"“Mebbe so, it’s too much sharp my bill’, it’s sed it that wood-pecker bird. ‘I pick ‘em prit hard, but I see what I do, I don’ hurt you, I can he’p it.’ So it’s go to work, wood-pecker bird, jus’ set on end his nose, that Fox, an’ pick ‘em e-e-a-s-y as can, but it’s sure make ‘im come blood, cause it’s sh-a-r-p that wood-pecker bird, his bill. Well, that Fox he could see how open it his eye, prit’ soon an’ jus’ looks good to him, eva’thing. That lit’l bird tell ‘im to washin’ his face good in riva’."
Tales of the Bark Lodges
Old Fox Meets His Cousin
It had been snowing, and outside a keen, sharp north wind was rioting everywhere. The Boy, having finished his evening chores, came in with some hickory logs for the fire-place.
The fire-light alone lit up the rooom, and the old brass andirons glinted in its glow.l Neh-ah was sitting in her usual place, and the Boy, taking his, said:
“Neh-ah, this is a fine evening for some more stories about Old Fox and Old Coon. I know it is so cold outside that no snakes or grass-hoppers or anything else will hear you telling them.”
“Yooht! What fo’ you don’t get tired hear ‘em ol’ story? Jus’ seem like you want it all a time, ol’ story. Guess you betta’ go you’ Uncl’ Jim, Canada, cause he could tole you that kin’ Injun story, all kin’ ‘til you get tired to lis’n. Long ‘go when we all young folks, we go down Gram’ma Hunt, his house, winta’ time, an’ jus’ lis’n to ol’ story, lots of ‘em. Was bes’ one to tell ‘em story, Gram’ma Hunt. Neva’ did get tired to lis’n, an’ he’s jus’ lik’ it to tole us that kin’ too. Only was some kin’ story jus’ fo’ ol’ folks, he don’ tole to us that ones.
“What ‘bout I tole you las’ time? Oh, yes, Ol’ Coon he’s los’ it his good gooses suppa’, an’ Ol’ Fox he’s bin fill up plenty.
“Well, seems like when Ol Coon so mad an’ mek that big talk ‘bout how he’s lick ‘im that Fox, he’s heard ‘im sed it, that Mista’ Skunk; so that Skunk, he’s jus’ go right now an’ tole ‘im ‘bout it that Fox what he’s sed it that Coon, how he’s goin’ lick ‘im. Then he mad, that Fox, and he tell ‘im Skunk: ‘You jus’ see, I lick that Coon, myself, fust time I seen it.’
“He’ don’ had no chance fo’ few day tho’, cause that Coon he’s jus’ stay at home, cause it’s bad sore, his hand.
“One night, it’s kin’a late late, that Coon he’s think, ‘I guess I go ketch ‘em crawfish.’ So he’s go down by riva’ an’ ketch ‘em good many, take ‘em his lodge an’ have good suppa’. He don’ take it no naps this time.
“When he’s done his suppa’ he’s jus’ think, ‘I take lit’l walk cause don’ bin no where, long time.’ So he’s start out ‘long riva bank. Eva’thing jus’ seem like good to that Ol Coon, he’s jus’ like happy, an’ jus’ keep on goin’. By-um-by he’s get sleep like, an’ jus’ wish he’s back his lodge; but it’s long ways, so he sed it: ‘I fin’ some place take nap.’ Right that time he’s come ‘long clos’ by that big tree what he’s seen it Ol’ Fox. Jus’ grow leanin’ ova’ wata.’ Ol’ Coon, he’s think it goood place, so he’s clim’ up in lit’l fork limp. He’s jus’ fix good ‘bout go sleep, an’ he’s hear somethin’.
“it’s bog moon yet, an” jus’ bright. Ol’ Coon he’s look down riva’-bank an’ he’s see it comin’ Ol Fox, jus’ trot ‘long trail. He’s jus’ keep still, Ol’ Coon, like he’s sleep; but he’s look straight down unda him an’ he’s see his shadow in wata’, looks jus’ like him. He’s look at that Ol’ Fox an’ he’s lookin’ at that shadow , too. He’s jus’ lookin’ m-a-d, an’ Ol’ Coon he’s hear him sed it, Ol’ Fox: ‘Here it is that Coon , in wata’ lookin’ fo’ craw-fish now. I jus’ slip up an’ jump on ‘im give ‘im lickin’.’ So, Fox he’s jus’ slip up edge riva’-bank, eye jus’ snappin’. He jus’ mek big jump down in wata’ where he think it that Coon. He jus’ make it b-i-g splosh, an’ prit’ soon come up top wata’ an’ he’s jus’ sputtah an’ blow b-i-g, jus’ like almos’ choke’im. Then he’s hear that Coon up in tree jus’ laff l-o-u-d, an’ say: ‘Hey Couzzen, it’s early to swim, ain’t it? I hear Gran’fatha Turtle he sed it, you mustn’t jump when you don’ look, an’ you mustn’t be too hurry.’
“That Fox he’s crawl out on bank an’ he’s jus’ sheever. He don’ sed nothin’, jus’ commence pick up stick an’ brushes an’ pile it foot of tree, lit’l ways clos’ to mek fire. He’s put l-o-t-s stick an’ mek it big fire, an’ when it’s burn good, he’s jus’ sit down foot that tree, that Fox, jus’ like he stay there’ till he’s come down tree, that Coon.
“Prit’ soon, Coon he’s sed it: ‘My Couzzen, sure you not goin’ set tha’ long time. You coat lots wet, mebbe so ketch ‘em bad cold. I glad to come down talk to upi, mebbe so gif some my tobacco to smoke, cause must-a-be wet yours afta’ you jump in riva’. I spec’ I stay here tho’, it’ best one, cause I could see good up this tree. Mebbe so somebody comin’ long to botha’ you, I seen it an’ tole you ‘bout it.’
“Ol’ Fox he don’ sed nothin’, jus’ set by fire, back up ‘gainst tree, an’ jus’ keep it shut, his mouth. It’s hard work tho’, that kin’. That Coon he could drop in wata’ an’ get ‘way; but he’s jus’ think he’s stay in tree an’ talk an’ foolish ‘im his couzzen. By-um-by, he sed it: ‘Well, I sleep it lit’l bit now.’ So, he’s curl up an’ sleep it.
“Afta’ long time he’s woke up. it’s shine bright, big moon, ‘way high. he’s look down an’ its settin’ by tree yet, that Fox, jus’ soun’ sleep it. Coon’ he’s jus’ slip down e-a-s-y, ‘til he’s clos’ to that Fox. He sleep it good, could heard ‘im snore. Coon, he’s jump easy down on groun’. He don’ move nothin’ that Fox, sure ‘nough sleep it. He’s bad one, that Ol’ Coon, he’s jus’ take it long one, stick, dry leaf on end, an’ he’s tickle it his nose, that Fox; but he’s so sleep don’ botha’ him nothin’.
“That bad one, Ol’ Coon, he sed it to heself: ‘It prit’ good chance, mebbe so i make it ‘notha’ tricks on my couzzen.’
“So, he’s jus’ slip ‘long down by riva’ bank where he fin’ it lots sticky mud, it’s red. He’s get big one, chunk,that muds an’ jus’ spread flat on rock, an’ put it on wata’, jus’ stir lit’l bit an’ make it heap sticky, just like what you call it, moh-lasss. Then he’s took it that muds an’ jus’ rub all ova’ his face, that Fox, put lots that muds on his eye. He’s jus’ step back lit’l bit, that Coon, an’ look at him, that Fox an’ he’s jus’ laff good to he-self, an’ sed it: ‘My poor couzzen sure have good time to wash it face in mornin’, if it’s dry good that muds. I spec I start home now, mebbe so it’s time.
“Well, he’s started that Ol Coon an’ go lit’l piece, then he’s jus’ roll ova’ on groun’ an’ jus’ laff big at that Fox ‘till he’s tired.
“It’s ‘bout gone that moon, jus’ comin’ daylight in east, when he’s woke up that Fox. What’s matta’? He’s woked up sure; but can’t see nothin’, can’t open it his eye, not jus’ lit’l bit. He’s jus’ stagger an’ run into stump an’ bush, jus’ fall down, almos’ tumble in riva’. It be good think he did, cause soak it up that muds; but he don’ done it.
“He’s jus’ rub it that dried muds but he don’ come off, an’ eye jus’ stick ‘em tight shut, can’t open. He’s sure bad fix this time, an’ jus’ m-a-d like dickens, Jus’ sed it all a bad name could think of ‘bout that Ol’ Coon, jus’ cuss him heap, I guess. It’s don’ do no good that kin’ tho’.
“Well, he try to find path go to his lodge, but jus’ get tangle up in briarpatch; an’ it’s stuck ‘im all ova’. It’s b-a-d lucks fo’ him that Fox, sure. He jus’ don’ know what do nex’. So, he’s jus’ set still lit’l bit, study what do. Prit’ soon he’s hear tap, tap, tap, on dead limb ‘way up high his head. He’s lis’n ‘gen an’ heard it, tap, tap, tap.
“ ‘Yoh-ho, my fren’,’ he’s sed it, ‘come here, got big trouble me, mebbe so you could he’p it.’
“It’s come fly down hurry, that lit’l speckle wood-pecker bird, an’ sed it; ‘What’s mattah, my fren’, what I can do he’p it you now?”
“Fox he say: ‘I like to have you tried it, pickin’ this dry muds off my eye, so’s I could see how open it my eye.’
“Mebbe so, it’s too much sharp my bill’, it’s sed it that wood-pecker bird. ‘I pick ‘em prit hard, but I see what I do, I don’ hurt you, I can he’p it.’ So it’s go to work, wood-pecker bird, jus’ set on end his nose, that Fox, an’ pick ‘em e-e-a-s-y as can, but it’s sure make ‘im come blood, cause it’s sh-a-r-p that wood-pecker bird, his bill. Well, that Fox he could see how open it his eye, prit’ soon an’ jus’ looks good to him, eva’thing. That lit’l bird tell ‘im to washin’ his face good in riva’.
“That Ol’ Fox, he’s feelin’ kin’ a good ‘gen, an’ jus’ thank it that wood-pecker bird, an’ sed it: ‘What I can do fo’ you, my fren’, cause you sure do big he’p with me?’
“That lit’l wood-pecker bird he sed it: ‘Oh, my fren’, long time I jus’ wish I could had it on my head, lit’l spot, red jus’ l-e-e-t’l one spot, not big one like he’s got, Great Wood-pecker, Quank-Quank-queh.’
“Fox he’s sed it: “That’s good my fren’, I fix it that lit’l spot, red one.’ So he’s took it some blood on his face where it’s drop down, an’ he’s paint it lit’l spot, red one, on his head, that lit’l she wood-pecker bird. It’s jus’ stay there, too, that spot, eva’ since.
“Oh, he’s so glad that lit’l she wood-pecker bird, jus’ fly up in tree an’ try his bes’ sing, but can’t do it much: Well, he’s got it red spot anyway, an’ jus’ lot’s happy.
“That Fox, he’s jus’ trot off on trail ‘long riva’ an’ try to think what could do get even with him, that Coon.”
