XXXII.

BUH LION, BUH RABBIT, BUH FOX, AN BUH ROCCOON.

Buh Lion, him bin keep er bank. Een dat bank him hab chicken, en hog, en sheep. Buh Fox, him marry ter Buh Coon darter. Buh Fox farruh-een-law, him bin er rogue. Buh Coon an Buh Rabbit mek er plan fuh rob Buh Lion bank, an dem usen fuh tek ting outer um ebry now en den, an nobody kin fine out who duh de tief. Buh Fox, Buh Rabbit, an Buh Coon, dem day fas fren, an dem constant keep compny. Buh Rabbit him tell Buh Lion, say him know de man wuh duh rob him bank, but eh yent want talk eh name, an eh vise Buh Lion fuh set steel trap fuh ketch de tief. Buh Lion do es him say, an de nex night, wen Buh Coon, Buh Fox, an Buh Rabbit gone fuh rob de bank gen, Buh Coon, him walk topper de trap an eh ketch um by eh foot. De ting broke Buh Coon leg, an eh hot um berry bad, but eh faid fuh holler, case, ef eh did holler, eh know Buh Lion gwine run day an kill um. So eh leddown an moan, an beg eh fren fuh help um. Buh Fox an Buh Rabbit, dem study ober de ting, an dem mek up dem mine say ef Buh Lion fine Buh Coon een de trap, eh not only gwine kill Buh Coon, but eh will sen an kill all eh fambly. Den dem conclude dat de bes ting fuh do bin dat Buh Fox--wuh bin him son-een-law--mus tek one swode an chop Buh Coon head off an bury um, an dat eh skin Buh Coon an bury eh hide an eh cloze, an leff Buh Coon nekked een de trap, so nobody kin tell who bin ketch.

Buh Fox, him do es dem gree. De nex mornin wen Buh Lion zamine eh trap, eh fine de tief done ketch. Eh call een eh fren fuh consult, but es de body done strip, an eh head done cut off an gone, nobody could mek up eh mine who de tief bin. Buh Lion, him say him gwine fine out who de tief yiz, an who de man wuh cut eh head off an skin um.

Buh Rabbit, him come up bout dis time, an him swade Buh Lion fuh sen fuh one cart, an pit de dead body een um, an leh one er eh han heng ober one side er de cart, an gedder him soldier an pit one gang on de leff han side an de tarruh gang on de right han side, an mek de music go befo, an leh dem all march down de middle er de street een Buh Lion town all de lenk er de street; an ef de soldier yeddy anybody duh scream an duh cry een any one er de house, den de soldier mus go ter dat house an kill ebry body wuh lib day, case dat mus be de fambly er de tief. Buh Lion, him well please, an him gie order, an hab de ting done jes es Buh Rabbit bin plan.

Wen de compny bin er march wid de dead body er de tief een de cart, jes es dem come befo de do er de house way Buh Fox lib, wuh bin marry Buh Roccoon darter, him wife bin er look outer de winder, an eh see eh pa han duh heng ober de side er de cart, an eh know um, an eh holler an scream an fall down an faint way. Den de soldier wuh bin on de right han side er de cart, dem run ter de house way dem yeddy de screamin an de hollerin, an dem bus een de do an gone een fuh kill de whole fambly. Buh Fox, wen eh see wuh happne, tek one knife an eh cut off one er him finger, an eh run to de do, an eh meet de soldier, an eh show um eh han der bleed, an eh tell um say eh bin dis loose one er eh finger, an eh wife dat scade wen eh see wuh happne ter um, dat eh holler an faint way. So Buh Fox fool de soldier, an dem gone back an jine de compny an march on. Dat night dem camp een de en er de street, an halfer de soldier bin on one side de cart, an tarruh half bin on tarruh side duh guade de body er de tief wuh head cut off.

Wen Buh Fox wife come teh, eh spicion say Buh Fox bin know who kill eh pa,--wuh bin Buh Roccoon,--an eh tell eh husbun, Buh Fox, say ef eh dont git eh pa body an bring um ter um dat berry night, eh gwine tell Buh Lion him bliebe de one wuh cut eh farruh--Buh Coon--head off an hide um, duh eh own husbun,--Buh Fox. Buh Fox tell um say him yent know nuttne bout de ting, an eh try fuh swade um no fuh go nigh Buh Lion. Wen eh fine eh wife mine done mek up, an no way fuh him fuh git out cept fuh fetch Buh Coon body ter eh wife, eh gone ter Buh Rabbit fuh vise um an fuh help um. Buh Rabbit, him yeddy all wuh Buh Fox hab fuh say, an den eh say: “Me tell you wuh you do. To-night gwine cole. Dem soldier duh camp der street, an dem yent hab no fire. Dem berry lub rum. Bout middle night you tek you horse an you paint one side er um white, an de tarruh side er um black. You cahr two jug er rum, an you ride ter de camp, an you gie one jug ter de gang er soldier wuh day on de right, an de edder jug ter de tarruh gang wuh day on de leff, an wen dem drunk you kin tek Buh Coon body outer de cart an cahr um home.”

Buh Fox, him wrop him head an yez up so nobody kin know um, an eh paint eh horse one side white an tarruh side black, an eh tek eh two jug er rum an eh ride ter de camp, an eh do dis es Buh Rabbit bin tell um fuh do. De soldier, dem berry glad fuh git de rum. Dem tink two man fetch um,--one duh ride er white horse, an de edder duh ride er black horse. Dem drink tell dem drunk, an den Buh Fox slip way wid Buh Coon body ter eh wife house, an him an eh wife bury um een de gaden same night onbeknowinst ter ebry body.

De nex mornin wen de soldier wake up, de cart day day, but de body done gone. De soldier wuh camp on de leff, dem say de man wuh ride on er white horse mus er tief um; an de soldier wuh camp on de right, dem say de man wuh ride on er black horse him mus er tief um. So Buh Fox cuhfuse dem two gang er soldier, an dem nebber did fine um out.

Buh Rabbit, him scheemy mona all dem tarruh cretur. Him do all dis, an yet him stay fren wid Buh Lion, Buh Fox, an wid Buh Coon fambly.