uncle remus-第31节

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〃Hit　was　de　unseasonableness　er　de　hour；　I　speck；〃　said　Uncle　Remus；　dryly。

〃'Pears　unto　me　dat　you　all　chu'ch　deacons　settin'　up　mighty　late　deze　cole　nights。　You'll　be　slippin'　round　arter　hours　some　time　er　nudder；　an　you'll　slip　bodaciously　inter　de　calaboose。　You　mine　w'at　I　tell　you。

〃It's　mighty　cole　wedder；〃　said　Brer　John　Henry；　evidently　wishing　to　change　the　subject。

〃Cole！〃　exclaimed　Uncle　Remus；　〃hit　got　pas'　cole　on　der　quarter　stretch。　You　oughter　come　to　my　house　night　'fo'　las'。　Den　you'd　a　foun'　me　'live　an'　kickin'。〃

〃How's　dat？〃

〃Well；　I　tell　you；　Brer　John　Henry；　de　cole　wuz　so　cole；　an'　de　kiver　wnz　so　light；　dat　I　thunk　I'd　make　a　raid　on　Mars　John's　shingle　pile；　an'　out　I　goes　an　totes　in　a　whole　armful。　Den　I　gits　under　de　kiver　an'　tells　my　ole　'oman　fer　ter　lay　'em　onto　me　like　she　was　roofin'　a　house。　Bimeby　she　crawls　in；　an'　de　shingles　w'at　she　put　on　her　side　fer　ter　kiver　wid；　dey　all　drap　off　on　de　flo'。　Den　up　I　gits　an'　piles　'em　on　agin；　an'　w'en　I　gits　in　bed　my　shingles　draps　off；　an'　dat's　de　way　it　wuz　de　whole　blessid　night。　Fus'　it　wnz　me　up　an'　den　de　ole　'oman；　an'　it　kep'　us　pow'ful　warm；　too；　dat　kinder　exercise。　Oh；　you　oughter　drapt　roun'　'bout　dat　time；　Brer　John　Henry。　You'd　a　year'd　sho'　nuff　cussin'！〃

〃You　don't　tell　me；　Brer　Remus！〃

〃My　ole　'oman　say　de　Ole　Boy　wouldn't　a　foun'　a　riper　nigger；　ef　he　wer'　ter　scour　de　country　fum　Ferginny　ter　de　AIabamt〃

XXI　THE　FOURTH　OF　JULY

UNCLE　REMUS　made　his　appearance　recently　with　his　right　arm　in　a　sling　and　his　head　bandaged　to　that　extent　that　it　looked　like　the　stick　made　to　accompany　the　Centennial　bass…drum。　The　old　man　evidently　expected　an　attack　all　around；　for　he　was　unusually　quiet；　and　fumbled　in　his　pockets　in　an　embarrassed　manner。　He　was　not　mistaken。　The　agricultural　editor　was　the　first　to　open　fire：

〃Well；　you　old　villain！　what　have　you　been　up　to　now？〃

〃It　is　really　singular；〃　remarked　a　commencement　orator；　〃that　not　even　an　ordinary　holiday…a　holiday；　it　seems　to　me；　that　ought　to　arouse　all　the　latent　instincts　of　patriotism　in　the　bosom　of　American　citizens…can　occur　without　embroiling　some　of　our　most　valuable　citizens。　It　is　really　singular　to　me　that　such　a　day　should　be　devoted　by　a　certain　class　of　our　population　to　broils　and　fisticuffs。〃

This　final　moral　sentiment；　which　was　altogether　an　impromptu　utterance；　and　which　was　delivered　with　the　air　of　one　who　addresses　a　vast　but　invisible　audience　of　young　ladies　in　white　dresses　and　blue　sashes；　seemed　to　add　to　the　embarrassment　of　Uncle　Remus；　and　at　the　same　time　to　make　an　explanation　necessary。

〃Dey　ain't　none　er　you　young　w'ite　men　never　had　no　'casion　fer　ter　strike　up　wid　one　er　deze　Mobile　niggers？〃　asked　Uncle　Remus。　'Kaze　ef　you　iz；　den　you　knows　wharbouts　de　devilment　come　in。　Show　me　a　Mobile　nigger；〃　continued　the　old　man；　an　I'll　show　you　a　nigger　dat's　marked　for　de　chain…gang。　Hit　may　be　de　fote　er　de　fif'　er　July；　er　hit　may　be　de　twelf'　er　Jinawerry；　but　w'en　a　Mobile　nigger　gits　in　my　naberhood　right　den　an'　dar　trubble　sails　in　an'　'gages　bode　fer　de　season。　I　speck　rm　ez　fon'　er　deze　Nunited　States　ez　de　nex'　man　w'at　knows　dat　de　Buro　is　busted　up；　but　long　ez　Remus　kin　stan'　on　his　hine　legs　no　Mobile　nigger　can't　flip　inter　dis　town　longer　no　Wes'　P'int　'schushun　an'　boss　'roun'　'mong　de　cullud　fokes。　Dat's　me；　up　an'　down；　an'　I　bonn'　dere's　a　nigger　some'rs　on　de　road　dis　blessid　day　dat's　got　dis　put　away　in　his　'membunce。〃

〃How　did　he　happen　to　get　you　down　and　maul　you　in　this　startling　manner？〃　asked　the　commencement　orator；　with　a　tone　of　exaggerated　sympathy　in　his　voice。

〃Maul　who？〃　exclaimed　Uncle　Remus；　indignantly。　〃Maul　who？　Boss；　de　nigger　dat　mauled　me　ain't　bomded　yit；　an'　dey　er　got　ter　have　anudder　war　'fo　one　is　bomded。〃

〃Well；　what　was　the　trouble？〃

〃Hit　wnz　sorter　dis　way；　boss。　I　wnz　stannin'　down　dere　by　Mars　John　Jeems's　bank；　chattin'　wid　Sis　Tempy；　w'ich　I　ain't　seed　'er　befo'　now　gwine　on　seven　year；　an'　watchin'　de　folks　trompin'　by；　w'en　one　er　deze　yer　slick…lookin'　niggers；　wid　a　bee…gum　hat　an'　a　brass　watch　ez　big　ez　de　head　uv　a　beerbar'l；　come　long　an'　bresh　up　agin　me…so。　Dere　wuz　two　un　um；　an'　dey　went　long　gigglin'　an'　laffin'　like　a　nes'ful　er　yaller…hammers。　Bimeby　dey　come　long　agin　an'　de　smart　Ellick　brush　up　by　me　once　mo'。　Den　I　say　to　myse'f；　'I　lay　I　fetch　you　ef　you　gimme　anudder　invite。'　An'；　sho'　'nuff；　yer　he　come　agin；　an'　dis　time　he　rub　a　piece　er　watermillion　rime　under　my　lef'　year。

〃What　did　you　do？〃

〃Me？　I'm　a　mighty　long…sufferin'　nigger；　but　he　hadn't　no　mo'n　totch　me　'fo'　I　flung　dese　yer　bones　in　his　face。〃　Here　Uncle　Remus　held　up　his　damaged　hand　triumphantly。　〃I　sorter　spramed　my　han'；　boss；　but　dog　my　cats　if　I　don't　bleeve　I　spattered　de　nig　ger's　eyeballs　on　de　groun'；　and　w'en　he　riz　his　count'nence　look　fresh　like　beef…haslett。　I　look　mighty　spindlin'　an'　puny　now；　don't　I；　boss？〃　inqufred　the　old　man；　with　great　apparent　earnestness。

〃Rather。〃

〃Well；　you　des　oughter　see　me　git　my　Affikin　up。　Dey　useter　call　me　er　bad　nigger　long　'fo'　de　war；　an　hit　looks　like　ter　me　dat　I　gits　wnss　an'　wnss。　Brer　John　Henry　say　dat　I　oughter　supdue　my　rashfulness；　an'　I　don't　'spute　it；　but　tu'n　a　Mobile　nigger　loose　in　dis　town；　fote　er　July　or　no　fote　er　July；　an'；　me　er　him；　one　is　got　ter　lan'　in　jail。　Hit's　proned　inter　me。







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