THE BUZZARD'S BALD HEAD.

BY A. L. BASSETT.

"Now, chillen, git to bed quick, and don't make no fuss, and I'll tell you a story 'bout Mr. Fox and Mr. Rabbit."

The promise of a story was quite sufficient to insure ready obedience; so the little ones were soon tucked warmly into their beds, and their colored nurse, seating herself on the floor beside them, greatly pleased at the eager gaze of the bright eyes fixed upon her face, began her story:

"Mr. Fox and Mr. Rabbit had been off workin' all de week, but Saturday dey come home and cleaned up deir house and yard, and got ready for Sunday.

"When ebenin' come, Mr. Fox dressed heself up and went to de rabbit's house.

"'Mr. Rabbit,' he says, 'I'm goin' fishin'. Won't you go 'long, Mr. Rabbit?'

"'No,' says Mr. Rabbit, 'I won't go. I generally stays at home Saturdays and rests myself, and den eats as many fish as dem as goes fishin'.'

"Mr. Fox didn't know how dat could be, but he didn't say nothin', and went on by heself to de pond, and cotched a nice string of fish, and den started for home.

"Now Mr. Rabbit, as soon as he thought it was time for de fox to come home, he ran down de path and stretched heself out like he was dead.

"Presently de fox come 'long wid his string of fish. He fa'rly jumped when he seed de rabbit, and den he said: 'Well, if here ain't a nice fat rabbit! I'll go home and put my fish down, and den come back and git him, and to-morrow I'll have a big, fish fry and a rabbit stew for dinner.'

"So Mr. Fox he went on down de path, and de rabbit he jumps up and runs through de woods and gits ahead of him, and stretches heself out ag'in like he was dead. When de fox come 'long and seed him, he give a bigger jump dan before, and says: 'If here ain't another nice fat rabbit! I'm 'most home now, so I'll lay my string of fish down by dis rabbit, and go back and git de other rabbit, and to-morrow I'll have a big fish fry and two rabbit stews.' Mr. Fox laid his fish down by de rabbit, and went back to look for de other rabbit.

"As soon as he was gone, up jumped de rabbit, and took de fish, and ran off as fast as he could go, and went up a hollow tree.

"Presently de fox come back, 'cause he couldn't find no dead rabbit whar he left it, and—dar now! his fish was gone, and Mr. Rabbit was settin' up in de hollow, eatin' fish, and throwin' de fish bones down to him fast as he eat de fish.

"Den de rabbit hollered out, 'I say, Mr. Fox, didn't I tell you I stays at home and rests myself, and den eats as many fish, if not more, dan dem dat goes fishin'?'

"De fox was so mad he didn't know what to do wid heself. He danced 'round de tree, and barked at de rabbit, and said, 'I'll pay you for dis, Mr. Rabbit!'

"'Pay me now, Mr. Fox.'

"Presently a buzzard came flyin' by, and de fox called him, and told him how de rabbit had stole his fish.

"'Mr. Buzzard, will you stay here and nuss dis hollow till I go to de house and get a chunk of fire to smoke de rabbit out?'

"Mr. Buzzard said, 'Yes'; so he come down and set close to de hollow to nuss it till de fox come back.

"Time de fox was gone, de rabbit peeped out of de hollow, and said, 'Dat you down dere, Mr. Buzzard?'

"And de buzzard said, 'Dis is me.'

"'Mr. Buzzard, dey tell me you is got gold eyes. Is dat so, Mr. Buzzard?'

"'I s'pose so, Mr. Rabbit.'

"'Mr. Buzzard, I never seed any gold eyes in my life. Won't you jes' put your eyes up to de hollow so I kin see 'em?'

"Den de buzzard he got up and put his eyes to de hollow, and de rabbit throwed a whole lot of fish bones and trash in his eyes, and fill his eyes full of trash and fish bones. So de buzzard had to fly down to de ground and set down wid his back to de tree to pick de trash and fish bones out of his eyes. Den Mr. Rabbit he jumped down, and away he was gone through de woods long 'fore de fox come back wid de fire.

"When Mr. Fox come wid his chunk of fire, he set to smokin' de hollow right away. 'Is he up dere, Mr. Buzzard?'

"'He was up dere de last time I seed him,' said de buzzard; and he kept pickin' de trash and de fish bones out of his eyes.

"De fox smoked and he smoked, but de rabbit didn't fall.

"'Is he up dere, Mr. Buzzard?'

"'He was up dere de last time I seed him;' and de buzzard kept pickin' de fish bones and trash out of his eyes.

"Den de fox he smoked and he smoked, but de rabbit didn't fall, and—den he run to de buzzard, and scratched all de skin off his head, and ever since den all de buzzards been bald-headed.

"But de buzzard he didn't tell no lie; de last time he seed de rabbit he was up dere, sure enough. He couldn't see after de rabbit throwed de fish bones and trash in his eyes, and he wa'n't goin' to tell de fox dat he was a fool like he was. Now dat's all de story: you go to sleep directly."

"Oh, please tell us some more! tell us some more!" cried the children, as wide awake as ever.

"I never seed sich chillen! You never gits tired. Well, I will tell you one little piece of po'try, and den if you is good, to-morrow night I'll tell 'nother story 'bout de fox and de rabbit."

"Tell us the poetry, please do," cried all the children at once. "Don't go before you tell us the poetry."

"Bless me! you won't give me time to draw my breff. I never seed sich chillen. Now listen, and den don't say 'nother word to me dis night, for I's gwine. I ain't gwine to fool here wid you all no longer. Here is de po'try:

"De squirrel he hopped from limb to limb, De ole har sot and look at him; De ole har say unto heself, "Dat squirrel don't mind he kill heself."

"Dar now, I's gwine. I ain't gwine to tell you no more nohow."

GULLIVER SAILING HIS YACHT FOR THE AMUSEMENT OF THE COURT.