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Ou' Wolf lays a Trap

“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, ‘you’d a-better do it now. Your missus’ll see where it’s dripped on you, an’ she’ll smell it anyhow, an’ den she ain’t a-gun’ to b’lieve you nohow—you knows dat. You’d better come now an’ le’ me carry a calabasful back for her.’

“Ou’ Wolf seem like dat strike him new. ‘Well,’ ses he, ‘p’r’aps I’d better. But no shenanigin now. If I takes you to dis yere place you’ll hatto carry two calabasies back, not one.’

“‘Is dere all dat honey den?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘Allah Crachty! yust hol’ on an’ I’ll get de two calabasies dis minute an’ show you,’ an’ off he darts into his house an’ out agen wid two o’ de biggest sort o’ nice new calabasies. ‘Here’s ’um, come on,’ ses he. But he wink to hisse’f, an’ he ses to hisse’f, ‘If I carry dat honey back I know who’ll eat it too.’

“Ou’ Wolf he make like he’s mighty onwillin’, an’ he on’y go ’cause he’s feared of his missus. An’ all de way Ou’ Jackalse is a-tellin’ him where dey’ll hunt togeder nex’ day, an’ nex’ week; an’ where dere’s a-gun’ to be some fine water-millons ’fore long. An’ all de way Ou’ Wolf’s a-takin’ it all in an’ sayin’ he shouldn’ won’er if dere was.

“Well, dey come to de kloof an’ dey come to de rock, an’ dere was de house where de leopard live. ‘De honey’s in dere,’ ses Ou’ Wolf. ‘Right inside, an’ you turn up de bed an’ dere it is. An’ don’t forget dem two calabasful for my missus.’

“Ou’ Jackalse he laugh, an’ he dive right inside. He’ll see about dem two calabasies, he will. But he hadn’t mo’en got inside ’fore Ou’ Wolf spring about an’ roll a great big stone plump into de doorway. ‘Ho yeh, smarty!’ ses he. ‘Dis is de time you wahnt smart enough. You’ll be a’ right when de leopard comes home an’ finds you wid her cubses. You’d carry me two calabasies full o’ honey, hey? Lots o’ honey I’d trust you wid, wouldn’t I?’

“Ou’ Jackalse hear de stone a-rollin’ in an’ he make a dive to get out agen, but he on’y bang his head—bang stars outen it. Den he hear what Ou’ Wolf say, an’ he sniff an’ sniff high.

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