Читать книгу The Tales of Uncle Remus / Сказки дядюшки Римуса. Книга для чтения на английском языке - Джоэль Чендлер Харрис - Страница 5

Brer Fox couldn’t prove it, but he knew Brer Rabbit had warned Sister Goose he was coming, and he made up his mind to get even[17]. Brer Rabbit got word about what Brer Fox was thinking on, so he stayed away from his regular habitats for a while.

On this particular day he was somewhere up around Lost Forty and saw a great big Horse laying dead out in a pasture. Or he thought it was dead until he saw the Horse’s tail switch.

Brer Rabbit went on his way, but who should he see coming toward him but Brer Fox!

“Brer Fox! Brer Fox! Come here! Quick! I got some good news! Come here!”

Brer Fox didn’t care what kind of good news Brer Rabbit had. The good news was that he had found that rabbit! Just as Brer Fox got in grabbing distance, Brer Rabbit said:

“Come on, Brer Fox! I done found how we can have enough fresh meat to last us until the middle of next Septerrary.”

Brer Fox, being a prudent man, thought he should check this out. “What you talking about, Brer Rabbit?”

“I just found a Horse laying on the ground where we can catch him and tie him up.”

Sounded good to Brer Fox. “Let’s go!”

Brer Rabbit led him over to the pasture, and sho’ nuf, there was the Horse laying on the ground like he was waiting for them. Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox got to talking about how to tie him up. They argued back and forth for a while[18] until finally Brer Rabbit said:

“Listen. I tell you the way we do it. I’ll tie you to his tail and when he tries to get up, you can hold him down. If I was a big strong man like you, I’d do it, and you know, if I was to hold him, he would be held. But I ain’t got your strength. Of course, if you scared to do it, then I reckon we got to come up with another plan[19].”

There was something about the plan that Brer Fox didn’t like, but he couldn’t think of what it was. Not wanting Brer Rabbit to think he wasn’t strong and brave, he said O.K.

Brer Rabbit tied him to the Horse’s tail. “Brer Fox! That Horse don’t know it, but he caught!” Brer Fox grinned weakly.

Brer Rabbit got him a great, long switch and hit the Horse on the rump – POW! The Horse jumped up and landed on his feet and there was Brer Fox, dangling upside down in the air, too far off the ground for peace of mind.

“Hold ’im down, Brer Fox! Hold ’im down!”

The Horse felt something on his tail. He started jumping and raring and bucking and Brer Fox knew now what was wrong with Brer Rabbit’s idea.

“Hold ’im down, Brer Fox! Hold ’im down!”

The Horse jumped and twirled and snorted and bucked, but Brer Fox hung on.

“Hold ’im down, Brer Fox! Hold ’im down!”

One time Brer Fox managed to shout back, “If I got him down, who got hold of me?”

But Brer Rabbit just yelled, “Hold ’im down, Brer Fox! You got him now! Hold ’im down!”

The Horse started kicking with his hind legs and Brer Fox slid down the tail. The Horse kicked him in the stomach once, twice, three times, and Brer Fox went sailing through the air. It was a week and four days before Brer Fox finally come to earth, which gave him a whole lot of time to realize that Brer Rabbit had bested him again[20].