C146. How Wiley Wolf Rode in the Bag

3. How Wiley Wolf Rode in the Bag. Text Source: Told by Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg.

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Brer Rabbit'd move sometimes just like the folks does these days. He'd move, but most always he'd take a notion for to come back to his old home. Sometimes he had to move, the other critters pursued after him so close, but they always got the ragged end of the pursuing, and there was times when they'd be right neighborly with him.

it was about the time that Brer Wolf had kind of made up his mind that he can't outdo Brer Rabbit, no way he can fix it, and he say to hisself that he better let him alone till he can get him in a corner where he can't get out. So Brer Wolf, he live with his family on one side the road, and Brer Rabbit live with his family on the other side, not close enough for to quarrel about the fence line, and yet close enough for their youngest chillun to play together whiles the old folks was paying their Sunday calls.

It went on and went on this way till it look like Brer Rabbit done forget how to play tricks on his neighbors and Brer Wolf done disremembered that he ever is try for to catch Brer Rabbit for meat for his family. One Sunday in special, they was mighty friendly. It was Brer Rabbit's time for to call on Brer Wolf, and both of 'em was setting up in the porch just as natural as life. Brer Rabbit was chewing his tobacco and spitting over the railing and Brer Wolf was grinning about old times, and picking his toothies, which they look mighty white and sharp. They was sitting up there, they was, just as thick as fleas on a dog's back, and looking like butter won't melt in their mouth.

(image source)

And whiles they was setting there, little Wiley Wolf and Riley Rabbit was playing in the yard just like chillun will. They run and they romped, they frisk and they frolic, they jump and they hump, they hide and they slide, and it look like they had more fun than a mule can pull in a wagon. Little Wiley Wolf, he'd run after Riley Rabbit, and then Riley Rabbit'd run after Wiley Wolf, and here they had it up and down and round and round, till it look like they'd run theyself to death. About the time you'd think they pleased to drop, one of 'em would holler out, "King's Excuse!' and in them days, when you say that, nobody can't catch you, it ain't make no difference who, 'cause if they dares to lay hands on you after you say that, they could be took to the place where they done their judging, and if they weren't mighty sharp they'd get put in jail.

Now, whiles Wiley Wolf and Riley Rabbit was having their fun, their daddies was pleased to hear the racket what they make, and see the dust they raise. They squealed and they squalled, and ripped around till you'd've thunk they was a good size whirlwind blowing in the yard. Brer Rabbit chewed his tobacco right slow and shut one eye, and old Brer Wolf lick his chops and grin. Brer Rabbit allow, "The youngsters is getting mighty familious," and old Brer Wolf say, "They is indeedy, and I hope they'll keep it up. You know how we used to be, Brer Rabbit; we was constant a-playing tricks on one another, and it looked like we was always at outs. I hope the younguns'll have better manners!"

They sat there, they did, talking about old times, till the sun got low, and the visiting had to be cut short. Brer Rabbit say that he had to cut some kindling so his old woman can get supper, and Brer Wolf allow that he always cut his kindling on Saturday so he can have all Sunday to hisself, and smoke his pipe in peace. He went a piece of the way with Brer Rabbit, and Wiley Wolf, he come, too, and him and Riley Rabbit had all sorts of a time after they got in the big road. There was bushes on both sides, and they kept up their game of hide and seek just as far as Brer Wolf went, but by and by, he say he gone far enough, and he say he hope Brer Rabbit'll come again right soon, and let Riley come and play with Wiley enduring of the week.

Not to be outdone, Brer Rabbit invite Brer Wolf for to come and see him, and likewise to let Wiley come and play with Riley. "They ain't nothing but chillun," says he, "and look like they done took a liking to one another."

On the way back home, Brer Wolf make a mighty strong talk to Wiley. He say, "It's more than likely that the little Rab will come to play with you some day when there ain't nobody here, and when he do, I want you to play the game o* riding in the bag."

Wiley Wolf say he ain't never hear tell of that game, and old Brer Wolf say it's easy as falling off a log. "You get in the bag,' says he, "and let him haul you round the yard, and then he'll get in the bag for you to haul him 'round. What you want to do is to get him used to the bag; you hear that, don't you? Get him use to the bag."

(image source)

So when little Riley come, the two of 'em had a great time of riding in the bag; it was just like riding in a wagon, excepting that Riley Rabbit look like he ain't got no more sense than to haul little Wiley Wolf over the roughest ground he can find, and when Wiley hollered that he hurt him, Riley'd say he won't do it no more, but the next chance he got, he'd do it again.

Well, they had all sorts of a time, and when Riley Rabbit went home, he up and told 'em all what they'd been a-playing. Brer Rabbit ain't say nothing; he just sat there, he did, and chew his tobacco, and shut one eye. 

And when old Brer Wolf come home that night, Wiley told him about the good time they'd had. Brer Wolf grin, he did, and lick his chops. He say, says he, "There's two parts to that game. When you get tired of riding in the bag, you tie the bag." He went on, he did, and told Wiley that what he want him to do is to play riding in the bag till both got tired, and then play tying the bag, and at the last he was to tie the bag so little Riley Rabbit can't get out, and then to go to bed and cover up his head.

So said, so done. Little Riley Rabbit come and played riding in the bag, and then when they got tired, they played tying the bag. It was mighty funny for to tie one another in the bag, and not know if it was going to be untied. I don't know what would've happen to little Riley Rab if old Brer Rabbit ain't come along with a big load of suspicions. He call the little Rabbit to the fence. He talk loud and he say that he want him for to fetch a turn of kindling when he start home, and then he say to Riley, "Be tied in the bag once more, and then when Wiley gets in, tie him in there hard and fast. Wet the string in you mouth, and pull it just as tight as you kin. Then you come on home; you mammy want you."

(image source)

The last time Wiley Wolf got in the bag, little Riley tied it so tight that he couldn't've got it loose if he'd've tried. He tied it tight, he did, and then he allow, "I got to go home for to get some kindling, and when I do that, I'll come back and play till supper-time." But if he ever is went back there, I ain't never hear talk of it.

Wiley Wolf was in the bag, right where Riley Rab lef' him. He was in the bag and there he stayed till old Brer Wolf come from where he been working in the field—the critters was mostly farmers in them days. He come back, he did, and he see the bag, and he know by the bulk of it that there was something in it, and he was so greedy that his mouth fair dribbled. Now, then, when Wiley Wolf got in the bag, he was mighty tired. He'd been a-scuffling an a-wrastling till he was plumb wore out. He hear Riley Rab say he was coming back, and while he was waiting, he dropped off to sleep, and there he was when his daddy come home—sound asleep.

Old Brer Wolf ain't got but one idea, and that was that Riley Rab was in the bag, so he went to the window, and ask if the pot was boiling, and his old woman say it was. With that, he pick up the bag, and 'fore you could bat your eye, he had it soused in the pot.

That's the way the tale runs; as they given it to me, so I give it to you.

C146. Baer (p. 139). How Wiley Wolf Rode in the Bag

This is Chase146.

Types ATU1119 the ogre kills his own children
Motifs
K0869* deceptive game: hauling and tying in bags; parent destroys own child
Notes

Chatelain has Angolan story with leopard and goat who play a fatal game; Klipple has story where leopard gets gazelle's children in a sack and gazelle swaps leopard children; leopard then trades sack for drum

see also Madagascar: Trimobe and Sohitika; T. sews S. in sack; T's children let S. out and he puts them in; they cry themselves to sleep and then T. eats them

Baer thinks Klipple's use of this type is forced, so she proposes something new

Baer: "This tale is probably of African origin."

C146. How Wiley Wolf Rode in the Bag (original spelling)

3. How Wiley Wolf Rode in the Bag. Text Source: Told by Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. You can click here for the standardized spelling plus all notes to the story.

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Uncle Remus soon had the wagon loaded with corn, and he and the little boy started back home. The plantation road was not a good one to begin with, and the spring rains had not improved it. Consequently there were times when Uncle Remus deemed it prudent to get out of the wagon and walk. The horses were fat and strong, to be sure, but some of the small hills were very steep, so much so that the old darky had to guide the team first to the right and then to the left in order to overcome the sheer grade. In other words, he had to see-saw as he explained to the little boy. “Drive um straight up, an’ dey fall back,” he explained, “but on de see-saw dey fergits dat deyer gwine uphill.”
All this was Dutch to the little boy, who knew[38] nothing about driving horses, but he had been well trained, and so he said, “Yes, that is so.” The last time that Uncle Remus had to vacate the driver’s seat in order to relieve the horses of his weight, he stumbled into a ditch that had been dug on the side of the road to prevent the rains from washing it into gullies. He recovered himself immediately, but not before he had startled a little rabbit, which ran on ahead of the horses for a considerable distance. Instinct came to its aid after a while, and it darted into the underbrush which grew profusely on both sides of the road.

Before the little rabbit disappeared, however, Uncle Remus had time to give utterance to a hunting halloo that aroused the echoes all around and made the little boy jump, for he was not used to this sort of thing. “I declar’ ter gracious ef it don’t put me in min’ er ol’ times—de times dey tell ’bout in de tales dat been handed down. Ef dat little rab had ’a’ been five times ez big ez he is, an’ twice ez young, I’d ’a’ thunk we’d done got back ter de days when my great-grandaddy’s[39] great-grandaddy lived. You mayn’t b’lieve me, but ef you’ll count fum de time when my great-grandaddy’s great-grandaddy wuz born’d down ter dis minnit, you’ll fin’ dat youer lookin’ back on many a long year, an’ a mighty heap er Chris’mus-come-an’-gone.

“You may think dat deze times is de bes’; well, den, you kin have um ef you’ll des gi’ me de ol’ times when de nights wuz long an’ de days short, wid plenty er wood on de fire, an’ taters an’ ashcake in de embers. Han’ um here!” Uncle Remus held out his hand as if he thought the little chap had the old times and the ashcakes and the roasted potatoes in his pocket. “Den you ain’t got um,” he went on, as the child drew away and pretended to hold his pocket tight; “you ain’t got um, an’ you can’t git um. I done been had um, but I got ter nippy-nappin’ one night, an’ some un come ’long an’ tuck um—some nigger man, I speck, kaze dey wuz a big fat ’possum mixed up wid um, an’ a heap er yuther things liable fer ter make a nigger’s mouf water. Yasser! dey tuck um right away fum me, an’ I ain’t seed um sence;[40] an’ maybe ef I wuz ter see um I wouldn’t know um.”

“Were the rabbits very large in old times?” inquired the little boy.

“Dey mought er been runts in de fambly,” replied Uncle Remus cautiously, “but fum all I kin hear fum dem what know’d, ol’ Brer Rabbit wuz a sight bigger dan any er de rabbits you see deze days.”

Uncle Remus paused to give the little boy an opportunity to make some comment, or ask such questions as occurred to him, as the other little boy had been so ready to do; but he said nothing. It seemed that his curiosity had been satisfied, and yet he wanted very much to hear a story such as Uncle Remus had been in the habit of telling his father when he was the little boy. But he had been so rigidly trained to silence in the presence of his elders that he hesitated about making his desires known.

The old negro, however, was so accustomed to anticipating the wants of children, especially those in whom he took an interest, that he knew[41] perfectly well what the little boy wanted. The child’s attitude was expectant, even if his lips refused to give form to his thoughts. This sort of thing—the old negro could give it no name—was so new to Uncle Remus that he chuckled, and presently the chuckle developed into a hearty laugh.

The little boy regarded him with surprise. “Are you laughing at me, Uncle Remus?” he inquired, after some hesitation.

“Why, honey, what put dat idee in yo’ head? What I gwineter laugh at you fer? Ef you wuz a little bigger, I might laugh at you, des ter see how you’d take it. Ef you want me ter laugh at you, you’ll hatter do some growin’.”

“Grandmother says I’m a big boy,” said the child.

“Fer yo’ age an’ size, youer right smart chunk uv a boy,” assented Uncle Remus, “but you’ll hatter be lots bigger dan what you is ’fo’ I laugh at you. No, suh; I wuz gigglin’ at de way Brer Rabbit got away wid ol’ Brer Wolf endurin’ er de time when der chillun played tergedder; an’ dat[42] little rabbit dat run ’cross de road put me in min’ un it. I bet ef I’d ’a’ been dar, I’d ’a’ done mo’ dan laugh—I’d ’a’ holler’d. Yasser, dey ain’t no two ways ’bout it—I’d ’a’ des flung back my head an’ ’a’ fetched a whoop dat you could ’a’ hearn fum here ter de big house. Dat’s what I’d ’a’ done.”

“It must have been very funny, then,” remarked the little boy.

Uncle Remus looked at the child with a serious face. Surely something must be wrong with him. And yet he was still expectant—expectant and patient. The old negro had never had dealings with such a youngster as this, and he was not in the habit of telling stories “des dry so,” as he put it; so he went at it in a new, but still a characteristic, way. “Ef yo’ pa had ’a’ been settin’ wha you settin’ he wouldn’t gi’ me no peace twel I tol’ ’im zackly what I wuz laughin’ ’bout; an’ he’d ’a’ pestered me wid his inquirements twel he foun’ out all about it. Does he pester you dat a-way, honey? Kaze ef he does, I’ll tell you de way ter fetch ’im up wid a roun’ turn; des tell ’im you gwineter tell[43] his mammy on him, an’ I bet you he won’t pester you much atter dat.”

This tickled the little boy very much. The idea of asking his grandmother to make his father stop bothering him was so new and so ridiculous that he laughed unrestrainedly.

“De minnit dat little rab jumped out’n de bushes,” Uncle Remus went on, apparently paying no attention to the child’s laughter, “it put me in min’ er de time when ol’ Brer Rabbit had a lot er chillun an’ gran’chillun pirootin’ roun’ de neighborhoods whar he live at. Dey mought ’a’ not been any gran’chillun in de bunch, but dey wuz plenty er chillun, bofe young an’ ol’.

“Brer Rabbit ’ud move sometimes des like de folks does deze days, speshually up dar in ’Lantmatantarum, whar you come fum.” The little boy smiled at this new name for Atlanta, and snuggled a little closer to Uncle Remus, for the old man had, with this one word, entered the fields that belong to childhood. “He’d move, but mos’ allers he’d take a notion fer ter come back ter his ol’ home. Sometimes he hatter move, de[44] yuther creeturs pursued atter ’im so close, but dey allers got de ragged en’ er de pursuin’, an’ dey wuz times when dey’d be right neighborly wid ’im.

“’Twuz ’bout de time dat Brer Wolf had kinder made up his min’ dat he can’t outdo Brer Rabbit, no way he kin fix it, an’ he say ter hisse’f dat he better let ’im ’lone twel he kin git ’im in a corner whar he can’t git out. So Brer Wolf, he live wid his fambly on one side de road, an’ Brer Rabbit live wid his fambly on de yuther side, not close nuff fer ter quoil ’bout de fence line, an’ yit close nuff fer der youngest chillun ter play tergedder whiles de ol’ folks wuz payin’ der Sunday calls.


“Dey sot dar … talkin’ ’bout ol’ times”

“It went on an’ went on dis way twel it look like Brer Rabbit done fergit how ter play tricks on his neighbors an’ Brer Wolf done disremember’d dat he yever is try fer ter ketch Brer Rabbit fer meat fer his fambly. One Sunday in speshual, dey wuz mighty frien’ly. It wuz Brer Rabbit’s time fer ter call on Brer Wolf, an’ bofe un um wuz settin’ up in de porch des ez natchal ez life. Brer[45] Rabbit wuz chawin’ his terbacker an’ spittin’ over de railin’ an’ Brer Wolf wuz grinnin’ ’bout ol’ times, an’ pickin’ his toofies, which dey look mighty white an’ sharp. Dey wuz settin’ up dar, dey wuz, des ez thick ez fleas on a dog’s back, an’ lookin’ like butter won’t melt in der mouf.

“An’ whiles dey wuz settin’ dar, little Wiley Wolf an’ Riley Rabbit wuz playin’ in de yard des like chillun will. Dey run an’ dey romped, dey frisk an’ dey frolic, dey jump an’ dey hump, dey hide an’ dey slide, an’ it look like dey had mo’ fun dan a mule kin pull in a waggin. Little Wiley Wolf, he’d run atter Riley Rabbit, an’ den Riley Rabbit ’ud run atter Wiley Wolf, an’ here dey had it up an’ down an’ roun’ an’ roun’, twel it look like dey’d run deyse’f ter death. ’Bout de time you’d think dey bleeze ter drap, one un um would holler out, ‘King’s Excuse!’ an’ in dem days, when you say dat, nobody can’t ketch you, it ain’t make no diffunce who, kaze ef dey dast ter lay han’s on you atter you say dat, dey could be tuck ter de place whar dey done der judgin’, an ef dey wa’n’t mighty sharp dey’d git put in jail.

[46]

“Now, whiles Wiley Wolf an’ Riley Rabbit wuz havin’ der fun, der daddies wuz bleeze ter hear de racket what dey make, an’ see de dus’ dey raise. Dey squealed an’ dey squalled, an’ ripped aroun’ twel you’d a thunk dey wuz a good size whirlywin’ blowin’ in de yard. Brer Rabbit chaw’d his terbacker right slow an’ shot one eye, an’ ol’ Brer Wolf lick his chops an’ grin. Brer Rabbit ’low, ‘De youngsters is gittin’ mighty familious,’ an’ ol Brer Wolf say, ‘Dey is indeedy, an’ I hope dey’ll keep it up. You know how we useter be, Brer Rabbit; we wuz constant a-playin’ tricks on one an’er, an’ it lookt like we wuz allers at outs. I hope de young uns’ll have better manners!’

“Dey sot dar, dey did, talkin’ ’bout ol’ times, twel de sun got low, an’ de visitin’ had ter be cut short. Brer Rabbit say dat he had ter cut some kindlin’ so his ol’ ’oman kin git supper, an’ Brer Wolf ’low dat he allers cut his kindlin’ on Sat’day so he kin have all Sunday ter hisse’f, an’ smoke his pipe in peace. He went a piece er de way wid Brer Rabbit, an’ Wiley Wolf, he come, too, an’[47] him an’ Riley Rabbit had all sorts uv a time atter dey got in de big road. Dey wuz bushes on bofe sides, an’ dey kep’ up der game er hide an’ seek des ez fur ez Brer Wolf went, but bimeby, he say he gone fur nuff, an’ he say he hope Brer Rabbit’ll come ag’in right soon, an’ let Riley come an’ play wid Wiley endurin’ er de week.

“Not ter be outdone, Brer Rabbit invite Brer Wolf fer ter come an’ see him, an’ likewise ter let Wiley come an’ play wid Riley. ‘Dey ain’t nothin’ but chillun,’ sezee, ‘an’ look like dey done tuck a likin’ ter one an’er.’

“On de way back home, Brer Wolf make a mighty strong talk ter Wiley. He say, ‘It’s mo’ dan likely dat de little Rab will come ter play wid you some day when dey ain’t nobody here, an’ when he do, I want you ter play de game er ridin’ in de bag.’ Wiley Wolf say he ain’t never hear tell er dat game, an’ ol’ Brer Wolf say it’s easy ez fallin’ off a log. ‘You git in de bag,’ sezee, ‘an’ let ’im haul you roun’ de yard, an’ den he’ll git in de bag fer you ter haul him ’roun’. What you wanter do is ter git ’im use ter de[48] bag; you hear dat, don’t you? Git ’im use ter de bag.’

“So when little Riley come, de two un um had a great time er ridin’ in de bag; ’twuz des like ridin’ in a waggin, ’ceppin’ dat Riley Rabbit look like he ain’t got no mo’ sense dan ter haul little Wiley Wolf over de roughest groun’ he kin fin’, an’ when Wiley holler’d dat he hurt ’im, Riley ’ud say he won’t do it no mo’, but de nex’ chance he got, he’d do it ag’in.


“‘Git ’im use to de bag!’”

“Well, dey had all sorts uv a time, an’ when Riley Rabbit went home, he up an’ tol’ um all what dey’d been a-playin’. Brer Rabbit ain’t say nothin’; he des sot dar, he did, an’ chaw his terbacker, an’ shot one eye. An’ when ol’ Brer Wolf come home dat night, Wiley tol’ ’im ’bout de good time dey’d had. Brer Wolf grin, he did, an’ lick his chops. He say, sezee, ‘Dey’s two parts ter dat game. When you git tired er ridin’ in de bag, you tie de bag.’ He went on, he did, an’ tol’ Wiley dat what he want ’im ter do is ter play ridin’ in de bag twel bofe got tired, an’ den play tyin’ de bag, an’ at de las’ he wuz ter tie de bag so[49] little Riley Rabbit can’t git out, an’ den ter go ter bed an’ kiver up his head.

“So said, so done. Little Riley Rabbit come an’ played ridin’ in de bag, an’ den when dey got tired, dey played tyin’ de bag. ’Twuz mighty funny fer ter tie one an’er in de bag, an’ not know ef twuz gwineter be ontied. I dunner what would ’a’ happen ter little Riley Rab ef ol’ Brer Rabbit ain’t come along wid a big load er ’spicions. He call de little Rabbit ter de fence. He talk loud an’ he say dat he want ’im fer ter fetch a turn er kindlin’ when he start home, an’ den he say ter Riley, ‘Be tied in de bag once mo’, an’ den when Wiley gits in tie ’im in dar hard an’ fas’. Wet de string in yo’ mouf, an’ pull it des ez tight ez you kin. Den you come on home; yo’ mammy want you.’

“De las’ time Wiley Wolf got in de bag, little Riley tied it so tight dat he couldn’t ’a’ got it loose ef he’d ’a’ tried. He tied it tight, he did, an’ den he ’low, ‘I got ter go home fer ter git some kindlin’, an’ when I do dat, I’ll come back an’ play twel supper-time.’ But ef[50] he yever is went back dar, I ain’t never hear talk un it.”

Uncle Remus closed his eyes apparently, but not so tight that he couldn’t watch the little boy. The youngster had been listening to the story too intently to ask questions, and now he sat silent waiting for Uncle Remus to finish. He waited and waited until he grew impatient, and then he raised his head. He still waited a few moments longer, but Uncle Remus to all appearances was nodding. “Uncle Remus,” he cried, “what became of Wiley Wolf?”


“‘Den you come on home; yo’ mammy want you’”

The old negro pretended to wake with a start. “Ain’t I hear some un talkin’?” He looked all around, and then his eye fell on the little boy. “Dar you is!” he exclaimed with a laugh. “I done been ter sleep an’ drempt dat I wuz eatin’ a slishe er tater custard ez big ez de waggin body.” The little boy repeated his question, whereupon Uncle Remus held up his hands with a gesture of astonishment. “Ain’t I tol’ you dat? Den I mus’ be gittin’ ol’ an’ wobbly. De fus’ thing when I git ter de house I’m gwineter be[51] weighed fer ter see how ol’ I is. Now, whar wuz I at?”

“Wiley Wolf was in the bag,” the little boy answered.

“Ah-h-h! Right whar Riley Rab lef’ ’im. He wuz in de bag an’ dar he stayed twel ol’ Brer Wolf come fum whar he been workin’ in de fiel’—de creeturs wuz mos’ly farmers in dem days. He come back, he did, an’ he see de bag, an’ he know by de bulk un it dat dey wuz sump’n in it, an’ he ’uz so greedy dat his mouf fair dribbled. Now, den, when Wiley Wolf got in de bag, he wuz mighty tired. He’d been a-scufflin’ an a-rastlin’ twel he wuz plum’ wo’ out. He hear Riley Rab say he wuz comin’ back, an’ while he wuz waitin’, he drapt off ter sleep, an’ dar he wuz when his daddy come home—soun’ asleep.

“Ol’ Brer Wolf ain’t got but one idee, an’ dat wuz dat Riley Rab wuz in de bag, so he went ter de winder, an’ ax ef de pot wuz b’ilin’, an’ his ol’ ’oman say ’twuz. Wid dat, he pick up de bag, an’ fo’ you could bat yo’ eye, he had it soused in de pot.”

[52]

“In the boiling water!” exclaimed the child.

“Dat’s de way de tale runs,” replied Uncle Remus. “Ez dey gun it ter me, so I gin it to you.”