Why the Ratel is so Keen on Honey

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“So off dey pops an’ comes to de tree. ‘Dat’s de tree, daddy,’ ses Seeunkie. ‘See how clean I scraped it till dere ain’t none left, it was dat good.’

“Oom Ratel he look at de tree an’ he see de bare spots, an’ he try to scrape de cracks wid his nails to taste it. But young Seeunkie’s scraped too clean for dat, an’ so de ole daddy has to turn round an’ look at him. ‘An’ when’s dis tree goin’ to ha’ some more honey on it?’ ses he.

“‘Well, it’s of a mawnin’ de honey’s out,’ ses Seeunkie. ‘Dere has to be de sun on it all day, an’ den at night de stuff runs. To-morro’ mawnin’s de time den.’

“‘A’ right,’ ses ole daddy. ‘To-morro’ mawnin’ you leave dis tree alone till I comes. Don’t you dah to touch it ’fore I sees it. Den we’ll see,’ ses he.

“Well, p’r’aps you tink dat ’ud set young Seeunkie to studyin’ hard. But not him; he yust stalks back wid his ole daddy, hands in pockets an’ mouf in a whistle, like a location Kaffir wid new yalla boots on. It ain’t no sort o’ trouble to him to plan skellum; it yust come nat’ral to him.

“When dey gets home young Seeunkie grins at his mammy, but Oom Ratel he goes out agen on business. An dis time he takes de honey sack wid him, for he’s got a plan an’ he’s yust a-startin’ to work it. But he hain’t got nawtin sure yet to say to his missis one way or anoder as he goes out. She has. She ses it too. ‘Didn’t I tole you!’ ses she.

“Next mawnin’ Oom Ratel gets all his goin’s out done ’fore breakfas’, so as he’ll be ready for dis honey tree first ting ahter it. But young Seeunkie he goes out too on his own account, on’y he first cuts anoder chunk o’ honey out of his ole daddy’s goatskin under de bed, an’ takes dat wid him, an’ as soon as he gets to de young mimosa he scrapes de gum spots clean agen an’ daubs ’em all fresh wid honey. Den he sneaks home an’ smiles to hisse’f all troo breakfas’ time.

“Well, ahter breakfas’ Oom Ratel he ses. ‘Come on,’ an’ de young Seeunkie he ses, ‘A’ right,’ an’ off dey pops down to de honey-gum tree.