'
"An' wid dat de Peafowl tuck'n bounct him; an' dar dey had it, er
scrougin' an' peckin an er clawin' uv one nudder; an' somehow, in de
skrummidge, de Owl's eyes dey got skwushed on ter de Peafowl's tail,
an' fur er long time he couldn't see nuffin' 'tall; but de rattlesnake
doctored on him."
"The rattlesnake?" asked Diddie, in horror.
"Hit's true, des like I'm tellin' yer," said Daddy; "hit wuz de
rattlesnake; an' dey's de bes' doctor dey is 'mongst all de beases.
Yer may see him creepin' 'long thu de grass like he don't know
nuffin', but he kin doctor den."
"How does he doctor, Daddy?" asked Dumps.
"Now you chil'en look er hyear," said the old man; "I ain't gwine ter
tell yer all I know 'bout'n de rattlesnake; dar's some things fur ter
tell, and den ergin dar's some things fur ter keep ter yerse'f; an'
wat dey is twix' me an' de rattlesnake, hit's des twix' me'n him; an'
you ain't de fust ones wat want ter know an' couldn't. Yer may ax, but
axin' ain't findin' out den; an', mo'n dat, ef'n I'm got ter be
bothered wid axin' uv questions, den I ain't gwine obstruck yer, dat's
all."
The children begged his pardon, and promised not to interrupt again,
and Daddy Jake continued his story.
"Yes, de rattlesnake doctored on him, an' atter er wile he got so he
could see some uv nights; but he can't see much in de daytime, do; an'
ez fur de Peafowl, he shuck an' he shuck his tail, but dem spots is
dar tell yit! An' wen he foun' he couldn't git 'em off, den he g'un
ter 'ten like he wuz glad uv 'em on dar, and dat wat makes him spread
his tail and ac' so foolish in de spring uv de year.
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