The "says I" appears throughout the Uncle Remus Tales by Joel Chandler
Harris as "sezee":  "'Drown me des ez deep ez you please, Brer Fox,' sez
Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'but don't fling me in dat briar-patch,' sezee."

On Tue, Jan 23, 2018 at 1:15 PM, Gregg Camfield <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> It's a fairly common motif in folk humor from way back.
>
> G
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Scott Holmes
> Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2018 9:34 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: =93Says I=94 refrain
>
> Doesn't Ben Gunn say that, repeatedly?
>
> On Tue, 2018-01-23 at 03:24 -0800, Clay Shannon wrote:
> > I=3DE2=3D80=3D99m reading Hamlin Garland=3DE2=3D80=3D99s
> =3DE2=3D80=3D9CM=
> rs.
> > Ripley=3DE2=3D80=3D99s T=3D
> > rip=3DE2=3D80=3D9D in his =3DE2=3D80=3D9CMain-Travelled Roads=3DE2=3D80=
> =3D9D
> > collection.=3D20
> >=20
> > There=3DE2=3D80=3D99s a woman in the story (the neighborhood gossip) who=
> =20
> > repeatedl=3D y says, =3DE2=3D80=3D9CSays I.=3DE2=3D80=3D9D
> >=20
> > There=3DE2=3D80=3D99s a Twain book with a similar lady - I think she
> appe=
> ars=20
> > towar=3D d the end of =3DE2=3D80=3D9CHuck Finn,=3DE2=3D80=3D9D at the
> Phe=
> lps farm.
> >=20
> > Does anybody know if Twain and Garland were aware of each using a=20
> > similar ch=3D aracter?
> >=20
> > I think Twain=3DE2=3D80=3D99s predated Garland=3DE2=3D80=3D99s. Shades
> of=
> =20
> > plagiarism?
> >=20
> > -- B. Clay Shannon=3D
> --
>  There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of
>                           in your philosophy.
>                         http://bscottholmes.com
>



-- 
John H. Davis, Ph.D.
Professor of English
Department of Language and Literature
Chowan University
Murfreesboro, North Carolina 27855