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THE END OF MR. BEAR. 135knocking the ashes carefully out of his pipe, " BrerPossum ain't had no ha'r on his tail,en needer dohis chilluns."XXVIII.THE END OF MR. BEAR.THE next time the littleboy sought Uncle Remusout, he found the old man unusually cheerful and goodhumoured.His rheumatism had ceased to trouble him,and he was even disposed to be boisterous. He wassinging when the little boy got near the cabin, and thechild paused on the outside to listen to the vigorous butmellow voice of the old man, as it rose and fell withthe burden of the curiously plaintive song a senselessaffair so far as the words were concerned, but sung to amelody almost thrilling in its sweetness :" Han' me down my walkin'-cane(Hey my Lily ! go down de road !),Yo' true lover gone down de lane(Hey my Lily ! go down de road !)."The quick ear of Uncle Remus, however, had detectedthe presence of the little boy, and he allowedhis song to run into a recitation of nonsense, of whichthe following, if it be rapidly spoken, will give a faintidea:" Ole M'er Jackson, fines' confraction, fell down