How Old Craney-Crow Lost His Head (Told By Uncle Remus Book 7)

In the course of time, the man who had been the little boy for ever so long came to have a little boy of his own, and then it happened in the most natural way in the world that the little boy's little boy fell under the spell of Uncle Remus, who was still halle and hearty in spite of his age.

This latest little boy was frailer and quieter than his father had been and a source of perpetual wonder to Uncle Remus who had a way of watching him curiously. Sometimes, as the result of this investigation, which was continuous, Uncle Remus would shake his head and chuckle; at other times, he would shake his head and sigh, but he always had a tale to share.

'How Old Craney-Crow Lost His Head' is the seventh in a series of stories told by Uncle Remus :

..."What kind of a bird is it, Uncle Remus?" the child inquired.

"Folks useter call um Craney-Crows, honey, but now dey ain't got no name but des plain blue crane an' I dunner whedder dey er wuff sech a big name. Yit I ain't got nothin' ag'in um dat I knows un. Mo' dan dat, when I ermembers 'bout de ol' grandaddy crane what drifted inter deze parts, many's de long time ago, 'twouldn't take much fer ter make me feel right sorry fer de whole kit an' bilin' un um dey er sech start natchul fools."

"But what is there to be sorry about, Uncle Remus?" the little boy asked. He was rapidly learning to ask questions at the proper time.

"'Bout dey havin' seek a little grain er sense, honey. Ef you know'd what I does, I dunner ef you'd be tickled, er ef you'd feel sorry, an' it's de same way wid me. When I think er dat ol' Great-Grandaddy Crane, I dunner whedder ter laugh er cry..."

Newly republished for the Kindle using the original text, by author Joel Chandler Harris. Series Illustrators A.B. Frost, J.M. Conde and Frank Verbeck