C024. The Bear and the Bull-Frog

24. Mr. Bear Catches Old Mr. Bull-Frog. 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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THE BEAR and the BULL-FROG

Brer Bear, he took a notion that old Brer Bull-Frog was the man what fool him, and he say that he'd come up with him if it was a year afterwords. But it wasn't no year, and it wasn't no month, and more than dat, it wasn't scarcely a week, when by and by one day Brer Bear was going home from the taking of a bee-tree, and lo and beholds, who should he see but old Brer Bull-Frog sitting out on the edge of the mud-muddle fast asleep!

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Brer Bear drop his axe, he did, and creep up, and reach out with his paw, and scoop old Brer Bull-Frog in just this away. He scoop him in, and there he was.

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When Brer Bear got his clampers on him good, he sat down and talk at him. "Howdy, Brer Bull-Frog, howdy! An' how yo' family? I hope they are well, Brer Bull-Frog, 'cause this day you got some business with me what'll last you a mighty long time."

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Brer Bull-Frog, he don't know what to say. He don't know what's up, and he don't say nothing. Old Brer Bear he keep running on, "You are the man what took an' fool me 'bout Brer Rabbit the other day. You had yo' fun, Brer Bull-Frog, an' now I'll get mine."

Then Brer Bull-Frog, he begin to get scared, he did, and he up and say, "What I been doin', Brer Bear? How I been foolin' you?"

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Then Brer Bear laugh, and make like he don't know, but he keep on talking. "'Oh, no, Brer Bull-Frog! You ain't the man what stick yo' head up out of the water an' tell me Brer Rabbit done gone on by. Oh, no! You ain't the man. I bound you ain't. 'Bout that time, you was at home with yo' family, where you always is. I don't know where you was, but I knows where you is, Brer Bull-Frog, and it's you and me for it. After the sun goes down this day you don't fool no more folks going 'long this road."

Course, Brer Bull-Frog don't know what Brer Bear driving at, but he know something had to be done, and that mighty soon, 'cause Brer Bear begun to snap his jaws together and foam at the mouth, and Brer Bull-Frog holler out, "Oh, pray, Brer Bear! Let me off this time, an' I won't never do so no mo'. Oh, pray, Brer Bear! Do let me off this time, an' I'll show you the fattest bee-tree in the woods."

Old Brer Bear, he chomp his toothies and foam at the mouth.

Brer Bull-Frog he just up and squall, "Oh, pray, Brer Bear! I won't never do so no mo'! Oh, pray, Brer Bear! Let me off this time!"

But old Brer Bear say he going to make way with him, and then he sat and study, old Brer Bear did, how he going to squench Brer Bull-Frog. He know he can't drown him, and he ain't got no fire for to burn him, and he get mighty pestered.

By and by old Brer Bull-Frog, he sort stop his crying and his boo-hooing, and he up and say, "If you goin' to kill me, Brer Bear, carry me to that big flat rock out there on the edge of the mill-pond, where I can see my family, and after I see 'em, then you can take yo' axe and sqush me."

This look so fair and square that Brer Bear he agree, and he take old Brer Bull-Frog by one of his behind legs, and sling his axe on his shoulder, and off he put for the big flat rock. When he get there he lay Brer Bullfrog down on the rock, and Brer Bull-Frog make like he looking 'round for his folks.

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Den Brer Bear, he draw long breath and pick up his axe.

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Then he spit in his hands and draw back and come down on the rock—pow!

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'Twixt the time when Brer Bear raise up with his axe and when he come down with it, old Brer Bull-Frog he leaped up and dove down in the mill-pond, kerblink-kerblunk!

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En when he riz way out in the pond he riz a-singin', and this here's the song what he sing:

Ingle-go-jang, my joy, my joy-
Ingle-go-jang, my joy!
I'm right at home, my joy, my joy-
Ingle-go-jang, my joy!

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A funny song now, I expect, but it weren't funny in them days, and it wouldn't be funny now if folks know'd much about the Bull-Frog language ez they used to. That's what.

C024. Baer (p. 49). Mr. Bear Catches Old Mr. Bullfrog

This is Chase024.

Types ATU0122 wolf loses his prey: escape by false plea
Motifs K0563 escape because of plea that leaves means of egress open
K0550 escape by false plea
Notes
In the outline, "this episode is preceded by Bear setting Frog as a guard over Rabbit in the hollow tree, Rabbit escaping by blinding Frog with red pepper, and Bear's intension of killing Frog for letting Rabbit escape. ... Also, he does not include the very end of the written outline in which Bear throws the ax at Frog and the ax sinks, having missed Frog. I have detailed these omissions because they have very close paralles in African ales; also because they must be regarded as evidence that Harris did not use portions of a written outline until he had heard an oral version."

For variatns of AT122 see also Chase001, Chase008, Chase034, Chase046, Chase058, and Chase142.

C024. The Bear and the Bull-Frog (original spelling)

24. Mr. Bear Catches Old Mr. Bull-Frog. 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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THE BEAR and the BULL-FROG

Brer B'ar, he tuck a notion dat ole Brer Bull-frog wuz de man w'at fool 'im, en he say dat he'd come up wid 'im ef 'twuz a year atterwuds. But 'twan't no year, an 'twan't no mont', en mo'n dat, hit wa'n't skasely a week, w'en bimeby one day Brer B'ar wuz gwine home fum de takin' un a bee-tree, en lo en behol's, who should he see but ole Brer Bull-frog settin' out on de aidge er de mud-muddle fas' 'sleep!

Brer B'ar drap his axe, he did, en crope up, en retch out wid his paw, en scoop ole Brer Bull-frog in des dis away. He scoop 'im in, en dar he wuz.

W'en Brer B'ar got his clampers on 'im good, he sot down en talk at 'im. "Howdy, Brer Bull-frog, howdy! En how yo fambly? I hope dey er well, Brer Bull-frog, kaze dis day you got some bizness wid me w'at'll las' you a mighty long time."

Brer Bull-frog, he dunner w'at ter say. He dunner w'at's up, en he don't say nuthin'. Ole Brer B'ar he keep runnin' on, "You er de man w'at tuck en fool me 'bout Brer Rabbit t'er day. You had yo' fun, Brer Bull-frog, en now I'll git mine."

Den Brer Bull-frog, he gin ter git skeer'd, he did, en he up'n say, "W'at I bin doin', Brer B'ar? How I bin foolin' you?"


Den Brer B'ar laff, en make like he dunno, but he keep on talkin'. "'Oh, no, Brer Bull-frog! You ain't de man w'at stick yo' head up out'n de water en tell me Brer Rabbit done gone on by. Oh, no! you ain't de man. I boun' you ain't. 'Bout dat time, you wuz at home with yo' fambly, whar you allers is. I dunner whar you wuz, but I knows whar you is, Brer Bull-frog, en hit's you en me fer it. Atter de sun goes down dis day you don't fool no mo' folks gwine 'long dis road."

Co'se, Brer Bull-frog dunner w'at Brer B'ar drivin' at, but he know sump'n hatter be done, en dat mighty soon, kaze Brer B'ar 'gun to snap his jaws tergedder en foam at de mouf, en Brer Bull-frog holler out, "Oh, pray, Brer B'ar! Lemme off dis time, en I won't never do so no mo'. Oh, pray, Brer B'ar! do lemme off dis time, en I'll show you de fattes' bee-tree in de woods."

Ole Brer B'ar, he chomp his toofies en foam at de mouf. Brer Bull-frog he des up'n squall, "Oh, pray, Brer B'ar! I won't never do so no mo'! Oh, pray, Brer B'ar! Lemme off dis time!"

But ole Brer B'ar say he gwineter make way wid 'im, en den he sot en study, ole Brer B'ar did, how he gwineter squench Brer Bull-frog. He know he can't drown 'im, en he ain't got no fier fer ter bu'n 'im, en he git mighty pestered.

Bimeby ole Brer Bull-frog, he sorter stop his cryin' en his boo-hooin', en he up'n say, "Ef you gwineter kill me, Brer B'ar, kyar me ter dat big flat rock out dar on de aidge er de mill-pon', whar I kin see my fambly, en atter I see um, den you kin take you axe en sqush me."

Dis look so fa'r and squar' dat Brer B'ar he 'gree, en he take ole Brer Bull-frog by wunner his behime legs, en sling his axe on his shoulder, en off he put fer de big flat rock. When he git dar he lay Brer Bullfrog down on de rock, en Brer Bull-frog make like he lookin' 'roun' fer his folks.

Den Brer B'ar, he draw long breff en pick up his axe.

Den he spit in his han's en draw back en come down on de rock—pow!

'Twix' de time w'en Brer B'ar raise up wid his axe en w'en he come down wid it, ole Brer Bull-frog he lipt up en dove down in de mill-pon', kerblink- kerblunk!

En w'en he riz way out in de pon' he riz a singin', en dish yer's de song w'at he sing:

Ingle-go-jang, my joy, my joy-
Ingle-go-jang, my joy!
I'm right at home, my joy, my joy-
Ingle-go-jang, my joy!'

A funny song now, I speck, but 'tweren't funny in dem days, en 'twouldn't be funny now ef folks know'd much 'bout de Bull-frog langwidge ez dey useter. Dat's w'at.