brer bull-frog he right at home
joel chandler harris
'Taint fer Brer B'ar ter ketch Brer Rabbit. Hit sorter like
settin' a mule fer ter trap a hummin'-bird.
Brer B'ar, he tuck a notion dat ole Brer Bull-frog wuz
de man w'at fool 'im, en he say dat he'd come up wid 'im
if 'twuz a year atterwuds. But 'twant no year, an' 'twant
no month en hit wan't skacely a week, w'en one day Brer
B'ar wuz gwine home fum de takin' un a bee-tree, en lo
en beholes, who should he see but ole Brer Bull-frog
sittin' out on de edge er de mud-puddle fast 'sleep! Brer
B'ar drop his axe, he did, en crope up, en retch out wid
his paw, en scoop ole Brer Bull-frog in.
He scoop 'im in, en dar he wuz. W'en Brer B'ar got his
clampers on 'im good, he sat down en talk at 'im.
'Howdy, Brer Bull-frog, howdy! En how yo' fambly?
I hope deyer well, Brer Bull-frog, kaze dis day you got
some business wid me w'at'll last you a mighty long
time.'
Brer Bull-frog, he dunner w'at ter say. He dunner
w'at's up, en he don't say nothin', Ole Brer B'ar he keep
runnin' on:
'Youer de man w'at tuck en fool me 'bout Brer Rabbit de udder day. You had yo' fun, Brer Bull-frog, en now I'll git mine.'
Den Brer Bull-frog, he gin ter git skeered, he did, en he up'n say: 'W'at I bin doin', Brer B'ar? How I bin foolin' you?'
Den Brer B'ar laff, en make like he dunno, but he keep on talkin'. 'Oh, no, Brer Bull-frog! You aint de man w'at stick yo' head up out'n de water en tell me Brer Rabbit done gone on by. Oh, no! you aint de man. I bound you aint. 'Bout dat time, you wuz at home wid yo' fambly, whar you allers is. I dunno whar you wuz, but I knows whar you is, Brer Bull-frog, en hit's you en me fer it. Atter de sun goes down dis day you don't fool no mo' folks gwine 'long dis road.'
Co'se, Brer Bull-frog dunner w'at Brer B'ar drivin' at, but he know sumpin hatter be done, en dat mighty soon, kaze Brer B'ar 'gun to snap his jaws tergedder en foam at de mouf en Brer Bull-frog holler out : 'Oh, pray, Brer B'ar! Lemme off dis time, en I won't never do so no mo'. Oh, pray, Brer B'ar! do lemme off dis time, en I'll show you de fattest bee-tree in de woods.'
Ole Brer B'ar, he chomp his toofies en foam at de mouf. Brer Bull-frog he des up'n squall : 'Oh, pray, Brer B'ar! I won't never do so no mo' ! Oh, pray, Brer B'ar! Lemme offdis time!'
But ole Brer B'ar say he gwineter make way wid 'im, en den he sat en study, ole Brer B'ar did, how he gwineter squench Brer Bull-frog. He know he can't drown 'im, en he aint got no fire fer ter burn 'im, en he git mighty pestered. Bimeby ole Brer Bull-frog, he sorter stop his cryin' en his boo-hooin', en he up'n say: 'If you gwineter kill me, Brer B'ar, kyar me ter dat big flat rock out dar on de edge er de mill-pond, whar I kin
see my fambly, en atter I see urn, den you kin take yo' axe
en squench me.'
Dis look so fair and square dat Brer B'ar he 'gree, en
he take ole Brer Bull-frog by wunner his behind legs, en
sling his axe ,on his shoulder, en off he put fer de big flat
rock. When he git dar he lay Brer Bull-frog down on de
rock, en Brer Bull-frog make like he lookin' roun' fer his
folks. Den Brer B'ar, he draw long breff en pick up his
axe. Den he spit in his han's en draw back en come down
on de rock- pow!
But twix' de time w'en Brer B'ar raise up wid his axe
en w'en he come down wid it, ole Brer Bull-frog he lipt
up en dove down in de mill-pond, kerblink-kerblunk! En
w'en he riz way out in de pond he riz a singin', en dish
yer's de song w'at he sing:
'Ingle-go-jang, my joy, my joy-
Ingle-go-jang, my joy!
I'm right at home, my joy, my joy-
Ingle-go-jang, my joy !'