C002. Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby

2. The Wonderful Tar-baby Story. Text Source: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. I have removed the frame material and standardized the spelling; click here for the original spelling plus all notes to the story.

This story follows Uncle Remus Initiates the Little Boy as you'll see from the reference to the calamus root at the beginning and at the end of the story.

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BRER RABBIT and the TAR-BABY

One day after Brer Rabbit fool him with that calamus root, Brer Fox went to work and got him some tar, and mix it with some turpentine, and fix up a contraption what he call a Tar-Baby, and he took this here Tar-Baby and he sat her in the big road, and then he lay off in the bushes for to see what the news was going to be.

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And he didn't have to wait long, neither, 'cause by and by here come Brer Rabbit pacing down the road — lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity — just as sassy as a jaybird. Brer Fox, he lay low.

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Brer Rabbit come prancing along till he spy the Tar-Baby, and then he fetch up on his behind legs like he was  astonished.

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The Tar Baby, she sat there, she did, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

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"Mornin'!" says Brer Rabbit, says he — "Nice weather this mornin'," says he.

Tar-Baby ain't saying' nothing, and Brer Fox he lay low.

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"How does yo' sym'toms seem to segashuate?" says Brer Rabbit, says he.

Brer Fox, he wink his eye slow, and lay low, and the Tar-Baby, she ain't saying nothing.

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"How you come on, then? Is you deaf?" says Brer Rabbit, says he. "'Cause if you is, I can holler louder," says he.

Tar-Baby stay still, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

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"You is stuck up, that's what you is," says Brer Rabbit, says he, "an' I'm goin' to cure you, that's what I'm a goin' to do," says he.

Brer Fox, he sort of chuckle in his stomach, he did, but Tar-Baby ain't saying nothing.

"I'm goin' to learn you how to talk to 'spectable folks if it's the las' act," says Brer Rabbit, says he. "If you don't take off that hat an' tell me howdy, I'm goin' to bus' you wide open," says he.

Tar-Baby stay still, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

Brer Rabbit keep on asking him, and the Tar-Baby, she keep on saying nothing, till presently Brer Rabbit draw back with his fist, he did, and blip he took her side of the head. Right there's where he broke his molasses jug. His fist stuck, and he can't pull loose. The tar hold him. But Tar-Baby, she stay still, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

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"If you don't let me loose, I'll knock you again," says Brer Rabbit, says he, and with that he fetch her a wipe with the other hand, and that stuck. Tar-Baby, she ain't saying nothing, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

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"Turn me loose, 'fore I kick the nat'ral stuffin' out of you," says Brer Rabbit, says he, but the Tar-Baby, she ain't saying nothing. She just hold on, and then Brer Rabbit lose the use of his feet in the same way. Brer Fox, he lay low.

Den Brer Rabbit squall out that if the Tar-Baby don't turn him loose he butt her cranksided. And then he butted, and his head got stuck. Then Brer Fox, he sauntered forth, looking just as innocent as one of mammy's mocking-birds.

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"Howdy, Brer Rabbit," says Brer Fox, says he. "You look sort of stuck up this mornin'," says he, and then he rolled on the ground, an' laughed and laughed till he couldn't laugh no more.

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"I 'spect you'll take dinner with me this time, Brer Rabbit. I done laid in some calamus root, an' I ain't goin' to take no 'scuse," says Brer Fox, says he.

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C002. Baer (p. 29). The Wonderful Tar Baby Story

This is Chase002.

Types
ATU0175. The Tar-Baby and the Rabbit.

Motifs
K741. Capture by Tar-Baby.

Notes
Gerber mentions link connecting this story to the jataka of the demon with the matted hair, but does not endorse. In versions from Mauritius and South Africa, tortoise puts sticky stuff on back to catch animal stealing water from well. William Owens in Folklore of the Southern Negroes includes version of this story which is closer to the African stories: tar is to catch thief of well-water.
There are lots of possible variants:
Gold Coast Spider and Farmer  / Sea Islands Rabbit, Wolf, and Tar-Baby
Angola story has leopard using gummy dolls, and Week suggests it is a fetish called Nkondi "by its own magical powers could hold tightly its victim"
Many of the West Indian versions include ATU1737 Parson in the Sack to Heaven.
Scholars are divided on the significance of the jataka / Indian origin.
Mooney considered the Cherokee and other Native American versions to be borrowings from African-American story.
Espinosa bases his claim to Hispanic origin on the lack of female tar-baby, which he claims is characteristic of African versions (although Baer says this is not the case). Uncle Remus does refer to the tar-baby as she, and Baer remarks: "Espinosa never noticed. Instead, he based his conclusions on his own faulty translation." (Use Espinosa with caution, Baer advises.)


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MY NOTES

See notes collected at Diigo: Chase 002

The jataka is Pañcāvudha-Jātaka.

Additional notes from ATU reference:

In the ATU listing for 175, it says compare 159: Captured wild animals ransom themselves. An old couple spread pitch on a straw calf. One after another, a bear, a wolf, a fox, and a hare touch the calf and stick to it. In return for not being slaughtered, they promise to bring cows, horses, geese, and cabbage. Thus, the animals random themselves and the old people get rich.

C002. Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby (original spelling)

2. The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story. Text Source: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. I have removed the frame material; click here for the standardized spelling plus all notes to the story.

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BRER RABBIT and the TAR-BABY

One day atter Brer Rabbit fool 'im wid dat calamus root, Brer Fox went ter wuk en got 'im some tar, en mix it wid some turkentime, en fix up a contrapshun w'at he call a Tar-Baby, en he tuck dish yer Tar-Baby en he sot 'er in de big road, en den he lay off in de bushes fer to see what de news wuz gwine ter be.

En he didn't hatter wait long, nudder, kaze bimeby here come Brer Rabbit pacin' down de road—lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity—dez ez sassy ez a jay-bird. Brer Fox, he lay low.

Brer Rabbit come prancin' 'long twel he spy de Tar-Baby, en den he fotch up on his behime legs like he wuz 'stonished. De Tar Baby, she sot dar, she did, en Brer Fox, he lay low.

"Mawnin'!" sez Brer Rabbit, sezee—'nice wedder dis mawnin',' sezee.

Tar-Baby ain't sayin' nuthin', en Brer Fox he lay low.

"How duz yo' sym'tums seem ter segashuate?" sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

Brer Fox, he wink his eye slow, en lay low, en de Tar-Baby, she ain't sayin' nuthin'.

"How you come on, den? Is you deaf?" sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. "Kaze if you is, I kin holler louder," sezee.

Tar-Baby stay still, en Brer Fox, he lay low.

"You er stuck up, dat's w'at you is," says Brer Rabbit, sezee, "en I'm gwine ter kyore you, dat's w'at I'm a gwine ter do," sezee.

Brer Fox, he sorter chuckle in his stummick, he did, but Tar- Baby ain't sayin' nothin'.

"I'm gwine ter larn you how ter talk ter 'spectubble folks ef hit's de las' ack," sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. "Ef you don't take off dat hat en tell me howdy, I'm gwine ter bus' you wide open," sezee.

Tar-Baby stay still, en Brer Fox, he lay low.

Brer Rabbit keep on axin' 'im, en de Tar-Baby, she keep on sayin' nothin', twel present'y Brer Rabbit draw back wid his fis', he did, en blip he tuck 'er side er de head. Right dar's whar he broke his merlasses jug. His fis' stuck, en he can't pull loose. De tar hilt 'im. But Tar-Baby, she stay still, en Brer Fox, he lay low.

"Ef you don't lemme loose, I'll knock you agin," sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, en wid dat he fotch 'er a wipe wid de udder han', en dat stuck. Tar-Baby, she ain't sayin' nuthin', en Brer Fox, he lay low.

"Tu'n me loose, fo' I kick de natchul stuffin' outen you," sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, but de Tar-Baby, she ain't sayin' nuthin'. She des hilt on, en de Brer Rabbit lose de use er his feet in de same way. Brer Fox, he lay low.

Den Brer Rabbit squall out dat ef de Tar-Baby don't tu'n 'im loose he butt 'er cranksided. En den he butted, en his head got stuck. Den Brer Fox, he sa'ntered fort', lookin' dez ez innercent ez wunner yo' mammy's mockin'-birds.

"Howdy, Brer Rabbit," sez Brer Fox, sezee. "You look sorter stuck up dis mawnin'," sezee, en den he rolled on de groun', en laft en laft twel he couldn't laff no mo'. "I speck you'll take dinner wid me dis time, Brer Rabbit. I done laid in some calamus root, en I ain't gwineter take no skuse," sez Brer Fox, sezee.