“Miss Cow, she stood dar, she did, en she study en study, en strive fer ter break loose, but de horn done bin jam in de tree so tight dat twuz way ‘fo day in de mornin’ ‘fo’ she loose it.  Anyhow hit wuz endurin’ er de night, en atter she git loose she sorter graze ‘roun’, she did, fer ter jestify ’er stummuck she low’d, ole Miss Cow did, dat Brer Rabbit be hoppin’ long dat way fer ter see how she gittin’ on, en she tuck’n lay er trap fer ’im; en des ’bout sunrise w’at’d ole Miss Cow do but march up ter de ‘simmon tree en stick er horn back in de hole?  But, bless yo’ soul, honey, w’ile she wuz croppin’ de grass she tuck one mou’ful too menny, kaze w’en she hitch on ter de ’simmon tree agin, Brer Rabbit wuz settin’ in de fence cornder a watchin’ un ’er.  Den Brer Rabbit he say ter hisse’f: 

“‘Heyo,’ sezee, ‘w’at dis yer gwine on now?  Hol’ yo’ hosses, Sis Cow, twel you hear me comin’,’ sezee.

“En den he crope off down de fence, Brer Rabbit did, en bimeby here he come—­lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity—­des a sailin’ down de big road.

“‘Mornin’, Sis Cow,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, ’bow you come on dis mornin’?’ sezee.

“Po’ly, Brer Rabbit, poly,’ sez Miss Cow, sez she.  ’I ain’t had no res’ all night,’ sez she.  ‘I can’t pull loose,’ sez she, ’but ef you’ll come en ketch holt er my tail, Brer Rabbit,’ sez she, ‘I reckin may be I kin fetch my horn out,’ sez she.  Den Brer Rabbit, he come up little closer, but he ain’t gittin’ too close.

“‘I speck I’m nigh nuff, Sis Cow,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.  ’I’m a mighty puny man, en I might git trompled,’ sezee.  ’You do de pullin’, Sis Cow,’ sezee, en I’ll do de gruntin,’ sezee.

“Den Miss Cow, she pull out ’er horn, she did, en tuck atter Brer Rabbit, en down de big road dey had it, Brer Rabbit wid his years laid back, en Miss Cow wid ’er head down en ’er tail curl.  Brer Rabbit kep’ on gainin’, en bimeby he dart in a brier-patch, en by de time Miss Cow come long he had his head stickin’ out, en his eyes look big ez Miss Sally’s chany sassers.

“‘Heyo, Sis Cow! whar you gwine?’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

“‘Howdy, Brer Big-Eyes,’ sez Miss Cow, sez she.  ’Is you seed Brer Rabbit go by?’

“‘He des dis minit pass,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, ’en he look mighty sick,’ sezee.

“En wid dat, Miss Cow tuck down de road like de dogs wuz atter er, en Brer Rabbit, he des lay down dar in de brier-patch en roll en laugh twel his sides hurtid ’im.  He bleedzd ter laff.  Fox atter ’im, Buzzard atter ’im, en Cow atter ’im, en dey ain’t kotch ’im yet.”

X. MR. TERRAPIN APPEARS UPON THE SCENE

“Miss Sally’s” little boy again occupying the anxious position of auditor, Uncle Remus took the shovel and “put de noses er de chunks tergedder,” as he expressed it, and then began: 

“One day, atter Sis Cow done run pas’ ‘er own shadder tryin’ fer ter ketch ’im.  Brer Rabbit tuck’n ’low dat he wuz gwineter drap in en see Miss Meadows en de gals, en he got out his piece er lookin’-glass en primp up, he did, en sot out.  Gwine canterin’ long de road, who should Brer Rabbit run up wid but ole Brer Tarrypin—­de same ole one-en-sixpunce.  Brer Rabbit stop, he did, en rap on de roof er Brer Tarrypin house.”