LVI BRER RABBIT TIES MR. LION

 There was some comment and some questions were asked by the little boy in regard to Wattle Weasel and the other animals; to all of which Uncle Remus made characteristic response. Aunt Tempy sat with one elbow on her knee, her head resting in the palm of her fat hand. She gazed intently into the fire, and seemed to be lost in thought. Presently she exclaimed:—

 

"Well, de Lord he'p my soul!"

 

"Dat's de promise, Sis Tempy," said Uncle Remus, solemnly.

 

Aunt Tempy laughed, as she straightened herself in her chair, and said:—

 

"I des knowed dey wuz sump'n' 'n'er gwine 'cross my min' w'en I year talk 'bout¹ dat ar sheep by de chinkapin tree."

 

"Out wid it, Sis Tempy," said Uncle Remus, by way of encouragement; "out wid it; free yo' min', en des make yo'se'f welcome."

 

"No longer'n Sunday 'fo' las', I 'uz 'cross dar at de Spivey place en I tuck'n year'd a nigger man tellin' de same tale, en I 'low ter myse'f dat I'd take'n take it en kyar' it home en gin it out w'en I come ter pass de time wid Brer Remus en all uv um. I 'low ter myse'f I'll take it en kyar' it dar, en I'll des tell it my own way."

 

"Well, den²," said Uncle Remus, approvingly, "me en dish yer chap, we er willin' en a-waitin', en ez fer Brer Jack³ over dar, we kin⁴ say de same fer him, 'kaze I up en year 'im draw mighty⁵ long breff des now lak he fixin' fer ter snort. But you neenter min' dat ole creetur, Sis Tempy. Des push right ahead."

 

"Ah-h-h-e-e!" exclaimed Daddy Jack, snapping his bright little eyes at Uncle Remus with some display of irritation⁶; "you [273]tek-a me fer be sleep ebry tam I shed-a me y-eye, you is mek fool-a you'se'f. Warrah yarrah garrah tarrah!"[71]

 

"Brer Remus!" said Aunt Tempy, in an awed⁷ whisper, "maybe he's a-cunju'n un you."

 

"No-no!" exclaimed Daddy Jack, snappishly, "me no cuncher no'n' 't all. Wun me cuncher you all you yeddy bone crack. Enty!"

 

"Well, in de name er de Lord, don't come a-cunju'n wid me, 'kaze I'm des as peaceable ez de day's long," said Aunt Tempy.

 

Uncle Remus smiled and closed his eyes with an air of disdain⁸, caught from his old Mistress, the little boy's grandmother, long since dead.

 

"Tell yo' tale, Sis Tempy," he said pleasantly, "en leave de talk er cunju'n ter de little nigger childun. We er done got too ole fer dat kinder foolishness."

 

This was for the ear of the little boy. In his heart Uncle Remus was convinced that Daddy Jack was capable of changing himself into the blackest of black cats, with swollen⁹ tail, arched back, fiery¹⁰ eyes, and protruding¹¹ fangs¹². But the old man's attitude reassured¹³ Aunt Tempy, as well as the child, and forthwith she proceeded with her story:—

 

"Hit seem like dat one time w'en Brer Rabbit fine hisse'f way off in de middle er de woods, de win' strike up un 'gun ter blow. Hit blow down on de groun' en it blow up in de top er de timber, en it blow so hard twel terreckerly Brer Rabbit tuck a notion dat he better git out fum dar 'fo' de timber 'gun ter fall.

 

"Brer Rabbit, he broke en run, en, Man—Sir![72] w'en dat creetur run'd he run'd, now you year w'at I tell yer! He broke en run, he did, en he fa'rly flew 'way fum dar. W'iles he gwine [274]'long full tilt¹⁴, he run'd ag'in' ole Mr. Lion. Mr. Lion, he hail 'im:—

 

"'Heyo, Brer Rabbit! Wat yo' hurry?'

 

"'Run, Mr. Lion, run! Dey's a harrycane comin' back dar in de timbers. You better run!'

 

"Dis make Mr. Lion sorter skeer'd. He 'low:—

 

"'I mos' too heavy fer ter run fur, Brer Rabbit. W'at I gwine do?'

 

"'Lay down, Mr. Lion, lay down! Git close ter de groun'!'

 

"Mr. Lion shake his head. He 'low:—

 

"'Ef win' lierbul fer ter pick up little man like you is, Brer Rabbit, w'at it gwine do wid big man like me?'

 

"'Hug a tree, Mr. Lion, hug a tree!'

 

"Mr. Lion lash¹⁵ hisse'f wid his tail. He 'low:—

 

"'Wat I gwine do ef de win' blow all day en a good part er de night, Brer Rabbit?'

 

"'Lemme tie you ter de tree, Mr. Lion! lemme tie you ter de tree!'

 

"Mr. Lion, he tuk'n 'gree ter dis, en Brer Rabbit, he got 'im a hick'ry split[73] en tie 'im hard en fast ter de tree. Den he tuck'n sot down, ole Brer Rabbit did, en wash his face en han's des same ez you see de cats doin'. Terreckerly Mr. Lion git tired er stan'in' dar huggin' de tree, en he ax Brer Rabbit w'at de reason he ain't keep on runnin', en Brer Rabbit, he up'n 'low dat he gwine ter stay der en take keer Mr. Lion.

 

"Terreckerly Mr. Lion say he ain't year no harrycane. Brer Rabbit say he ain't needer. Mr. Lion say he ain't year no win' a-blowin'. Brer Rabbit say he ain't needer. Mr. Lion say he ain't so much ez year a leaf a-stirrin'. Brer Rabbit say he ain't needer. Mr. Lion sorter study, en Brer Rabbit sot dar, he did, en wash his face en lick his paws.

 

"Terreckerly Mr. Lion ax Brer Rabbit fer ter onloose 'im.

 

[275]Brer Rabbit say he fear'd. Den Mr. Lion git mighty mad, en he 'gun ter beller wuss'n one er deze yer bull-yearlin's. He beller so long en he beller so loud twel present'y de t'er creeturs dey 'gun ter come up fer ter see w'at de matter.

 

"Des soon ez dey come up, Brer Rabbit, he tuck'n 'gun ter talk biggity en strut¹⁶ 'roun', en, Man—Sir! w'en dem yuthers see dat Brer Rabbit done got Mr. Lion tied up, I let you know dey tuck'n walked way 'roun' 'im, en 't wuz many a long day 'fo' dey tuck'n pestered¹⁷ ole Brer Rabbit."

 

Here Aunt Tempy paused. The little boy asked what Brother Rabbit tied Mr. Lion for; but she did n't know; Uncle Remus, however, came to the rescue.

 

"One time long 'fo' dat, honey, Brer Rabbit went ter de branch fer ter git a drink er water, en ole Mr. Lion tuck'n druv 'im off, en fum dat time out Brer Rabbit bin¹⁸ huntin' a chance fer ter ketch up wid 'im."

 

"Dat's so," said Aunt Tempy, and then she added:—

 

"I 'clare I ain't gwine tell you all not na'er n'er tale, dat I ain't. 'Kaze you des set dar en you ain't crack a smile fum de time I begin. Ef dat'd 'a' bin Brer Remus, now, dey'd 'a' bin mo' gigglin' gwine on dan you kin shake a stick at. I'm right down mad, dat I is."

 

"Well, I tell you dis, Sis Tempy," said Uncle Remus, with unusual emphasis, "ef deze yer tales wuz des fun, fun, fun, en giggle¹⁹, giggle, giggle, I let you know I'd a-done drapt um long ago. Yasser, w'en it come down ter gigglin' you kin des count ole Remus out."

1 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

2 den   

n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室

参考例句：

• There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
• The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

3 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

4 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

5 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

6 irritation   

n.激怒，恼怒，生气

参考例句：

• He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
• Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说，但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。

7 awed   

adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The audience was awed into silence by her stunning performance. 观众席上鸦雀无声，人们对他出色的表演感到惊叹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was awed by the huge gorilla. 那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 disdain   

n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑

参考例句：

• Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
• A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。

9 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

10 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

11 protruding   

v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸

参考例句：

• He hung his coat on a nail protruding from the wall. 他把上衣挂在凸出墙面的一根钉子上。
• There is a protruding shelf over a fireplace. 壁炉上方有个突出的架子。 来自辞典例句

12 fangs   

n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座

参考例句：

• The dog fleshed his fangs in the deer's leg. 狗用尖牙咬住了鹿腿。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Dogs came lunging forward with their fangs bared. 狗龇牙咧嘴地扑过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 tilt   

v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜

参考例句：

• She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
• The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平，有点儿歪.

15 lash   

v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛

参考例句：

• He received a lash of her hand on his cheek.他突然被她打了一记耳光。
• With a lash of its tail the tiger leaped at her.老虎把尾巴一甩朝她扑过来。

16 strut   

v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆

参考例句：

• The circulation economy development needs the green science and technology innovation as the strut.循环经济的发展需要绿色科技创新生态化作为支撑。
• Now we'll strut arm and arm.这会儿咱们可以手挽着手儿，高视阔步地走了。

17 pestered   

使烦恼，纠缠( pester的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Journalists pestered neighbours for information. 记者缠着邻居打听消息。
• The little girl pestered the travellers for money. 那个小女孩缠着游客要钱。

18 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

19 giggle   

n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说

参考例句：

• Both girls began to giggle.两个女孩都咯咯地笑了起来。
• All that giggle and whisper is too much for me.我受不了那些咯咯的笑声和交头接耳的样子。