WHY DOGS AND CATS DON'T GET ALONG

NOW THE DOG, HE WAS A FREE MAN ALWAYS. HE MINED THE YARD. ONE DAY
THE DOG WAS GONNA GO FOR A WALK AND HE DRESSED, GOT HIS CANE AND ALL.
NOW HE HAD TO GO THROUGH HIS MASTER HOUSE TO GET TO THE FRONT, SO HE
HAD TO PASS THE CAT WHO WAS ALWAYS IN THE KITCHEN BY THE FIRE-IRON.
THE DOG SAY, "SISS CAT, HOW YOU FIND YO' HEALTH THESE HERE DAYS?"
SAY, "BR'ER, I AIN'T DOING SO WELL, THANK YOU FOE ASKING." I'M
GOING OUT FOR A WALK AND I WISH YOU BE SO KIND AS TO TAKE CHARGE OF
MY PAPER FOR ME, TEL I GET BACK. SISS CAT SAY, "SHOW, I SHOW WILL
BR'ER-DOG, WITH PLESURE. SO BR'ER-DOG HAND SISS-CAT HIS PAPER AND
WENT OUT FOR HIS WALK. SISS-CAT WAS TRYING TO STAY CAREFUL WITH
BR-ER-DOG'S PAPER BUT SHE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT OR
HOW TO DO IT. SO SHE KINDLY PUT IT ON THE FLOOR, MADE A MAT AND SOON
FELL TO SLEEP ON IT. WELL THE RAT STUCK HIS LITTLE HEAD OUT HIS HOLE
TO SEE WHAT THE NEWS WAS. WHEN HE SAW THE PAPER UNDER THE CAT HE
STARTED THANKING HOW HE WAS GONNA GET IT FROM HER. AND HE DECIDED
TO TAKE JUST A NIBBLE OFF A LITTLE PIECE, THAT WOULD'NT WAKE-UP THE
CAT BUT BEFORE HE GOT THE WHOLE PIECE IN HIS LITTLE MOUTH SIS' CAT
WOKE-UP, FORGOT ALL ABOUT BEING CAREFUL WITH BR'ER-DOG'S PAPER AND
JUMPED AFTER THE RAT, AS HE MADE HIS GET-A-AWAY THROUGH HIS HOLE WITH
A LITTLE PIECE OF BR'ER DOG'S PAPER IN HIS MOUTH. SO SIS' CAT CAME
BACK OUT OF BREATH AND SHE HAD TO LOOK FOR THE PAPER BECAUSE THE
WIND HAD BLOWN IT ABOUT. SHE LOOKED, LOOKED AND LOOKED, AIN'T FOUND
NO TRACE OF THE PAPER, YET. AND WHEN BR'ER DOG CAME BACK HE ASKED,
"WHERE MY PAPER I LAID WITH YOU?" SIS' CAT SAYS, "WHO TOLD YOU TO
LAY YO' PAPER WITH ME I WANT TO KNOW:" I GO TO COMBAT THAT HOUSE-RAT
I CANN'T LOOK OUT FOR YO' PAPER TOO, SOMEBODY MUST HAVE PLAYED
THIEF WHEN I TURNED FOR A MINUTE." BR'ER DOG SAY, "YOU NO GOOD FOE
NOTHING THANG YO. WHAT IS CATS FOE ANYWAY - THAT I WANT TO KNOW;
I AIN'T GOT NO USE FOR THEM. BOW-WOW-WOW:" SIS' CAT ANSWERED,
"SP-T-Z-Z" AND THEY STOPPED SPEAKING AND TODAY THEY AIN'T SPEAKING.

Submitter comment: THIS IS A NEW STORY TO ME. I FOUND SOME WORDS IN THE STORY, SUCH AS
BR'ER FOR MY BROTHER AND SIS FOR SISTER, TO BE COMMON LANGUAGE AMONG
BLACKS MAINLY IN THE SOUTH.

Data entry tech comment: A-T 200 THE DOG'S CERTIFICATE
MT[ A2281.1 CAT LOSES DOG'S CERTIFICATE: ; A2281.1 (CONT'D) ENMITY BETWEEN CATS AND DOGS
****************** NEW D FILE 2 ******************

Where learned: ALABAMA

James Callow Keyword(s): PERSONIFICATION

Date learned: 00-00-1920