Brother Rabbit Submits to a Test

"Uncle Remus," said the child, "do you reckon Brother Rabbit really

married the young lady?"

"Bless yo' soul, honey," responded the old man, with a sigh, "hit b'long

ter Brer Jack fer ter tell you dat. 'T aint none er my tale."

"Was n't that the tale you started to tell?"

"Who? Me? _Shoo!_ I aint 'sputin' but w'at Brer Jack tale des ez purty

ez dey er any needs fer, yit 't aint none er my tale."

At this, the little boy laid his head upon Uncle Remus's knee and

waited.

"Now, den," said the old man, with an air of considerable importance,

"we er got ter go 'way back behime dish yer yallergater doin's w'at Brer

Jack bin mixin' us up wid. Ef I makes no mistakes wid my 'membunce, de

place wharbouts I lef' off wuz whar Brer Rabbit had so many 'p'intments

fer ter keep out de way er de t'er creeturs dat he 'gun ter feel

monst'us humblyfied. Let um be who dey will, you git folks in a close

place ef you wanter see um shed der proudness. Dey beg mo' samer dan a

nigger w'en de patter-rollers ketch 'im. Brer Rabbit aint ko no

beggin', 'kaze dey aint kotch; yit dey come so nigh it, he 'gun ter

feel he weakness.

"W'en Brer Rabbit feel dis a-way, do he set down flat er de groun' en

let de t'er creeturs rush up en grab 'im? He mought do it deze days,

'kaze times done change; but in dem days he des tuck'n sot up wid

hisse'f en study 'bout w'at he gwine do. He study en study, en las' he

up'n tell he ole 'oman, he did, dat he gwine on a journey. Wid dat, ole

Miss Rabbit, she tuck'n fry 'im up a rasher er bacon, en bake 'im a pone

er bread. Brer Rabbit tied dis up in a bag en tuck down he walkin' cane

en put out."

"Where was he going, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

"Lemme 'lone, honey! Lemme sorter git hit up, like. De trail mighty cole

'long yer, sho'; 'kaze dish yer tale aint come 'cross my min' not sence

yo' gran'pa fotch us all out er Ferginny, en dat 's a monst'us long time

ago.

"He put out, Brer Rabbit did, fer ter see ole Mammy-Bammy Big-Money."

"Dat 'uz dat ole Witch-Rabbit," remarked Aunt Tempy, complacently.

"Yasser," continued Uncle Remus, "de ve'y same ole creetur w'at I done

tell you 'bout w'en Brer Rabbit los' he foot. He put out, he did, en

atter so long a time he git dar. He take time fer ter ketch he win', en

den he sorter shake hisse'f up en rustle 'roun' in de grass. Bimeby he

holler:

"'Mammy-Bammy Big-Money! O Mammy-Bammy Big-Money! I journeyed fur, I

journeyed fas'; I glad I foun' de place at las'.'

"Great big black smoke rise up out er de groun', en ole Mammy-Bammy

Big-Money 'low:

"'Wharfo', Son Riley Rabbit, Riley? Son Riley Rabbit, wharfo'?'

"Wid dat," continued Uncle Remus, dropping the sing-song tone by means

of which he managed to impart a curious dignity and stateliness to the

dialogue between Brother Rabbit and Mammy-Bammy Big-Money,--"wid dat

Brer Rabbit up'n tell 'er, he did, 'bout how he fear'd he losin' de use

er he min', 'kaze he done come ter dat pass dat he aint kin fool de

yuther creeturs no mo', en dey push 'im so closte twel 't won't be long

'fo' dey'll git 'im. De ole Witch-Rabbit she sot dar, she did, en suck

in black smoke en puff it out 'g'in, twel you can't see nothin' 't all

but 'er great big eyeballs en 'er great big years. Atter w'ile she

'low:

"'Dar sets a squer'l in dat tree, Son Riley; go fetch dat squer'l

straight ter me, Son Riley Rabbit, Riley.'

"Brer Rabbit sorter study, en den he 'low, he did:

"'I aint got much sense lef', yit ef I can't coax dat chap down from

dar, den hit 's 'kaze I done got some zeeze w'ich it make me fibble in de

min',' sezee.

"Wid dat, Brer Rabbit tuck'n empty de provender out'n he bag en got 'im

two rocks, en put de bag over he head en sot down und' de tree whar he

squer'l is. He wait little w'ile, en den he hit de rocks

tergedder--_blip!_

"Squer'l he holler, 'Hey!'

"Brer Rabbit wait little, en den he tuck'n slap de rocks

tergedder--_blap!_

"Squer'l he run down de tree little bit en holler, 'Heyo!'

"Brer Rabbit aint sayin' nothin'. He des pop de rocks

tergedder--_blop!_

"Squer'l, he come down little furder, he did, en holler, 'Who dat?'

"'Biggidy Dicky Big-Bag!'

"'What you doin' in dar?'

"'Crackin' hick'y nuts.'

"'Kin I crack some?'

"'Tooby sho', Miss Bunny Bushtail; come git in de bag.'

"Miss Bunny Bushtail hang back," continued Uncle Remus, chuckling; "but

de long en de short un it wuz dat she got in de bag, en Brer Rabbit he

tuck'n kyar'd 'er ter ole Mammy-Bammy Big-Money. De ole Witch-Rabbit,

she tuck'n tu'n de squer'l a-loose, en 'low:

"'Dar lies a snake in 'mungs' de grass, Son Riley; go fetch 'im yer, en

be right fas', Son Riley Rabbit, Riley.'

"Brer Rabbit look 'roun', en sho' nuff dar lay de bigges' kinder

rattlesnake, all quile up ready fer business. Brer Rabbit scratch he

year wid he behime leg, en study. Look lak he gwine git in trouble. Yit

atter w'ile he go off in de bushes, he did, en cut 'im a young

grape-vine, en he fix 'im a slip-knot. Den he come back. Snake

'periently look lak he sleep. Brer Rabbit ax 'im how he come on. Snake

aint say nothin', but he quile up a little tighter, en he tongue run

out lak it bin had grease on it. Mouf shot, yit de tongue slick out en

slick back 'fo' a sheep kin shake he tail. Brer Rabbit, he 'low, he

did:

"'Law, Mr. Snake, I mighty glad I come 'cross you,' sezee. 'Me en ole

Jedge B'ar bin havin' a turrible 'spute 'bout how long you is. We bofe

'gree dat you look mighty purty w'en youer layin' stretch out full lenk

in de sun; but Jedge B'ar, he 'low you aint but th'ee foot long, en I

stood 'im down dat you 'uz four foot long ef not mo',' sezee. 'En de

talk got so hot dat I come mighty nigh hittin' 'im a clip wid my

walkin'-cane, en ef I had I boun' dey'd er bin some bellerin' done

'roun' dar,' sezee.

"Snake aint say nothin', but he look mo' complassy[34] dan w'at he bin

lookin'.

"'I up'n tole ole Jedge B'ar,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'dat de nex' time

I run 'cross you I gwine take'n medjer you; en goodness knows I mighty

glad I struck up wid you, 'kaze now dey won't be no mo' 'casion fer any

'sputin' 'twix' me en Jedge B'ar,' sezee.

"Den Brer Rabbit ax Mr. Snake ef he won't be so good ez ter onquile

hisse'f. Snake he feel mighty proud, he did, en he stretch out fer all

he wuff. Brer Rabbit he medjer, he did, en 'low:

"'Dar one foot fer Jedge B'ar; dar th'ee foot fer Jedge B'ar; en, bless

goodness, dar four foot fer Jedge B'ar, des lak I say!'

"By dat time Brer Rabbit done got ter snake head, en des ez de las' wud

drop out'n he mouf, he slip de loop 'roun' snake neck, en den he had 'im

good en fas'. He tuck'n drag 'im, he did, up ter whar de ole

Witch-Rabbit settin' at; but w'en he git dar, Mammy-Bammy Big-Money done

make 'er disappearance, but he year sump'n' way off yander, en seem lak

it say:

"'Ef you git any mo' sense, Son Riley, you'll be de ruination ev de

whole settlement, Son Riley Rabbit, Riley.'

"Den Brer Rabbit drag de snake 'long home, en stew 'im down en rub wid

de grease fer ter make 'im mo' 'soopler in de lim's. Bless yo' soul,

honey, Brer Rabbit mought er bin kinder fibble in de legs, but he wa'n't

no ways cripple und' de hat."[35]

[34] A mixture of "complacent" and "placid." Accent on the second syllable.

[35] A version of this story makes Brother Rabbit capture a swarm of bees. Mr. W. O. Tuggle, of Georgia, who has made an exhaustive study of the Creek Indians, has discovered a variant of the legend. The Rabbit (Chufee) becomes alarmed because he has nothing but the nimbleness of his feet to take him out of harm's way. He goes to his Creator and begs that greater intelligence be bestowed upon him. Thereupon the snake test is applied, as in the negro story, and the Rabbit also catches a swarm of gnats. He is then told that he has as much intelligence as there is any need for, and he goes away satisfied.