“‘Good evenin’, fokes, I wish you mighty well,’ sezee, en wid dat he make a dash for Brer Rabbit, but Miss Meadows en de gals dey holler en squall, dey did, en Brer Tarrypin he got ter scramblin’ roun’ up dar on de shelf, en off he come, en blip he tuck Brer Fox on de back er de head.  Dis sorter stunted Brer Fox, en w’en he gedder his ‘membunce de mos’ he seed wuz a pot er greens turnt over in de fireplace, en a broke cheer.  Brer Rabbit wuz gone, en Brer Tarrypin wuz gone, en Miss Meadows en de gals wuz gone.

“Where did the Rabbit go, Uncle Remus?” the little boy asked, after a pause.

“Bless yo’ soul, honey!  Brer Rabbit he skint up de chimbly—­dat’s w’at turnt de pot er greens over.  Brer Tarrypin, he crope under de bed, he did, en got behime de cloze-chist, en Miss Meadows en de gals, dey run out in de yard.

“Brer Fox, he sorter look roun’ en feel or de back er his head, whar Brer Tarrypin lit, but he don’t see no sine er Brer Rabbit.  But de smoke en de ashes gwine up de chimbly got de best er Brer Rabbit, en bimeby he sneeze—­huckychow!

“‘Aha!’ sez Brer Fox, sezee; ‘you er dar, is you?’ sezee.  ’Well, I’m gwineter smoke you out, ef it takes a mont’.  You er mine dis time,’ sezee.  Brer Rabbit ain’t Sayin’ nuthin’.

“‘Ain’t you comin’ down?’ sez Brer Fox, sezee.  Brer Rabbit ain’t sayin’ nuthin’.  Den Brer Fox, he went out atter some wood, he did, en w’en he come back he hear Brer Rabbit laughin’.

“‘W’at you laughin’ at, Brer Rabbit?’ sez Brer Fox, sezee.

“‘Can’t tell you, Brer Fox,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

“‘Better tell, Brer Rabbit,’ sez Brer Fox, sezee.

“‘Tain’t nuthin’ but a box er money somebody done gone en lef’ up yer in de chink er de chimbly,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

“‘Don’t b’leeve you,’ sez Brer Fox, sezee.

“‘Look up en see,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, en w’en Brer Fox look up, Brer Rabbit spit his eyes full er terbacker joose, he did, en Brer Fox, he make a break fer de branch, en Brer Rabbit he come down en tole de ladies good-by.

“’How you git ‘im off, Brer Rabbit?’ sez Miss Meadows, sez she.

“‘Who? me?’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee; ’w’y I des tuck en tole ’im dat ef he didn’t go ‘long home en stop playin’ his pranks on spectubble fokes, dat I’d take ’im out and th’ash ‘im,’ sezee.”

“And what became of the Terrapin?” asked the little boy.

“Oh, well den!” exclaimed the old man, “chilluns can’t speck ter know all ’bout eve’ything ‘fo’ dey git some res’.  Dem eyelids er yone wanter be propped wid straws dis minnit.”

XI.  MR. WOLF MAKES A FAILURE

“I lay yo’ ma got comp’ny,” said Uncle Remus, as the little boy entered the old man’s door with a huge piece of mince-pie in his hand, ’en ef she ain’t got comp’ny, den she done gone en drap de cubberd key som’ers whar you done run up wid it.”