Brer Rabbit's Flying Trip
Dar once wuz a time when most er de creeturs
Got mighty tired er Brer Rabbit’s capers,
An’ dey ’semble’, dey did, grass an’ meat eaters.
Browsers an’ grazers, an’ likewiss de bone-scrapers,
Fer ter see what dey kin do.
Brer B’ar wuz dar, wid his big fur suit on,
An’ ol’ Brer Wolf fetched his big howl along,
An’ when eve’ything wuz ready, wid a long, loud hoot on,
Here come ol’ Simon Swamp Owl along,
A-tootin’ of his too-whoo.
Dar wuz ol’ Brer Fox, suh, wid his black socks, suh,
An’ a heap er creeturs dat I don’t hatter mention;
Some bow-legged an’ some knock-kneed in de hocks, suh.
An’ dey all agree fer ter hol’ a convention
Fer ter stop Brer Rabbit’s pranks.
Brer Fox, he ’low he’ll gi’ a pot er gol’, suh,
Ter de man what kin tol Brer Rabbit off, suh;
Brer Buzzard say, “I’m a-gittin’ ol’, suh,
But I’ll try my han,” an’ den he cough, suh.
An’ de rest un um bowed dere thanks.
So he stand up an’ move a motion;
He up an’ ’low, “Le’s erso’v right here, suh,
Fer ter thank Brer Buzzard whiles we’re in de notion,
An’ not put it off ter some yuther day.”
An’ den dey had it up an’ down, suh,
’Sputin’ ’bout what dey oughter do,
Some wanter gi’ ’im a flower crown, suh,
Ef he rid Brer Rabbit up dar in de blue,
An’ drap ’im when he got half-way.
Ter ax ’im ter call an’ ’ten’ de convention;
But ol’ frien’ Wobble-nose had a quare habit
Er knowin’ a thing befo’ it wuz mention’,
An he come ’fo’ he got de word.
He wiggle his nose, an’ wunk his eye—
“Here sho is de man I wants ter see, suh!
Brer Buzzard I’m tryin’ ter l’arn how ter fly!”
An’ c’ose Brer Buzzard gi’ his agree, suh,
An’ all un um say he’s a ’commydatin’ bird!
An’ den Brer Buzzard half spread his wing, suh
He try ter look young, but he wuz ol’ suh—
He try ter strut an’ walk wid a swing, suh;
He wuz dreamin’ ’bout dat pot er gol’, suh,
An’ what he wuz gwine fer ter buy.
Brer Buzzard ain’t skacely got thoo wid his pride, suh,
’Fo’ Brer Rabbit lit right ’tween his floppers,
Wid, “Now, hump yo’se’f, an’ gi’ me a ride, suh,
Ef you don’t I’ll hit—I’ll hit you some whoppers
When I git you up dar in de sky!”
An’ made a big fuss accordin’ ter der natur’;
Ez fer ol’ Brer Rabbit, de pleasure wuz all his, suh
De ridin’ wuz easy ez eatin’ tater
When it’s b’iled an’ made inter pie!
Kaze under bofe wings he had a paw, suh,
An’, when Brer Buzzard try fer ter drap ’im,
He’d scratch an’ tickle ’im wid his claw, suh;
An’ when Brer Buzzard try fer ter flap ’im,
He’d scratch an’ wink his eye!
Fum post ter pillar in de deep blue, suh;
He’d holla an’ laugh—all de creeturs heer’d ’im—
You know how you’d feel ef it hab been you, suh,
A-waitin’ fer some un ter fall!
When ol’ Brer Rabbit got tired er ridin’,
He steered Brer Buzzard right straight ter de groun’, suh,
An’ den an’ dar went right inter hidin’.
When de creeturs come up he couldn’t be foun’, suh,
An’ I speck an’ I reckon dat’s all!
(600 words)
