C082. Rabbit, Wildcat, and the Turkeys

48. Brother Rabbit and Mr. Wildcat. Text Source: Nights with Uncle Remus 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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RABBIT, WILDCAT, and the TURKEYS

When Brer Rabbit get out of the hollow tree, he took and fling some sass back at old Brer Buzzard, he did, and then he put out down the big road, instead of going along back home and see about he family. He was going along—lickety-clickety, clickety-lickety—when first news you know he feel something or other drop down upon 'im, and there he was. Bless your soul, when Brer Rabbit can get he remembrance together, he feel old Mr. Wildcat a-hugging 'im from behind, and whispering in he ear.

Brer Rabbit, he was galloping up-down the road, and old Mr. Wildcat, he was laying stretched out taking a nap on a tree-limb hanging 'crossed the road. He hear Brer Rabbit come a-lickity-clickiting down the road, and he just sort of fix hisself, and when Brer Rabbit come a-dancing under the limb, all Mr. Wildcat got to do is to drop right down on 'im, and there he was. Mr. Wildcat hug 'im right up at 'im, and laugh and whisper in he ear.

Old Mr. Wildcat hug Brer Rabbit up close and whisper in he ear. Brer Rabbit, he kick, he squall. By and by he catch he breath and allow, "Ow! O Lordy-Lordy! What I done gone and done now?"

Mr. Wildcat, he rub he wet nose on Brer Rabbit ear, and make cold chill run up he back. By and by he say, "O Brer Rabbit, I just naturally loves you! You been a-fooling all of my cousins and all of my kinfolks, and it aint been so mighty long since you set Cousin Fox on me, and little more and I'd've tore' 'im in two. O Brer Rabbit! I just naturally loves you," says he.

Then he laugh, and he tooths strike together right close to Brer Rabbit ear. Brer Rabbit, he allow, he did, "Lord, Mr. Wildcat, I thunk maybe you might like to have Brer Fox for supper, and that the reason I sent 'im up to where you is. It done come to mighty pretty pass when folks can't be friends 'cepting something or other step in 'twixt and 'tween 'em, and if that the case I ain't going to be friends no more—that I ain't."

Mr. Wildcat wipe he nose on Brer Rabbit ear, and he do sort of like he studying. Brer Rabbit he keep on talking. He allow, "Enduring of all this time, is I ever pester 'long with you, Mr. Wildcat?"

"No, Brer Rabbit, I can't say as you is."

"No, Mr. Wildcat, that I ain't. Let alone that, I done my level best for to help you out. And though you done jump on me and scare me scandalous, yet I'm willing to do you another good turn. I hear some wild turkeys yelping out yonder, and if you'll just lemme off this time, I'll go out there and call 'em up, and you can make like you dead, and they'll come up and stretch they neck over you, and you can jump up and kill a whole passel of 'em 'fore they can get out the way."

Mr. Wildcat stop and study, 'cause if there are one kind of meat what he like that meat is turkey meat. Then he took and ask Brer Rabbit is he joking. 

Brer Rabbit say if he was setting off somewheres by he own-'lone self he might be joking, but how the name of goodness is he can joke when Mr. Wildcat got 'im hug up so tight? This look so pleezy-plozzy that it weren't long 'fore Mr. Wildcat allow that he was mighty willing if Brer Rabbit mean what he say, and after while, bless your soul, if you'd 've come 'long there, you'd've seed old Mr. Wildcat laying stretch out on the ground looking for all the world just like he done been dead a month, and you'd've heared old Brer Rabbit a-yelping out in the bushes just like a sure enough turkey-hen.

And after while here they come, old Brer Gibley Gobbler walking in the lead. Brer Rabbit, he runned and meet 'em and give 'em the wink about old Mr. Wildcat, and by the time they get up to where he laying, Brer Gibley Gobbler and all his folks was joined in a big dispute. One allow he dead, another one allow he ain't, another one allow he stiff, other one allow he ain't, and the other allow he is. So there they had it. They stretch out they neck and step high with they foot, yet they ain't get too close to Mr. Wildcat.

(image source)

He lay there, he did, and he ain't move. Wind ruffle up he hair, yet he ain't move; sun shine down upon 'im, yet he ain't move. The turkeys they gobble and they yelp, but they ain't go no nigher; they holler and they dispute, but they ain't go no nigher; they stretch they neck and they lift they foot high, yet they ain't go no nigher.

(image source)

It keep on this a-way, till by and by Mr. Wildcat get tired of waiting, and he jump up, he did, and make a dash at the nighest turkey; but that turkey done fix, and when Mr. Wildcat come at 'im, he just rise in the air, and Mr. Wildcat run under 'im. 

Then he took and run at another one, and that one fly up; and they keep on that a-way till it weren't long 'fore Mr. Wildcat was so stiff in the joints and so short in the wind that he just had to lay down on the ground and rest, and when he do this, old Brer Gibley Gobler and all of he folks went on 'bout they own business. But since that day they are constant a-disputing 'long with theyself and everybody what come by. 

And Brer Rabbit took and left them low-grounds whiles the disputing was going on; he took and bowed his good-byes, and then he just put out from there. Next day old Brer Gibley Gobbler took and sent 'im a turkey wing for to make a fan out of, and Brer Rabbit, he took and sent it to Miss Meadows and the gals. And I let you know, they make great admiration about it.

C082. Baer (p. 95). Brother Rabbit and Mr. Wildcat

This is Chase082.

Types ATU0122D let me catch you better game
Motifs K0553.1 let me catch you better game
Notes

Harris mentions Creek version in Swanton: "Wilcat eats one of the turkeys and the rest peck Rabbit until his tail comes off"

Swangton also has Creek version with racoon getting deer for panther

also Mooney, who concludes story is Native American and passed to Southern blacks

Arewa, though, has Swahili version with lion and hare, and Morokeng has a story where "rather than be eaten, hare offers to provide meat for lion by binding him with leaves and honey, then calls other animals to eat the honey. When hare tells lion to rise, lion eats all the animals except the elephant and the hog" ... and also from Maritnique: "bird has Denba cover himself with molasses and soot"

So Baer concludes: "seems to confirm Harris's contention that American Indian legends were often borrowed from the American Negroes who had brought them from Africa. This tale differs from African versions only in the substitution of local animals -- wildcat and turkeys -- and the fact that this time all the animals escape."

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I'm not so sure that Baer is right to dismiss the different plot here, with rabbit in league with supposed victims so that they can escape. Re: Mooney, here is contact with the Negroes in Mooney's intro.

C082. Rabbit, Wildcat, and the Turkeys (original spelling)

48. Brother Rabbit and Mr. Wildcat. Text Source: Nights with Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. You can click here for the standardized spelling plus all notes to the story.

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RABBIT, WILDCAT, and the TURKEYS

"Uncle Remus," said the little boy, after a pause, "where did Brother Rabbit go when he got out of the hollow tree?"

"Well, sir," exclaimed Uncle Remus, "you aint gwine ter b'leeve me, skacely, but dat owdashus creetur aint no sooner git out er dat ar tree dan he go en git hisse'f mix up wid some mo' trouble, w'ich he git mighty nigh skeer'd out'n he skin.

"W'en Brer Rabbit git out'n de holler tree, he tuck'n fling some sass back at ole Brer Buzzard, he did, en den he put out down de big road, stidder gwine 'long back home en see 'bout he fambly. He 'uz gwine 'long—lickety-clickety, clickety-lickety—w'en fus' news you know he feel sump'n' 'n'er drap down 'pun 'im, en dar he wuz. Bless yo' soul, w'en Brer Rabbit kin git he 'membunce terge'er, he feel ole Mr. Wildcat a-huggin' 'im fum behime, en w'ispun in he year."

"What did he whisper, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

"Dis, dat, en de udder, one thing en a nudder."

"But what did he say?"

"De way un it wuz dis," said Uncle Remus, ignoring the child's question, "Brer Rabbit, he 'uz gallin'-up down de road, en ole Mr. Wildcat, he 'uz layin' stretch' out takin' a nap on a tree-lim' hangin' 'crosst de road. He [287]year Brer Rabbit come a-lickity-clickitin' down de road, en he des sorter fix hisse'f, en w'en Brer Rabbit come a-dancin' und' de lim', all Mr. Wildcat got ter do is ter drap right down on 'im, en dar he wuz. Mr. Wildcat hug 'im right up at 'im, en laugh en w'isper in he year."

"Well, Uncle Remus, what did he say?" persisted the little boy.

The old man made a sweeping gesture with his left hand that might mean everything or nothing, and proceeded to tell the story in his own way.

"Ole Mr. Wildcat hug Brer Rabbit up close en w'isper in he year. Brer Rabbit, he kick, he squall. Bimeby he ketch he breff en 'low:

"'Ow! O Lordy-lordy! W'at I done gone en done now?'

"Mr. Wildcat, he rub he wet nose on Brer Rabbit year, en make cole chill run up he back. Bimeby he say:

"'O Brer Rabbit, I des nat'ally loves you! You bin a-foolin' all er my cousins en all er my kinfolks, en 't aint bin so mighty long sence you set Cousin Fox on me, en little mo' en I'd a-to' 'im in two. O Brer Rabbit! I des nat'ally loves you,' sezee.

"Den he laugh, en he toofs strak terge'er right close ter Brer Rabbit year. Brer Rabbit, he 'low, he did:

"Law, Mr. Wildcat, I thunk maybe you mought lak ter have Brer Fox fer supper, en dat de reason I sent 'im up ter whar you is. Hit done come ter mighty purty pass w'en folks can't be fr'en's 'ceppin' sump'n' 'n'er step in [288]'twix' en 'tween um, en ef dat de case I aint gwine ter be fr'en's no mo'—dat I aint.'

"Mr. Wildcat wipe he nose on Brer Rabbit year, en he do sorter lak he studyin'. Brer Rabbit he keep on talkin'. He 'low:

"'Endurin' er all dis time, is I ever pester 'long wid you, Mr. Wildcat?'

"'No, Brer Rabbit, I can't say ez you is.'

"'No, Mr. Wildcat, dat I aint. Let 'lone dat, I done my level bes' fer ter he'p you out. En dough you done jump on me en skeer me scan'lous, yit I'm willin' ter do you 'n'er good tu'n. I year some wild turkeys yelpin' out yan', en ef you'll des lem me off dis time, I'll go out dar en call um up, en you kin make lak you dead, en dey'll come up en stretch dey neck over you, en you kin jump up en kill a whole passel un um 'fo' dey kin git out de way.'

"Mr. Wildcat stop en study, 'kaze ef dey er one kinder meat w'at he lak dat meat is turkey meat. Den he tuck'n ax Brer Rabbit is he jokin'. Brer Rabbit say ef he 'uz settin' off some'rs by he own-'lone se'f he mought be jokin', but how de name er goodness is he kin joke w'en Mr. Wildcat got 'im hug up so tight? Dis look so pleezy-plozzy[64] dat 't wa'n't long 'fo' Mr. Wildcat 'low dat he 'uz mighty willin' ef Brer Rabbit mean w'at he say, en atter w'ile, bless yo' soul, ef you'd 'a' come 'long dar, you'd er seed ole Mr. Wildcat layin' stretch out on de [289]groun' lookin' fer all de wul' des lak he done bin dead a mont', en you'd er yeard ole Brer Rabbit a-yelpin' out in de bushes des lak a sho' 'nuff tukky-hen."

The little boy was always anxious for a practical demonstration, and he asked Uncle Remus how Brother Rabbit could yelp like a turkey-hen. For reply, Uncle Remus searched upon his rude mantel-piece until he found a reed, which he intended to use as a pipe-stem. One end of this he placed in his mouth, enclosing the other in his hands. By sucking the air through the reed with his mouth, and regulating the tone and volume by opening or closing his hands, the old man was able to produce a marvellous imitation of the call of the turkey-hen, much to the delight and astonishment of the little boy.

"Ah, Lord!" exclaimed Uncle Remus, after he had repeated the call until the child was satisfied, "manys en manys de time is I gone out in de woods wid old marster 'fo' de crack er day en call de wile turkeys right spang up ter whar we could er kilt um wid a stick. W'en we fus' move yer fum Ferginny, dey use ter come right up ter whar de barn sets, en mo'n dat I done seed ole marster kill um right out dar by de front gate. But folks fum town been comin' 'roun' yer wid der p'inter dogs twel hit done got so dat ef you wanter see turkey track you gotter go down dar ter de Oconee, en dat 's two mile off."

"Did the Wildcat catch the turkeys?" the little boy inquired, when it seemed that Uncle Remus was about to give his entire attention to his own reminiscences.

"De gracious en de goodness!" exclaimed the old man. [290]"Yer I is runnin' on en dar lays Mr. Wildcat waitin' fer Brer Rabbit fer ter help dem turkeys up. En 't aint take 'im long nudder, 'kaze, bless yo' soul, ole Brer Rabbit wuz a yelper, mon.

"Sho' 'nuff, atter w'ile yer dey come, ole Brer Gibley Gobbler wukkin' in de lead. Brer Rabbit, he run'd en meet um en gun um de wink 'bout ole Mr. Wildcat, en by de time dey git up ter whar he layin', Brer Gibley Gobbler en all his folks wuz jined in a big 'spute. One 'low he dead, 'n'er one 'low he aint, 'n'er one 'low he stiff, udder one 'low he aint, en t'udder 'low he is. So dar dey had it. Dey stretch out dey neck en step high wid dey foot, yit dey aint git too close ter Mr. Wildcat.

"He lay dar, he did, en he aint move. Win' ruffle up he ha'r, yit he aint move; sun shine down 'pun 'im, yit he aint move. De turkeys dey gobble en dey yelp, but dey aint go no nigher; dey holler en dey 'spute, but dey aint go no nigher; dey stretch dey neck en dey lif' dey foot high, yit dey aint go no nigher.

"Hit keep on dis a-way, twel bimeby Mr. Wildcat git tired er waitin', en he jump up, he did, en make a dash at de nighest turkey; but dat turkey done fix, on w'en Mr. Wildcat come at 'im, he des riz in de a'r, en Mr. Wildcat run und' 'im. Den he tuck'n run at 'n'er one, en dat un fly up; en dey keep on dat a-way twel 't wa'n't long 'fo' Mr. Wildcat wuz so stiff in de j'ints en so short in de win' dat he des hatter lay down on de groun' en res', en w'en he do dis, ole Brer Gibley Gobler en all er he folks went on 'bout dey own business; but sence dat day [291]deyer constant a-'sputin' 'long wid deyse'f en eve'ybody w'at come by. Ef you don't b'leeve me," with an air of disposing of the whole matter judicially, "you kin des holler at de fus' Gobbler w'at you meets, en ef he 'fuse ter holler back atter you, you kin des use my head fer a hole in de wall; en w'at mo' kin you ax dan dat?"

"What became of Brother Rabbit, Uncle Remus?"

"Well, sir, Brer Rabbit tuck'n lef' dem low-groun's. W'iles de 'sputin' wuz gwine on, he tuck'n bowed his good-byes, en den he des put out fum dar. Nex' day ole Brer Gibley Gobbler tuck'n sent 'im a turkey wing fer ter make a fan out'n, en Brer Rabbit, he tuck'n sent it ter Miss Meadows en de gals. En I let you know," continued the old man, chuckling heartily to himself, "dey make great 'miration 'bout it."