XI. Mr. Wolf Makes A Failure. Translation, Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings

Uncle Remus: Legends of the Old Plantation
XI

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MR. WOLF MAKES A FAILURE

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"I bet your ma got company," said Uncle Remus, as the little boy entered the old man's door with a huge piece of mince-pie in his hand. "And if she ain't got company, then she dropped the cupboard key somewhere where you run up with it."

"Well, I saw the pie lying there, Uncle Remus, and I just thought I'd fetch it out to you."

"To be sure, honey," replied the old man, regarding the child with admiration. "To be sure, honey, that changes matters.  Christmas doings is out of date, and they ain't got no business laying around loose.  Dish your pie," Uncle Remus continued, holding it up and measuring it with an experienced eye. "Give me strength to pursue after Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit and the other creatures that they roped in along with them."

Here the old man paused, and proceeded to demolish the pie -- a feat accomplished in a very short time.  Then he wiped the crumbs from his beard and began:

"Brer Fox felt so bad, and he got so mad 'bout Brer Rabbit, that he didn't know what to do, and he looked mighty down-hearted.  By and by, one day while he was going along the road, old Brer Wolf came up with them.  When they done howdying and asking after one another's family connection, Brer Wolf, he allowed, he did, that there was something wrong with Brer Fox, and Brer Fox, he allowed there weren't, and he went on and laugh and make great to-do 'cause Brer Wolf looked like he suspected something.  But Brer Wolf, he got a mighty long head (FN 1) and he sort of broached about Brer Rabbit's carryings on, because the way that Brer Rabbit deceived Brer Fox had got to be the talk of the neighborhood.  Then Brer Fox and Brer Wolf they sort of palavered * on, they did, until by and by Brer Wolf he up and said that he had a plan fixed  to trap Brer Rabbit.  Then Brer Fox say how.  Then Brer Wolf up and tell him that the way to get the drop on Brer Rabbit was to get him in Brer Fox House.  Brer Fox knew Brer Rabbit had a hole, and he know that sort of game done wore him to a frazzle, but Brer Wolf, he talked mighty persuading.

" 'How you going to get him there?' says Brer Fox, says he.

" 'Fool him there,' says Brer Wolf, says he.

" 'Who going to do the fooling,' says Brer Fox, says he.

" 'I'll do the fooling,' says Brer Wolf, says he, 'if you'll do the gaming,' says he.

" 'How you going to do it?' says Brer Fox, says he.

" 'You run along home, and get on the bed, and make you're dead, and don't you say nothing until Brer Rabbit comes in and put his hands on to you,' says Brer Wolf, says he, 'and if we don't get him for supper, Joe's dead and Sal's a widow,' says he.

"This looked like a mighty nice game, and Brer Fox agreed. So then he ambled off home, and Brer Wolf, he marched off to Brer Rabbit's house. When he got there, it looked like nobody at home, but Brer Wolf he walk up and knock on the door' --blam! blam!  Nobody came.  Then he let loose and knock again -- blim! blim!

" 'Who's there?" says Brer Rabbit, says he.

" 'Friend,' says Brer wolf.

" 'Too many friends spoils the dinner,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, 'which one's this?' says he.

" 'I fetch bad news, Brer Rabbit,' says Brer Wolf, says he.

" 'Bad news is soon told,' says Brer Rabbit, says he.

"By this time, Brer Rabbit done come to the door, with his head tied up in a red handkerchief.

" 'Brer Fox died this morning,' says Brer Wolf, says he.

" 'Where's your mourning gown, Brer Wolf?' says Brer Rabbit, says he.

" 'Going after it now,' says Brer Wolf, says he.  'I just called by for to bring the news.  I went down to Brer Fox house a little bit ago, and there I found him stiff,' says he.

"Then Brer Wolf loped off.  Brer Rabbit sat down and scratched his head, he did, and by and by he say to himself that he believe he sort of drop around by Brer Fox house for to see how the land lay.  No sooner said than done.  Up he jumped, and out he went.  When Brer Rabbit got close to Brer Fox house, all looked lonesome.  Then he went up nigh.  Nobody stirring.  Then he looked in, and there lay Brer Fox stretched out on the bed just as big as life.  Then Brer Rabbit made like he was talking to himself.

" 'Nobody around for to look after Brer Fox --  not even Brer Turkey Buzzard ain't come to the funeral,' says he. 'I hope Brer Fox ain't dead, but I expect he is,' says he. 'Even down to Brer Wolf done gone and left him.  It's the busy season with me, but I'll set up with him.  He seems like he dead, yet he may not be,' says Brer  Rabbit, says hee.  'When a man goes to see dead folks, dead folks always raises up their behind leg and hollers, wahoo! says he.

" 'Brer Fox he stay still.  Then Brer Rabbit he talk a little louder:

" 'Mighty funny.  Brer Fox looks like he dead, yet he don't do like he's dead.  Dead folks hoists their behind leg and hollers wahoo! when a man come to see him,' says Brer Rabbit, says he.

"Sure enough, Brer Fox lifted up his foot and holler wahoo! and Brer Rabbit he tear out of the house like the dogs was after him.  Brer Wolf mighty smart, but next time you hear from him, honey, he'll be in trouble.  You just hold your breath and wait."

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* Palaver - a long discussion or "parley" between people of different culture levels or sophistication; beguiling or idle speech, see ://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/PALAVER/  From late Latin, "parable" to Portuguese "palavra" or word.

FN 1 - Dialect, idiom.  Long head.  A long face, or "sad"?  Not necessarily at all.

Other uses:  Abraham Lincoln, the lawyer, was said to have a long head for managing a case, in the views who wanted his services, "and he's honest and friendly to us...." See ://www.archive.org/stream/graysonsstoryofa00eggluoft/graysonsstoryofa00eggluoft_djvu.txt/ (do a search for "long head")

Here is means, perhaps, independence - "a long head of your own" - see http://www.archive.org/stream/nellyssilvermine00jackiala/nellyssilvermine00jackiala_djvu.txt/

Here it seems to mean courage - see ://infomotions.com/etexts/gutenberg/dirs/1/0/0/3/10038/10038.txt/