Uncle Remus slapped himself on the leg below the knee, and was apparently so serious about it that the little boy laughed loudly. The old man went on:--
"Skeeter zoon en light 'twix' Brer Rabbit shoulder-blades. Den he talk:--
"'B'leeve me er not b'leeve me ef you min' to, but my grandaddy had a big black spot up yer on he back w'ich look lak saddle-mark.'
"_Blip Brer Rabbit tuck hisse'f on de back!_
"Skeeter sail 'roun' en zoon en light down yer beyan de hip-bone. He say he grandaddy got spot down dar.
"_Blip he tuck hisse'f beyan de hip-bone._
"Hit keep on dis a-way," continued Uncle Remus, who had given vigorous illustrations of Brer Rabbit's method of killing mosquitoes while pretending to tell a story, "twel bimeby ole Brer Wolf en ole Sis Wolf dey lissen at Brer Rabbit twel dey 'gun ter nod, en den ole Brer Rabbit en de gal dey sot up dar en kill skeeters right erlong."
"Did he marry Brother Wolf's daughter?" asked the little boy.
"I year talk," replied Uncle Remus, "dat Brer Wolf sont Brer Rabbit wud nex' day dat he kin git de gal by gwine atter 'er, but I ain't never year talk 'bout Brer Rabbit gwine. De day atterwuds wuz mighty long time, en by den Brer Rabbit moughter had some yuther projick on han'."[46]
[41] In these latter days a man with the whimzies, or whimsies, is known simply as a crank.
[42] The information in parentheses is imparted in a low, impressive, confidential tone.
[43] Is it necessary to say that the wiggletail is the embryo mosquito?
[46] This story, the funniest and most characteristic of all the negro legends, cannot be satisfactorily told on paper. It is full of action, and all the interest centres in the gestures and grimaces that must accompany an explanation of Brother Rabbit's method of disposing of the mosquitoes. The story was first called to my attention by Mr. Marion Erwin, of Savannah, and it is properly a coast legend, but I have heard it told by three Middle Georgia negroes.
One night, when the little boy had grown tired of waiting for a story, he looked at Uncle Remus and said:--
"I wonder what ever became of old Brother Tarrypin."
Uncle Remus gave a sudden start, glanced all around the cabin, and then broke into a laugh that ended in a yell like a view-halloo.