"Dey's er heap uv de beases done ruint deyse'fs wid dey cuttin's up
an' gwines on," continued Daddy Jake. "Now dar's de Beaver, he usen
fur ter hab er smoove roun' tail des like er 'possum's, wat wuz er
heap handier fur him ter tote dan dat flat tail wat he got now; but
den he wouldn't let de frogs erlone: he des tored down dey houses an'
devilled 'em, till dey 'lowed dey wouldn't stan' it; an' so, one
moonshiny night, wen he wuz er stan'in on de bank uv er mighty
swif'-runnin' creek, ole Brer Bullfrog he hollered at him,
"'Come over! come over!'
"He knowed de water wuz too swiff fur de beaver, but den he 'lowed ter
pay him back fur tearin' down his house. Well, de Beaver he stood dar
er lookin' at de creek, an' by'mby he axes,
"'How deep is it?'
"'Knee-deep, knee-deep,' answered the little frogs. An' de Bullfrogs,
dey kep' er sayin, 'Come over, come over," an' de little frogs kep' er
hollin', 'Jus' knee-deep; jus' knee-deep,' tell de Beaver he pitched
in fur ter swim 'cross; an', gemmun, de creek wuz so deep, an de water
so swiff, tell hit put 'im up ter all he knowed. He had ter strain an'
ter wrestle wid dat water tell hit flattent his tail out same ez er
shobel, an' er little mo'n he'd er los' his life; but hit larnt him er
lesson.
Pages:
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166