XXXV.

DE OLE MAN AN DE COON.

One time er rich Buckra hab er senserble ole man serbant wuh come from Afreka. Dis ole nigger bin know ebryting bout ebryting. Nobody could tun um wid questun. Eh Mossa try um heap er time, an eh ebber did mek right answer. Eh fren try um too, an dem nebber ketch um duh miss. De Buckra brag heaby on de ole man, an berry offne eh win bet topper um. One day de Buckra man gen er big dinner, an eh eenwite heap er fren ter him house. Eh lay er wager say nobody kin ax eh ole serbant er questun wuh him couldnt answer, an eh gie eh fren lief fuh try de ole man any fashion dem want. De money pit up, an de fren call one boy, wuh bin er wuk bout de lot, an dem sen um der wood fuh ketch one coon. De boy gone wid eh dog. Wen dinner done ober, an de gentlemans duh set een de piazza duh talk, de boy come back wid er roccoon. Dem call fuh er barrel, an dem tek de coon an pit um een an head um up complete, so nobody kin see wuh day eenside.

Den dem sen fuh de ole Afreka nigger. Eh bin er hoe cotton der fiel, an nobody bin tell um wuh mek dem sen fuh um. Eh come; an den eh Mossa say: “Ole man, we sen fuh you fuh tell we wuh day een dis barrel.” De ole man look at um, an walk roun um, an notus um close, an listne fuh see ef eh could yeddy anyting duh mobe. All de gentlemans duh watch um. Wen de ole man mek up eh mine eh couldnt fine out wuh day een de barrel, eh stop, eh study, eh cratch eh head, an den eh mek answer: “Mossa, hoona done head de ole coon dis time.”

Eh no bin know say him bin er speak er true wud bout wuh bin een de barrel. Eh bin er talk bout ehself wen eh say dem bin head de ole coon dis time, but eh Mossa an de tarruh gentlemans no know, and dem all gie de ole man big praise. Eh Mossa win de bet, an eh share de silber money wid de ole man.