BRER RABBIT GETS BRER FOX A HOSS
Reading edition
Not many er de creeturs wuz fon’ er water, Onless it mought ’a’ been Brer Coon’s daughter; Brer B’ar, Brer Fox, an’ ol’ Brer Rabbit, Dey vow’d dey can’t never git in de habit Er wadin’ de creek, er swimmin’ de river— When it come ter dat, dey’d run ter kivver! When folks come ’long fer ter git across, De creeturs tuck notice dat dey rid a hoss.
Brer Fox, he say he wish he had one, An’ ’mongst all de yuthers he’d be de glad un; He’d git a bridle an’ a bran’ new saddle, An’ git on de hoss an’ ride ’im straddle; He say, sezee, “He’d do some trottin’, Kaze when I git started, I’m a mighty hot un!” Brer Rabbit, he smole a great big smile, Wid, “I can’t ride myse’f, kaze I got a b’ile!
“But it seem like ter me dat I knows whar a hoss is: He’s away back yan’ whar two roads crosses, An’ I’ll meet you dar termorrer mornin’, Des ’bout de time when day’s a-dawnin’.” Brer Fox, he say, “I hear yo’ sesso, An’ ef I ain’t sick I’ll be dar desso!” Brer Rabbit tip his hat, wid, “So-long, frien’; We’ll git de hoss, you may depen’.”
Long ’fo’ de time, Brer Rabbit wuz a-stirrin’, An’ he chuckle ter hisse’f like a cat a-purrin’; De hoss wuz stretched out asleep in de pastur’; Brer Rabbit went up des ez close ez he dast ter, Fer ter see ef he ’live: hoss switched his tail, suh! “Dis time we’ll git you widout fail, suh!” So Brer Rabbit say; den he seed Brer Fox— “An’ an’er fine gent fer ter git in a box!”
Den he say out loud, “Good luck done sont ’im, An’ laid ’im down right whar you want ’im! Ef youer tied ter his tail, you kin sholy hol’ ’im, An’ mo’ dan dat, you kin trip ’im an’ roll ’im!” So said, so done! an’ dar Brer Fox wuz, Right close ter de place whar a heap er knocks wuz! Brer Rabbit, he holla, “Hol’ ’im down! hol’ ’im down! Des make ’im stay right spang on de groun’!”
De hoss, he riz wid a snort an’ a whicker, An’ showed dat he wuz sump’n uv a kicker! An’ den an’ dar, Brer Rabbit ’gun ter snicker, Wid, “Hol’ ’im, Brer Fox! ’twon’t do ter flicker! Ef you make ’im stan’ still, you kin ride ’im de quicker!” De hoss, he r’ar’d an’ raise a mighty dust up, An’ fust thing you know, Brer Rabbit hear a bust-up! “I hope, Brer Fox, dat you ain’t much hurt— But yo’ wife’ll be mad, kaze you done tored yo’ shirt!”