LX HOW THE BEAR NURSED THE LITTLE ALLIGATORS

 While the negroes were talking of matters which the little boy took little or no interest in, he climbed into Uncle Remus's lap, as he had done a thousand times before. Presently the old man groaned², and said:—

 

"I be bless ef I know w'at de marter, honey. I dunner whe'er I'm a-gittin' fibble in de lim's, er whe'er youer outgrowin' me. I lay I'll hatter sen' out en git you a nuss w'at got mo' strenk in dey lim's dan w'at I is."

 

The child protested that he was n't very heavy, and that he would n't have any nurse, and the old man was about to forget that he had said anything about nurses, when Daddy Jack⁴, who seemed to be desirous of appearing good-humored in the presence of 'Tildy, suddenly exclaimed:—

 

"Me bin⁶ yeddy one tale 'bout³ da tam w'en da lil Bear is bin nuss da 'Gator chilluns. 'E bin mek fine nuss fer true. 'E stan' by dem lilly 'Gator tel dey no mo' fer stan' by."

 

Seeing that Daddy Jack manifested symptoms of going to sleep, the little boy asked if he would n't tell the story, and, thus appealed to, the old African began:—

 

"One tam dey is bin one ole Bear; 'e big un 'e strong. 'E lif way in da swamp; 'e hab nes' in da holler tree. 'E hab one, two lilly Bear in da nes'; 'e bin lub dem chillun berry ha'd. One day, 'e git honkry; 'e tell 'e chillun 'e gwan 'way off fer git-a some bittle fer eat; 'e tell dem dey mus' be good chillun un stay wey dey lif. 'E say 'e gwan fer fetch dem one fish fer dey brekwus. Dun 'e gone off.

 

"Da lil Bear chillun hab bin 'sleep till dey kin¹ sleep no mo'. [292]Da sun, 'e der shine wom, 'e mekky lilly Bear feel wom. Da lil boy Bear, 'e rub 'e y-eye, 'e say 'e gwan off fer hab some fun. Da lil gal⁷ Bear, 'e say:—

 

"'Wut will we mammy say?'

 

"Lil boy Bear, 'e der lahff. 'E say:—

 

"'Me gwan down by da crik side fer ketch some fish 'fo' we mammy come.'

 

"Lil gal Bear, 'e look skeer; 'e say:—

 

"'We mammy say somet'ing gwan git-a you. Min' wut 'e tell you.'

 

"Lil boy Bear, 'e keep on lahff. 'E say:—

 

"'Shuh-shuh! 'E yent nebber know less you tell um. You no tell um, me fetch-a you one big fish.'

 

"Lil boy Bear, 'e gone! 'E gone by da crik side, 'e tek 'e hook, 'e tek 'e line, 'e is go by da crik side fer ketch one fish. Wun 'e come dey-dey, 'e see somet'ing lay dey in de mud. 'E t'ink it bin one big log. 'E lahff by 'ese'f; 'e say:—

 

"''E one fine log fer true. Me 'tan' 'pon da log fer ketch-a da fish fer me lil titty.'[75]

 

"Lil boy Bear, 'e der jump down; 'e git 'pon da log; 'e fix fer fish; 'e fix 'e hook, 'e fix 'e line. Bumbye da log moof. Da lil boy Bear holler:—

 

"'Ow ma Lordy!'

 

"'E look down; 'e skeer mos' dead. Da log bin one big 'Gator. Da 'Gator 'e swim 'way wit' da lil boy Bear 'pon 'e bahck. 'E flut 'e tail, 'e knock da lil boy Bear spang in 'e two han'. 'E grin wide, 'e feel da lil boy Bear wit' 'e nose; 'e say:—

 

"'I tekky you wey me lif; me chillun is hab you fer dey brekwus.'

 

"Da 'Gator, 'e bin swim toze da hole in da bank wey 'e lif. 'E come by da hole, 'e ca' da lil boy Bear in dey. 'E is call up 'e chillun; 'e say:—

 

[293]"'Come see how fine brekwus me bin brung you.'

 

"Da ole 'Gator, 'e hab seben chillun in 'e bed. Da lil boy Bear git skeer; 'e holler, 'e cry, 'e beg. 'E say:—

 

"'Please, Missy 'Gator, gib me chance fer show you how fine nuss me is—please, Missy 'Gator. Wun you gone 'way, me min' dem chillun, me min' um well.'

 

"Da 'Gator flut 'e tail; 'e say:—

 

"'I try you dis one day; you min' dem lil one well, me luf you be.'

 

"Da ole 'Gator gone 'way; 'e luf da lil boy Bear fer min' 'e chillun. 'E gone git somet'ing fer dey brekwus. Da lil boy Bear, 'e set down dey-dey; 'e min' dem chillun; 'e wait en 'e wait. Bumbye, 'e is git honkry. 'E wait en 'e wait. 'E min' dem chillun. 'E wait en 'e wait. 'E 'come so honkry 'e yent mos' kin hol' up 'e head. 'E suck 'e paw. 'E wait en 'e wait. Da 'Gator no come. 'E wait en 'e wait. Da 'Gator no come some mo'. 'E say:—

 

"'Ow! me no gwan starf mese'f wun da planty bittle by side er me!'

 

"Da lil boy Bear grab one da lil 'Gator by 'e neck; 'e tek um off in da bush side; 'e der eat um up. 'E no leaf 'e head, 'e no leaf 'e tail; 'e yent leaf nuttin' 't all. 'E go bahck wey da turrer lil 'Gator bin huddle⁸ up in da bed. 'E rub 'ese'f 'pon da 'tomach; 'e say:—

 

"'Hoo! me feel-a too good fer tahlk 'bout. I no know wut me gwan fer tell da ole 'Gator wun 'e is come bahck. Ki! me no keer. Me feel too good fer t'ink 'bout dem t'ing. Me t'ink 'bout dem wun da 'Gator is bin come; me t'ink 'bout dem bumbye wun da time come fer t'ink.'

 

"Da lil boy Bear lay down; 'e quile up in da 'Gator bed; 'e shed 'e y-eye; 'e sleep ha'd lak bear do wun ef full up. Bumbye, mos' toze night, da 'Gator come; 'e holler:—

 

"'Hey! lil boy Bear! How you is kin min' me chillun wun you is gone fer sleep by um?'

 

[294]"Da lil boy Bear, 'e set up 'pon 'e ha'nch; 'e say:—

 

"'Me y-eye gone fer sleep, but me year wide 'wake.'

 

"Da 'Gator flut 'e tail; 'e say:—

 

"'Wey me chillun wut me leaf you wit'?'

 

"Da lil boy Bear 'come skeer; 'e say:—

 

"'Dey all dey-dey, Missy 'Gator. Wait! lemme count dem, Missy 'Gator.

"'Yarrah one, yarrah narrah, Yarrah two 'pon top er tarrah, Yarrah t'ree pile up tergarrah!'[76]

 

"Da 'Gator y-open 'e mout', 'e grin wide; 'e say:—

 

"'Oona nuss dem well, lil boy Bear; come, fetch-a me one fer wash en git 'e supper.'

 

"Da lil boy Bear, 'e ca' one, 'e ca' nurrer, 'e ca' turrer, 'e ca' um all tel 'e ca' six, den⁵ 'e come skeer. 'E t'ink da 'Gator gwan fine um out fer true. 'E stop, 'e yent know wut fer do. Da 'Gator holler:—

 

"'Fetch-a me turrer!'

 

"Da lil boy Bear, 'e grab da fus' one, 'e wullup um in da mud, 'e ca' um bahck. Da 'Gator bin wash un feed um fresh; 'e yent know da diffran.

 

"Bumbye, nex' day mornin', da 'Gator gone 'way. Da lil boy Bear stay fer nuss dem lil 'Gator. 'E come honkry; 'e wait, but 'e come mo' honkry. 'E grab nurrer lil 'Gator, 'e eat um fer 'e dinner. Mos' toze night, da 'Gator come. It sem t'ing:—

 

"'Wey me chillun wut me leaf you fer nuss?'

 

"'Dey all dey-dey, Missy 'Gator. Me count um out:—

"'Yarrah one, yarrah narrah, Yarrah two 'pon top er tarrah, Yarrah t'ree pile up tergarrah!'

 

"'E ca' um one by one fer wash en git dey supper. 'E ca' two [295]bahck two tam. Ebry day 'e do dis way tel 'e come at de las'. 'E eat dis one, en 'e gone luf da place wey da 'Gator lif. 'E gone down da crik side tel 'e is come by da foot-log, en 'e is run 'cross queek. 'E git in da bush, 'e fair fly tel 'e is come by da place wey 'e lil titty bin lif. 'E come dey-dey, en 'e yent go 'way no mo'."

1 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。

2 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 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。

5 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。

6 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。

7 gal   

n.姑娘，少女

参考例句：

• We decided to go with the gal from Merrill.我们决定和那个从梅里尔来的女孩合作。
• What's the name of the gal? 这个妞叫什么？

8 huddle   

vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人

参考例句：

• They like living in a huddle.他们喜欢杂居在一起。
• The cold wind made the boy huddle inside his coat.寒风使这个男孩卷缩在他的外衣里。