Cleverness — Page 4

The little boy sat watching Uncle Remus sharpen his shoe-knife. The old man’s head moved in sympathy with his hands, and he mumbled fragments of a song. Occasionally he would feel of the edge of the blade with his thumb,…

The next time the little boy called on Uncle Remus a bright fire was blazing on the hearth. He could see the light shining under the door before he went into the cabin, and he knew by that sign that…

Uncle Remus chipped the tobacco from the end of a plug, rubbed it between the palms of his hands, placed it in his pipe, dipped the pipe in the glowing embers, and leaned back in his chair, and seemed to…

When the little boy next visited Uncle Remus the cabin was dark and empty and the door shut. The old man was gone. He was absent for several nights, but at last one night the little boy saw a welcome…

To all appearances Daddy Jack had taken no interest in Uncle Remus’s story of the horses’ tails, and yet, as soon as the little boy and Aunt Tempy were through laughing at a somewhat familiar climax, the old African began…

Usually, the little boy, who regarded himself as Uncle Remus’s partner, was not at all pleased when he found the old man entertaining, in his simple way, any of his colored friends; but he was secretly delighted when he called…

The little boy observed that Aunt Tempy was very much interested in Daddy Jack’s story. She made no remarks while the old African was telling it, but she was busily engaged in measuring imaginary quilt patterns on her apron with…

” Could Brother Rabbit pat a tune, sure enough, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy, his thoughts apparently dwelling upon the new accomplishment of Brother Rabbit at which the old man had hinted in his story of Mr. Benjamin Ram.…

” Uncle Remus,” said the little boy, one night shortly after Daddy Jack’s story of the lion’s sad predicament, “mamma says there are no lions in Georgia, nor anywhere in the whole country.” “Tooby sho’ly not, honey; tooby sho’ly not!”…

It seemed that the rainy season had set in in earnest, but the little boy went down to Uncle Remus’s cabin before dark. In some mysterious way, it appeared to the child, the gloom of twilight fastened itself upon the…

After the new-comers had settled themselves in their accustomed places, and ‘Tildy had cast an unusual number of scornful glances at Daddy Jack, who made quite a pantomime of his courtship, Uncle Remus startled them all somewhat by breaking into…

While the negroes were talking of matters which the little boy took little or no interest in, he climbed into Uncle Remus’s lap, as he had done a thousand times before. Presently the old man groaned, and said: “I be…

The little boy was not particularly pleased at the summary manner in which the young Alligators were disposed of; but he was very much amused at the somewhat novel method employed by the Bear to deceive the old Alligator. The…

Daddy Jack appeared to enjoy ‘Tildy’s story as thoroughly as the little boy. “‘E one fine tale. ‘E mekky me lahff tell tear is come in me y-eye,” the old African said. And somehow or other ‘Tildy seemed to forget…

Aunty Tempy did not attempt to conceal the pleasure which Uncle Remus’s praise gave her. She laughed somewhat shyly, and said: “Bless you, Brer Remus! I des bin a-settin’ yer l’arnin’. ‘Sides dat, Chris’mus aint fur off un I ‘speck…

One night the little boy ran into Uncle Remus’s cabin singing: " T-u Turkey, t-u Ti, T-u Turkey Buzzard's eye! " Uncle Remus, Daddy Jack, Aunt Tempy, and ‘Tildy were all sitting around the fire, for the Christmas weather was…

” I year tell er one time,” said ‘Tildy, “w’en ole Mr. Hawk tuck’n kotch Brer Rabbit, but ‘t aint no tale like dem you all bin tellin’.” “Tell it, anyhow, ‘Tildy,” said the little boy. “Well, ‘t aint no…

All this talk about Hawks and Buzzards evidently reminded Daddy Jack of another story. He began to shake his head and mumble to himself; and, finally, when he looked around and found that he had attracted the attention of the…