plantation who knew about "Po' Nancy Jane O," and she was pleased
because it was such a favorite story with the children.

"Once pun er time," she began, "dar wuz er bird name' Nancy Jane O,
an' she wuz guv up ter be de swif'es'-fly'n thing dar wuz in de a'r.
Well, at dat time de king uv all de fishes an' birds, an' all de
little beas'es, like snakes an' frogs an' wums an' tarrypins an' bugs,
an' all sich ez dat, he wur er mole dat year! an' he wuz blin' in bof
'is eyes, jes same like any udder mole; an', somehow, he had hyear
some way dat dar wuz er little bit er stone name' de gol'-stone, way
off fum dar, in er muddy crick, an' ef'n he could git dat stone, an'
hol' it in his mouf, he could see same ez anybody.

"Den he 'gun ter stedy how wuz he fur ter git dat stone.

"He stedded an' he stedded, an' pyeard like de mo' he stedded de mo'
he couldn' fix no way fur ter git it. He knowed he wuz blin', an' he
knowed he trab'l so slow dat he 'lowed 'twould be years pun top er
years befo' he'd git ter de crick, an' so he made up in 'is min' dat
he'd let somebody git it fur 'im. Den, bein' ez he wuz de king, an'
could grant any kin' er wush, he sont all roun' thu de kentry
eb'ywhar, an' 'lowed dat any bird or fish, or any kin' er little beas'
dat 'oud fotch 'im dat stone, he'd grant 'em de deares' wush er dey
hearts.

"Well, mun, in er few days de whole yearth wuz er movin'; eb'ything
dar wuz in de lan' wuz er gwine.

"Some wuz er hoppin' an' some wuz er crawlin' an' some wuz er flyin',
jes 'cord'n to dey natur'; de birds dey 'lowed ter git dar fus', on