XXIII.

BUH RABBIT AN DE TARRUH BEASTISES.

All de animel conjunct togedder fuh buil house an gedder dem winter perwision. Buh Rabbit prommus fuh help, but wen dem call pon um fuh help tote de pole and de bresh, him mek scuse, say him wife berry sick and him bleege fuh tay home an nuss um. All dis bin a lie. Buh Rabbit, him scheemy an lazy. Eh always ready fuh mek big brag bout wuh him gwine do, but eh nebber does come up ter eh wud. Eh hate fuh wuk, an eh lub fuh lib offer tarruh people labuh.

Wen de house done buil, de animel, dem fetch ebry man eh own perwision, an pack um way een eh own place way eh kin git um wen fros fall, an de grass done dead, an de tree done drap eh leaf an eh fruit. De Possum, him bring an pile up pussimmun. De Squirle fetch eh hickry not an eh acorn. De Deer, de Elephant, de Cow, dem gedder an pack way grass an leaf. De Lion and de Tiger an de Wolf an all dem animel wuh lib offer meat, dem ketch dem meat and dry um, an bring um an pit um way een de house. De Bud, dem bring dem seed an dem wurrum. De Cooter, him hab him corner too, an eh full um long him bittle. Wen ebry body done gedder eh perwision, dem shet de do an gone ter dem house fuh ten ter dem bidness an wait tel winter come, wen dem gwine lib offer wuh dem bin pit way. Buh Rabbit, him bin a dodge bout way nobody kin shum, duh notus wuh gwine on, an bin a mek eh plan.

Soon es de house full, an de do shet, an ebry body leff, eh slip een de house an pit eh yeye on ebry ting, an mek up eh mine fuh lib topper wuh all dem people bin gedder. Eh fix one bed fur ehself. Eh gedder water in piggin an calabash fuh lass um, an den eh git two oncommon big horn, an eh gone eenside an fassen up de do, an mek ehself saterfy. Eh lib day, eh eat, eh sleep, eh pledjur ehself, an eh fine eh bittle right ter eh han. Dis wuh Buh Rabbit lub. Nuttne mek um so merry es to lib offer tarruh people.

Fros fall, an de animel biggin fuh tink bout dem perwision wuh dem bin lay up een de house. Fus come de Deer, an eh try fuh open de do fuh git ter him pile er grass. De do fastne. Buh Deer couldnt mek out how dat. Eh knock ter de do. Eh knock. Eh knock. Bimeby Buh Rabbit--wuh bin a yeddy um all de time--tek eh horn, an eh talk tru um fuh mek er woice big, an eh say: “Wudduh dat?” Buh Deer, him sorter skittish, an eh faid fuh trus ehself, an de big woice kinder skade um, but eh mek out fuh answer: “Duh me, Buh Deer.” Den Buh Rabbit talk tru eh horn: “Wuh you want yuh, anyhow?” Buh Deer answer: “Me want fuh come een fuh git me bittle wuh me bin pit way fuh me fuh eat der winter.” Buh Rabbit answer loud tru eh horn: “You cant come een.” Buh Deer quire: “Who you day eenside?” Den Buh Rabbit tek eh biggis horn, an eh holler tru um so loud eh mek de house shake: “Better man den ebber bin yuh befo.”

De woice so sewere Buh Deer skade, an eh leff, an eh gone tell all dem tarruh animel say big Sperit gone tek de house way dem perwision done gedder. De animel stonish, an dem all conclude fuh go een gang ter de house an fine out wuh de ting yiz. Wen dem all gedder, dem tell de Lion--wuh bin de king beast--fuh quire bout who day eenside. Buh Lion, him gone ter de do. All de beastises tan roun fuh yeddy wuh gwine happne. Buh Lion knock. No answer. Eh knock gen. No answer. Den eh say: “Who duh dat day een yuh?” Buh Rabbit graff eh big horn, an eh answer back tru um wid all eh strenk: “Better man den ebber bin yuh befo.” De woice soun so outlandish, an eh come wid sich er big noise, de beastises all conclude wuh Buh Deer bin tell dem bin so, an dat de Sperit, him bin tek persession er de house. Dem faid fuh bus een de do, an dem all gree fuh leff. Dem did leff, an dem yent fine out tel dis day dat eh been Buh Rabbit wuh fool um, an dat no Sperit bin day none tall.