, and I'll see about another barrel when I go down -town." - - In dreams-- - -"Now, Aunt Ellen, go on." - -"Yassum, but I'm bleeg'd ter tell yer de kitchen b'iler's leakin'." - -"Oh, for pity's sake!" I started for the kitchen, then remembered: "Go -tell the man working on the furnace to fix it,--and remember, no dress -for you if you keep interrupting me." Once more to the fire I turned, -trying to conjure back the nursery, bedtime, Mammy, or anything. I bit my -pencil and read once more: - - In dreams I see thee bending o'er me, - To the old plantation home we rove, - Where-- - -"Miss Sa', dat man say he ain' got nuthin' ter do wid kitch'n fixin's.--He -say he's er furniss man. An' Tom done cut de wat'r off, an' I can't git -dinn'r tell de plumb'r come." - -A prolonged telephonic agony ensued with the plumber, which entirely -dispelled the charm I had half invoked. On the way back to the library, I -heard Tom at the front door: "Yassum, dat's her, but she's pow'ful busy -ter day." The next moment Tom's tall figure appeared at the library door, -and over his shoulder peered the taller one of a woman whose masculine -features were shaded by a hat of garish variety. - -"I simply could not pass without recalling myself to you, and getting one -more peep," exclaimed my visitor as she brushed past Tom, "into this -old-fashioned library with shelves up to the ceiling." - -"Will you have this seat?" I murmured, trying to recall a previous -meeting. - -"Oh, no, I'll just sit in this seat in the corner." - -This she did, upsetting pencil and paper on the table near-by. Both of us -reached over,--I to rescue my lines, she to raise her skirt, from the -narrow confines of which also she drew forth a book of dimensions that I -hesitate to specify. - -"I have here some literature," she drew forth yards of pasteboard arranged -in economic design, "that I--" - -"Madam," I raised a hand in protest, "let these over-crowded shelves be my -answer," my mind the while dipping again into the past where Mammy Phyllis -seemed to whisper: "Bett'r look out, dat's Cap'n Yall'r Jackit's ole lady -youse foolin' wid." Thus, while my visitor rehearsed the merits of "The -American People in Literature and Art," and differentiated between book -agents and traveling educators, I listened to Mammy telling about Cap'n -Hornet and Cap'n Yall'r Jackit and Mist'r Grab-All Spider, until finally -Mammy and I sat together out under the old cherry tree and watched their -famous battle. - -"Being a traveling educator, may I see what books these shelves are lined -with?" - -"Certainly," I subconsciously assented, while the muse ran: - - Thy hand my toddling steps did guide, - Thy soft voice crooned to gentle sleep-- - -no; that will not do: - - Thy wisdom oft my-- - -"Why on earth did you not tell me you had the books and save me this time -and effort?" burst furiously from the far end of the room, putting to -blush even Cap'n Yall'r Jackit's old Lady, "But you did not know it--did -not know that such books as these existed, much less in your own library." - -All the while she was nervously repacking the wonderful hidden pocket. - -"I bid you good morning," now perfectly attired for another social call, -"and ask you to pardon my emotion when I see such a library in the -possession of a woman who does not know even the titles of her own books! -I have heard of such ignorance, but never believed it until now!" - -"Good-bye, Miss Yall'r Jackit," I felt, and back in the chimney corner I -dropped to dream again with the publishers' wire commanding me from the -mantel-piece. - - In dreams again thy hand doth guide - Through meadow land where kine doth-- - -Tom so softly entered that his presence was unknown until he apologized: -"De Bank Man say please ter step ter de telerfome." - -"Hello! Well?" - -"Did you get the notice of your overdraft yesterday?" - -"Indeed I did, and I was going to see you about it this morning and tell -you there was some mistake." - -"In what way?" chillingly interrogated this voice of superior business -intelligence. - -"You have me overdrawn ten dollars when I know I have twenty dollars and -thirty-five cents to my account." - -"I am very sorry," he loftily and pityingly apologized, "but our books, -according to your checks, show an overdraft." - -"Well," I sighed, perfectly sure I was right and perfectly sure he would -convince me I was not, "I cannot attend to it to-day. Just let it stand -until I come down town. I am very busy to-day." - -Oh! for an uninterrupted moment!--What so simple as lines to write, if -only one has the time. - -I found a stingy blaze struggling up the chimney: "Do, Tom, run get some -kindling and chips quick." - -"Kin yer wait, Miss Sa', tell I gits thu settin' de table? Hit's near -'bout dinn'r time." - -Alas! even as he spoke the family began to assemble, and the library -quietly and naturally changed into a family gathering room, where real -people crowded out the dreams in a mother's mind. - -At length the meal ended, the house cleared, once more I turned to the -lines. A seat was chosen by the window this time, in hopes that a view of -the mountains would call up the spirits of Mist'r Bad Simmon Tree, Miss -Wile Grape, de Reed gals, and their forest companions. - - Thou lessons teachest through tree and vine - A crooked twig's to thee a sign - For moral lect-- - -In the dim perspective of the street a flying object arrested my thoughts. -An instant more and it developed into one of my hopefuls tearing like mad -on a four-year-old colt, without saddle or bridle. "Help! Catch him!" I -cried, as I threw up the window sash. Passers-by rushed to the rescue as -the colt took the hedge, crossed the lawn, and halted under the window -without a quiver. - -"Mama! just look at these people! Send them away--the colt is as gentle as -a cat." - -Echoes of Wild West, Buffalo Bill, came from the dispersing crowd, while -the boy grumbled: "A bridle and saddle don't do a thing but make a 'Sissy' -out of a boy." - -The mountain view resigned in favor of the chimney corner, where with -limbs still trembling I sank almost resigned to give up the lines. Prose -was easy enough to write, even with interruptions, but poetry, where one -must dream and drift into the spirit of the thought,--this, alas, was not -the calling of a busy mother of six, at least not of this busy mother. - -"Miss Sa'," Tom appeared bearing a cup of hot milk, "An' Ellen say drink -dis an' hit'll set yer up ergin, den whin I gits dis fier ter blazin'" (he -piled the logs higher), "yer'll write dem poetries 'fo' yer knows hit." - -Even as he swept the ashes from the hearth, "send at once" spurred my -flagging mood to one more effort. Yes, once more I'll try! Let me see.--I -rubbed my brow and tugged at the hair about my temples--Let's see-- - -"Miss Sa'," he sheepishly turned, "I aint tole yer, dey telerfome fum de -office comp'ny wus comin' ter supp'r--yas, mam--two gent'muns." - -"Tell Aunt Ellen to order some shad to go with whatever else she has, and -please, p-l-e-a-s-e do not let the King of England open that door again." - -The flames licked up the chimney, the oak logs popped and crackled, and -insisted they were singing the same tunes they sang in the nursery of old, -when I gazed at them through the tall brass fender and listened to Mist'r -Hickory Log and Mist'r Wise Oak telling Mammy all about their kinsfolk and -friends. And as the wind whistled drearily around the north corners of the -house, I seemed to hear Mist'r Tall Pine's lonely wail echoing the cries -of "hants" and spirits in search of rest from unholy graves. -Instinctively, I cuddled to Mammy, who took me by the hand, and led me -into the summer sunlight, down the narrow honeysuckle lane, where Miss -Queen Bee and Cap'n Hornit and Cap'n Yall'r Jackit droned lazily among the -heavy blossoms, keeping rhythm to the low hum of Mammy's voice. Then, -somehow, the pencil began of its own accord to move across the paper. - - _TO MAMMY_ - - Thy beaming face woos me afresh to-night, - My eyelids droop, for with thy plaintive song - Old times drift back and tender memories throng - With fable-tales. I fondly crave the sight - Of wood and lane and towering mountain height, - With thee as guide. I hear once more among - The distant hills thy thrilling voice prolong - The lore of beasts, of birds, and glowworm's light. - Their secrets now are locked from anxious man, - And none, since mute thy tongue must ever be, - Can link our child-days with their mystery: - For thou hast passed beyond the mountain span - With faith unfaltering in thy Maker's plan, - And left to us thy vibrant memory. - ---and Mammy led me past honeysuckle lane, through field and grove to -pastureland, where old Sis Nanny Goat lies in a corner of the fence -moaning and groaning: - -Sis Wile Lucy Goose fly down an' ax: - -"Whut ail yo' haid, Sis Nanny Goat?" - -Sis Nanny Goat 'spon,' she do: "I bin tryin' ter git out'n dis heah ole -pastur', ov'r yond'r in Mist'r Man's ole lady's flower gyard'n," sez she, -"but dat ole wall so hard I done wase m'time, an' I ain' got nuthin' ter -show fur hit but dese heah bumps on m'haid." - -Sis Wile Lucy Goose say, sez she: "Law, Sis Nann Goat, ain' you got no mo' -sense dan ter try ter projick wid Mist'r Man's doin's? All yer got ter do -is ter flop yer wings an' give er hop, an' dar yer is, ov'r de fence -mongst de flow'rs." - -"But I ain' got no wings ter flop wid," spon Sis Nanny Goat. - -"Dar now," sez Sis Wile Lucy Goose, "den you got ter keep on eatin' dis -same ole grass tell you sprouts somethin' nuther ter fly wid." - -I reached out for a firmer clasp on Mammy's hand, now slipping from me, -when kindly sleep, with its visions, forsook me and left me only the -picture of the impotent bumps on Sis Nanny Goat's head. But I seemed to -catch the faint echo of Mammy's voice saying: "Hit taint time you orter be -cryin' fer, hit's sense." - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BYPATHS IN DIXIE*** - - -******* This file should be named 41598.txt or 41598.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/1/5/9/41598 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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