Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/122

 r io Journal of American Folk-Lore.

folks, and she 'witch all the animals, and when they go to get their meal out some of the gardens, she just watch them animals, and they can't get in to save 'em, and they all nigh 'bout starved out, that they was, and they all hold a big consertation and talk over what they gwine do.

They was a mighty ornery lookin' set, just nigh 'bout skin an' bone, but when Ole Brer Rabbit come in, they 'serve how he mighty plump and fine order, and they ax him, however he so mighty pros- p'rous and they all in such powerful trouble. And then he 'low, Brer Rabbit did, dat Ole Mammy Witch Wise can't 'witch him, and he go in the gardens more same as ever.

Why, Ole Mammy Wise don't 'low the animals get in the garden, she just want the pick of 'em herself, cause she don't have no garden that year ; but when she set her mind on some Major Brayton's pease, she just put the pot on the fire, an' when the water bile smart, she just talk in the pot and say, "Bile pease, bile pease," and there they come, sure 'nough, for dinner ; but you see if the animals done been troubling them pease, and there ain't no pease on the vine, then she call 'em in the pot.

So she just keep the creeters out till they nigh 'bout broke down, and they ax Brer Rabbit, can't he help 'em ? Brer Rabbit scratch he head, but he don't say nothin', 'cause I tell you, when Ole Brer Rabbit tell what he gwine do, then you just well know that just what he ain' gwine do, 'case he 's a man what don't tell what he mind set on.

So he don't make no promise, but he study constant how he gwine kill Ole Mammy Witch Wise. He know all 'bout how the old woman slip her skin every night, and all the folks done try all the plans to keep her out till the rooster crow in the morning, 'cause every witch, what 's out the skin when the roosters crow, can't never get in the skin no mo' ; but they never get the best of the Ole Witch Wise, and she rising five hundred years old. Brer Rabbit he go off hisself, and set in the sun on the sand bed and rum'nate. And you may be sure, when you see the old man set all to hisself or. the sand bed, he mind just working. Well, sah, that night, he go in the garden and take a good turn of peppers, and tote them up to Ole Mammy Witch Wise house, and just he 'spect, there he find her skin in the porch, just where she slip it off to go on her tricks, and what you 'spect he do? Well, sah, he just mash them peppers to a mush, and rub 'em all inside the Ole Witch Wise skin, and then he set hisself under the porch for to watch.

Just 'fore crowing time, sure 'nough, there come the ole woman, sailing along in a hurry, 'cause she know she ain't got long, but when she go for to put on her skin, it certainly do bite her, and she say,

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