Page:Salem - a tale of the seventeenth century (IA taleseventeenth00derbrich).pdf/141

 "I don't see why he can't; for the massy's soul's sake, why not? But I'll ax him. Here, you ole rogue ob a sinner," she said, addressing her parent, "you kin build a hen-coop—you, can't yer?"

"Te-hee! te-hee! No, Winny, gal—no!" tittered the cracked old voice; "I can't make no hen-coop—te-hee!"

"Yer can't? An' why not can't yer? Yes, yer can, too. Why can't yer?"

"Te-hee! te-hee! Winny, gal, aint got no boards—can't make hen-coop widout boards—te-hee! te-hee!"

"Lordy! yer ole fool! we wuz 'spectin' to fin' yer de boards—course we wuz. Did yer tink we 'spected yer to make it out ob yer own ole skin? An' if yer had de boards, nigger, kin yer build it den? Come, now, be smart—kin yer make it den, say?"

"Te-hee! te-hee! No, Winny, gal!—no, no!"

"Why not? Yes, yer could. Why not?"

"'Coz it takes nails, Winny—nails, gal! Te-hee! te-hee!"

"Yer darned ole fool! An' if yer had boards an' nails—whatever else wud yer want?"