C093. Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox on the Roof

59. Brother Rabbit Gets Brother Fox's Dinner. 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.

---

BRER RABBIT AND BRER FOX ON THE ROOF

It runned 'cross my mind just like a rat along a rafter, the way old Brer Rabbit took and done Brer Fox. Apparently, after Brer Rabbit done went and put a steeple on top of he house, all the other critters want to fix up they house. Some put new cellars under 'em, some slapped on new window-blinds, some one thing and some another, but old Brer Fox, he took a notion that he'd put some new shingles on the roof.

Brer Rabbit, he took and hear tell of this, and nothing'd do but he must rack 'round and see how old Brer Fox getting on. When he get where Brer Fox house is, he hear a mighty lamming and a blamming and lo and beholds, there was Brer Fox setting straddle of the comb of the roof nailing on shingles just hard as he can.

Brer Rabbit cut he eye 'round and he see Brer Fox dinner sitting in the fence-corner. It was covered up in a brand new tin pail, and it look so nice that Brer Rabbit mouth begun to water time he see it, and he allow to hisself that he pleased to eat that dinner 'fore he go away from there.

Then Brer Rabbit took and hail Brer Fox, and ask 'im how he come on. Brer Fox allow he too busy to hold any confab. Brer Rabbit up and ask 'im what is he doing up there. Brer Fox allow that he putting roof on he house again the rainy season set in. Then Brer Rabbit up and ask Brer Fox what time is it, and Brer Fox, he allow that it's working time with him. Brer Rabbit, he up and ask Brer Fox if he ain't stand in needs of some help. Brer Fox, he allow he did, that if he does stand in needs of any help, he don't know where in the name of goodness he going to get it at.

With that, Brer Rabbit sort of pull he mustache, and allow that the time was when he was a mighty handy man with a hammer, and he ain't too proud for to whirl in and help Brer Fox out of the ruts.

Brer Fox allow he be mighty much obliged, and no sooner is he say that than Brer Rabbit snatched off he coat and leaped up the ladder, and set in there and put on more shingles in one hour than Brer Fox can put on in two.

Oh, he was a rattler — ole Brer Rabbit was. He was a rattler, man, just as sure as you are sitting there. There weren't no kind of work that Brer Rabbit can't put he hand at, and do it better than the next man.

He nailed on shingles plumb till he get tired, Brer Rabbit did, and all the time he nailing, he study how he going get that dinner. He nailed and he nailed. He'd nail one row, and Brer Fox'd nail another row. He nailed and he nailed. He caught Brer Fox and pass 'im — caught 'im and pass 'im, till by and by whiles he nailing along, Brer Fox tail get in he way.

Brer Rabbit allow to hisself, he did, that he don't know what the name of goodness make folks have such long tails for, and he push it out the way. He ain't no more than push it out of the way, 'fore here it come back in the way. Course, when that's the case that a soon man like Brer Rabbit get pestered in he mind, he pleased to make some kind of accidents somewheres.

They nailed and they nailed, and — bless your soul! — it weren't long 'fore Brer Fox drop everything and squall out, "Lords a mercy, Brer Rabbit! You done nail my tail. Help me, Brer Rabbit, help me! You done nail my tail!"

Brer Rabbit, he shut first one eye and then the other and rub hisself on the forehead, and allow, "Surely I ain't nail your tail, Brer Fox; surely not. Look right close, Brer Fox, be careful. For goodness sake don't fool me, Brer Fox!"

Brer Fox, he holler, he squall, he kick, he squeal. "Lords a mercy, Brer Rabbit! You done nailed my tail. Unnail me, Brer Rabbit, unnail me!"

Brer Rabbit, he make for the ladder, and when he start down, he look at Brer Fox like he right down sorry, and he up and allow, he did, "Well, well, well! Just to think that I should of lammed a-loose and nail Brer Fox tail. I don't know when I hear tell of anything that make me feel so mighty bad; and if I hadn't've seed it with my own eyes I wouldn't've believed it scarcely — that I wouldn't!"

Brer Fox holler, Brer Fox howl, yet it ain't do no good. There he was with he tail nail hard and fast. 

Brer Rabbit, he keep on talking whiles he gonna down the ladder. "It make me feel so mighty bad," says he, "that I don't know what to do. Time I hear tell of it, it make a empty place come in my stomach," says Brer Rabbit, says he.

By this time Brer Rabbit done get down on the ground, and whiles Brer Fox hollering, he just keep on a-talking. "There's a mighty empty place in my stomach," says he, "and if I ain't runned into no mistakes there's a tin-pail full of vittles in this here fence-corner that'll just about fit it," says old Brer Rabbit, says he.

(image source)

He open the pail, he did, and he eat the greens, and sop up the molasses, and drink the pot-liquor, and when he wipe he mouth upon he coat-tail, he up and allow, "I don't know when I been so sorry about anything as I is about Brer Fox nice long tail. Surely, surely my head must've been wool-gethering when I took and nail Brer Fox fine long tail," says old Brer Rabbit, says he.

With that, he took and skip out, Brer Rabbit did, and it weren't long 'fore he was playing he pranks in some other parts of the settlement.

C093. Baer (p. 104). Brother Rabbit Gets Brother Fox's Dinner

This is Chase093.

Types ATU0002A The Buried Tail
Motifs K1021.1 buried tail
Notes
Gerber has Kaffir tale where fox gets hyena's food this way, and Harris notes parallel to Hlakanyana story.

Klipple and Thompson have additional versions.

Baer notes "except for Spain, no European country has recorded the tale. ... With this Old World distribution, one may conjecture the tale accompanied the spread of Islam in Spain and Africa."

C093. Brother Rabbit Gets Brother Fox's Dinner (original spelling)

59. Brother Rabbit Gets Brother Fox's Dinner. 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.

---

After the new-comers had settled themselves in their accustomed places, and 'Tildy had cast an unusual number of scornful glances at Daddy Jack, who made quite a pantomime of his courtship, Uncle Remus startled them all somewhat by breaking into a loud laugh.

"I boun' you," exclaimed Aunt Tempy, grinning with [340]enthusiastic sympathy, "I boun' you Brer Remus done fine out some mo' er Brer Rabbit funny doin's; now I boun' you dat."

"You hit it de fus' clip, Sis Tempy, I 'clar' ter gracious ef you aint. You nailed it! You nailed it," Uncle Remus went on, laughing as boisterously as before, "des lak ole Brer Rabbit done."

The little boy was very prompt with what Uncle Remus called his "inquirements," and the old man, after the usual "hems" and "haws," began.

"Hit run'd 'cross my min' des lak a rat 'long a rafter, de way ole Brer Rabbit tuk'n done Brer Fox. 'Periently, atter Brer Rabbit done went en put a steeple on top er he house, all de yuther creeturs wanter fix up dey house. Some put new cellars und' um, some slapped on new winder-blines, some one thing and some er n'er, but ole Brer Fox, he tuck a notion dat he'd put some new shingles on de roof.

"Brer Rabbit, he tuck'n year tell er dis, en nothin'd do but he mus' rack 'roun' en see how ole Brer Fox gittin' on. W'en he git whar Brer Fox house is, he year a mighty lammin' en a blammin' en lo en beholes, dar 'uz Brer Fox settin' straddle er de comb er de roof nailin' on shingles des hard ez he kin.

"Brer Rabbit cut he eye 'roun' en he see Brer Fox dinner settin' in de fence-cornder. Hit 'uz kivered up in a bran new tin pail, en it look so nice dat Brer Rabbit mouf 'gun ter water time he see it, en he 'low ter hisse'f dat he bleedz ter eat dat dinner 'fo' he go 'way fum dar.

"Den Brer Rabbit tuck'n hail Brer Fox, en ax 'im [341]how he come on. Brer Fox 'low he too busy to hol' any confab. Brer Rabbit up en ax 'im w'at is he doin 'up dar. Brer Fox 'low dat he puttin' roof on he house 'g'in de rainy season sot in. Den Brer Rabbit up en ax Brer Fox w'at time is it, en Brer Fox, he 'low dat hit 's wukkin time wid him. Brer Rabbit, he up en ax Brer Fox ef he aint stan' in needs er some he'p. Brer Fox, he 'low he did, dat ef he does stan' in needs er any he'p, he dunner whar in de name er goodness he gwine to git it at.

"Wid dat, Brer Rabbit sorter pull he mustarsh, en 'low dat de time wuz w'en he 'uz a mighty handy man wid a hammer, en he aint too proud fer to whirl in en he'p Brer Fox out'n de ruts.

"Brer Fox 'low he be mighty much erblige, en no sooner is he say dat dan Brer Rabbit snatched off he coat en lipt up de ladder, en sot in dar en put on mo' shingles in one hour dan Brer Fox kin put on in two.

"Oh, he 'uz a rattler—ole Brer Rabbit wuz," Uncle Remus exclaimed, noticing a questioning look in the child's face. "He 'uz a rattler, mon, des ez sho' ez youer settin' dar. Dey wa'n't no kinder wuk dat Brer Rabbit can't put he han' at, en do it better dan de nex' man.

"He nailed on shingles plum twel he git tired, Brer Rabbit did, en all de time he nailin', he study how he gwine git dat dinner. He nailed en he nailed. He 'ud nail one row, en Brer Fox 'ud nail 'n'er row. He nailed en he nailed. He kotch Brer Fox en pass 'im—kotch 'im en pass 'im, twel bimeby w'iles he nailin' 'long Brer Fox tail git in he way.

[342]"Brer Rabbit 'low ter hisse'f, he did, dat he dunner w'at de name er goodness make folks have such long tails fer, en he push it out de way. He aint no mo'n push it out'n de way, 'fo' yer it come back in de way. Co'se," continued Uncle Remus, beginning to look serious, "w'en dat 's de case dat a soon man lak Brer Rabbit git pester'd in he min', he bleedz ter make some kinder accidents some'rs.

"Dey nailed en dey nailed, en, bless yo' soul! 't wa'n't long 'fo' Brer Fox drap eve'yt'ing en squall out:

"'Laws 'a' massy, Brer Rabbit! You done nail my tail. He'p me, Brer Rabbit, he'p me! You done nail my tail!'"

Uncle Remus waved his arms, clasped and unclasped his hands, stamped first one foot and then the other, and made various other demonstrations of grief and suffering.

"Brer Rabbit, he shot fus' one eye en den de yuther en rub hisse'f on de forrerd, en 'low:

"'Sho'ly I aint nail yo' tail, Brer Fox; sho'ly not. Look right close, Brer Fox, be keerful. Fer goodness sake don' fool me, Brer Fox!'

"Brer Fox, he holler, he squall, he kick, he squeal.

"'Laws 'a' massy, Brer Rabbit! You done nailed my tail. Onnail me, Brer Rabbit, onnail me!'

"Brer Rabbit, he make fer de ladder, en w'en he start down, he look at Brer Fox lak he right down sorry, en he up'n 'low, he did:

"'Well, well, well! Des ter t'ink dat I should er lamm'd aloose en nail Brer Fox tail. I dunner w'en I year tell er anyt'ing dat make me feel so mighty bad; en ef I [343]had n't er seed it wid my own eyes I would n't er bleev'd it skacely—dat I would n't!'

"Brer Fox holler, Brer Fox howl, yit 't aint do no good. Dar he wuz wid he tail nail hard en fas'. Brer Rabbit, he keep on talkin' w'iles he gwine down de ladder.

"'Hit make me feel so mighty bad,' sezee, 'dat I dunner w'at ter do. Time I year tell un it, hit make a empty place come in my stomach,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.

"By dis time Brer Rabbit done git down on de groun', en w'iles Brer Fox holler'n, he des keep on a-talkin'.

"'Dey's a mighty empty place in my stomach,' sezee, 'en ef I aint run'd inter no mistakes dey's a tin-pail full er vittles in dish yer fence-cornder dat'll des 'bout fit it,' sez ole Brer Rabbit, sezee.

"He open de pail, he did, en he eat de greens, en sop up de 'lasses, en drink de pot-liquor, en w'en he wipe he mouf 'pun he coat-tail, he up'n 'low:

"'I dunner w'en I bin so sorry 'bout anything, ez I is 'bout Brer Fox nice long tail. Sho'ly, sho'ly my head mus' er bin wool-getherin' w'en I tuck'n nail Brer Fox fine long tail,' sez ole Brer Rabbit, sezee.

"Wid dat, he tuck'n skip out, Brer Rabbit did, en 't wa'n't long 'fo' he 'uz playin' he pranks in some yuther parts er de settlement."

"How did Brother Fox get loose?" the little boy asked.

"Oh, you let Brer Fox 'lone fer dat," responded Uncle Remus. "Nex' ter Brer Rabbit, ole Brer Fox wuz mos' de shiftiest creetur gwine. I boun' you he tuck'n tuck keer hisse'f soon ez Brer Rabbit git outer sight en year'n."