C026. Turtle Shows His Strength

26. Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength. 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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TURTLE SHOWS HIS STRENGTH

One night Miss Meadows and the gals they begun a candy-pulling, and so many of the neighbors come in response to the invite that they had to put the molasses in the wash pot and boil the fire in the yard.

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Brer Bear, he help Miss Meadows bring the wood, Brer Fox, he mind the fire, Brer Wolf, he kept the dogs off, Brer Rabbit, he grease the bottom of the plates for to keep the candy from sticking, and Brer Terrapin, he climb up in a chair, and say he'd watch and see that the molasses didn't boil over.

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They was all there, and they weren't cutting up no didos, neither, 'cause Miss Meadows, she done put her foot down, she did, and say that when they come to her place they had to hang up a flag of truce at the front gate and abide by it.

Well, then, whiles they was all a-sitting there and the molasses was a-boiling and a-bubbling, they got to running on talking mighty biggity. Brer Rabbit, he say he the swiftest; but Brer Terrapin, he rock along in the chair and watch the molasses. Brer Fox, he say he the sharpest, but Brer Terrapin he rock along. Brer Wolf, he say he the most servigorous, but Brer Terrapin, he rock and he rock along. Brer Bear, he say he the most strongest, but Brer Terrapin he rock, and he keep on rocking.

By and by he sort of shut one eye, and say, says he, "It look like apparently that the old hardshell ain't nowheres 'longside of this crowd, yet here I is, an' I'm the same man what show Brer Rabbit that he ain't the swiftest; an' I'm the same man what can show Brer Bear that he ain't the strongest," says he.

Then they all laugh and holler, 'cause it look like Brer Bear more stronger than a steer. By and by, Miss Meadows, she up and ask, she did, how he gonna do it.

"Give me a good strong rope," says Brer Terrapin, says he, "an' let me get in a puddle of water, an' then let Brer Bear see if he can pull me out," says he.

Then they all laugh again, and Brer Bear, he ups and says, says he, "We ain't got no rope," says he.

"No," says Brer Terrapin, says he, "an' needer is you got the strength," says he, and then Brer Terrapin, he rock and rock along, and watch the molasses a-boiling and a-bubbling.

After while Miss Meadows, she up and say, she did, that she'd take and loan the young men her bed-cord, and whiles the candy was a-cooling in the plates, they could all go to the branch and see Brer Terrapin carry out his project.

Brer Terrapin weren't much bigger than the palm of my hand, and it look mighty funny for to hear him bragging about how he can out-pull Brer Bear. But they got the bed-cord after while, and then they all put out to the branch. When Brer Terrapin find the place he want to, he took one end of the bed-cord, and begun the other end to Brer Bear.

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"Now then, ladies an' gents," says Brer Terrapin, says he, "you all go with Brer Bear up there in the woods an' I'll stay here, an' when you hear me holler, then's the time for Brer Bear for to see if he can haul in the slack of the rope. You all take care of that there end," says he, "an' I'll take care of this here end," says he.

Then they all put out and left Brer Terrapin at the branch, and when they got good and gone, he dove down into the water, he did, and tie the bed-cord hard and fast to one of these here big clay-roots, and then he riz up and give a whoop.

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Brer Bear he wrap the bed-cord round his hand, and wink at the gals, and with that he give a big jerk, but Brer Terrapin ain't budge. Then he take both hands and give a big pull, but, all the same, Brer Terrapin ain't budge.

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Then he turn round, he did, and put the rope cross his shoulders and try to walk off with Brer Terrapin, but Brer Terrapin look like he don't feel like walking.

Then Brer Wolf he put in and help Brer Bear pull, but just like he didn't, and then they all help him, and, bless gracious! Whiles they was all a pulling, Brer Terrapin, he holler, and ask 'em why they don't take up the slack.

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Then when Brer Terrapin feel 'em quit pulling, he dove down, he did, and untie the rope, and by the time they got to the branch, Brer Terrapin, he was sitting in the edge of the water just as natural as the next one, and he up and say, says he, "That last pull of yourn was a mighty stiff one, an' a little more an' you'd've had me," says he. "You are monstrous stout, Brer Bear," says he, "an' you pulls like a yoke of steers, but I sort of had the purchase on you," says he.

Then Brer Bear, beings his mouth begun to water after the sweetening, he up and say he expect the candy's ripe, and off they put after it!

C026. Baer (p. 51). Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength

This is Chase026.

Types ATU0291 Deceptive Tug of War
Motifs K0022 Deceptive Tug of War
Notes
Baer: "Gerber placed this tale among those of African origin on the basis of a tale from Mauritius and two versions from Brazli" with two animals tugging against each other

Mofokeng has 37 variants; "she concludes that the tale originated in southern Nigeria and then spread through Africa" -- tortoise is the Nigerian trickster; against elephant he ties to rock in river, and against hippo to palm tree on land.

Baer: "If Mofokeng is correct, and the Nigerian tale is the primary version, then the Uncle Remus tale is closer to the original than the variants in which the trickster ties two dupes"

Swanton has five Creek stories with Rabbit as trickster and two dupes; see Dundes on the Indian and African tales (1965, reprinted in Mother Wit)

Flowers has West Indian versions with Anansi as trickster

Cronise wrote to Harris in 1901 asking "I should be gratified to know your opinion of 'Spider, he an Elephant' in my estimation, a variant of 'Mr. Terrapin shows his strength'"

Johnson parallels it to Hausa Spider, Elephant, and Hippopotamus

C026. Turtle Shows His Strength (original spelling)

26. Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength. 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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TURTLE SHOWS HIS STRENGTH

One night Miss Meadows en de gals dey gun a candy-pullin', en so many er de nabers come in 'sponse ter de invite dat dey hatter put de 'lasses in de wash pot en b'il' de fier in de yard.

Brer B'ar, he holp Miss Meadows bring de wood, Brer Fox, he men' de fier, Brer Wolf, he kep' de dogs off, Brer Rabbit, he grease de bottom er de plates fer ter keep de candy fum stickin', en Brer Tarrypin, he klum up in a cheer, en say he'd watch en see dat de 'lasses didn't bile over.

Dey wuz all dere, en dey wern't cuttin' up no didos, nudder, kaze Miss Meadows, she done put her foot down, she did, en say dat w'en dey come ter her place dey hatter hang up a flag er truce at de front gate en 'bide by it.

Well, den, w'iles dey wuz all a settin' dar en de 'lasses wuz a bilin' en a blubberin', dey got ter runnin' on talkin' mighty biggity. Brer Rabbit, he say he de swiffes'; but Brer Tarrypin, he rock long in de cheer en watch de 'lasses. Brer Fox, he say he de sharpes', but Brer Tarrypin he rock long. Brer Wolf, he say he de mos' suvvigus, but Brer Tarrypin, he rock en he rock long. Brer B'ar, he say he de mos' stronges', but Brer Tarrypin he rock, en he keep on rockin'.

Bimeby he sorter shet one eye, en say, sezee, "Hit look like 'periently dat de ole hardshell ain't nowhars 'longside er dis crowd, yit yer I is, en I'm de same man w'at show Brer Rabbit dat he ain't de swiffes'; en I'm de same man w'at kin show Brer B'ar dat he ain't de stronges'," sezee.

Den dey all laff en holler, kaze it look like Brer B'ar mo' stronger dan a steer. Bimeby, Miss Meadows, she up'n ax, she did, how he gwine do it.

"Gimme a good strong rope," sez Brer Tarrypin, sezee, "en lemme git in er puddle er water, en den let Brer B'ar see ef he kin pull me out," sezee.

Den dey all laff 'gin, en Brer B'ar, he ups en sez, sezee, "We ain't got no rope," sezee.

"No," sez Brer Tarrypin, sezee, "en needer is you got de strenk," sezee, en den Brer Tarrypin, he rock en rock long, en watch de 'lasses a bilin' en a blubberin'.

Atter w'ile Miss Meadows, she up en say, she did, dat she'd take'n loan de young men her bed-cord, en w'iles de candy wuz a coolin' in de plates, dey could all go ter de branch en see Brer Tarrypin kyar out his projick.

Brer Tarrypin weren't much bigger'n de pa'm er my han', en it look mighty funny fer ter year 'im braggin' 'bout how he kin out-pull Brer B'ar. But dey got de bed-cord atter w'ile, en den dey all put out ter de branch. W'en Brer Tarrypin fine de place he wanter, he tuck one een er de bed-cord, en gun de yuther een' to Brer B'ar.

"Now den, ladies en gents," sez Brer Tarrypin, sezee, "you all go wid Brer B'ar up dar in de woods en I'll stay yer, en w'en you year me holler, den's de time fer Brer B'ar fer ter see ef he kin haul in de slack er de rope. You all take keer er dat ar een'," sezee, "en I'll take keer er dish yer een'," sezee.

Den dey all put out en lef' Brer Tarrypin at de branch, en w'en dey got good en gone, he dove down inter de water, he did, en tie de bed-cord hard en fas' ter wunner deze yer big clay-roots, en den he riz up en gin a whoop.

Brer B'ar he wrop de bed-cord roun' his han,' en wink at de gals, en wid dat he gin a big juk, but Brer Tarrypin ain't budge. Den he take bof han's en gin a big pull, but, all de same, Brer Tarrypin ain't budge.

Den he tu'n 'roun', he did, en put de rope cross his shoulders en try ter walk off wid Brer Tarrypin, but Brer Tarrypin look like he don't feel like walkin'. Den Brer Wolf he put in en holp Brer B'ar pull, but des like he didn't, en den dey all holp 'im, en, bless grashus! w'iles dey wuz all a pullin', Brer Tarrypin, he holler, en ax um w'y dey don't take up de slack.

Den w'en Brer Tarrypin feel um quit pullin', he dove down, he did, en ontie de rope, en by de time dey got ter de branch, Brer Tarrypin, he wuz settin' in de aidge er de water des ez natchul ez de nex' un, en he up'n say, sezee, "Dat las' pull er yone wuz a mighty stiff un, en a leetle mo'n you'd er had me," sezee. "You er monstus stout, Brer B'ar," sezee, "en you pulls like a yoke er steers, but I sorter had de purchis on you," sezee.

Den Brer B'ar, bein's his mouf 'gun ter water atter de sweetnin,' he up'n say he speck de candy's ripe, en off dey put atter it!