Their-Eyes-Were-Watching-God-rmrju9

56 Zora Neale Hurston"It's uh 1-1-lie! Ah set out fuh dis town when Ah left WestFloridy.""You mean tuh tell me you rode dat mule all de way fromWest Floridy down heah?""Sho he did, Lige. But he didn't mean tuh. He wuz satisfiedup dere, but de mule wuzn't. So one mornin' he got straddle uhde mule and he took and brought 'im on off. Mule had sense.Folks up dat way don't eat biscuit bread but once uh week."There was always a little seriousness behind the teasing ofMatt, so when he got huffed and walked on off nobody minded.He was known to buy side-meat by the slice. Carried home littlebags of meal and flour in his hand. He didn't seem to mind toomuch so long as it didn't cost him anything.About half an hour after he left they heard the braying of themule at the edge of the woods. He was coming past the store verysoon."Less ketch Matt's mule fuh 'im and have some fun.""Now, Lum, you know dat mule ain't aimin' tuh let hisself becaught. Less watch you do it."When the mule was in front of the store, Lum went out andtackled him. The brute jerked up his head, laid back his ears andrushed to the attack. Lum had to run for safety. Five or six moremen left the porch and surrounded the fractious beast, goosinghim in the sides and making him show his temper. But he hadmore spirit left than body. He was soon panting and heaving fromthe effort of spinning his old carcass about. Everybody was havingfun at the mule-baiting. All but Janie.She snatched her head away from the spectacle and began mutteringto herself. "They oughta be shamed uh theyselves! Teasin'dat poor brute beast lak they is! Done been worked tuh death; donehad his disposition ruint wid mistreatment, and now they got tuhfinish devilin"im tuh death. Wisht Ah had mah way wid 'em