"“He’s jus’ fix it eva’thin’ that Fox, then he’s go down hill towa’ds riva’. It’s fine night, moonlight, an’ he’s jus’ walk ‘long riva’ bank ‘til he’s feel kinda’ tired and sleepy-like--That’s cause he’s wat so much goose. By-um-by he’s come to big one tree what’s stan’ ‘way out ova’ riva’. It’s look like good place to sleep, so he’s clim’ up an fin’ good place to stretch out, an’ by-um-by he’s go sleep. Big moon, it’s yellow, shine jus’ ova’ that Fox, down through limbs what don’ got no leaf on it, and mek good shadow that Fox down in clear wata; it’s jus’ lik’ he’s down tha’ in wata, that Fox."
Tales of the Bark Lodges
Old Coon Sleeps Too Long
A stick of wood in the fire-place burned in tow, and the sparks went flying up the chimney’s black throat. The boy took the poker and drew the other logs closer together. Meanwhile the tall old clock struck off eight resounding peals, finishing with it’s usual whirr.
“Neh-ah, it only said eight, can’t you go on and tell me if that poor Old Coon, hungry as he was, got to eat his fine supper; or did it all burn up while he was taking such a good nap. He made such a great fire, I’m wondering.”
After turning to the boy’s mother, who was sitting near by sewing, and addressing a few words to her in Wyandot, the Old Aunt said:
“No, it’s don’ burn it up, his suppa’. Spec’ he don’ bin so mad if it did. He no bizness lay there an’ go sleep it so good; but he’s jus’ all a time such a smart, it’s jus’ good ‘nough fo’ him. I tole uou lit’l mo’ ‘bout it, then you go bed.
“Well,
“It’s a’ready come up, big moon, down tha’ in east; but it’s jus’ sleepin’ yet, Ol’ Coon. Don’t wake ‘im up, nothin’. By-um-by, up there in rocks, ‘bove where it’s sleepin,’ Ol’ Coon, you cold see ‘em sharp nose an’ sharp eyes too, jus’ ‘roun’ edge of rock, lookin’ down where’s sleep, Ol’ Coon. Then when see he’s sleep good that Coon, Ol’ Fox he’s come down jus’ walkin’ easy, he don’t step on rocks no nothin’, jus’ walk sof’ an’ don’ mek it noise. He’s look all ‘roun’ that Fox, an’ by-um-by he’s see ‘em that six goose foots stickin’ out row in ashes.
“’ah-e-e-e,’ he jus’ sed it easy,’that’s reason he got big fire, Ol’ Coon. I glad I’m fin’ it, an’ I glad I’m come see ‘bout it that big fire. I lik’ ‘em roas’ gooses an’ I could jus’ ‘bout eat ‘em three of it. He’s good one, hunta, my Couzzen; but must a-be it’s heap tired now. Too tired, can’t eat ‘em; well, I eat ‘em that goose.’
“He’s look at that Ol’ Coon all-a-time, but he’s jus’ sleepin’ good now, so Fox he’s jus’ step ‘roun’ easy an’ get stick, an’ scrape ‘way ashes from that gooses. It’s roas’ nice, an’ jus’ smell good. It’s some limbs up there in trees jus’ sque-e-k, but it don’ botha’ him, Ol’ Coon.
“Fox, he’s get busy eat it that goose an’ by-um-by it’s jus’ nothin’ lef’ but pile bones--it’s got lots meat on yet, cause he’s jus’ eat it bes’ part, that Fox. He’s got nuff fo’ he’s eat all of it; jus’ can’t eat no mo’. It’s jus’ sque-e-k all-a-time that limbs, but don’ wake it
up nothin’ that Ol’ Coon.
“When he’s eat all he want, that Fox, he pick up all-a bones an’ put ‘em back in ashes, an’ he’s cova’ all up ‘gen jus’ lik’ it’s don’ botha’ it nothin’; an’ he’s stick in row ‘gen, all that goose foots in ashes, jus’ same lik’ he’s fix it, Ol’ Coon.
“It’s lit’l pile sof’ ashes clos’ by, an’ he’s go there, Ol’ Fox, an’ he’s jus dance all ova’ it, so’s he could fin’ it his tracks, that Ol’ Coon when he’s wake up. He sed it: ‘I think my couzzen he bin glad I come see ‘im, he bin glad I don’ woke ‘im up, cause he’s heap tired.’
“He’s jus’ fix it eva’thin’ that Fox, then he’s go down hill towa’ds riva’. It’s fine night, moonlight, an’ he’s jus’ walk ‘long riva’ bank ‘til he’s feel kinda’ tired and sleepy-like--That’s cause he’s wat so much goose. By-um-by he’s come to big one tree what’s stan’ ‘way out ova’ riva’. It’s look like good place to sleep, so he’s clim’ up an fin’ good place to stretch out, an’ by-um-by he’s go sleep. Big moon, it’s yellow, shine jus’ ova’ that Fox, down through limbs what don’ got no leaf on it, and mek good shadow that Fox down in clear wata; it’s jus’ lik’ he’s down tha’ in wata, that Fox.
“Well, by-um-by up on hill, that Ol’ Coon he’s jus’ wake up in hurry an’ he’s sed: ‘I guess I take good nap, mebbe.’ An’ he’s jus’ stretch he-self an’ look ‘roun’. He’s jus’ think: ‘Well, I got good suppa’ anyhow, must-a-be cook good now.’
“He’s go in hurry ova’ to fire an’ reach out bofe hands an’ ketch holt goose foots to lif’it out of ashes. He’s jus’ lif kind-a hard, lik’ it’s heavy, an’ he’s jus’ tumble back an’ roll ova’ holdin’ that goose foots in his hand. He’s jus’ feel lik’ funny, an’ he say: ‘I guess it’s cook too much, my suppa’.”
“He’s get up an’ go ova’ there fire ‘gen, an’ take it out that otha’ goose-foots one at time. He’s don’ know that’s mattah, an’ he’s jus’ look lik’ funny’ eva’ time he’s take it out that goose-foots; then he’s take stick an’ scrape ‘way that ashes, an’ don’ fin’ nothin’ jus’ pile bones with lit’l bit meat on it. He’s jus’ much mad, an’ he’s sed it:
“ ‘He’s jus’ bin here, some ;azy thief an steal it my supper. I jus’ like to seen it, I bet I bust ‘im his nose. I jus’ like to fin’ out who done it, I bet I poun’ it goos. Must-a-be it’s that Ol’ Fox, he’s the one. He’s jus’ think he’s get even fo’ that craw-fishin’ I tol’ ‘im how to do it. ‘At jus’ joke, that one. It’s m-e-a-n trick, this one. It’s a’ right for him, jus’ wait I ketch ‘im, I poun’ ‘im an’ lick ‘im good, I don’ care fo’ hund’ed snakes, how much he’s holler, when I fin’ ‘im.’ He’s jus’ get madda’ all time that Ol’ Coon, an’ he’s jus’ shake his fist at those limb up in trees, an’ sed: ‘ What fo’ you don’ do it like I sed it, wake me up when I sleep it? I tole you that way, ain’t it?’ He’s jus’ pickin’ meat off those bone, while he’s scold it that limbs, an’ he’s jus mad like eva’thing. He’s jus’ scold som’ mo’ that limb, and sed it:
“ ‘What fo’ you don’ keep still now, you don’ have to mek noise, you jus’ mek me mad all a time. If don’ stop you mekin’ noise, I come up tha’ when I finish pick this bones, an’ I mek you stop.’ That limb he’s jus’ keep on squeek, sqe-e-e-k, all-a-time, an’ it’s so mad that Ol’ Coon jus’ hurry and’ eat that bones, so he could go up an’ whip it
those limb.
“When he’s get thro’ eatin’ that bone, he jus’ look ‘roun’ and’ by-um-by he’s fin’ it that place where he’s dance, Ol’ Fox. Ol’ Coon he’s fin’ it that tracks, an’ when he’s look at it, he’s jus’ m-a-d, som’ mo’, an’ sed it: ‘I jus’ come up tha’ ’an’ I fix it you fellas.’ So he’s jus’ go up that trees ‘til he’s come to that place where that limb it’s kin’ a broke, an’ it’s in fork, an’ wind it’s blow an’ jus’ make it that noise where it’s rub. Ol’ Coon, he’s jus’ take hold that big limb with bofe han’s an’ he’s jus’ goin’ throw down. He’s so mas he don’t see that mebbe so might pinch ‘im that limbs, cause it’s jus’ swing. Fust he’s know it’s just ketch ‘im his hand, that limb, an’ just pinch ‘im tight. Oh’ it’s hurt like eva’thing. He’s jus’ pull an’ pull, that Coon, an’ jus’ make it worse. By-um-by he’s pull it out; but it’s hurt b-a-d his hand. He’s sure get hard time, that Ol’ Coon. He’s jus’ slip off try to sleep mebbe.”
