I.

HOW COME BUH ALLIGATUR NEBBER SLEEP FUR FROM DE RIBBER BANK.

One time Buh Rabbit, him meet Buh Alligatur, an eh ax um: “Budder, you tek life berry onconsarne. Enty you come pon trouble some time?” Buh Alligatur, him mek answer: “No, Budder, nuttne nebber bodder me. Me dunno wuh you call trouble. Me hab plenty er bittle fuh eat. Me sleep an tek me pledjuh. Wuh mek you tink trouble kin come topper me?” Buh Rabbit, him berry cunnin. Eh yent say nuttne. Eh know Buh Alligatur blan come out de ribber an sun isself in de broom-grass fiel. Buh Rabbit, eh laugh oneside to isself an mek plan to pit trouble on Buh Alligatur.

De nex day, wen de sun hot, Buh Alligatur come out de ribber. Eh so full er fish an crab eh casely kin crawl. Eh drag isself trugh de mash, an eh gone in de broom-grass fiel, and tretch isself in de grass, an fall fas tersleep. Buh Rabbit bin der watch um all de time. Buh Rabbit too scheemy. Now eh pick eh chance. Wen eh tink Buh Alligatur done gone tersleep, eh tiptoe ebber so sofe tell eh come right pon top er Buh Alligatur. Eh notice um close. Eh yeye shet. Eh duh sleep fuh true. Den Buh Rabbit slip back. Eh say to isself: “I guine mek Buh Alligatur know wuh call trouble dis day.” Eh trike fire. Eh light one fat pine tick, an eh set fire to de broom-grass all roun an roun de fiel. Buh Alligatur, eh day in de middle fas tersleep. Eh dunno wuh Buh Rabbit up teh. Bimeby de fire, eh biggin fuh roll. Buh Alligatur wake up. Eh see de smoke. Eh yeddy de fire duh commin. Eh dunno wuh fur do. De fire biggin fur bun um. Eh run dis way, de fire meet um. Eh lick back an try tarruh side. De fire meet um day too.

Buh Rabbit, him duh tan off duh watch an duh half kill isself wid laugh. Buh Alligatur holler. Eh holler. Eh holler. Nobody yeddy. Nobody come. Fire ebry side. No way fur um fur go. Eh cant git out. Man! sir! eh mek up eh mine to bus trugh some how. Eh shet eh yeye. Eh cock up eh tail, an yuh eh come straight fur de ribber.

Buh Rabbit, eh fall fur laugh. Eh hoop arter Buh Alligatur, an eh say: “Hey, Budder! wats de time er day? Enty you bin tell me you nebber meet up wid trouble? You run topper um to-day anyhow.”

Buh Alligatur yent hab time fuh mek answer. Eh yent crack eh teet to Buh Rabbit. Eh jis is bex wid um is eh kin be. Eh yeye red. Eh tail swinge. Eh gone fuh de ribber, an eh fall in head ober heel. De water cool um. Eh ketch eh bref. Den eh raise isself on de top er de water an eh holler back to Buh Rabbit: “Nummine, Boy, golong dis time. Me know who mek all dis trouble fur me. Ef me ebber ketch you close dis ribber, me guine larne you how ter come fool long me.”

Buh Rabbit faid Alligatur an ribber tell dis day. From dat day to dis you kin nebber ketch Buh Alligatur sleep fur from de bank; an de fus time eh yeddy bush crack, er anyting mek rackit, eh leggo eberyting an fall right in de water.