Читать книгу The Tales of Uncle Remus / Сказки дядюшки Римуса. Книга для чтения на английском языке - Джоэль Чендлер Харрис - Страница 11

After Brer Rabbit dropped the brick on Brer Fox’s head, Brer Fox was laid up in the hospital for a week or so. The day he got out he commenced to scheming again[52].

He was walking down the road and ran into his cousin, Brer Wolf. They hadn’t seen each other since the big family barbecue last Juvember, so they hugged and exchanged news about their kin, and then Brer Fox brought his cousin up to date on all that Brer Rabbit had been doing.

“This has got to stop,” says Brer Wolf. “We got to get that rabbit.”

“Easier said than done.[53]”

“Well, I got a plan, but for it to work, we got to get him inside your house, Brer Fox.”

“He wouldn’t come in my house if you promised him free lettuce and yogurt for a year.”

“Don’t you worry about that. I can get him there,” says Brer Wolf.

“How?”

“You go home, Brer Fox, get in bed and make like you dead. And don’t say nothing until Brer Rabbit puts his hands on you. When he does, grab him, and we got us a good supper!”

Brer Wolf went over to Brer Rabbit’s house and knocked on the door. Bam! Bam! Bam! Nobody answered. Brer Wolf commenced to banging and kicking on the door like he didn’t have no manners[54], which he didn’t. BLAMMITY BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAMMITY!

Finally a teenichy voice came from inside. “Who’s there?”

“A friend.”

“All them what say friend ain’t friend,” Brer Rabbit answered. “Who’s there?”

“I got bad news.”

Bad news will get folks to listen when good news won’t. Brer Rabbit cracked the door and peeked half-a-eyeball out.

“Brer Fox died this morning,” Brer Wolf said real mournfullike.

Brer Rabbit raised half-a-eyebrow. “That so?[55]”

“He never recuperated from that lick on the head when you dropped the brick on him. I just thought you’d want to know.”

This was bad news that was sho’ nuf good news. But it wasn’t news to be accepted on somebody else’s say-so. He decided to sneak over to Brer Fox’s and verify it.

When he got there, everything was quiet and still. He peeped through the open window, and there, lying on the bed, hands folded across his chest, eyes closed, was Brer Fox.

“Po’ Brer Fox,” said Brer Rabbit. “He sho’ is dead. Leastwise he look dead. Of course, I always heard that when folks was dead and somebody came to see ’em, dead folks would raise up a leg and holler ‘Wahoo!’”

Brer Fox raised up his leg and hollered, “Wahoo!”

Brer Rabbit didn’t waste no time getting away from there.