C025. How Brer Rabbit Lost His Tail

25. How Brer Rabbit Lost His Tail. 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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HOW BRER RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL

One time Brer Rabbit was going along down the road shaking his big bushy tail, and feeling just as scrumptious as a bee-martin with a fresh bug.

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Old Brer Rabbit was going down the big road shaking his long, bushy tail, and feeling mighty biggity, when who should he strike up with but old Brer Fox going ambling long with a big string of fish!

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When they pass the time of day with one another, Brer Rabbit, he open up the confab, he did, and he ask Brer Fox where he get that nice string of fish, and Brer Fox, he up and respond that he caught 'em, and Brer Rabbit, he say whereabouts, and Brer Fox, he say down at the baptizing creek, and Brer Rabbit he ask how, 'cause in them days they was monstrous fond of minnows, and Brer Fox, he sat down on a log, he did, and he up and tell Brer Rabbit that all he got to do for to get a big mess of minnows is to go to the creek after sundown, and drop his tail in the water and sit there till day-light, and then draw up a whole armful of fishes, and them what he don't want, he can fling back.

Right there's where Brer Rabbit drop his watermelon, 'cause he took and sat out that night and went a fishing. The weather was sort of cold, and Brer Rabbit, he got him a bottle of dram and put out for the creek, and when he get there he pick out a good place, and he sort of squat down, he did, and let his tail hang in the water.

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He sat there, and he sat there, and he drunk his dram, and he think he going to freeze, but by and by day come, and there he was.

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He make a pull, and he feel like he coming in two, and he fetch another jerk, and lo and beholds, where was his tail?

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It come off, she did that! She did that, and that what make all there here bob-tail rabbits what you see hopping and skaddling through the woods.

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That's what they tells me. Look like they are pleased to take after their pa.

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C025. Baer (p. 50). How Mr. Rabbit Lost His Fine Bushy Tail

This is Chase025.

Types ATU0002 The Tail Fisher
Motifs K1021 The Tail Fisher
Notes
Baer: "This is generally agreed to be a European tale."
also: "The European versions are usually etiological, explaining the Bear's stubby tail"
in American Negro tales, it is Rabbit who loses his tail

C025. How Brer Rabbit Lost His Tail (original spelling)

25. How Brer Rabbit Lost His Tail. 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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HOW BRER RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL

One time Brer Rabbit wuz gwine 'long down de road shakin' his big bushy tail, en feelin' des ez scrumpshus ez a bee-martin wid a fresh bug.

I say dat ole Brer Rabbit wuz gwine down de big road shakin' his long, bushy tail, en feelin' mighty biggity, w'en who should he strike up wid but ole Brer Fox gwine amblin' long wid a big string er fish!

W'en dey pass de time er day wid wunner nudder, Brer Rabbit, he open up de confab, he did, en he ax Brer Fox whar he git dat nice string er fish, en Brer Fox, he up'n 'spon' dat he kotch um, en Brer Rabbit, he say whar'bouts, en Brer Fox, he say down at de babtizin' creek, en Brer Rabbit he ax how, kaze in dem days dey wuz monstus fon' er minners, en Brer Fox, he sot down on a log, he did, en he up'n tell Brer Rabbit dat all he gotter do fer ter git er big mess er minners is ter go ter de creek atter sundown, en drap his tail in de water en set dar twel day-light, en den draw up a whole armful er fishes, en dem w'at he don't want, he kin fling back.

Right dar's whar Brer Rabbit drap his watermillion, kaze he tuck'n sot out dat night en went a fishin'. De wedder wuz sorter col', en Brer Rabbit, he got 'im a bottle er dram en put out fer de creek, en w'en he git dar he pick out a good place, en he sorter squot down, he did, en let his tail hang in de water.

He sot dar, en he sot dar, en he drunk his dram, en he think he gwineter freeze, but bimeby day come, en dar he wuz.

He make a pull, en he feel like he comin' in two, en he fetch nudder jerk, en lo en beholes, whar wuz his tail?

It come off, she did dat! She did dat, and dat w'at make all deze yer bob-tail rabbits w'at you see hoppin' en skaddlin' thoo de woods. Dat's w'at dey tells me. Look like dey er bleedzd ter take atter der pa.