C027. Why Possum Has No Hair on His Tail

27. Why Mr. Possum Has No Hair on His Tail. Text Source: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg.

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WHY POSSUM HAS NO HAIR ON HIS TAIL

One time old Brer Possum, he get so hungry, he did, that he pleased for to have a mess of persimmons. He monstrous lazy man, old Brer Possum was, but by and by his stomach begun to growl and holler at him so that he just had to rack 'round and hunt up something; and whiles he was racking 'round, who should he run up with but Brer Rabbit, and they was hail-fellows, 'cause Brer Possum, he ain't been bothering Brer Rabbit like them other critters.

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They sat down by the side of the big road, and there they jabber and confab among one another, till by and by old Brer Possum, he take and tell Brer Rabbit that he most perish out, and Brer Rabbit, he leap up in the air, he did, and smack his hands together, and say that he know right where Brer Possum can get a bite of persimmons. Then Brer Possum, he say where, and Brer Rabbit, he say which it was over at Brer Bear's persimmon orchard.

In them days Brer Bear was a bee-hunter. He make his living finding bee trees, and the way he find 'em he plant him some persimmon-trees, which the bees they'd come to suck the persimmons and then old Brer Bear he'd watch 'em where they'd go, and then he'd be mighty apt for to come up with 'em. No matter about dat, the persimmon patch was there just like I tell you, and old Brer Possum mouth begun to water soon as he hear talk of 'em, and most before Brer Rabbit done telling him the news, Brer Possum, he put out, he did, and it weren't long before he was perch up in the highest tree in Brer Bear persimmon patch.

But Brer Rabbit, he done determined for to see some fun, and whiles all this was going on, he run 'round to Brer Bear house, and holler and tell him which they was somebody destroying on his persimmons, and Brer Bear, he hustle off for to catch him.

Every now and then Brer Possum think he hear Brer Bear coming, but he keep on saying, says he, "I'll just get one persimmon more and then I'll go; one persimmon more an' then I'll go."

Last he hear Brer Bear coming sure enough, but it was the same old tune— "One persimmon more an' then I'll go" — and just about that time Brer Bear busted into the patch, and give the tree a shake, and Brer Possum, he dropped out long of the other ripe persimmons, but time he touch the ground he got his foots together and he lit out for the fence same as a race-horse, and across that patch him and Brer Bear had it, and Brer Bear gaining every jump, till time Brer Possum make the fence Brer Bear grab him by the tail, and Brer Possum, he went out between the rails and give a powerful jerk and pull his tail out 'twixt Brer Bear tooths.

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And, lo and beholds, Brer Bear hold so tight and Brer Possum pull so hard that all the hair come off in Brer Bear's mouth, which, if Brer Rabbit hadn't've happen up with a gourd of water, Brer Bear'd got strangled. From that day to this, Brer Possum ain't had no hair on his tail, and neither do his chilluns.

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C027. Baer (p. 52). Why Mr. Possum Has No Hair on His Tail

This is Chase027.

Types (none given)
Motifs A2317.2 Why Opossum has Bare Tail
Notes
Swanton gives two completely different stories about possum losing hair on tail

Baer concludes: "This tale seems to be a blurred merging of two popular African motifs."

Mofokeng: "In all the Mande variants it is not a root that the dupe is declared to have caught hold of, but wood. This may be an adjustment to the new conditions for in all the variants the trickster is caught just before he is completely through a fence and not into a hole"

Baer: "The other is the device of the victim's persuading the captor to grab him by the tail only to have the tail or its covering come off in his hand"

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MY NOTES

Baer's discussion is not really clear but these parallels both seem important:
see Chase008 fox and buzzard tail
see Chase012 fox and turtle tail
... plus of course all the stories about raiding someone else's crops.
I'll keep an eye out for more.

C027. Why Possum Has No Hair on His Tail (original spelling)

27. Why Mr. Possum Has No Hair on 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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WHY POSSUM HAS NO HAIR ON HIS TAIL

One time ole Brer Possum, he git so hungry, he did, dat he bleedzd fer ter have a mess er 'simmons. He monstus lazy man, old Brer Possum wuz, but bimeby his stummick 'gun ter growl en holler at 'im so dat he des hatter rack 'roun' en hunt up sump'n; en w'iles he wuz rackin' 'roun', who sh'd he run up wid but Brer Rabbit, en dey wuz hail-fellers, kaze Brer Possum, he ain't bin bodder'n Brer Rabbit like dem yuther creeturs.

Dey sot down by de side er de big road, en dar dey jabber en confab 'mong wunner nudder, twel bimeby old Brer Possum, he take 'n tell Brer Rabbit dat he mos' pe'sh out, en Brer Rabbit, he lip up in de a'r, he did, en smack his han's tergedder, en say dat he know right whar Brer Possum kin git a bait er 'simmons. Den Brer Possum, he say whar, en Brer Rabbit, he say w'ich 'twuz over at Brer B'ar's 'simmon orchard.

In dem days Brer B'ar wuz a bee-hunter. He make his livin' findin' bee trees, en de way he fine um he plant 'im some 'simmon-trees, w'ich de bees dey'd come ter suck de 'simmons en den ole Brer B'ar he'd watch um whar dey'd go, en den he'd be mighty ap' fer ter come up wid um. No matter 'bout dat, de 'simmon patch 'uz dar des like I tell you, en ole Brer Possum mouf 'gun ter water soon's he year talk un um, en mos' 'fo' Brer Rabbit done tellin' 'im de news, Brer Possum, he put out, he did, en 'twa'n't long 'fo' he wuz perch up in de highes' tree in Brer B'ar 'simmon patch.

But Brer Rabbit, he done 'termin' fer ter see some fun, en w'iles all dis 'uz gwine on, he run 'roun' ter Brer B'ar house, en holler en tell 'im w'ich dey wuz somebody 'stroyin' un his 'simmons, en Brer B'ar, he hustle off fer ter ketch 'im.

Eve'y now en den Brer Possum think he year Brer B'ar comin', but he keep on sayin', sezee, "I'll des git one 'simmon mo' en den I'll go; one 'simmon mo' en den I'll go."

Las' he year Brer B'ar comm' sho nuff, but 'twuz de same ole chune—'One 'simmon mo' en den I'll go'—en des 'bout dat time Brer B'ar busted inter de patch, en gin de tree a shake, en Brer Possum, he drapt out longer de yuther ripe 'simmons, but time he totch de groun' he got his foots tergedder, en he lit out fer de fence same ez a race-hoss, en 'cross dat patch him en Brer B'ar had it, en Brer B'ar gain' eve'y jump, twel time Brer Possum make de fence Brer B'ar grab 'im by de tail, en Brer Possum, he went out 'tween de rails en gin a powerful juk en pull his tail out 'twix Brer B'ar tushes.

En, lo en behol's, Brer B'ar hol' so tight en Brer Possum pull so hard dat all de ha'r come off in Brer B'ar's mouf, w'ich, ef Brer Rabbit hadn't er happen up wid a go'd er water, Brer B'ar 'der got strankle. Fum dat day ter dis, Brer Possum ain't had no ha'r on his tail, en needer do his chilluns.