"Mist'r Race Hoss settin' on his stump, too, wid Jedge Eagle perch'd 'long side er him an' Ned Dog on de uth'r side.
"Mist'r Bull-finch an' John Mockin' Bird wus de lead'rs er de ban' an' I tell yer dat musick wus sumthin' ter heah sho' nuf.
"Cap'n Goat say dey doan want no musick playin' at der speakin'.
"Brer Bull Frog say: 'Nor, suhree, you git er jug-er-rum an' put hit wit Sis' Ginny Hen's boys up in de gal'ry, long wid Miss Wile Lucy Goose's chilluns, an' you got nuf fuss fur fifty meetin's.'
"Mist'r Tom Cat slap down on his leg an' say, 'Dat's de very thing; dat ef Mist'r Race Hoss git ter th'owin' off too much language, jes' ter git Brer Bull Frog ter start off de Ginny chorus an' he bet Race Hoss won't heah his own se'f talk.'"
Willis moved closer. "Was all of 'em sittin' together, Mammy?"
"Nor, dey wus fur nuf erpart fur bofe uv 'em ter keep der own crowd."
"Where did Brer Mule sit?" Mary Van remembered to ask.
"And where did Uncle Bell Weth'r take the sheep?" put in Willis.
"Brer Mule had bisnes' dat take 'im clean off'n de plantation, honey, an' dat bisnes' keep 'im plum tell 'lection day's ov'r. Yas, Lawd, an' er whole passel er yo' pa's frien's went wid him ter hope 'im ten' ter his bisnes'."
"Did Uncle Bell Weth'r and the sheep go, too?"
"Nor, son, dey jes' nachelly ain' got der mines sot yit, an' dey ain' settin' wid one nur t'other. Dey huddl'd tergeth'r right b'twixt de two, waitin' fur Unk Bell Weth'r ter ring de bell, den all uv 'em gwine move tergeth'r.
"But youall keep er talkin' so much, Mist'r Race Hoss an' Bline Billy gittin' wo' out settin' on dem stumps."
"Dey done start, baby. Bline Billy's ginny chorus jes' er pot'rackin' hard es dey kin, 'caze Brer Bull Frog so full er jug-er-rum, dat he start 'em off too soon. Cose de gooses turn loose soon es de ginnies give de fus 'potter-rack.'
"Cap'n Goat tuk an' whisp'r ter Brer Turkey Buzz'rd ter go tell Jim Duck fur de Lawd sake ter stop de fuss, so Jack Donkey kin speak, 'caze Mist'r Race Hoss wus jes' er speakin' gran' an' gittin' way erhead; an' Cap'n Goat settin' up dar pullin' his whisk'rs an' farely chawin' de een's off. Fin'ly Brer Turkey Buzzard whisper ter Jim Puddle Duck, but Jim Duck sorter deef an' he think Brer Buzzard say fur his fambly ter go he'p 'long de fuss. So he go, he do, an' geth'r 'em up, an' Miss Screech Owel's fokes, too, an' dey starts sich ernuth'r holl'rin' es nobody ain' nuv'r heah befo' nur sense. Cap'n Goat try ter shout out er few wurds, but nobody can' heah er wurd, so Mist'r Durham Cow raise his beller ter try ter hope him, but dat done do no good. Den Mist'r Tom Cat see ef he kin git in er wurd, but nobody wud know he wus talkin' les'n dey see his mouf wurkin'.