"Did her mama let her go down town?" "Tishy done got so mean, her ma can' do nuthin' wid her. She tell her ma she gwine ter see how John Mockin'bird gittin' 'long wid de sociable." She added with a confidential air: "Tishy want ter act in de sociable, an' she wanter give John er chanct ter ax her. "Oh, I tell yer John have er heap er trubble wid de diffunt kine er fokes ov'r dat sociable. Dar wus de Sparrer fambly dat yer can' keep out no way yer fixes hit, dey'll eb'n git ter parties whar nobody don't want 'em an' den act like dey wus de bigges' fokes ax'd." "How, Mammy?" Mary Van thought of her own birthday party where she had excluded Jim Weed. "Oh, dey does like Miss Bizzy Sparrer done Lilly Dove whin she give er party one time. Miss Bizzy meet Lilly in de poplar tree an' say: "'I heah yer 'bout ter give er party, Miss Lilly, an' I jes' wanter ax yer ef we got enything yer kin use?' "Lilly, she thank her an' tu'n de subjec', but Bizzy she git back on ter hit ergin an' say: "'Ain't dey sumpin' I kin do? Lemme hope yer.' "Lilly say she doan need nobody ter do nuthin', but she kin come ter de party ef she's er mine ter. "An' Bizzy come, too, an' whut's mo', her bruth'r hafter come ter bring her, an' whut's mo'en dat, her sist'r can't stay at home by herse'f. Yas, Lawd, an' 'fo' enybody know how dey got dar, de place wus right full er Sparrers." "Mammy, did John ask Tishy to act in the sociable?" began Willis. "I'm gwine tell yer now 'bout whin she start ter see John, she come up wid An' Polly. She ax An' Polly ef she know wharbouts John is. An' Polly say, John gone clean ov'r ter de Peaks er Otter ter git some flow'rs fer Lilly ter w'ar ter de sociable. "Tishy say, 'Yas, I speck Lilly Dove gwine be tryin' ter do all de singin' an' de speakin', too.' "An' Polly say, ''Cose John gwine sing wid her ter keep fokes fum laffin'.' Tishy git so mad 'caze she can't see John dat she flounce herse'f roun' right in An' Polly's face an' strut herse'f home,--an' her purty feath'rs drap out all 'long de road. Dat night at de sociable, Lilly, she come wid John, an' I tell yer, man, she look purty, too, wid dem gran' flow'rs John fotch her. John he so proud he mos' bustin'. He take an' strut all roun' wid Lilly hangin' on his arm, an' all de fokes talkin' 'bout how fine dey looks. Bimeby, hyah come Tishy wid Jack Sparrer an--" "Wasn't Jack Sparrow too little for Tishy Peafowel?" appealed Mary Van. "'Cose he wus, but yer see Tishy done loss her chusin', an' she got ter take whut she kin git.--Jack Sparrer doan wanter go wid her neeth'r, but yer see Tishy wus so fus' class dat Jack ax her, so he kin mix wid de hifalutin' fokes. Dem sparrers er sight, I tell yer," she mused. "Go on, Mammy," Willis shook the book. "Well, whin Lilly see Tishy look so pitiful long side er Jack Sparrer, she go right straight an' walk 'long side er her, 'caze ev'ybody laffin' at Tishy.