It had
been thirty years or more since Daddy Jake had done any work. He had a
very comfortable cabin; and although his wives (for the old man had
been married several times) were all dead, and many of his children
were now old and infirm, he had a number of grandchildren and
great-grand-children who attended to his wants; and then, too, his
master cared very particularly for his comfort, and saw that Daddy
Jake had good fires, and that his clothes were kept clean and mended,
and his food nicely cooked; so the old man passed his days in peace
and quiet.
The children found him now lying stretched out on a bench in front of
his cabin, while Polly, his great-grand-daughter, was scratching and
"looking" his head.
"We've come for you to tell us about the Owl, Daddy," said Diddie,
after she had given the old man some cake and a bottle of muscadine
wine that her mother had sent to him.
"All right, little misses," replied Daddy; and, sitting up on the
bench, he lifted Tot beside him, while Diddie and Dumps sat on the
door-sill, and Dilsey and Chris and Riar and Polly sat flat on the
ground.
"Well, yer see de Owl," began Daddy Jake, "he usen fur ter see in de
daytime des same ez he do now in de night; an' one time he wuz in his
kitchen er cookin' uv his dinner, wen hyear come de Peafowl er
struttin' by.
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