Ou' Jackalse takes Ou' Wolf a-Sheep Stealing

He ain’t a-gun’ to leave no ole chummie like dat. ‘Well,’ ses he, ‘I’s pretty rocky myse’f, but if you manage to get onto my back, I tink I’ll get you home some ways.’

“‘You looks mighty bad,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he screw his face up like he wantto groan, but dat’s to hide de chuckle. ‘An’ yet I’ll hatto get carried somehow!’

“‘Up you come den, an’ say no more about it,’ ses Ou’ Wolf.

“Well, dey got him up on his back ahter a terr’ble struggle, an’ Ou’ Wolf he stuck to it an’ ’gin to knock off de len’ths to’ards home. But Ou’ Jackalse he’s yust dat tickle wid hisse’f he cahnt keep it in, he ha’ to sing it out:—

“Dis de funniest ever you foun’,

For de sick he carry de soun’—

Work’s on’y a fool to a trick,

For de soun’ he ride de sick.

“‘What’s dat?’ ses Ou’ Wolf, stoppin’ like he’s ready to t’row him down.

“‘Oh,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, ‘I only sing sometin’:’

“‘It’s good when de one dat’s soun’

Don’t mind to carry de sick.’

“‘A’ right,’ ses Ou’ Wolf. ‘But I t’ought it soun’ like sometin’ else.’ Den he go on agen.

“Well, he go on an’ on, carryin’ Ou’ Jackalse, till dey comes nigh home, an’ Ou’ Jackalse he cahnt hold in no longer for fear de laugh in his inside’ll bu’st him tryin’ to get out. He yust ha’ to get down an’ dance, an’ he gi’es one high ole kick an’ a yump, an’ over go Ou’ Wolf on his head, an’ den darie skellum he’s a-prancin’ an’ a-dancin’ all roun’ him, wid de same ole song a-goin’:—

“It’s de funniest ever you foun’.

When de sick he carry de soun’,

It never was done before

Dat de well he ride de sore.

“Ou’ Wolf he wantto get up an’ yust fight an’ bite, but what wid de bashin’ he had in de kraal, an’ de fashin’ he had carryin’ darie Ou’ Jackalse, he’s too fair gone in to get up agen. ‘But on’y wait till I get hold o’ you agen,’ ses he, ‘dat’s all!’

“‘Yes, yust wait,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse a-chucklin’.

“An’,” ended the old Hottentot, “as fur as I can make out he’s bin a-waitin’ ever since. Leastaways, I don’t hear yet as he’s ever done it.