C017. Brer Rabbit and the Butter

17. Mr. Rabbit Nibbles Up the Butter. 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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BRER RABBIT and the BUTTER

The animals and the critters, they kept on getting more and more familious with one another, till by and by, it weren't long before Brer Rabbit, and Brer Fox, and Brer Possum got to sort of bunching their provisions together in the same shanty. After while the roof sort of begun to leak, and one day Brer Rabbit, and Brer Fox, and Brer Possum, assemble for to see if they can't kind of patch her up.

They had a big day's work in front of 'em, and they fetch their dinner with 'em. They lump the vittles up in one pile, and the butter what Brer Fox brung, they goes and puts in the spring-house for to keep cool, and then they went to work, and it weren't long before Brer Rabbit's stomach begun to sort of growl and pester him. That butter of Brer Fox sat heavy on his mind, and his mouth water every time he remember about it.

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Presently he say to hisself that he pleased to have a nip at that butter, and then he lay his plans, he did. First news you know, while they was all working long, Brer Rabbit raise his head quick and fling his years forward and holler out, "Here I is. What you want with me?" and off he put like something was after him.

He sallied 'round, old Brer Rabbit did, and after he make sure that nobody ain't following on him, into the spring-house he bounces, and there he stays till he get a bite of butter. The he saunter on back and go to work.

"Where you been?" says Brer Fox, says he.

"I hear my chilluns callin' me," says Brer Rabbit, says he, "an' I have to go see what they want. My old woman done gone and took mighty sick," says he.

They work on till by and by the butter taste so good that old Brer Rabbit want some more. Then he raise up his head, he did, and holler out, "Heyo! Hold on! I'm a comin'!" and off he put.

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This time he stay right smart while, and when he get back Brer Fox ask him where he been.

"I been to see my old woman, and she's a-sinkin'," says he.

Directly Brer Rabbit hear 'em calling him again and off he goes, and this time, bless your soul, he gets the butter out so clean that he can see hisself in the bottom of the bucket.

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He scrape it clean and lick it dry, and then he go back to work looking more samer than a black man what the patter-rollers been had hold of.

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"How's yo' old woman this time?" says Brer Fox, says he.

"I'm obliged to you, Brer Fox," says Brer Rabbit, says he, "but I'm feared she's done gone by now," and that sort of make Brer Fox and Brer Possum feel in mourning with Brer Rabbit.

By and by, when dinner-time come, they all got out their vittles, but Brer Rabbit keep on looking lonesome, and Brer Fox and Brer Possum they sort of rustle round for to see if they can't make Brer Rabbit feel sort of splimmy, sort of splimmy-splammy — sort of like he in a crowd — sort of like his old woman ain't dead as she might be. You know how folks does when they gets where people's a-moaning.

Brer Fox and Brer Possum rustle round, they did, getting out the vittles, and by and by Brer Fox, he say, says he, "Brer Possum, you run down to the spring and fetch the butter, and I'll sail 'round here and set the table," says he.

Brer Possum, he lope off after the butter, and directly here he come loping back with his years a-tremling and his tongue a-hanging out. Brer Fox, he holler out, "What the matter now, Brer Possum?" says he.

"You all better run here, folks," says Brer Possum, says he. "The last drop of that butter done gone!"

"Where she gone?" says Brer Fox, says he.

"Look like she dry up," says Brer Possum, says he.

Then Brer Rabbit, he look sort of solemn, he did, and he up and say, says he, "I 'spect that butter melt in somebody mouth," says he.

Then they went down to the spring with Brer Possum, and sure enough the butter done gone. Whiles they was disputing over the wonderment, Brer Rabbit say he see tracks all 'round there, and he point out that if they'll all go to sleep, he can catch the chap what stole the butter.

Then they all lie down and Brer Fox and Brer Possum they soon dropped off to sleep, but Brer Rabbit he stay awake, and when the time come he raise up easy and smear Brer Possum mouth with the butter on his paws, and then he run off and nibble up the best of the dinner what they left laying out, and then he come back and wake up Brer Fox, and show him the butter on Brer Possum mouth.

Then they wake up Brer Possum, and tell him about it, but course Brer Possum deny it to the last. Brer Fox, though, he's a kind of lawyer, and he arguify this way—that Brer Possum was the first one at the butter, and the first one for to miss it, and more than that, there hang the signs on his mouth.

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Brer Possum see that they got him jammed up in a corner, and then he up and say that the way for to catch the man what stole the butter is to build a big brush-heap and set her afire, and all hands try to jump over, and the one what fall in, then he the chap what stole the butter.

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Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox they is both agree, they did, and they whirl in and build the brush-heap, and they build her high and they build her wide, and then they touch her off.

When she got to blazing up good, Brer Rabbit, he took the first turn. He sort of step back, and look 'round and giggle, and over he went more samer than a bird flying.

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Then come Brer Fox. He got back little further, and spit on his hands, and lit out and made the jump, and he come so nigh getting in that the end of his tail catch afire.

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Ain't you never see no fox? Well, next time you see one of 'em, you look right close and see if the end of his tail ain't white. It's just like I tell you. They bears the scar of that brush-heap down to this day. They are marked—that's what they is—they are marked.

Old Brer Possum, he took a running start, he did, and he come lumbering along, and he lit—kerblam!—right in the middle of the fire, and that was the last of old Brer Possum.

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That what make I say what I does: in this world, lots of folks is got to suffer for other folkses sins. Look like it's mighty wrong; but it's just that away. Tribulation seem like she's a-waiting round the corner for to catch one and all of us.

C017. Baer (p. 43). Mr. Rabbit Nibbles up the Butter

This is Chase017.

Types ATU0015 Theft of butter (honey) by playing godfather
Motifs
K0401.1 dupe's food eaten then blame fastened on him
H0221 ordeal by fire
Notes

No godfather here, but instead a different series of excuses. In 1885 Harris received a letter from W. E. Myers of Mariette "who sent the variant in which Rabbit is naming the babies; in this case: Jest Fetched, Mos' Done, and Clean Gone."

Baer also cites Klipple re: Africa: "Although this motif is not characteristic of the African tales, Klipple reports a Fjort tale in which rabbit uses the pretense of naming children to dupe antelope out of the food supply. The Fjort tale is further uncharacteristic in that the test - unspecified - proves rabbit's guilt."

Dundes notes: "Whatever the ultimate origin of AT tale type 15 may be, it is pretty clear that the immediate source of the Afro-American versions which include the fire-jumping (or in some versions, river jumping) motif is Africa, not Europe. It might be noted that T. F. Crane in 1881, arguing witout the benefit of modern folklore apparatus, came to much the same conclusion.

Ellis also based on a Gold Coast Tale and Harris on item in Theal (Story of Hlakanyana) came to same conclusion

Baer: "Gerber predicates a European origin then transmission to Africa, but he ignores the ordeal by fire motif in his summary of teh story."

Johnston remarks about a Hausa story: "The trial by ordeal to which the animals here submit themselves suggests that this story is of very early origin," and further notes of this Uncle Remus story that it "describes a similar rial by ordeal and was probably derived from the Hausa story."

C017. Brer Rabbit and the Butter (original spelling)

17. Mr. Rabbit Nibbles Up the Butter. 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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De animils en de creeturs, dey kep' on gittin' mo' en mo' familious wid wunner nudder, twel bimeby, 'twan't long 'fo' Brer Rabbit, en Brer Fox, en Brer Possum got ter sorter bunchin' der perwishuns tergedder in de same shanty. Atter w'ile de roof sorter 'gun ter leak, en one day Brer Rabbit, en Brer Fox, en Brer Possum, 'semble fer ter see ef dey can't kinder patch her up.

Dey had a big day's work in front un um, en dey fotch der dinner wid um. Dey lump de vittles up in one pile, en de butter w'at Brer Fox brung, dey goes en puts in de spring-'ouse fer ter keep cool, en den dey went ter wuk, en 'twan't long 'fo' Brer Rabbit's stummuck 'gun ter sorter growl en pester 'im. Dat butter er Brer Fox sot heavy on his mine, en his mouf water eve'y time he 'member 'bout it.

Present'y he say ter hisse'f dat he bleedzd ter have a nip at dat butter, en den he lay his plans, he did. Fus' news you know, w'ile dey wuz all wukkin' long, Brer Rabbit raise his head quick en fling his years forerd en holler out, "Here I is. W'at you want wid me?" en off he put like sump'n wuz atter 'im.

He sallied 'roun', ole Brer Rabbit did, en atter he make sho dat nobody ain't foller'n un 'im, inter de spring-'ouse he bounces, en dar he stays twel he git a bait er butter. Den he santer on back en go to wuk.

"Whar you bin?" sez Brer Fox, sezee.

"I hear my chilluns callin' me," sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, "en I hatter go see w'at dey want. My ole 'oman done gone en tuck mighty sick," sezee.

Dey wuk on twel bimeby de butter tas'e so good dat ole Brer Rabbit want some mo'. Den he raise up his head, he did, en holler out, "Heyo! Hol' on! I'm a comin'!" en off he put.

Dis time he stay right smart w'ile, en w'en he git back Brer Fox ax him whar he bin.

"I been ter see my ole 'oman, en she's a sinkin'," sezee.

Dreckly Brer Rabbit hear um callin' 'im ag'in en off he goes, en dis time, bless yo' soul, he gits de butter out so clean dat he kin see hisse'f in de bottom er de bucket.

He scrape it clean en lick it dry, en den he go back ter wuk lookin' mo' samer dan a nigger w'at de patter-rollers bin had holt un.

"How's yo' ole 'oman dis time?" sez Brer Fox, sezee.

"I'm oblije ter you, Brer Fox," sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, "but I'm fear'd she's done gone by now," en dat sorter make Brer Fox en Brer Possum feel in mo'nin' wid Brer Rabbit.

Bimeby, w'en dinner-time come, dey all got out der vittles, but Brer Rabbit keep on lookin' lonesome, en Brer Fox en Brer Possum dey sorter rustle roun' fer ter see ef dey can't make Brer Rabbit feel sorter splimmy. Sorter splimmy-splammy, — sorter like he in a crowd — sorter like his ole 'oman ain't dead ez she mout be. You know how fokes duz w'en dey gits whar people's a moanin'.

Brer Fox en Brer Possum rustle roun', dey did, gittin out de vittles, en bimeby Brer Fox, he say, sezee, "Brer Possum, you run down ter de spring en fetch de butter, en I'll sail 'roun' yer en set de table," sezee.

Brer Possum, he lope off atter de butter, en dreckly here he come lopin' back wid his years a trimblin' en his tongue a hangin' out. Brer Fox, he holler out, "W'at de matter now, Brer Possum?" sezee.

"You all better run yer, fokes," sez Brer Possum, sezee. "De las' drap er dat butter done gone!"

"Whar she gone?" sez Brer Fox, sezee.

"Look like she dry up," sez Brer Possum, sezee.

Den Brer Rabbit, he look sorter sollum, he did, en he up'n say, sezee, "I speck dat butter melt in somebody mouf," sezee.

Den dey went down ter de spring wid Brer Possum, en sho nuff de butter done gone. W'iles dey wuz sputin' over de wunderment, Brer Rabbit say he see tracks all 'roun' dar, en he p'int out dat ef dey'll all go ter sleep, he kin ketch de chap w'at stole de butter.

Den dey all lie down en Brer Fox en Brer Possum dey soon drapt off ter sleep, but Brer Rabbit he stay 'wake, en w'en de time come he raise up easy en smear Brer Possum mouf wid de butter on his paws, en den he run off en nibble up de bes' er de dinner w'at dey lef' layin' out, en den he come back en wake up Brer Fox, en show 'im de butter on Brer Possum mouf.

Den dey wake up Brer Possum, en tell 'im 'bout it, but c'ose Brer Possum 'ny it ter de las'. Brer Fox, dough, he's a kinder lawyer, en he argafy dis way—dat Brer Possum wuz de fus one at de butter, en de fus one fer ter miss it, en mo'n dat, dar hang de signs on his mouf.

Brer Possum see dat dey got 'im jammed up in a cornder, en den he up en say dat de way fer ter ketch de man w'at stole de butter is ter b'il' a big bresh-heap en set her afier, en all han's try ter jump over, en de one w'at fall in, den he de chap w'at stole de butter.

Brer Rabbit en Brer Fox dey is bofe 'gree, dey did, en dey whirl in en b'il' de breshheap, en dey b'il' her high en dey b'il' her wide, en den dey totch her off.

W'en she got ter blazin' up good, Brer Rabbit, he tuck de fus turn. He sorter step back, en look 'roun' en giggle, en over he went mo' samer dan a bird flyin'.

Den come Brer Fox. He got back little fudder, en spit on his han's, en lit out en made de jump, en he come so nigh gittin' in dat de een' er his tail kotch afier.

Ain't you never see no fox? Well, nex' time you see one un um, you look right close en see ef de een' er his tail ain't w'ite. Hit's des like I tell you. Dey b'ars de skyar er dat bresh-heap down ter dis day. Dey er marked—dat's w'at dey is—dey er marked.

Ole Brer Possum, he tuck a runnin' start, he did, en he come lumberin' 'long, en he lit—kerblam!—right in de middle er de fier, en dat wuz de las' er ole Brer Possum.

Dat w'at make I say w'at I duz: in dis worl', lots er fokes is gotter suffer fer udder fokes sins. Look like hit's mighty wrong; but hit's des dat away. Tribbalashun seem like she's a waitin' roun' de cornder fer ter ketch one en all un us.