"'E one fine tale. 'E mekky me lahff tell tear is come in me y-eye," the old African said. And somehow or other 'Tildy seemed to forget her pretended animosity to Daddy Jack, and smiled on him as pleasantly as she did on the others. Uncle Remus himself beamed upon each and every one, especially upon Aunt Tempy; and the little boy thought he had never seen everybody in such good-humor.

 

[299]"Sis Tempy," said Uncle Remus, "I 'speck³ it's yo' time fer ter put in."

 

"I des bin⁴ rackin' my min'," said Aunt Tempy, thoughtfully. "I see you fixin' dat ar hawn, en terreckerly hit make me think 'bout⁶ a tale w'at I ain't year none en you tell yit."

 

Uncle Remus was polishing a long cow's-horn, for the purpose of making a hunting-horn for his master.

 

"Hit come 'bout one time dat all de creeturs w'at got hawns tuck a notion dat dey got ter meet terge'er en have a confab fer ter see how dey gwine take ker deyse'f, 'kaze dem t'er creeturs w'at got tush en claw, dey uz des a-snatchin' um fum 'roun' eve'y cornder."

 

"Tooby sho'!" said Uncle Remus, approvingly.

 

"Dey sont out wud, de hawn creeturs did, en dey tuck'n meet terge'er 'way off in de woods. Man—Sir!—dey wuz a big gang un um, en de muster⁷ dey had out dar 't wa'n't b'ar tellin' skacely. Mr. Bull, he 'uz dar, en Mr. Steer⁸, en Miss Cow"—

 

"And Mr. Benjamin Ram⁹, with his fiddle," suggested the little boy.

 

—"Yes, 'n Mr. Billy Goat, en Mr. Unicorn"—

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