Chapter 19 - Myths and Legends of the Old Plantation by Joel Harris

THE MOON IN THE MILL - POND

One night when the little boy made his usual visit to Uncle Remus, he found the old man sitting up in his chair fast asleep. The child said nothing. He was prepared to exercise a good deal of patience upon occasion, and the occasion was when he wanted to hear a story. But, in making himself comfortable, he aroused Uncle Remus from his nap.

“I let you know, honey,” said the old man, adjusting his spectacles, and laughing rather sheepishly,-“I let you know, honey, w’en I gits my head r’ar’d back dat a-way, en my eyeleds shot, en my mouf open, en my chin p’intin’ at de rafters, den dey’s some mighty quare gwines on in my min’. Dey is dat, des ez sho’ ez youer settin’ dar. W’en I fus’ year you comin’ down de paf,” Uncle Remus continued, rubbing his beard thoughtfully, “I ’uz sorter fear’d you mought ’spicion dat I done gone off on my journeys fer ter see olé man Nod.”

This was accompanied by a glance of inquiry, to which the little boy thought it best to respond.

“Well, Uncle Remus,” he said, “I did think I heard you snoring when I came in.”

“Now you see dat!” exclaimed Uncle Remus, in a tone of grieved astonishment; “you see dat! Man can’t lean hisse’f ’pun his ’membunce, ‘ceppin’ dey’s some un fer ter come high-primin’ ‘roun’ en ‘lowin’ dat he done gone ter sleep. Shoo! W’en you stept in dat do’ dar I ’uz right in ’mungs some mighty quare notions-mighty quare notions. Dey aint no two ways; ef I uz ter up en let on ’bout all de notions w’at I gits in ’mungs, folks ’ud hatter come en kyar me off ter de place whar dey puts ’stracted people.

“Atter I sop up my supper,” Uncle Remus went on, “I tuck’n year some flutterments up dar ’mungs de rafters, en I look up, en dar wuz a Bat sailin’ ‘roun’. ‘Roun’ en ‘roun’, en ‘roun’ she go-und’ de rafters, ‘bove de rafters-en ez she sail she make noise lak she grittin’ ’er toofies. Now, w’at dat Bat atter, I be bless ef I kin tell you, but dar she wuz; ‘roun’ en ‘roun’, over en under. I ax ’er w’at do she want up dar, but she aint got no time fer ter tell; ‘roun’ en ‘roun’, en over en under. En bimeby, out she flip, en I boun’ she grittin’ ’er toofies en gwine ‘roun’ en ‘roun’ out dar, en dodgin’ en flippin’ des lak de elements wuz full er rafters en cobwebs.

“W’en she flip out I le’nt my head back, I did, en ’t wa’n’t no time ‘fo’ I git mix up wid my notions. Dat Bat wings so limber en ’er will so good dat she done done ’er day’s work dar ‘fo’ you could ’er run ter de big house en back. De Bat put me in min’ er folks,” continued Uncle Remus, settling himself back in his chair, “en folks put me in min’ er de creeturs.”

Immediately the little boy was all attention.

“Dey wuz times,” said the old man, with something like a sigh, “w’en de creeturs ‘ud segashuate tergedder des like dey aint had no fallin’ out. Dem wuz de times w’en olé Brer Rabbit ’ud ’ten ’lak he gwine quit he ’havishness, en dey’d all go ‘roun’ des lak dey b’long ter de same fambly connexion.

“One time atter dey bin gwine in cohoots dis a-way, Brer Rabbit ’gun ter feel his fat, he did, en dis make ‘im git projecky terreckly. De mo’ peace w’at dey had, de mo’ wuss Brer Rabbit feel, twel bimeby he git restless in de min’. W’en de sun shine he’d go en lay off in de grass en kick at de gnats, en nibble at de mullen stalk en waller in de san’. One night atter supper, w’iles he ‘uz romancin’ ‘roun’, he run up wid olé Brer Tarrypin, en atter dey shuck han’s dey sot down on de side er de road en run on ’bout olé times. Dey talk en dey talk, dey did, en bimeby Brer Rabbit say it done come ter dat pass whar he bleedz ter have some fun, en Brer Tarrypin ’low dat Brer Rabbit des de ve’y man he bin lookin’ fer.

“‘Well den,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, ’we’ll des put Brer Fox, en Brer Wolf, en Brer B’ar on notice, en termorrer night we’ll meet down by de mill-pon’ en have a little fishin’ frolic. I’ll do de talkin’,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, ‘en you kin set back en say yea,’ sezee.

“Brer Tarrypin laugh.

“‘Ef I aint dar,’ sezee, ’den you may know de grasshopper done fly ’way wid me,’ sezee.

“‘En you neenter bring no fiddle, n’er,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, ’kaze dey aint gwineter be no dancin’ dar,’ sezee.

“Wid dat,” continued Uncle Remus, “Brer Rabbit put out fer home, en went ter bed, en Brer Tarrypin bruise ‘roun’ en make his way todes de place so he kin be dar ’gin de ’p’inted time.

“Nex’ day Brer Rabbit sont wud ter de yuther creeturs, en dey all make great ’miration, kaze dey aint think ’bout dis deyse’f. Brer Fox, he ’low, he did, dat he gwine atter Miss Meadows en Miss Motts, en de yuther gals.

“Sho’ nuff, w’en de time come dey wuz all dar. Brer B’ar, he fotch a hook en line; Brer Wolf, he fotch a hook en line; Brer Fox, he fotch a dip-net, en Brer Tarrypin, not ter be outdone, he fotch de bait.”

“What did Miss Meadows and Miss Motts bring?” the little boy asked.

Uncle Remus dropped his head slightly to one side, and looked over his spectacles at the little boy.

“Miss Meadows en Miss Motts,” he continued, “dey tuck’n stan’ way back fum de aidge er de pon’ en squeal eve’y time Brer Tarrypin shuck de box er bait at um. Brer B’ar ’low he gwine ter fish fer mud-cats; Brer Wolf ’low he gwine ter fish fer horneyheads; Brer Fox ’low he gwine ter fish fer peerch fer de ladies; Brer Tarrypin ’low he gwine ter fish fer minners, en Brer Rabbit wink at Brer Tarrypin en ’low he gwine ter fish fer suckers.

“Dey all git ready, dey did, en Brer Rabbit march up ter de pon’ en make fer ter th’ow he hook in de water, but des ’bout dat time hit seem lak he see sump’n’. De t’er creeturs, dey stop en watch his motions. Brer Rabbit, he drap he pole, he did, en he stan’ dar scratchin’ he head en lookin’ down in de water.

“De gals dey ’gun ter git oneasy w’en dey see dis, en Miss Meadows, she up en holler out, she did:

“‘Law, Brer Rabbit, w’at de name er goodness de marter in dar?’

“Brer Rabbit scratch he head en look in de water. Miss Motts, she hilt up ’er petticoats, she did, en ’low she monst’us fear’d er snakes. Brer Rabbit keep on scratchin’ en lookin’.

“Bimeby he fetch a long bref, he did, en he ’low:

“’Ladies en gentermuns all, we des might ez well make tracks fum dish yer place, kaze dey aint no fishin’ in dat pon’ fer none er dish yer crowd.’

“Wid dat, Brer Tarrypin, he scramble up ter de aidge en look over, en he shake he head, en ’low:

“‘Tooby sho’-tooby sho’! Tut-tut-tut!’ en den he crawl back, he did, en do lak he wukkin’ he min’.

“‘Don’t be skeert, ladies, kaze we er boun’ ter take keer un you, let come w’at will, let go w’at mus’,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. ’Accidents got ter happen unter we all, des same ez dey is unter yuther folks; en dey aint nuthin’ much de marter, ‘ceppin’ dat de Moon done drap in de water. Ef you don’t b’leeve me you kin look fer yo’se’f,’ sezee.

“Wid dat dey all went ter de bank en lookt in; en, sho’ nuff, dar lay de Moon, a-swingin’ an’ a-swayin’ at de bottom er de pon’.”

The little boy laughed. He had often seen the reflection of the sky in shallow pools of water, and the startling depths that seemed to lie at his feet had caused him to draw back with a shudder.

“Brer Fox, he look in, he did, en he ’low, ‘Well, well, well!’ Brer Wolf, he look in, en he ’low, ‘Mighty bad, mighty bad!’ Brer B’ar, he look in, en he ’low, ‘Tum, tum, tum!’ De ladies dey look in, en Miss Meadows she squall out, ‘Aint dat too much?’ Brer Rabbit, he look in ag’in, en he up en ’low, he did:

“’Ladies en gentermuns, you all kin hum en haw, but less’n we gits dat Moon out er de pon’, dey aint no fish kin be ketch ‘roun’ yer dis night; en ef you’ll ax Brer Tarrypin, he’ll tell you de same.’

“Den dey ax how kin dey git de Moon out er dar, den Brer Tarrypin ’low dey better lef’ dat wid Brer Rabbit. Brer Rabbit he shot he eyes, he did, en make lak he wukkin’ he min’. Bimeby, he up’n ’low:

“‘De nighes’ way out’n dish yer diffikil is fer ter sen’ ‘roun’ yer to olé Mr. Mud-Turkle en borry his sane, en drag dat Moon up fum dar,’ sezee.

“’I ‘clar’ ter gracious I mighty glad you mention dat,’ says Brer Tarrypin, sezee. ’Mr. Mud-Turkle is setch clos’t kin ter me dat I calls ‘im Unk Muck, en I lay ef you sen’ dar atter dat sane you won’t fine Unk Muck so mighty disaccomerdatin’.’

“Well,” continued Uncle Remus, after one of his tantalizing pauses, “dey sont atter de sane, en w’iles Brer Rabbit wuz gone, Brer Tarrypin, he ’low dat he done year tell time en time ag’in dat dem w’at fine de Moon in de water en fetch ’im out, lakwise dey ull fetch out a pot er money. Dis make Brer Fox, en Brer Wolf, en Brer B’ar feel mighty good, en dey ’low, dey did, dat long ez Brer Rabbit been so good ez ter run atter de sane, dey ull do de sanein’.

“Time Brer Rabbit git back, he see how de lan’ lay, en he make lak he wanter go in atter de Moon. He pull off he coat, en he ‘uz fixin’ fer ter shuck he wescut, but de yuther creeturs dey ’low dey wa’n’t gwine ter let dryfoot man lak Brer Rabbit go in de water. So Brer Fox, he tuck holt er one staff er de sane, Brer Wolf he tuck holt er de yuther staff, en Brer B’ar he wade ‘long behime fer ter lif’ de sane ’cross logs en snags.

“Dey make one haul-no Moon; n’er haul-no Moon; n’er haul-no Moon. Den bimeby dey git out furder fum de bank. Water run in Brer Fox year, he shake he head; water run in Brer Wolf year, he shake he head; water run in Brer B’ar year, he shake he head. En de fus’ news you know, w’iles dey wuz a-shakin’, dey come to whar de bottom shelfed off. Brer Fox he step off en duck hisse’f; den Brer Wolf duck hisse’f; en Brer B’ar he make a splunge en duck hisse’f; en, bless gracious, dey kick en splatter twel it look lak dey ’uz gwine ter slosh all de water outer de mill-pon’.

“W’en dey come out, de gals ‘uz all a-snickerin’ en a-gigglin’, en dey well mought, ‘kaze go whar you would, dey wa’n’t no wuss lookin’ creeturs dan dem; en Brer Rabbit, he holler, sezee:

“’I ’speck you all, gents, better go home en git some dry duds, en n’er time we’ll be in better luck,’ sezee. ’I hear talk dat de Moon’ll bite at a hook ef you take fools fer baits, en I lay dat ’s de onliest way fer ter ketch ‘er,’ sezee.

“Brer Fox en Brer Wolf en Brer B’ar went drippin’ off, en Brer Rabbit en Brer Tarrypin, dey went home wid de gals.”