LESSON 70 THE TAR BABY

THE TAR BABY

II

1. Then Brer Fox, he sauntered [1] forth looking as innocent [2] as one of your mamma's canary birds.

YOU LOOK A BIT STUCK UP THIS MORNING, SAID HE

2. "How d'ye do, Brer Rabbit?" says Brer Fox, says he. "You look a bit stuck up this morning," says he, and then he rolled on the ground and laughed and laughed till he couldn't laugh any more.

3. "I expect you'll take dinner with me this time, Brer Rabbit. I've laid in some roots, and I'm not going to take any excuse," says Brer Fox, says he.

4. When Brer Fox found Brer Rabbit mixed up with the Tar- baby he felt very pleased, indeed, and rolled on the ground and laughed. By and by he got up and said, says he:

5. "Well, I expect I've got you this time, Brer Rabbit," says he; "maybe I haven't, but I expect I have. You've been running round here saucing after me a mighty long time, but I expect you've come to the end of your run. You've been cutting up your capers [3] and bouncing round in this neighbourhood until you've come to believe yourself cock of the whole walk [4] . And then you're always somewhere where you've got no business," says Brer Fox, says he.

6. "Who asked you to come and strike up an acquaintance [5] with this Tar-baby ? And who stuck you up there where you are? Nobody in the round world? You just took and jammed yourself on that Tar-baby without any invitation!" says Brer Fox, says he, "and there you are, and there you'll stay, till I fix up a brush-pile [6] and fire it up, because I'm going to roast you alive this day, sure," says Brer Fox, says he.

7. The Brer Rabbit talked very humbly. "I don't care what you do with me, Brer Fox," says he, "so long as you don't fling me into that briar-patch [7] Roast me, Brer Fox," says he, "but don't fling me in that briar-patch," says he.

8. "It's so much trouble to kindle a fire," says Brer Fox, says he, "that I expect I shall have to hang you," says he.

Hang me just as high as you please, Brer Fox, says Brer Rabbit, says he, "but don't fling me in that briar-patch," says he.

9. "I haven't got any string," says Brer Fox, says he, "and now I expect I shall have to drown you," says he.

Drown me just as deep as you please, Brer Fox, says Brer Rabbit, says he, "but don't fling me in that briar-patch."

10. "There isn't any water near," says Brer Fox, says he, "and now I expect I shall have to skin you," says he.

Skin me, Brer Fox, says Brer Rabbit, says he, "snatch out my eyeballs, tear my ears out by the roots, and cut off my legs," says he, "but do please, Brer Fox, don't fling me in that briar-patch."

11. Of course Brer Fox wanted to hurt Brer Rabbit as badly as he could, so he caught him by the hind legs and slung him right into the middle of the briar-patch.

12. There was a considerable flutter where Brer Rabbit struck the bushes, and Brer Fox hung round to see what was going to happen. By and by he heard somebody call him, and away up the hill he saw Brer Rabbit sitting cross-legged on a tree stump, combing the pitch out of his hair with a chip.

HE SAW BRER RABBIT SITTING CROSS-LEGGED ON A TREE STUMP.

13. Then Brer Fox knew that he'd been beaten very badly. Brer Rabbit was pleased to fling back some of his sauce, and he shouted out:

Bred and born in a briar-patch, Brer Fox —bred and born in a briar-patch! And with that he skipped out just as lively as a cricket in the embers [8] .

* * *

[1] sauntered: Strolled, walked idly.

[2] innocent: Blameless.

[3] cutting up your capers: Showing off.

[4] cock of the whole walk: The most important person in the place.

[5] acquaintance: Becoming known

[6] brush-pile: Heap of sticks and bushes.

[7] briar: A prickly shrub.

[8] embers: Glowing cinders.