"He come mighty¹ nigh it, honey, sho's you born—Brer Fox did. One day atter Brer Rabbit fool 'im wid dat calamus root, Brer Fox went ter wuk en got 'im some tar², en mix it wid some turkentime, en fix up a contrapshun w'at he call a Tar-Baby, en he tuck dish yer Tar-Baby en he sot 'er in de big road, en den³ he lay off in de bushes fer to see what de news wuz gwine ter be. En he didn't hatter wait long, nudder, kaze bimeby here come Brer Rabbit pacin' down de road—lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity—dez ez sassy ez a jay-bird. Brer Fox, he lay low. Brer Rabbit come prancin' 'long twel he spy de Tar-Baby, en den he fotch up on his behime legs like he wuz 'stonished. De Tar Baby, she sot dar, she did, en Brer Fox, he lay low.

 

"'Mawnin'!' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee—'nice wedder dis mawnin',' sezee.

 

"Tar-Baby ain't sayin' nuthin', en Brer Fox he lay low.

 

"'How duz yo' sym'tums seem ter segashuate?' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

 

"Brer Fox, he wink⁴ his eye slow, en lay low, en de Tar-Baby, she ain't sayin' nuthin'.

 

"'How you come on, den? Is you deaf?' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. 'Kaze if you is, I kin⁵ holler louder,' sezee.

 

"Tar-Baby stay still, en Brer Fox, he lay low.

 

"'You er stuck up, dat's w'at you is,' says Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'en I'm gwine ter kyore you, dat's w'at I'm a gwine ter do,' sezee.

 

"Brer Fox, he sorter chuckle⁶ in his stummick, he did, but Tar- Baby ain't sayin' nothin'.

 

"'I'm gwine ter larn you how ter talk ter 'spectubble folks ef hit's de las' ack,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. 'Ef you don't take off dat hat en tell me howdy, I'm gwine ter bus' you wide open,' sezee.

 

"Tar-Baby stay still, en Brer Fox, he lay low.

 

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