C028. Brer Bear and the Bees

28. The End of Mr. Bear. 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 BEAR and THE BEES

One time when Brer Rabbit was going loping home from a frolic what they been having up at Miss Meadows's, who should he happen up with but old Brer Bear. Course, after what done pass 'twixt 'em there weren't no good feelings between Brer Rabbit and old Brer Bear, but Brer Rabbit, he wan to save his manners, and so he holler out, "Heyo, Brer Bear! How you come on? I ain't seed you in a coon's age. How all down at yo' house? How Miss Brune an' Miss Brindle?"

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Miss Brune was Brer Bear's old woman, and Miss Brindle was his gal. That what they call 'em in them days. So then Brer Rabbit, he ask him howdy, he did, and Brer Bear, he respond that he was mighty poorly, and they amble along, they did, sort of familious like, but Brer Rabbit, he keep one eye on Brer Bear, and Brer Bear, he study how he going nab Brer Rabbit.

Last Brer Rabbit, he up and say, says he, "Brer Bear, I 'spect I got some business cut out for you," says he.

"What that, Brer Rabbit?" says Brer Bear, says he.

"Whiles I was cleaning up my new-ground day 'fore yesterday," says Brer Rabbit, says he, 'I come across one of these here old time bee-trees. It start hollow at the bottom, and stay hollow plumb to the top, and the honey's just naturally oozing out, and if you'll drop yo' engagements and go along with me," says Brer Rabbit, says he, "you'll get a bit that'll last you and yo' family till the middle of next month," says he.

Brer Bear say he much obliged and he believe he'll go along, and with that they put out for Brer Rabbit's new-ground, which it weren't so mighty far. Leastways, they got there after while. Old Brer Bear, he allow that he can smell the honey. Brer Rabbit, he allow that he can see the honey-comb. Brer Bear, he allow that he can hear the bees a-zooming.

They stand 'round and talk biggity, they did, till by and by Brer Rabbit, he up and say, says he, "You do the climbin', Brer Bear, an' I'll do the rushing 'round; you climb up to the hole, an' I'll take this here pine pole an' shove the honey up where you can get her," says he.

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Old Brer Bear, he spit on his hands and skinned up the tree, and jam his head in the hole, and sure enough, Brer Rabbit, he grab the pine pole, and the way he stir up them bees was sinful—that's what it was. It was sinful.

And the bees they swarmed on Brer Bear's head, till before he could take it out of the hole it was done swell up bigger than a dinner-pot, and there he swung, and old Brer Rabbit, he dance 'round and sing:

Tree stand high, but honey mighty sweet—
Watch them bees with stingers on their feet.

But there old Brer Bear hung, and if his head ain't shrunk, I speck he hanging there yet—that what I expect.

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C028. Baer (p. 53). The End of Mr. Bear

This is Chase028.

Types ATU0049 Bear and Honey
Motifs K1023 Bear and Honey
K0714.3 dupe tricked into entering hollow tree

Notes
Gerber has analogy with Sudanese tale about jackal and hyena where Hyena gets his foot in a bee-hold and is stung to death.

Baer writes against Parsons' indictment of Harris using a written outline as his source because the outline is dated 1881, and the story was published in 1880. Parsons "is further ignoring Harris's own assertions that his requests for outlines were made in order that he might verify the tale either as a jog to his memory of a tale he had heard on the plantation in the 1860s or as an entry to local negro storytellers."

Thompson has a Basuto parallel, and Mofokeng has several South African versions: jackal and wolf, tortoise and baboon, etc.

Baer concludes "this could be called an Indo-African-European tale, which the African slaves would have known in Africa and brouther with them to the New World."

C028. Brer Bear and the Bees (original spelling)

28. The End of Mr. Bear. 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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BRER BEAR and THE BEES

One time when Brer Rabbit wuz gwine lopin' home fum a frolic w'at dey bin havin' up at Miss Meadows's, who should he happin up wid but ole Brer B'ar. Co'se, atter w'at done pass 'twix um dey wa'n't no good feelin's 'tween Brer Rabbit en ole Brer B'ar, but Brer Rabbit, he wanter save his manners, en so he holler out: 'Heyo, Brer B'ar! how you come on? I ain't seed you in a coon's age. How all down at yo' house? How Miss Brune en Miss Brindle?

Miss Brune wuz Brer B'ar's ole 'oman, en Miss Brindle wuz his gal. Dat w'at dey call um in dem days. So den Brer Rabbit, he ax him howdy, he did, en Brer B'ar, he 'spon' dat he wuz mighty po'ly, en dey amble 'long, dey did, sorter familious like, but Brer Rabbit, he keep one eye on Brer B'ar, en Brer B'ar, he study how he gwine nab Brer Rabbit.

Las' Brer Rabbit, he up'n say, sezee: 'Brer B'ar, I speck I got some bizness cut out fer you,' sezee.

'What dat, Brer Rabbit?' sez Brer B'ar, sezee.

'W'iles I wuz cleanin' up my new-groun' day 'fo' yistiddy,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'I come 'cross wunner deze yer ole time bee- trees. Hit start holler at de bottom, en stay holler plum der de top, en de honey's des natchully oozin' out, en ef you'll drap yo' 'gagements en go longer me,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'you'll git a bait dat'll las' you en yo' fambly twel de middle er nex' mont',' sezee.

Brer B'ar say he much oblije en he bleeve he'll go long, en wid dat dey put out fer Brer Rabbit's new-groun', w'ich 'twa'n't so mighty fur. Leas'ways, dey got dar atter w'ile. Ole Brer B'ar, he 'low dat he kin smell de honey. Brer Rabbit, he 'low dat he kin see de honey-koam. Brer B'ar, he 'low dat he can hear de bees a zoonin'.

Dey stan' 'roun' en talk biggity, dey did, twel bimeby Brer Rabbit, he up'n say, sezee: 'You do de clim'in', Brer B'ar, en I'll do de rushin' 'roun'; you clim' up ter de hole, en I'll take dis yer pine pole en shove de honey up whar you kin git 'er,' sezee.

Ole Brer B'ar, he spit on his han's en skint up de tree, en jam his head in de hole, en sho nuff, Brer Rabbit, he grab de pine pole, en de way he stir up dem bees wuz sinful—dat's w'at it wuz. Hit wuz sinful.

En de bees dey swawm'd on Brer B'ar's head, twel 'fo' he could take it out'n de hole hit wuz done swell up bigger dan dat dinner-pot, en dar he swung, en ole Brer Rabbit, he dance 'roun' en sing:

Tree stan' high, but honey mighty sweet—
Watch dem bees wid stingers on der feet.'

But dar ole Brer B'ar hung, en ef his head ain't swunk, I speck he hangin' dar yit—dat w'at I speck.