VIII. TRANSLATION. Mr. Fox is "Outdone" by Mr. Buzzard

VIII

MR. FOX IS “OUTDONE” BY MR. BUZZARD

“If I don’t run into no mistakes,” remarked Uncle Remus, as the little boy came tripping in to see him after supper, “Mr. Turkey Buzzard was guarding the hollow where Brer Rabbit went in at, and which he came outen.”

The silence of the little boy verified the old man’s recollection.

“Well, Mr. Buzzard, he feel mighty lonesome, he did, but he done promised Brer Fox that he’d stay, and he determined for to sort of hang around and join in the joke. And he ain’t have to wait long, neither, ‘cause by and by here come Brer Fox galloping through the woods with his axe on his shoulder.

“ ‘How you expect Brer Rabbit getting’ on, Brer Buzzard’ says Brer Fox, says he. , ‘He mighty still, though, I expect he takin’ a nap,’ says he.

“ ‘Then I’m just in time for to wake him up,’ says Brer Fox, says he. And with that he fling off his coat, and spit in his hands, and grab the axe. Then he draw back and come down on the tree – pow! And every time he come down with the axe - pow! - Mr. Buzzard, he step high, he did, and holler out:

“ ‘Oh, he in there, Brer Fox. He in there, sure.’

“And every time a chip and fly off, Mr. Buzzard, he’d jump, and dodge, and hold his head sideways, he would, and holler:

“ ‘He in there, Brer Fox. I done heard him. He in there, sure.’

“And Brer Fox, he lamed away at that holler tree, he did, like a man mauling rails, til by and by, after he done got the tree most cut through, he stop for to catch his breath, and he saw Mr. Buzzard laughing behind his back, he did, and right then and there, without going any further, Brer Fox, he smelt a rat. Bur Mr. Buzzard, he kept on hollerin’:

“ ‘He in there, Brer Fox. He in there, sure. I done seen him.'

Then Brer Fox, he make like he peeping up the hollow, and he say, says he:

“ ‘Run here, Brer Buzzard, and look if this ain’t Brer Rabbit’s foot hanging down here.’

“And Mr. Buzzard, he come steppin’ up, he did, same as if he were treading on cockleburs, and he stick his head in the hole; and no sooner did he done that than Brer Fox grab him. Mr. Buzzard flapped his wings, and scramble ‘round right smartly, he did, but wasn’t no use. Brer Fox had the advantage of the grip, he did, and he held him right down to the ground. Then Mr. Buzzard squalled out, says he:

“ ‘Let me alone, Brer Fox. Turn me loose,’ says he; ‘Brer Rabbit will get out. You’re gettin’ close at him,’ says he, ‘and eleven more licks’ll fetch him,’ says he.

“ ‘I’m nearer to you, Brer Buzzard,’ says Brer Fox, says he, ‘than I’ll be to Brer Rabbit this day,’ says he. ‘What you fool me for?’ says he.

“ ‘Let me alone, Brer Fox,’ says Mr. Buzzard, says he; ‘my old woman waitin’ for me. Brer Rabbit is there,’ says he.

“ ‘There’s a bunch of his fur on that blackberry bush,’ says Brer Fox, says he, and that ain’t the way he come,’ says he.

“Then Mr. Buzzard up and tell Brer Fox how it was, and he allowed, Mr. Buzzard did, that Brer Rabbit was the lowdownest whatsisname what he ever run up with. Then Brer Fox, says he:

“ ‘That’s neither here nor there, Brer Buzzard,’ says he. ‘I left you for to watch this here hole, and I left Brer Rabbit in there. I comes back and I finds you at the hole and Brer Rabbit ain’t in there, says he. ‘I’m going to make you pay for it. I done been tampered with, until plumb down to the sap sucker will set on a log and sassy me. I’m going to fling you in a brush heap and burn you up, ‘ says he.

“ ‘If you fling me on the fire, Brer Fox, I’ll fly away,’ says Mr. Buzzard, says he,

“ ‘Well, then, I’ll settle your hash right now,’ says Brer Fox, says he, and with that he grab Mr. Buzzard by the tail, he did and made for to dash him against the ground’, but just about that time the tail feathers come out, and Mr. buzzard sail off like one of these here balloons, and as he rise, he holler back:

“ ‘You gimme good start, Brer Fox,’ says he, and Brer Fox sat there and watch him fly out of sight.”

“But what became of the Rabbit, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy.

“Don’t you pester ‘longer Brer Rabbit, honey, and don’t you fret about him. You’ll hear where he went and how he come out. This here cold snap wrestles with my bones, now,” continued the old man, putting on his hat and picking up his walking-stick. “It wrestles with me monstrous, and I got to walk around and see if I can run up against some Christmas leavings.”