C014. Mr. Fox and the Frogs

14. Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs. 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.

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MR. FOX and the FROGS

I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker!
I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! 
I-doom-er-ker-kum mer-ker!

That's Terrapin talk, that is. When you get old as me—when you see what I sees, and hear what I hears—the critters that you can't talk with'll be mighty scarce—they will that. Why, there's a old gray rat, and time after time he comes out when you all done gone to bed and sets up there in the corner and dozes, and me and him talks by the hour; and what that old rat don't know ain't down in the spelling book. Just now, I was fetching into my mind what Brer Terrapin say to Brer Fox when he turn him loose in the branch. That what he said — I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! 

Brer Terrapin was at the bottom of the pond, and he talk back, he did, in bubbles— I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! 

Brer Fox, he ain't saying nothing.

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But Brer Bull-Frog, sitting on the bank, he hear Brer Terrapin, he did, and he holler back:
Jug-er-rum-kum-dum! 
Jug-er-rum-kum-dum!

Then Brer Frog holler out:
Knee-deep! 
Knee-deep!

Then old Brer Bull-Frog, he holler back:
Don'-you-ber-lieve-'im! 
Don't-you-ber-lieve-'im!

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Then the bubbles come up from Brer Terrapin:
I-doom-er-ker-kum- mer-ker!

Then Brer Frog sing out:
Wade in! 
Wade in!

Then old Brer Bull-Frog talk through his hoarseness:
There-you'll-find-your-brother!
There-you'll-find-your-brother!

Sure enough, Brer Fox look over the bank, he did, and there was another Fox looking at him out of the water.

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Then he reached out for to shake hands, and in he went, heels over head, and Brer Terrapin bubble out:
I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker!

Brer Fox weren't exactly drownded; he did manage for to scramble out, but a little more and the Mud Turtle would've got him, and then he'd've been made ash and world without end.

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C014. Baer (p. 41). Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs

This is Chase014.

Types ATU1336A Man does not recognize own reflection in water
Motifs J1811.2 Frog's cries misunderstood

Notes. Baer comments "While this tale is Indo/European, the manner of telling it is distinctly American Negro, and is in the African tale-telling tradition."

She cites Noss's description of the Gbaya people's style of storytelling: "He refers to what seems to be a nonsense word as an ideophone "a descriptive word that creates a picture; it is sensual enabling the listener to identify a feeling, a sound, ... expression, movement through his own senses."

She adds: "Such ideophones abound also in Rattray's collections, particularly in Akan-Ashanti folk tales."

C014. Mr. Fox and the Frogs (original spelling)

14. Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs. 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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MR. FOX and the FROGS

I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker!
I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! 
I-doom-er-ker-kum mer-ker!

Dat's Tarrypin talk, dat is. W'en you git ole ez me—w'en you see w'at I sees, en year w'at I years—de creeturs dat you can't talk wid'll be mighty skase—dey will dat. W'y, der's er old gray rat, en time atter time he comes out w'en you all done gone ter bed en sets up dar in de cornder en dozes, en me en him talks by de 'our; en w'at dat old rat dunno ain't down in de spellin' book. Des now, I wuz fetchin' into my mine w'at Brer Tarrypin say ter Brer Fox w'en he turn 'im loose in de branch.

Dat w'at he said — I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! Brer Tarrypin wuz at de bottom er de pon', en he talk back, he did, in bubbles — I- doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! 

Brer Fox, he ain't sayin' nuthin', but Brer Bull-Frog, settin' on de bank, he hear Brer Tarrypin, he did, en he holler back:
Jug-er-rum-kum-dum! 
Jug-er-rum-kum-dum!

Den Brer Frog holler out:
Knee-deep! 
Knee-deep!

Den ole Brer Bull-Frog, he holler back:
Don'-you-ber-lieve-'im! 
Don't-you-ber-lieve-'im!

Den de bubbles come up fum Brer Tarrypin:
I-doom-er-ker-kum- mer-ker!

Den Brer Frog sing out:
Wade in! 
Wade in!

Den ole Brer Bull-Frog talk thoo his ho'seness:
Dar-you'll- fine-yo'-brudder! 
Dar-you'll-fine-yo'-brudder!

Sho nuff, Brer Fox look over de bank, he did, en dar wuz n'er Fox lookin' at 'im outer de water.

Den he retch out fer ter shake han's, en in he went, heels over head, en Brer Tarrypin bubble out:
I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker!

Brer Fox weren't zackly drowndid; he did manage fer ter scramble out, but a little mo' en de Mud Turkle would er got 'im, en den he'd er bin made hash un worl' widout een'.