Brer Rabbit's Laughing Place

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to the following excerpt from the
ORIGINAL Uncle Remus tale, "Brer Rabbit's Laughing Place."
 

Excerpt from Brer Rabbit's Laughing Place:

 "This new little boy was intensely practical. He had imagination, but it was unaccompanied by any of the ancient illusions that make the memory of childhood so delightful. Young as he was he had contempt for those who believed in Santa Claus. He believed only in things that his mother considered valid and vital, and his training had been of such a character as to leave out all the beautiful romances of childhood.

Thus when Uncle Remus mentioned something about Brother Rabbit's laughing place, he pictured it forth in his mind as a sure-enough place that the four-footed creatures had found necessary for their comfort and convenience. This way of looking at things was, in some measure, a great help; it cut off long explanations, and stopped many an embarrassing question.

On one occasion when the two were together, the little boy referred to Brother Rabbit's laughing-place and talked about it in much the same way that he would have talked about Atlanta. If Uncle Remus was unprepared for such literalness he displayed no astonishment, and for all the child knew, he had talked the matter over with hundreds of other little boys.

"Uncle Remus," said the lad, "when was the last time you went to Brother Rabbit's laughing-place?"

"To tell you de trufe, honey, I dunno ez I ever been dar," the old man responded.

"Now, I think this is very queer," remarked the little boy.

Uncle Remus reflected a moment before committing himself. "I dunno ez I yever went right sprang ter de place an' lay my han' on it. I speck I could'a'gone dar wid mighty little trouble, but I wuz so use ter hearin' 'bout it dat de idee er gwine dar ain't never got in my head. It's sorter like ol' Mr. Grissom's house. Dey say he lives in a quare little shanty not fur fum de mill. I know right whar de shanty is, yit I ain't never been dar, an' I ain't never seed it.

"It's de same way wid Brer Rabbit's laughin-place. Dem what tol' me 'bout it had likely been dar, but I ain't never had no 'casion fer ter go myse'f. Yit ef I could walk fifty er sixty mile a day, like I useter, I boun' you I could go right now an' put my han' on de place. Dey wuz one time - but dat's a tale, an', goodness knows, you done hear nuff tales er one kin' er anudder fer ter make a hoss sick - dey ain't no two ways 'bout dat."

Uncle Remus paused and sighed, and then closed his eyes with a groan, as though he were sadly exercised in spirit; but his eyes were not shut so tight that he could not observe the face of the child. It was prematurely grave little face that the old man saw and whether this was the result of the youngster's environment, or his training, or his temperment, it would have been difficult to say. But there it was the gravity that was only infrequently disturbed by laughter. Uncle Remus had perhaps seen more laughter in that little face then anyone else.

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