Brer Rabbit Gets Brer Fox a Horse

---

BRER RABBIT GETS BRER FOX A HOSS

 

Not many er de creeturs wuz fon’ er water,Onless it mought ’a’ been Brer Coon’s daughter;Brer B’ar, Brer Fox, an’ ol’ Brer Rabbit,Dey vow’d dey can’t never git in de habitEr wadin’ de creek, er swimmin’ de river—When it come ter dat, dey’d run ter kivver!When folks come ’long fer ter git across,De creeturs tuck notice dat dey rid a hoss.

Brer Fox, he say he wish he had one,An’ ’mongst all de yuthers he’d be de glad un;He’d git a bridle an’ a bran’ new saddle,An’ git on de hoss an’ ride ’im straddle;He say, sezee, “He’d do some trottin’,Kaze when I git started, I’m a mighty hot un!”Brer Rabbit, he smole a great big smile,Wid, “I can’t ride myse’f, kaze I got a b’ile!

“But it seem like ter me dat I knows whar a hoss is:He’s away back yan’ whar two roads crosses,An’ I’ll meet you dar termorrer mornin’,Des ’bout de time when day’s a-dawnin’.”Brer Fox, he say, “I hear yo’ sesso,An’ ef I ain’t sick I’ll be dar desso!”Brer Rabbit tip his hat, wid, “So-long, frien’;We’ll git de hoss, you may depen’.”

 

 

Long ’fo’ de time, Brer Rabbit wuz a-stirrin’,An’ he chuckle ter hisse’f like a cat a-purrin’;De hoss wuz stretched out asleep in de pastur’;Brer Rabbit went up des ez close ez he dast ter,Fer ter see ef he ’live: hoss switched his tail, suh!“Dis time we’ll git you widout fail, suh!”So Brer Rabbit say; den he seed Brer Fox—“An’ an’er fine gent fer ter git in a box!”

Den he say out loud, “Good luck done sont ’im,An’ laid ’im down right whar you want ’im!Ef youer tied ter his tail, you kin sholy hol’ ’im,An’ mo’ dan dat, you kin trip ’im an’ roll ’im!”So said, so done! an’ dar Brer Fox wuz,Right close ter de place whar a heap er knocks wuz!Brer Rabbit, he holla, “Hol’ ’im down! hol’ ’im down!Des make ’im stay right spang on de groun’!”

 

De hoss, he riz wid a snort an’ a whicker,An’ showed dat he wuz sump’n uv a kicker!An’ den an’ dar, Brer Rabbit ’gun ter snicker,Wid, “Hol’ ’im, Brer Fox! ’twon’t do ter flicker!Ef you make ’im stan’ still, you kin ride ’im de quicker!”De hoss, he r’ar’d an’ raise a mighty dust up,An’ fust thing you know, Brer Rabbit hear a bust-up!“I hope, Brer Fox, dat you ain’t much hurt—But yo’ wife’ll be mad, kaze you done tored yo’ shirt!”

---

Brer Rabbit Finds The Moon In The Mill Pond

BRER RABBIT FINDS THE MOON IN THE MILL POND

 

Oh, one bright day in de middle er May,Brer Rabbit wuz feelin’ fine;He tuck ter de road, an’ never know’dDe place whar he wuz gwine!

“Oh, fur an’ free,” sezee, “siree,No gal kin change my min’!”Brer Tarrypin, sly, he wunk one eye,Un’neat’ his green-gourd vine!

He holla an’ say, “Whar you gwine dis day,Wid yo’ pipe an’ walkin’-cane?”Brer Rabbit wave his han’ like a gal do her fan—“My heart’s ’bout ter bust wid pain;

 

“I’m a heap too nice, I ain’t laugh’d but twiceSence de big Jinawary rain;My day’ll be done ef I don’t have some fun—Dey’ll call me Sunday-Jane!

“I’ll git sollumcholic ef I don’t have a frolic,My head’ll git flabby an’ swink;I chaw de pine-bud, kaze I’m ’bout ter lose my cudAn’ some nights I don’t sleep a wink!

“Ef I has ter set still, oh, I’ll w’ar de green willow,An’ go in mo’nin’ wid de Mink!But I bet you a hat dat ’fo’ I does dat,I’ll show um all a new kink!”

 

So, off he put, on his nimbles’ foot,Wid a grin, a laugh, an’ a cough;Ter Miss Motts an’ Miss Meadows, an’ all de udders,He tell what ’uz gwineter come off!

’Twuz a mill-pon’ fishin’, an’ he lef um a-wishin’Dat de win’ don’t blow fum de norf!An’ de creeturs all, bofe long an’ tall—An’ dem no bigger dan a dwarf—

Brer Wolf an’ Brer B’ar,—all say dey’d be dar,An’ dey promise fer ter fetch a seine;Dey ’gree ter de day, an’ Brer Rabbit sayDat dey don’t hatter come ef it rain;

 

So said, so done, an’ when de time come,De big road ez well ez de laneWuz filled wid a crowd, all talkin’ out loud,An’ a-prankin’ wid might an’ main!

Brer Rabbit wuz dar, wid Miss Molly Har’,A-waitin’ fer de fun ter begin;He shuck his shank, an’ went ter de bank,An’ make like he gwineter jump in!

But de sight dat he saw made ’im drap his jaw,An’ break up a great big grin!He sez ter Brer Coon, “Run here an’ see de Moon!A-floatin’ widout a fin!.”

 

He look ag’in—“She sho fell in,An’ we got ter git her out;Ef she stays in de pon’, it’s ’good-bye, John!’An’ uv dat dey ain’t no doubt;

“We got ter have light when we play at night,Fer ter see how ter git about;We’ll drag wid de seine—ef we don’t drag in vain,We’ll have good reason ter shout!”

But when it come ter seinin’, dar wuz some complainin’Bout who wuz ter do it all,Dey all make out dat dey wanter wade out,But it fell on dem dat wuz tall:

 

Brer B’ar, he laugh, ez he tuck a staff,Brer Wolf say he fear’d he’d fall,But he tuck his place wid a mighty wry face,An’ when dey ’gun ter haul.

“Oh, you better bet dis water’s wet!I feel des like a sponge!”An’ den dey all, wid a kick an’ a squall,Wid a squeal an’ den a lunge,

Grabbed at de water—which dey hadn’t oughterWent over der heads wid a splunge;Brer Rabbit bent double, “Oh, all er yo’ troubleFills me full er fun-unj-unj!”

---

Brer Rabbit : How Mr Lion Lost His Wool

HOW MR. LION LOST HIS WOOL

 

“Twuz des sech a day ez dis dat Mr Lion lost his wool,” remarked Uncle Remus to the little boy, “Mr. Man tuck a notion dat de time done come fer him fer ter have a hog-killin’ an’ he got ’im a big barrel, an’ fill it half full er water fum de big springs. Den he piled up ’bout a cord er wood, an’ ez he piled, he put rocks ’twix’ de logs, an’ den he sot de wood after at bofe een’s an’ in de middle. ’Twan’t long ’fo’ dey had de hogs killt, an’ eve’ything ready fer ter scrape de ha’r off. Den he tuck de red-hot rocks what he put in de fire, an’ flung um in de barrel whar de water wuz, an’ ’twan’t long, mon, ’fo’ dat water wuz ready fer ter bile. Den dey tuck de hogs, one at a time, an’ soused um in de water, an’ time dey tuck um out, he ha’r wuz ready fer ter drap out by de roots. Den dey’d scrape un wid sticks an’ chips, an’ dey aint leave a ha’r on um.

 

“Well, bimeby, dey had all de hogs killt an’ cleaned, an’ hauled off, an’ when eve’ything wuz still ez a settin’ hen, ol’ Brer Rabbit stuck his head out fum behine a bush whar he been settin’ at. He stuck his head out, he did, an’ look all ’roun’, an’ den he went whar de fier wuz an’ try fer ter warm hisse’f. He aint been dar long ’fo’ here come Brer Wolf an’ Brer Fox, an den he got busy.

 

“He say, ‘Hello, frien’s! howdy an’ welcome! I ’m des fixin’ fer ter take a warm baff like Mr. Man gi’ his hogs; wont you j’ine me?’ Dey say dey aint in no hurry, but dey holp Brer Rabbit put de hot rocks in de barrel an’ dey watch de water bubble, an’ bimeby, when eve’ything wuz ready, who should walk up but ol’ Mr. Lion?

“He had a mane fum his head plum ter de een’ er his tail, an’ in some places it wuz so long it drug on de groun’—dat what make all de creeturs ’fear’d un ’im. He growl an’ ax um what dey doin’, an’ when Brer Rabbit tell ’im, he say dat’s what he long been needin’. ‘How does you git in?’ ‘Des back right in,’ sez ol’ Brer Rabbit, sezee, an’ wid dat,

 

“Mr. Lion backed in, an’ de water wuz so hot, he try fer ter git out, an’ he slipped in plum ter his shoulder-blades. You kin b’lieve me er not, but dat creetur wuz scall’d so dat he holler’d an’ skeer’d eve’ybody fur miles aroun’.

 

“An when he come out, all de wool drap’t out, ’cep’ de bunch you see on his neck, an’ de leetle bit you’ll fin’ on de een’ er his tail—an’ dat’d ’a’ come off ef de tail hadn’t ’a’ slipped thoo de bung-hole er de barrel.” With that, Uncle Remus closed his eyes, but not so tightly that he couldn’t watch the little boy. For a moment the child said nothing, and then, “I must tell that tale to mother before I forget it!” So saying, he ran out of the cabin as fast as his feet could carry him, leaving Uncle Remus shaking with laughter.

---

How Brer Rabbit Got a House

HOW BRER RABBIT GOT A HOUSE

 

 

Oh, once ’pon a time, all de creeturs, all de creeturs,Tuck a notion dat dey’d build a house,An’ fix it so ez ter keep out de skeeters,An’ fix it up nix cummy rous!Dey all wuz dar fum de B’ar ter de Possum,Brer Wolf, Brer Fox, Brer Coon,Wid ol’ Brer Rabbit fer ter stan’ ’roun’ an’ boss um,Kaze dey hatter have de’ house right soon.
 

Brer Rabbit, he wuz busy, oh, yes, mighty busy,Not doin’ uv a blessed thing;Ef he clim’ de scaffle, he say he’ll git dizzy,So he medjur an’ mark an’ sing.Dey buil’ de house, an’ it sho wuz a fine un,Made er poplar, oak an’ pine;De littlest room wuz a sev’m-by-nine un,Whar de sick could go an’ whine!

Brer Rabbit, he wait, an’ when de time comeHe choosened a upsta’s room,An’ dar he sot (ef I kin make de rhyme come)A-singin’ “Hark fum de Toom”!An’ den he got what he aint had oughter,Ez all de creeturs said,A gun, a cannon, an’ a tub er water,An’ hid um under his bed!
 

 

When de creeturs come home, Brer Rabbit wuz ready,An’ he tell um he gwineter set down;“Well, set,” sez dey, “an’ we’ll try ter be ste’dy,”An’ wid dat, Brer Rabbit kinder frown;Bang-bang! went de gun—de barrels wuz double—An’ de creeturs wuz still ez mice;Brer B’ar he say, “Dy must be some trouble,But I hope heedon’t loosen de j’is!”

 

Brer Rabbit, he say, “Wharbouts mus’ I spit at?”An’ Brer Wolf answer, wid a grin,“Des wharsomever you kin make it hit at!”Brer Fox, he rub his chin;Brer Rabbit, he tuck de tub er water,An’ empty it all on de sta’rs,An’ it come nigh drownin’ Brer Coon’s daughter.An’ likewise one er Brer B’ar’s!

Brer Rabbit say, “When I sneeze I’ll skeer you,An’ I hate fer ter have it ter do!”Brer Fox say, “We’ll lissen an’ hear youDes go right ahead wid yo’ sneeze-a-ma-roo!”Boom-a-lam! went de cannon, an’ de creeturs, dey lit outThoo window-sash an’ do’Any way, any way dat dey kin git oot,An’ dey aint come dar no mo’!

---

Brer Rabbit and the Partridge Nest

BRER RABBIT AND THE PARTRIDGE NEST

 

Oh, what’s de matter wid de Whipperwill,Dat she sets an’ cries on de furder hill?An’ what’s de matter wid Miss Bob White,Dat she choke herse’f wid sayin’ Good-night?You know mighty well dat sump’n is wrongWhen dey sets an’ sings dat kinder song,’Twix’ a call an’ a cry, ’twix’ a weep an’ a wail—Dey must be tellin’ a mighty sad tale.

Miss Whipperwill’s troubles, an’ what she sayWill do fer ter tell some yuther day;But Miss Bob White—my! aint she a sight?—I’ll hatter tell why she hollers Good-night.Dey once wuz a time (needer mo’ ner less)When she ain’t try ter hide ner kivver her nes’;She built it in de open, whar all kin see,An’ wuz des ez perlite ez she kin be.

 

She’d make her house facin’ eas’ an’ wes’,An’ den wid eggs she’d fill her nes’;Fer ter keep um warm she’d brood an’ set,An’ keep her house fum gittin’ wet.Whiles dis gwine on, Brer Rabbit come by,A-wigglin’ his mouf, an’ a-blinkin’ his eye:“De top er de mornin’, Miss Bob,” sezee;“De same ter you, Brer Rabbit,” se’ she.

Sez ol’ Brer Rabbit, “I been missin’ you long,I wuz mighty fear’d dat sump’n wuz wrong,But here you set ez still ez a mouse,Not doin’ nothin’ but keepin’ house!”“Oh, well,” se’ she, “I’m too ol’ ter gad,I use’ ter do it, but I wish I never had!De only thing I want is ter wash my dress,But I can’t do dat whiles I’m on my nes’.”

Brer Rabbit, he say, “Can’t I he’p you out?I ain’t doin’ nothin’ but walkin’ about,An’ my ol’ ’oman is willin’ fer ter betDat ef settin ’s de thing, I’m ol’ man Set!”“I know mighty well,” sez Miss Bob White,“Ef you set a-tall, it’ll be done right.”“Thanky-do, Miss Bob! Go wash yo’ dress,An’ I’ll do what I kin fer ter kivver yo’ nes’!”

 

So off she put, wid a flutter an’ a flirt,An’ washed her dress in a pile er clean dirt;Brer Rabbit see de eggs, an’ shuck his head;His mouf ’gun ter dribble, an’ his eye turn red;Sezee, “It’d sholy be hard fer ter match um,So I’ll des take um home an’ try fer ter hatch um!”So said, so done! An’ den when he come back,He come in a gait ’twix’ a lope an’ a rack.

 

An’ Miss Bob White, atter washin’ her dress,Went a-runnin’ back ter house an’ nes’;“Much erbleege, Brer Rabbit,” an’ den she bowed.“Say nothin’, ma’am, fer ter make me proud,Kaze I been a-waitin’ here, frettin’ an’ sweatin’,Fer fear I ain’t sech a good han’ at settin’;My ol’ ’oman say I got a slow fever,An’ I ’clar’ ter goodness, I’m ready ter b’lieve her!

“I felt sump’n move, I hear’ sump’n run,An’ de eggs done gone—dey ain’t na’er one!I sho is seed sights, I done hear folks talk—But never befo’ is I seed eggs walk!”“My goodness, me!” sez Miss Bob White,A-peepin’ in de nes’, “You sho is right!”An’ y’ever sence den, when darkness falls,She gives de lost chillun her Good-night calls!An’ y’ever sence den, when darkness falls,She gives de lost chillun her Good-night calls!

---

Brer Rabbit

Brer Rabbit stories are akin to fables .They are resistance allegories which were developed in the   antebellum African American in the oral plantation oral culture American of  song and stories such  where the weak  deceive and defeat the strong and the dominant.

 The larger animals (the dominant powerful) were repeatedly lambasted and outclassed by the smaller Brer Rabbit (the African American)inevery situation pitting their wits their wits . The  contest in which the quick witted always defeated and  the dominant and powerful,archetypal tales of social protest and powerful forms of hidden resistance using recognisable illustrations.

Trickster figure originating in African folklore and transmitted by African slaves to the New World, where it acquired attributes of similar native American tricksters Brer, or Brother, Rabbit was popularized in the United States in the stories of Joel Chandler Harris (Harris, Joel Chandler) (1848–1908). The character's adventures embody an idea considered to be a universal creation among oppressed peoples—that a small, weak, but ingenious force can overcome a larger, stronger, but dull-witted power. Brer Rabbit continually outsmarts his bigger animal associates, Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, and Brer Bear.

Brer Rabbit

 

Brer Rabbit,  trickster figure originating in African folklore and transmitted by African slaves to the New World, where it acquired attributes of similar native American tricksters Brer, or Brother, Rabbit was popularized in the United States in the stories of Joel Chandler Harris (1848–1908). Brer Rabbit's  adventures embody an idea considered to be a universal creation among oppressed peoples—that a small, weak, but ingenious force can overcome a larger, stronger, but dull-witted power. Brer Rabbit continually outsmarts his bigger animal associates, Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, and Brer Bear.

African origins
The Br'er Rabbit stories can be traced back to trickster figures in Africa, particularly the hare that figures prominently in the storytelling traditions in Western Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. These tales continue to be part of the traditional folklore of numerous peoples throughout those regions. In the Akan traditions of West Africa, the trickster is usually the spider  though the plots of tales of the spider are often identical with those of stories of Br'er Rabbit.^.
Some scholars have suggested that in the American incarnation, Br'er Rabbit represented the enslaved Africans who used their wits to overcome adversity and to exact revenge on their adversaries, the White slave-owners. Though not always successful, the efforts of Br'er Rabbit made him a folk hero. However, the trickster is a multidimensional character. While he can be a hero, his amoral nature and his lack of any positive restraint can make him into a villain as well.

For both Africans and African Americans, the animal trickster represents an extreme form of behavior which people may be forced to use in extreme circumstances in order to survive. The trickster is not to be admired in every situation. He is an example of what to do, but also an example of what not to do. The trickster's behavior can be summed up in the common African proverb: "It's trouble that makes the monkey chew on hot peppers." In other words, sometimes people must use extreme measures in extreme circumstances.
The American versions of the stories are said to have originated among enslaved Africans. The stories of Br'er Rabbit were written down by Robert Roosevelt, an uncle of President Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt wrote in his autobiography about his aunt from the State of Georgia, that "She knew all the 'Br'er Rabbit' stories, and I was brought up on them. One of my uncles, Robert Roosevelt, was much struck with them, and took them down from her dictation, publishing them in Harper's, where they fell flat. This was a good many years before a genius arose who, in 'Uncle Remus', made the stories immortal.

 

These stories were popularized for the mainstream audience in the late 19th century by Joel Chandler Harris (1845–1908), who wrote down and published many of the stories that had been passed down by oral tradition. Harris also attributed the birth name, Riley, to Br'er Rabbit. Harris heard these tales in Georgia. Very similar versions of the same stories were recorded independently at the same time by the folklorist Alcée Fortier in southern Louisiana, where the Rabbit character was known as Compair Lapin in Creole French. Enid Blyton, the English writer of children's fiction, retold the stories for children.