ÒOnce Õpon a time,Ó said Uncle Remus to the little boyÑÒBut when was once upon a time?Ó the child interrupted to ask. The old man smiled. ÒI speck Õtwuz one time er two times, er maybe a time anÕ a half. You know when Johnny Ashcake Õgun ter bake? Well, Õtwuz Õlong in dem days. Once Õpon a time,Ó he resumed, ÒMr. Man had a gyarden so fine dat all de neighbors come ter see it. Some Õud look at it over de fence, some Õud peep thoo de cracks, anÕ some Õud come anÕ look at it by de light er de stars. AnÕ one un um wuz olÕ Brer Rabbit; starlight, moonlight, cloudlight, de nightlight wuz de light fer him. When de turn er de morninÕ come, he Õuz allers up anÕ about, anÕ a-feelinÕ purty well I thank you, suh! ÒNow, den, you done hear what I say. Dar wuz Mr. Man, yander wuz de gyarden, anÕ here wuz olÕ Brer Rabbit.Ó Uncle Remus made a map of this part of the story by marking in the sand with his walking-cane. ÒWell, dis beinÕ de case, what you speck gwineter happen? NothinÕ in de rounÕ worlÕ but what been happeninÕ sence greens anÕ sparrer-grass wuz planted in de grounÕ. Dey look fine anÕ dey tasÕe fine, anÕ long toÕrds de shank er de morninÕ, Brer Rabbit Õud creep thoo de crack er de fence anÕ nibble at um. HeÕd take de greens, but leave his tracks, moÕ speshually right atter a rain. TakinÕ anÕ leavinÕÑitÕs de way er de worlÕ. ÒWell, one morninÕ, Mr. Man went out in his truck patch, anÕ he finÕ sumpÕn missinÕÑa cabbage here, a turnip dar, anÕ a mess er beans yander, anÕ he ax how come dis? He look ÕrounÕ, he did, anÕ he seed Brer RabbitÕs tracks what he couldnÕt take wid Õim. Brer Rabbit had lefÕ his shoes at home, anÕ come barÕfooted. ÒSo Mr. Man, he call his dogs ÔHere, Buck! Here, Brinjer! Here, Blue!Õ anÕ he siccÕd um on de track, anÕ here dey went! ÒYouÕd ÕaÕ thunk dey wuz runninÕ atter forty-levÕm rhinossyhosses fum de fuss dey made. Brer Rabbit he hear um cominÕ anÕ he put out fer home, kinder doublinÕ ÕrounÕ des like he do deze days. ÒWhen he got ter de pÕint whar he kin set down fer ter rest his face anÕ hanÕs, he tuck a poplar leaf anÕ Õgun ter fan hisseÕf. Den Brer Fox come a-trottinÕ up. He say, ÔBrer Rabbit, whatÕs all dis fuss I hear in de woods? What de name er goodness do it mean?Õ Brer Rabbit kinder scratch his head anÕ Õlow, ÔWhy, deyer tryinÕ fer drive me ter de big bobbycue on de creek. Dey all ax me, anÕ when I Õfuse dey say deyer gwine ter make me go any how. Dey aint no fun in beinÕ ez populous ez what I is, Brer Fox. Ef you wanter go, des git in ahead er de hounÕs anÕ go lickity-split down de big road!Õ