"'Hang me des ez high as you please, Brer Fox,' sez Brer Rabbit,
sezee, 'but do fer de Lord's sake don't fling me in dat brier-
patch,' sezee.

"'I ain't got no string,' sez Brer Fox, sezee, 'en now I speck
I'll hatter drown you,' sezee.

"'Drown me des ez deep ez you please, Brer Fox,' sez Brer Rabbit,
sezee, 'but do don't fling me in dat brier-patch,' sezee.

"'Dey ain't no water nigh,' sez Brer Fox, sezee, 'en now I speck
I'll hatter skin you,' sezee.

"'Skin me, Brer Fox,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'snatch out my
eyeballs, t'ar out my years by de roots, en cut off my legs,'
sezee, 'but do please, Brer Fox, don't fling me in dat brier-
patch,' sezee.

"Co'se Brer Fox wanter hurt Brer Rabbit bad ez he kin, so he
cotch 'im by de behime legs en slung 'im right in de middle er de
brier-patch. Dar wuz a considerbul flutter whar Brer Rabbit
struck de bushes, en Brer Fox sorter hang 'roun' fer ter see w'at
wuz gwineter happen. Bimeby he hear somebody call 'im, en way up
de hill he see Brer Rabbit settin' crosslegged on a chinkapin log
koamin' de pitch outen his har wid a chip. Den Brer Fox know dat
he bin swop off mighty bad. Brer Rabbit wuz bleedzed fer ter
fling back some er his sass, en he holler out:

"'Bred en bawn in a brier-patch, Brer Fox--bred en bawn in a