Contents ▼▲
Front Matter Uncle Remus Initiates the Boy The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace Mr. Rabbit too Sharp for Mr. Fox The Story of the Deluge Mr. Rabbit Deceives Mr. Fox Mr. Fox is Again Victimized Mr. Fox Outdone by Mr. Buzzard Miss Cow Falls a Victim Mr. Terrapin Appears on Scene Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure Mr. Fox Tackles Old Man Tarrypin The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs Mr. Fox Goes A-Hunting Mr. Rabbit—a Good Fisherman Mr. Rabbit Nibbles Up the Butter Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow How Mr. Rabbit Saved His Meat Mr. Rabbit Meets Match Again Story about the Little Rabbits Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Bear Mr. Bear Catches Mr. Bull-Frog How Mr. Rabbit Lost His Tail Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength Why Mr. Possum Has No Hair The End of Mr. Bear Mr. Fox Gets into Serious Business Mr. Rabbit Raises a Dust A Plantation Witch Jacky-My-Lantern Why the Negro is Black The Sad Fate of Mr. Fox Plantation Proverbs Revival Hymn Camp-Meeting Song Corn-Shucking Song The Plough-Hands' Song Christmas Play-Song Plantation Play-Song A Plantation Chant A Plantation Serenade The Big Bethel Church Time Goes by Turns A Story of the War Jeems Rober'son's Last Illness Uncle Remus's Church Experience Uncle Remus and the Savannah Darkey Turnip Salad as a Text A Confession Uncle Remus with the Toothache The Phonograph Race Improvement In the Role of a Tartar A Case of the Measles The Emigrants As a Murderer His Practical View of Things That Deceitful Jug The Florida Watermelon Uncle Remus Preaches to a Convert As to Education A Temperance Reformer As a Weather Prophet The Old Man's Troubles The Fourth of July

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The Phonograph

"Unc Remus," asked a tall, awkward-looking negro, who was one of a crowd surrounding the old man, "w'at's dish 'ere w'at dey calls de fonygraf—dish yer inst'ument w'at kin holler 'roun' like little chillun in de back yard?"

"I ain't seed um," said Uncle Remus, feeling in his pocket for a fresh chew of tobacco. "I ain't seed um, but I year talk un um. Miss Sally wuz a readin' in de papers las' Chuseday, an' she say dat's it's a mighty big watchyoumaycollum."

"A mighty big w'ich?" asked one of the crowd.

"A mighty big w'atsizname," answered Uncle Remus, cautiously. "I wuzzent up dar close to whar Miss Sarah wuz a readin', but I kinder geddered in dat it wuz one er deze 'ere w'atzisnames w'at you hollers inter one year an it comes out er de udder. Hit's mighty funny unter me how dese fokes kin go an' prognosticate der eckoes inter one er deze yer i'on boxes, an' dar hit'll stay on twel de man comes long an' tu'ns de handle an' let's de fuss come pilin' out. Bimeby dey'll git ter makin' sho' nuff fokes, an' den dere'll be a racket 'roun' here. Dey tells me dat it goes off like one er deze yer torpedoes."

"You year dat, don't you?" said one or two of the younger negroes.

[Illustration] from by

"Dat's w'at dey tells me," continued Uncle Remus. "Dat's w'at dey sez. Hit's one er deze yer kinder w'atzisnames w'at sasses back w'en you hollers at it."

"W'at dey fix um fer, den?" asked one of the practical negroes.

"Dat's w'at I wanter know," said Uncle Remus, contemplatively. "But dat's w'at Miss Sally wuz a readin' in de paper. All you gotter do is ter holler at de box, an' dar's yo' remarks. Dey goes in, an' dar dey er tooken and dar dey hangs on twel you shakes de box, an' den dey draps out des ez fresh ez deze yer fishes w'at you git fum Savannah, an' you ain't got time fer ter look at dere gills, nudder."