The children begged his pardon, and promised not to interrupt again, and Daddy Jake continued his story.

“Yes, de rattlesnake doctored on him, an’ atter er wile he got so he could see some uv nights; but he can’t see much in de daytime, do; an’ ez fur de Peafowl, he shuck an’ he shuck his tail, but dem spots is dar tell yit!  An’ wen he foun’ he couldn’t git ’em off, den he ’gun ter ’ten like he wuz glad uv ’em on dar, and dat wat makes him spread his tail and ac’ so foolish in de spring uv de year.

“Dey’s er heap uv de beases done ruint deyse’fs wid dey cuttin’s up an’ gwines on,” continued Daddy Jake “Now dar’s de Beaver, he usen fur ter hab er smoove roun’ tail des like er ’possum’s, wat wuz er heap handier fur him ter tote dan dat flat tail wat he got now; but den he wouldn’t let de frogs erlone:  he des tored down dey houses an’ devilled ’em, till dey ‘lowed dey wouldn’t stan’ it; an’ so, one moonshiny night, wen he wuz er stan’in on de bank uv er mighty swif’-runnin’ creek, ole Brer Bullfrog he hollered at him,

“‘Come over! come over!’

“He knowed de water wuz too swiff fur de beaver, but den he ’lowed ter pay him back fur tearin’ down his house.  Well, de Beaver he stood dar er lookin’ at de creek, an’ by’mby he axes,

“‘How deep is it?’

“‘Knee-deep, knee-deep,’ answered the little frogs.  An’ de Bullfrogs, dey kep’ er sayin, ‘Come over, come over;’ an’ de little frogs kep’ er hollin,’ ‘Jus’ knee-keep; jus’ knee-deep,’ tell de Beaver he pitched in fur ter swim ‘cross; an’, gemmun, de creek wuz so deep, an de water so swiff, tell hit put ‘im up ter all he knowed.  He had ter strain an’ ter wrestle wid dat water tell hit flattent his tail out same ez er shobel, an’ er little mo’n he’d er los’ his life; but hit larnt him er lesson.  I ain’t nuber hyeard uv his meddlin’ wid nuffin’ fum dat time ter dis; but, I tell yer, in de hot summer nights, wen he hatter drag dat flat tail uv his’n atter him ev’ywhar he go, ‘stid er havin’ er nice handy tail wat he kin turn ober his back like er squ’l, I lay yer, mun, he’s wusht er many er time he’d er kep’ his dev’lment ter hisse’f, an’ let dem frogs erlone.”

Here Daddy Jake happened to look down, and he caught Polly nodding.

“Oh yes!” said the old man, “yer may nod; dat’s des wat’s de matter wid de niggers now, dem sleepy-head ways wat dey got is de cazhun uv dey hyar bein’ kunkt up an’ dey skins bein’ black.”

“Is that what makes it, Daddy?” asked Diddie, much interested.

“Ub cose hit is,” replied Daddy.  “Ef’n de nigger hadn’t ben so sleepy-headed, he’d er ben wite, an’ his hyar’d er ben straight des like yourn.  Yer see, atter de Lord made ’im, den he lont him up ’gins de fence-corner in de sun fur ter dry; an’ no sooner wuz de Lord’s back turnt, an’ de sun ’gun ter come out kin’er hot, dan de nigger he ’gun ter nod, an’ er little mo’n he wuz fas’ ter sleep.  Well, wen de Lord sont atter ’im fur ter finish uv