C024. The Bear and the Bull-Frog

24. Mr. Bear Catches Old Mr. Bull-Frog. Text Source: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. I have removed the frame material and standardized the spelling; click here for the original spelling plus all notes to the story.

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THE BEAR and the BULL-FROG

Brer Bear, he took a notion that old Brer Bull-Frog was the man what fool him, and he say that he'd come up with him if it was a year afterwords. But it wasn't no year, and it wasn't no month, and more than dat, it wasn't scarcely a week, when by and by one day Brer Bear was going home from the taking of a bee-tree, and lo and beholds, who should he see but old Brer Bull-Frog sitting out on the edge of the mud-muddle fast asleep!

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Brer Bear drop his axe, he did, and creep up, and reach out with his paw, and scoop old Brer Bull-Frog in just this away. He scoop him in, and there he was.

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When Brer Bear got his clampers on him good, he sat down and talk at him. "Howdy, Brer Bull-Frog, howdy! An' how yo' family? I hope they are well, Brer Bull-Frog, 'cause this day you got some business with me what'll last you a mighty long time."

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Brer Bull-Frog, he don't know what to say. He don't know what's up, and he don't say nothing. Old Brer Bear he keep running on, "You are the man what took an' fool me 'bout Brer Rabbit the other day. You had yo' fun, Brer Bull-Frog, an' now I'll get mine."

Then Brer Bull-Frog, he begin to get scared, he did, and he up and say, "What I been doin', Brer Bear? How I been foolin' you?"

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Then Brer Bear laugh, and make like he don't know, but he keep on talking. "'Oh, no, Brer Bull-Frog! You ain't the man what stick yo' head up out of the water an' tell me Brer Rabbit done gone on by. Oh, no! You ain't the man. I bound you ain't. 'Bout that time, you was at home with yo' family, where you always is. I don't know where you was, but I knows where you is, Brer Bull-Frog, and it's you and me for it. After the sun goes down this day you don't fool no more folks going 'long this road."

Course, Brer Bull-Frog don't know what Brer Bear driving at, but he know something had to be done, and that mighty soon, 'cause Brer Bear begun to snap his jaws together and foam at the mouth, and Brer Bull-Frog holler out, "Oh, pray, Brer Bear! Let me off this time, an' I won't never do so no mo'. Oh, pray, Brer Bear! Do let me off this time, an' I'll show you the fattest bee-tree in the woods."

Old Brer Bear, he chomp his toothies and foam at the mouth.

Brer Bull-Frog he just up and squall, "Oh, pray, Brer Bear! I won't never do so no mo'! Oh, pray, Brer Bear! Let me off this time!"

But old Brer Bear say he going to make way with him, and then he sat and study, old Brer Bear did, how he going to squench Brer Bull-Frog. He know he can't drown him, and he ain't got no fire for to burn him, and he get mighty pestered.

By and by old Brer Bull-Frog, he sort stop his crying and his boo-hooing, and he up and say, "If you goin' to kill me, Brer Bear, carry me to that big flat rock out there on the edge of the mill-pond, where I can see my family, and after I see 'em, then you can take yo' axe and sqush me."

This look so fair and square that Brer Bear he agree, and he take old Brer Bull-Frog by one of his behind legs, and sling his axe on his shoulder, and off he put for the big flat rock. When he get there he lay Brer Bullfrog down on the rock, and Brer Bull-Frog make like he looking 'round for his folks.

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Den Brer Bear, he draw long breath and pick up his axe.

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Then he spit in his hands and draw back and come down on the rock—pow!

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'Twixt the time when Brer Bear raise up with his axe and when he come down with it, old Brer Bull-Frog he leaped up and dove down in the mill-pond, kerblink-kerblunk!

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En when he riz way out in the pond he riz a-singin', and this here's the song what he sing:

Ingle-go-jang, my joy, my joy-
Ingle-go-jang, my joy!
I'm right at home, my joy, my joy-
Ingle-go-jang, my joy!

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A funny song now, I expect, but it weren't funny in them days, and it wouldn't be funny now if folks know'd much about the Bull-Frog language ez they used to. That's what.