II OLD MAN GULLY'S HANT 37 III JACK O'LANTERN AND THE GLOW WORM 57 IV MISS RACE HOSS AN' DE FLEAS 79 V MISS RACE HOSS'S PARTY 91 VI NED DOG AND BILLY GOAT 107 VII HOW THE BILLY GOAT LOST HIS TAIL 121 VIII SHOO FLY 139 IX ELECTION DAY 153 X MISTER BAD 'SIMMON TREE 177 XI BIG EYE BUZZARD 197 XII MISS LILLY DOVE 219 XIII MISTER GRAB-ALL SPIDER 243 XIV MISTER RATTLESNAKE 261 XV MISS QUEEN BEE 281 XVI MISTER TALL PINE'S CHRISTMAS TREE 301 XVII AN AFTERWORD 319 ILLUSTRATIONS (From drawings by Duncan Smith.) "Des like she rub'in on yorn" _Frontispiece_ PAGE "Dat ole roost'r squattin' und'r de baid ain' nuv'r tak'n his eyes off'n Abe" 50 "Hep! Hep!--Somebody come hope me!" 60 "Wid dat dey all uv 'em lose dey manners an' start ter 'busin' Brer Bar scand'lous" 102 "Shoo Fly holl'r, 'Look out fur m' legs!'" 148 "Bimeby he git ax'd ter be er pawl b'arer ter all uv 'em" 206 "Mist'r Grab-All, 'cose you gwine jine de Yall'r Jackits' side, ain't yer?" 244 [Illustration: The ROOSTER Telephone] BYPATHS IN DIXIE I THE ROOSTER TELEPHONE The telephone had just been mended again, and the man suggested as he left that the little boy find another plaything. Phyllis indignantly protested that Willis had done no damage to the instrument, and that the frequent defects were due to the failure of the workman to put it in proper condition. Being thus defended by so strong an ally, Willis lost no time in attacking the forbidden object as soon as the door was closed. "Let de ole telerfome erlone, baby," said Phyllis in a tone of sympathetic protest. But the boy could not resist such an opportunity. "Dat table tiltin' right now." She caught her breath as the table righted itself. "An' dat telerfom'll bus' yo' haid wide op'n." "I'm going to talk to my papa." "You gwinter talk ter er bust'd haid, dat's who you--" At that moment, table, telephone, boy and all fell to the floor with a bang. "What'd I tell yer?" Willis answered with a succession of screams that admitted of no argument or consolation. Phyllis offered none until she had satisfied herself that a bumped head and a much frightened little boy were the extent of the damage. "Mammy gwine whup dat telerfome," she continued, "an' de flo' too, caze dey hu't her baby." And she proceeded to execute the threat. "Don't whip the telephone--whip the table!" he screamed.