Way down in Egyp’ lan’ long time befo’ Klumbus ’skivvered Talbot County, da wuz uh king named Fario. He wuz uh gre’t man, an’ you kin ’magin’ what style he lib in fum de fac’ he had six hun’erd wibes, two chariots fuh each wife, an’ dey nebber is bin able ter fine out ezactly how many hosses, mules, jackasses, steers, cows, sheep, goats an’ serbents he had; an’ he had so much ter meck him peart dat he got ter be uh ve’y wile man. Well, dis king had uh lubly daughter, de apple ub he mouf an’ de ve’y spit ub de king. She had uh nice ’scluded little ribba (I specks it wuz mos’ ez putty ez Fausley Creek) futto bave in; she likewise had fo’ er five hun’erd han’maids, an’ all longed ter de qual’ty. De Bible call ’em damsels. I think hit’s uh good name fuh maids dese days, ’skusin’, ub cose, free niggahs. Well, de narration say dat Miss Fario wen’ down ter de ribba wid huh damsels futto bave. Dey wuz orndressin’ huh, ten maids wuz teckin’ de rings of’n huh ten fingahs, two mo’ maids wuz teckin’ huh earrings out, an’ uh nubba teckin’ de _earrings_ outin huh nose. (All de qual’ty wo’ rings in deah noses dem days.) Jes’ ez she erboutin orndress—you see dey didn’ ware no bavin’ suits in de time ub de Petracks, an’ bad ez de men wuz dey didn’ bave wid de ladies; so da wuz sut’ny no mails ’roun’, ’ceppin’ uh monstus fine baby boy three monfs ole, dat wuz kivverd up wid bullrushes, an’ ’rapped in flags (I s’pose de flags wuz some ole sorf battle-flags)—well, jes’ ez de king’s daughter put huh little feets in de watah ter see ef’n it tu cole, she heah uh chile cry. She jumped back relarmed, an’ say ter huh maids, “What’s dat?” Den she look in de bullrushes, an’ lo an’ beholst, da wuz uh cutesome lookin’ cradle wid flags ’roun’ hit (Is’lite flags, I s’pose), an’ uh baby fairly harkin’; he cryin’ so. Hit is s’pose by narrationists dat de ma ub de chile got de frog fright, kase frogs wuz so thick, an’ gittin’ thicker, dat dey wuz in de kitchens, smoke houses, parlors, tubs, cookin’ ubbins, an’ in de beds; so de chile’s ma meck uh sort ub deck-ober cradle ub mud, tar, pitch an’ beeswax, dat made hit frog-proof, an’ da’s wha dey sho’ly foun’ de baby. Pres’ny Miss Fario saw uh ooman stan’in’ neah by, so she say, “Is you de muvva ub dis chile?” She say, “Yes’m!” Miss Fario say, “Cum heah an’ nuss dis chile right ’way an’ I’ll pay you ter be de chile’s mammy. I’m gwine ter ’dopt him; he uh monstus fine chile. ’Sides I want something futto caress; an’ ez I foun’ him in de watah, I’m gwine ter gib him de lubly name ub Moses, kase de Bible say in Egyp’ lan’ Moses is de name fuh watah.” Bimeby he grow’d up ter be uh gre’t man, an’ wuz ve’y friendly wid de Petracks. Pres’ny you will see de application.