C001. Baer (p. 28). Uncle Remus Initiates the Little Boy

This is Chase001.

Types
ATU0122 The Wolf Loses His Prey. Escape by false plea.

Motifs
K0757 Capture by feigning illness.
K0567 Escape by pretending to perform errand (do work) for captor.
K0653 Escape because of plea that leaves means of egress open

See also
Friends 8 = Chase127.
Nights 65 = Chase099.

Notes
Type is widespread in Europe, but the motifs are not European; Thompson references West Indian, North American Indian, and African
"For a persuasive argument that non-European motifs which occur in both North American Indian and African tales are of African origin, see Dundes 1965."
(essay in Mother Wit from the Laughing Barrel)
Type 122: large/powerful character corners small/weak character who escapes by using its wits
compares Aesop's fable about lion and bull (Perry 143)
"Rabbit escapes by pretending to believe the wolf's pretense that they are going to eat chicken, and he is simply going to fetch calamus root to improve the feast"
Baer adds K653 in the notes and comments: "Although Thompson includes only India under this motif number, it is of frequent occurrence in African tales."


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MY NOTES

See notes collected at Diigo: Chase001

I find the first half of the story puzzling: what was Fox's plan when he came to Rabbit's house at dinnertime? and why did Rabbit's little song put him off so that he left? It seems like a turn-about is fair play type of story somehow (like the fox and stork inviting each other to dinner), but I'm not really sure.

Additional notes from ATU reference:

Here is a list of the variations in Type122:
122 animal loses his prey because his victim can escape by false plea
122A the wolf (fox) seeks breakfast. A wolf (fox) threatens to eat various animals (hog, sheep, horse), but they ask for a last favor. On ehas to baptize his children, a second one wants to squeal before the wolf eats him up, so that help comes, and one wants to finish his prayer. The wolf stays hungry (is killed).
122B The rat persuades the cat to wash her face before eating. A cat catches a rat (sparrow, squirrel) and is about to eat it. The rat tells the cat that no one eats a meal without having washed his mouth. The cat cleans her mouth and the victim escapes. The cat promises himself to clean her mouth only after a meal.
AssC The sheep persuades the wolf to sing before he eats him. The wolf starts to howl (play the flute), so that the dogs come and farmers beat up (chase away) the wolf.
122D Caught animal promises captor better prey. A captured hare (sheep, rooster, blackbird, fox) pretends to help a wolf (fox, lion) and promises a more desirable victim. Thus the hare escapes.
122E. Wait for the fat goat. Three goats (billy goats) have to pass a bridge where a troll keeps guard, or they meet a wolf who wants to eat them. He lets the two small ones pass in order to get the biggest one, who throws him into the river.
122F Wait till I am fat enough. A captured animal (hog, sheep, dog) persuades his captor (wolf) to wait until he is fat enough to eat. Then he escapes.
122G Wash me / Soak me before eating. A wolf (jackal, fox) wants to eat a piglet (crabs and fish). The sow persuades the wolf that she has to wash the piglet first, and pulls the wolf into the water. OR A turtle explains to a jackal that he has to be soaked in water in order to soften his shell. Thus he escapes.
122H Wait until I get dry. A monkey is pulled from mud by a tiger who wants to eat him. He asks the tiger to be allowed to dry in sun before being eaten. Thus he escapes.
122Z. Other tricks to escape being eaten. This miscellaneous type consists of various tales about other tricks of animals to escape being eaten by the wolf (fox, etc.)
[the type is clearly a big mess with all these subtypes!]
122B* The squirrel persuades the fox to pray before eating. It escapes.
122D* To make a bird tastier. A fox puts a bird into the hub of a wheel to make it tastier.
122K* The wolf as judge. A wolf meets two rams (goats) and wants to eat one of them. They ask him to settle a quarrel between them about the owndership of a meadow. The wolf will eat the loser. The animals run to the wolf from both sides of the meadow and hit him with their horns. The wolf is killed, or the animals can escape while the wolf is unconscious.
122I* Blind wolf keeps guard over a captive ox. A blinded wolf guards an ox. The ox's legs are tied together. The ox begs the wolf to free them because the bonds are too tight. Then he gives the wolf wooden sticks to hold instead of his feet, and runs away.
122M* The ram run straight into the wolf's stomach. A wolf wants to eat a ram. The ram asks him to open his mouth wide so that he can just right into it. He butts the wolf with his horns and escapes.
122N* The donkey persuades the wolf to ride on his back to the village. A wolf wants to eat a donkey, but the donkey persuades him that the villagers want the wolf as their mayor. The wolf rides on the back of the donkey to the village, and the villagers beat the wolf with sticks.