Uncle Remus: Legends of the Old Plantation
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MR. TERRAPIN APPEARS UPON THE SCENE
Translation
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X.
MR. TERRAPIN APPEARS UPON THE SCENE
Translation
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“Miss Sally’s” little boy again occupying the anxious position of auditor, Uncle Remus took the shovel and put the noses of the hunks together, FN 1 as he expressed it, and then began:
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“One day, after Sis Cow done run past her own shadow trying for to catch him. Brer Rabbit took and allowed that he was going to drop in and see Miss Meadows and the gals, and he got out his piece of looking glass and primped up, he did, and set out. Going cantering along the road, who should Brer Rabbit run up with but old Brer Terrapin – the same old one and sixpence. FN 2 Brer Rabbi stopped, he did, and rapped on the roof of Brer Terrapin’s house.
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“On the roof of his house, Uncle Remus?” interrupted the little boy.
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“ ‘Course honey, Brer Terrapin carries his house with him. Rain or shine, hot or cold, strike up with old Brer Terrapin when you will and while you may, and where you find him, there you’ll find his shanty. It’s just like I tell you. So then! Brer Rabbit he rapped on the roof of Brer Terrapin’s house, he did, and asked was he in, and Brer Terrapin allowed that he was, and then Brer Rabbit he asked him howdy, and ten Brer Terrapin he likewise respond howdy, and then Brer Rabbit he say where was Brer Terrapin gong, and Brer Terrapin, he say which he weren’t going nowhere scarcely. Then Brer Rabbit allow he was on his way for to see Miss Meadows and the gals, and he asked Brer Terrapin if he won’t join in and go along, and Brer Terrapin respond he don’t care if he do, and they they set out. They had plenty of time for confabbing along the way, but by and by they got there, and Miss Meadows and the gals they came to the door, the did, and asked them in, and in they went.
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“When they got in, Brer Terrapin was so flat-footed that he was too low on the floor, and he weren’t high enough in a chair, but while they was all scrabbling around trying for to get Brer Terrapin a chair Brer Rabbit, he pick him up and put him on the shelf where the water bucket sat, and old Brer Terrapin, he lay back up there, he did, just as proud as a nigger with a cooked ‘possum.
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“ Course the talk fell on Brer Fox, and Miss Meadows and the gals make a great admiration about what a gaily riding-horse Brer Fox was, and they make lots of fun, and laugh and giggle sake like gals does these days. Brer Rabbit, he set there in the chair smoking his cigar, and he sort of clear up his throat, and say, says he:
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“ ‘I’d have rid him over this morning, ladies,’ says he, ‘but I rid him so hard yesterday that he went lame in the off fore leg, and I expect I’ll have to swop him off yet,’ says he.
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“Then Brer Terrapin, he up and say, says he:
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“ ‘Well, if you’re going to sell him, Brer Rabbit,’ says he, ‘ sell him somewhere out of this neighborhood, ‘cause he done been here too long now,’ says he. ‘No longer than a day before yesterday,’ says he, ‘Brer Fox passed me on the road, and what do you reckon he say?’ says he.
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“ ‘Law, Brer Terrapin,’ says Miss Meadows, says she, ‘you don’t mean to say he cussed?’ says she, and then the gals held their fans up before their faces.
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“ ‘Oh, no, ma’am,’ says Brer Terrapin, says he, ‘he didn’t cuss, but he holler out – “Heyo, Stinkin’ Jim!” ‘says he.
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“ ‘Oh, my! You hear that, gals?” says Miss Meadows, says she; ‘Brer Fox call Brer Terrapin Stinkin’ Jim,’ says she, and then Miss Meadows and the gals make great wonderment how Brer Fox can talk that way about a nice man like Brer Terrapin.
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“But bless gracious, honey! While all this going on, Brer Fox was standing at the back door with one ear at the cat-hole listening. Eavesdroppers don’t hear no good of themselves, and the way Brer Fox was abused that day was a caution.
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“By and by Brer Fox stick his head in the door and holler out:
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“ ‘Good evening, folks, I wish you mighty well,’ says he, and with that he makes a dash for Brer Rabbit, but Miss Meadows and the gals they holler and squall, they did, and Brer Terrapin he got to scrambling round up there on the shelf, and off he come, and blip he took Brer Fox on the back of the head. This sort of stunned Brer Fox, and when he gathered his remembrance the most he saw was a pot of greens turned over in the fireplace, and a broken chair. Brer Rabbit was gone, and Brer Terrapin was gone, and Miss Meadows and the gals, they run out in the yard.
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“Brer Fox, he sort of look around and feel for the back of his head, where Brer Terrapin lit, but he don’t see no sign of Brer Rabbit. But the smoke and the ashes going up the chimney got the best of Brer Rabbit, and by and by he sneeze – huckychow!
“ ‘Aha!’ says Brer Fox, says he; ‘you are there, are you?’ says he. ‘Well, I’m going to smoke you out, if it takes a month. You’re mine this time,’ says he. Brer Rabbit ain’t saying nothing.
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“ ‘Ain’t you coming down?’ says Brer Fox, says he. Brer Rabbit ain’t saying nothing. Then Brer fox, he went out after some wood, he did, and when he come back, he hear Brer Rabbit laughing.
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“ ‘What you laughing at, Brer Rabbit?’ says Brer Fox, says he.
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“ ‘Can’t tell you, Brer Fox,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he.
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“ ‘It ain’t nothing but a box of money somebody gone and left up here in the chink of the chimney,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he.
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“ ‘Don’t believe you,’ says Brer Fox, says he.
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“ ‘Look up and see,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he, and when Brer Fox look up, Brer Rabbit spit his eyes full of tobacco juice, he did, and Brer Fox, he make a break for the branch, FN 3, and Brer Rabbit he come down and told the ladies good-by.
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“ ‘How you get him off, Brer Rabbit?” says Miss Meadows, says she.
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“And what became of the Terrapin?” asked the little boy.
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FN 1 Sounds like a reference to building a stone wall – nose of this chunk against the nose of that chunk
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FN 2 – the same old one and sixpence?? Possible: London's Langham Hotel began serving afternoon tea in Victorian times for one schilling and a sixpence, and still does - see ://www.asiatraveltips.com/news08/135-AfternoonTea.shtml. Does the phrase then mean, same old, same old? Here's another: same old sixpence means "much the same as always" - example is given from a Civil War diary - 1863 soldier writes, "The same old seven and six. I am on camp guard duty today." See ://books.google.com/books?id=i33BWgxbvXgC&pg=PA719&lpg=PA719&dq=%22same+old+one+and+sixpence%22&source=web&ots=QvpR5YHtDY&sig=oNGQ7nZVaJ_SwIIhyKA6XrI7jbI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result
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FN 3 – make a break for the branch? Short for branch water? Branch water means water from a stream, Southern US, says ://www.thefreedictionary.com/branch+water; or plain water as used with whiskey (same site). Perhaps a branch of a stream nearby
