“One day, w’en Brer Rabbit, en Brer Fox, en Brer Coon, en Brer B’ar, en a whole lot un um wuz clearin’ up a new groun’ fer ter plant a roas’n’-year patch, de sun gun ter git sorter hot, en Brer Rabbit he got tired; but he didn’t let on, kaze he fear’d de balance un um’d call ‘im lazy, en he keep on totin’ off trash en pilin’ up bresh, twel bimeby he holler out dat he gotter brier in his han’, en den he take’n slip off, en hunt fer cool place fer ter res’.  Atter w’ile he come crosst a well wid a bucket hangin’ in it.

“‘Dat look cool,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, ’en cool I speck she is.  I’ll des ‘bout git in dar en take a nap,’ en wid dat in he jump, he did, en he ain’t no sooner fix hisse’f dan de bucket ’gun ter go down.”

“Wasn’t the Rabbit scared, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy.

“Honey, dey ain’t been no wusser skeer’d beas’ sence de worl’ begin dan dish yer same Brer Rabbit.  He fa’rly had a agur.  He know whar he cum fum, but he dunner whar he gwine.  Dreckly he feel de bucket hit de water, en dar she sot, but Brer Rabbit he keep mighty still, kaze he dunner w’at minnit gwineter be de nex’.  He des lay dar en shuck en shiver.

“Brer Fox allers got one eye on Brer Rabbit, en w’en he slip off fum de new groun’, Brer Fox he sneak atter ’im.  He know Brer Rabbit wuz atter some projick er nudder, en he tuck’n crope off, he did, en watch ’im.  Brer Fox see Brer Rabbit come to de well en stop, en den he see ’im jump in de bucket, en den, lo en behol’s, he see ‘im go down outer sight.  Brer Fox wuz de mos’ ’stonish Fox dat you ever laid eyes on.  He sot off dar in de bushes en study en study, but he don’t make no head ner tails ter dis kinder bizness.  Den he say ter hisse’f, sezee: 

“‘Well, ef dis don’t bang my times,’ sezee, ’den Joe’s dead en Sal’s a widder.  Right down dar in dat well Brer Rabbit keep his money hid, en ef ’tain’t dat den he done gone en ’skiver’d a gole-mine, en ef ’tain’t dat, den I’m a gwineter see w’at’s in dar,’ sezee.

“Brer Fox crope up little nigher, he did, en lissen, but he don’t year no fuss, en he keep on gittin’ nigher, en yit he don’t year nuthin’.  Bimeby he git up close en peep down, but he don’t see nuthin’ en he don’t year nuthin’.  All dis time Brer Rabbit mighty nigh skeer’d outen his skin, en he fear’d fer ter move kaze de bucket might keel over en spill him out in de water.  W’ile he sayin’ his pra’rs over like a train er kyars runnin’, ole Brer Fox holler out: 

“‘Heyo, Brer Rabbit!  Who you wizzitin’ down dar?’ sezee.

“‘Who?  Me?  Oh, I’m des a fishin’, Brer Fox,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.  ’I des say ter myse’f dat I’d sorter sprize you all wid a mess er fishes fer dinner, en so here I is, en dar’s de fishes.  I’m a fishin’ fer suckers, Brer Fox,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

“‘Is dey many un um down dar, Brer Rabbit?’ sez Brer Fox, sezee.

“’Lots un um, Brer Fox; scoze en scoze un um.  De water is natchully ’live wid um.  Come down en he’p me haul um in, Brer Fox,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.