Brer Bear, he grab Brer Fox by de neck an' blow dust off his face. "Hey! I was makin' a dolla a minnit!"
"You was not makin' a dolla a minnit, you rabbit thief! You was makin' a fool out yo'self!" say Brer Fox smackin' de bear.
"I was too makin' a dolla a minnit!" Brer Bear growl.
As day fight, Brer Rabbit, he referee. "Hit 'im in de mouf, Brer Fox! Clip 'im! Clip 'im in de head, Brer Bear!"
"Look at dat rabbit. Look at 'im standin' ova dare. See dat? See dat? He done made a fool out ya, ya fool" say Brer Fox.
"He did?" say Brer Bear.
"Of course he did!"
"Well den!" Brer Bear grumble. "I just gon' knock his head clean off!"
"You keep yo paws off dat, rabbit, ya hear? He's mine! I caught 'im, I caught 'im, he's mine!" Brer Fox babble.
De two of 'em jump on Brer Rabbit an' arm wrestle fo' im
Brer Rabbit, he escape as de fight goes on.
But Brer Fox, he see 'im an' grab 'im! "I gotcha, Brer Rabbit!"
Brer Bear, he pull de fox back. He say, "I got 'im, Brer Fox!" an' punch Brer Fox's head.
So Brer Rabbit took his foot in his hand, an' put out fo home where he belong.
An' jus' like I told 'im in de first place. You can't run away from trouble. Dare ain't no place dat far.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"His foot in his hand, Uncle Remus?" said Johnny.
"Sho, honey. Dat's jus' a way o' sayin' he run as fast as he can straight back to his briar patch" said Uncle Remus.
"Where is Brer Rabbit's briar patch?" Johnny inquired.
"Where? Now let me see. Dat I can't zactly say. Cuz I ain't been keepin' close track as I used to" said Uncle Remus.
"Do you think we could find it?" said Johnny excitedly.
"Find it? Co'se we could. But what's de use o' speculatin' on dat... when we's goin' away?" said Uncle Remus.
Johnny was about to grab his hobo bag, but he turned around and faced Uncle Remus again. "Do you think we oughtta go, Uncle Remus?"
"Not go? After I done fixed all diss grub?"
"But you said it was a mighty long walk."
"But we's goin' togetta ain't we? What's done come ova you, honey?"
"Well, Brer Rabbit."
"Now what's Brer Rabbit got to do wit diss?" Uncle Remus asked. "An' jus' when I had a kinda hankerin' fo de go."
"Well, if you really wanna go, Uncle Remus..." Johnny began.
"Oh, neva mind, honey. Neva mind. I can give it up if you can" said Uncle Remus with a smile.
"Uncle Remus!" another little voice called.
Johnny hid behind the door as Toby opened it.
"Uncle Remus? I can't find Johnny no place. An' I s'posed ter be takin' care o' him" said Toby.
"Well, what do you know about dat?" said Uncle Remus.
"I reckon he done fo, Uncle Remus. He mightta got hisself lost. He mightta fell in de mill pond. He mightta got ate up" said Toby.
Johnny broke out giggling and came out of hiding.
"Why, it's him! It sho is! Ain't nobody else! How d'ya like dat, Uncle Remus! It's him!" Toby squealed.
"Maybe it's jus' his ghost" Uncle Remus joked.
"Is you?" said Toby.
He poked Johnny's chest to confirm he was alive. "No suh! Dat's him! Dat's him alright!"
Then his smile dropped. "Uh-oh."
"Wassa matta, Toby?" said Uncle Remus.
"I's a-jus' thinkin'. He sho's gonna ketch up when he gets home" said Toby.
"I guess I better take my foot in my hand, Uncle Remus, and get a-goin'" said Johnny.
"Hold on dare. I reckon you betta let ol' Uncle Remus go along with ya" said Uncle Remus.
He stood up and led the boys outside.
YOU ARE READING
Song of the South (1946)
FanfictionJohnny learns how to deal with trouble from Uncle Remus's "Brer Rabbit" stories.
