XXXI.

DE KING AN EH RING.

One time dere was a King wuh bin done git marry, an eh bin hab one fine Ring wuh him bin call eh gagement Ring. Dat King, him bin hab tree serbant wuh wait bout him table, an clean him shoes, an do wuhebber him want um fuh do. Dem bin tek tun een clean de shoes. One clean um one mornin, anurrur one clean um nex mornin, an de edder one clean um de nex. One er dem serbant tief de King Ring. De King try fuh fine out which one er de tree bin tek um, an eh fail. Dem wunt tell topper one anurrur, an de ting bodder de King berry bad. Eh faid say ef eh cant git back eh gagement Ring all eh good luck gwine leff um. Eh call een eh fren an wise man fuh help um pint out de tief an fine dat Ring, an dem cant.

One day de King notus er strange man duh walk bout him gaden, an eh sen an hab um brung ter um. Wen eh questun um, de man tell um say him bin a po man, an dat eh mek eh libbin by cunjur. De King tell um eh bin dis de man eh duh hunt fur, an eh want um fuh fine eh Ring. Eh mek um quaintun bout wen de Ring tuk, an who eh tink tief um; an eh say eh gwine gie um fibe day time fuh pint out de man wuh bin tek de Ring, an mek um tun um. Mo na dat, eh prommus um big money ef eh git back de Ring widin de fibe day; but eh treaten um fuh kill um ef eh fail fuh fine um eenside dat time. Eh charge eh serbant fuh tek good care er de conjur man, an feed um high.

De rale name er dis cunjur man bin _Robin_, but him yent bin gib dis name ter de King.

De cunjur man try fuh fine out de tief, but eh miss. Four day gone, an de Ring yent fine. De cunjur man, him berry sad, an eh faid say eh gwine fail, an de King gwine tek eh head off.

De mornin ob de fibe day de King git up soon, an pledjur ehself by tek er walk een eh gaden. Wile eh duh tan onder one berry tree, one robin-red-bres, wuh bin er eat de berry, choke an fall der groun. De King pick um up, an eh dead in eh han. Den eh tek um, an wrop um up een eh henkerchef, an pit um een eh hat. Eh sen fuh de cunjur man, an eh tell um eh time mose out, an dat ef eh no fine de Ring by sundown eh gwine kill um. Eh say ter um, moöber, dat eh doubt um, an dat eh yent bliebe eh kin cunjur none tall; dat ef eh kin cunjur eh mus tell um right off wuh eh got een him hat. De cunjur man so skade eh yent say nuttne cept pity ehself, an say: “Po Robin! Po Robin!” De King tek um say eh bin mean de bud, an eh confidance rise, an eh mek answer: “You right, me yiz hab one robin een me hat; an becase you tell true, me gwine gie you six day mo fuh fine out who tief de Ring.” De cunjur man rale glad, an de ting mek de King an all eh fren an de serbant bliebe say eh kin cunjur fur true. De tree serbant wuh bin een cohoot fuh tief de Ring, an wuh bin know all bout um, biggin fuh faid say dem bin gwine fuh git fine out.

De nex mornin, wen one er dem serbant come down wid de King shoes, de cunjur man pint eh finger at um an eh say: “You duh one er de tief.” De man look condemn, but eh mek answer, say: “Him yent.” De nex mornin wen de tarrur serbant fetch de King shoes down fuh clean um, de cunjur man pint him finger at um an eh say: “You duh nudder one er dem tief.” De man rale skade, but eh schway say him yent know nuttne bout de Ring. De nex mornin wen de edder serbant duh clean de King shoes, de cunjur man gone up ter um an pint eh finger right een eh face, an eh say: “You duh de tird man wuh know bout dis Ring an help fuh tief um.” De man yeye fall, but him wouldnt confess.

Dat same ebenin all tree dem serbant, dem come ter de cunjur man an fetch de Ring, an confess say dem been tek um, an dem bague de cunjur man fuh fix plan fuh clear dem. Him so glad him git de Ring him prommus fuh do dist as dem say. So eh tell dem fuh fetch one big tukrey-gobbler ter um. Dem gone an ketch de biggis een de gang, an brung um ter de cunjur man. Eh tek de Ring an eh mix um long cornflour, an eh poke em een de tukrey-gobbler craw. Den eh mark de bud so him kin know um gen, an eh tun um loose.

De cunjur man, him gone right off ter de King, an eh tell um say him kin pint out way de Ring day. De King, him berry glad, an eh collec all him fren fuh see de cunjur man pint out de Ring. Wen dem all gedder, de conjur man, him ax de King fuh hab all him tukrey dribe befo um. De King him do so, an as de tukrey bin er walk pass, de conjur man pint out one big tukrey-gobbler an tell de King say him hab de Ring een him craw. Wid dat, de King mek one er him serbant ketch de gobbler an rip open eh craw, an day, sho nuff, was de Ring. De King, him bin so rejoice eh gib high praise ter de cunjur man, an eh gie um big money, an mek um rich. De tree serbant too, wuh bin de tief, dem so happy cause de cunjur man yent spose dem ter de King dat dem mek present ter um too, an bin eh fren all dem life.