Brer Rabbit, he tuck'n year tell er dis, en nothin'd do but he mus' rack roun' en see how ole Brer Fox gittin' on. W'en he git whar Brer Fox house is, he year a mighty lammin' en a blammin', en lo en beholes, dar wuz Brer Fox settin' straddle er de comb er de roof nailin' on shingles des hard ez he kin.

Brer Rabbit cut he eye roun' en he see Brer Fox dinner settin' in de fence-cornder. Hit wuz kivered up in a bran new tin pail, en it look so nice, dat Brer Rabbit mouf 'gun ter water time he see it, en he 'low ter hisse'f dat he bleedz ter eat dat dinner 'fo' he go 'way fum dar.

Den Brer Rabbit tuck 'n hail Brer Fox, en ax 'im how he come on. Brer Fox 'low he too busy to hole any confab. Brer Rabbit up en ax 'im w'at is he doin' up dar. Brer Fox 'low dat he puttin' roof on de house agin de rainy season sot in. Den Brer Rabbit up en ax Brer Fox w'at time is it, en Brer Fox, he 'low dat hit's wukkin' time wid 'im. Brer Rabbit, he up en ax Brer Fox ef he aint stan' in needs er some he'p. Brer Fox, he 'low he did, dat ef he does stan' in need er any he'p, he dunner whar in de name er goodness he gwine to git it at.

Wid dat, Brer Rabbit sorter pull he mustarsh, en 'low dat de time wuz w'en he wuz a mighty handy man wid a hammer, en he aint too proud fer to whirl in en he'p Brer Fox out'n de ruts.

Brer Fox 'low he be mighty much 'blije, en no sooner is he say dat dan Brer Rabbit snatched off he coat en lipt up de ladder, en sot in dar en put on mo' shingles in one hour dan Brer Fox kin put on in two.

He nailed on shingles plumb twel he git tired, Brer Rabbit did, en all de time he nailin', he study how he gwine git dat dinner. He nailed en he nailed. He 'ud nail one row, en Brer Fox 'ud nail nudder row. He nailed en he nailed. He kotch Brer Fox en pass 'im - kotch 'im en pass 'im, twel bimeby w'iles he nailin' 'long, Brer Fox tail git in he way.

Brer Rabbit 'low ter hisse'f, he did, dat he dunner w'at de name er goodness make folks have such long tails fer en he push it out de way. He aint no mo'n push it out'n de way, 'fo' yer it come back in de way. Co'se, w'en dat's de case dat a soon man like Brer Rabbit git pestered in he mine, he bleedz ter make some kinder accidents some'rs.

Dey nailed en dey nailed, en, bless yo' soul! 'twant long 'fo' Brer Fox drap eve'ythin' en squall out: "Laws 'a' massy, Brer Rabbit! You done nail my tail. He'p me, Brer Rabbit, he'p me! You done nail my tail!"

Brer Rabbit, he shot fus' one eye en den de udder en rub hisse'f on de forrerd, en 'low: "Sho'ly I aint nail yo' tail, Brer Fox; sho'ly not. Look right close, Brer Fox, be keerful. Fer good-ness sake don' fool me, Brer Fox!"

Brer Fox, he holler, he squall, he kick, he squeal. "Laws 'a' massy, Brer Rabbit! You done nailed my Lail. Onnail me, Brer Rabbit, onnail me!"

Brer Rabbit, he make fer de ladder, en w'en he start down, he look at Brer Fox like he right down sorry, en he up'n 'low, he did: "Well, well, well! Des ter think dat I should er lammed a-loose en nail Brer Fox tail. I dunner w'en I year tell er anythin' dat make me feel so mighty bad; en ef I hadn't er seed it wid my own eyes I wouldn't er b'lieved it skacely - dat I wouldn't!"

Brer Fox holler, Brer Fox howl, yit 'taint do no good. Dar he wuz wid he tail nail hard en fas'. Brer Rabbit, he keep on talkin' w'iles he gwine down de ladder. "Hit make me feel so mighty bad," sezee, "dat I dunner w'at ter do. Time I year tell un it, hit make a empty place come in my stomach," sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

By dis time Brer Rabbit done git down on de groun', en w'iles Brer Fox holler'n, he des keep on a-talkin': "Dey's a mighty empty place in my stomach," sezee, "en if I aint runned into no mistakes dars a tin-pail full er vittles in dish yer fence-cornder dat'Il des 'bout fit it," sez ole Brer Rabbit, sezee. He open de pail, he did, en he eat de greens, en sop up de mer1asses, en drink de pot-liquor, en w'en he wipe he mouf 'pun he coat-tail, he up'n 'low: "I dunner w'en I bin so sorry 'bout anythin', ez I is 'bout Brer Fox nice long tail. Sho'ly, sho'ly my head mus' er bin wool-getherin' w'en I tuck'n nail Brer Fox fine long tail, "sez ole Brer Rabbit, sezee.

Wid dat, he tuck'n skip out, Brer Rabbit did, en 'twant long 'fo' he wuz playin' he pranks in some udder parts er de settlement.