C097. Brer Fox in the Fruit Tree

63. Brother Fox and the White Muscadines. 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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BRER FOX in the FRUIT TREE

One time whiles Brer Rabbit was going through the woods he took and strike up with old Brer Fox, and Brer Fox allow, he did, that he mighty hungry. Brer Rabbit allow that he ain't feeling that a-way hisself, 'cause he just been and had a bait of white muscadines, and then he took and smack he mouth and lick he chops right front of Brer Fox.

Brer Fox, he ask, says he, "Brer Rabbit, where the name of goodness is these here white muscadines, and how come I'm ain't never run acrossed 'em?" says he.

"I don't know what the reason you ain't never come up with 'em," says Brer Rabbit, says he; "some folks sees straight, some sees crooked, some sees one thing, some sees another. I done seed them there white muscadines, and let alone that, I done wipe 'em up. I done eat all there was on one tree, but I lay there's lots more of 'em 'round in them neighborhoods," says he.

Ole Brer Fox mouth begun to water, and he get mighty restless."Come on, Brer Rabbit; come on! Come show me where them there white muscadines grows at," says he.

Brer Rabbit, he sort of hang back. 

Brer Fox, he allow, "Come on, Brer Rabbit, come on!"

Brer Rabbit, he hang back, and by and by he allow, "Uh-uh, Brer Fox! You want to get me out there in the timber by myself and do something to me. You want to get me out there and scare me."

Old Brer Fox, he hold up he hands, he do, and he allow, "I just delare 'fore gracious, Brer Rabbit, I ain't gonna do no such of a thing. I don't know what kind of opinion you got about me for to have such idea in your head. Come on, Brer Rabbit, and let's we go get them there white muscadines. Come on, Brer Rabbit."

"Uh-uh, Brer Fox! I done hear talk of you playing so many prank with folks that I feared for to go 'way off there with you."

They went on that a-way, till by and by Brer Fox promise he ain't going to bother 'long of Brer Rabbit, and then they took and put out. And where you expect that there mischievous Brer Rabbit took and carry Brer Fox? He ain't carry him nowheres in the round world but to one of these here great big scaly-bark trees. The tree was just loaded down with scaly-barks, but they weren't ripe, and the green hulls shined in the sun just like they been whitewashed. 

Brer Fox look astonished. After while he up and allow, "Is them there the white muscadines? Mighty funny I ain't find it out 'fore this."

Old Brer Rabbit, he scratch hisself and allow, "Them's them. They mayn't be ripe as them what I had for my breakfast, but them's the white muscadines sure as you are born. There are red bullaces and there are black bullaces, but these here, these are the white bullaces."

Brer Fox, says he, 'How I gonna get 'em?"

Brer Rabbit, says he, "You'll just have to do like I done."

Brer Fox, says he, "How was that?"

Brer Rabbit, says he, "You'll have to climb for 'em."

Brer Fox, says he, "How I gonna climb?"

Brer Rabbit, says he, "Grab with your hands, climb with your legs, and I'll push behind!"

Brer Fox, he climbed, and Brer Rabbit, he push, till, sure enough, Brer Fox got where he can grab the lowmost limbs, and there he was! He crept on up, he did, till he come to where he can reach the green scaly-bark, and then he took and pull one and bite it, and, gentlemens! It was that rough and that bitter till little more and he'd've dropped spang out of the tree.

He holler "Ow!" and spit it out of he mouth just same as if it was rank poison, and he make such a face that you wouldn't believe it scarcely less'n you seed it. Brer Rabbit, he had to cough for to keep from laughing, but he make out to holler, says he, "Come down, Brer Fox! They ain't ripe. Come down and let's go somewheres else."

Brer Fox start down, and he get along mighty well till he come to the lowmost limbs, and then when he get there he can't come down no further, 'cause he ain't got no claw for cling by, and not much leg for clamp.

Brer Rabbit keep on hollering, "Come down!" and Brer Fox keep on studying how he going to come down. 

Brer Rabbit, he allow, says he, "Come on, Brer Fox! I took and push you up, and if I was there where you is, I'd take and push you down."

Brer Fox sat there on the lowmost limbs and look like he scared. By and by Brer Rabbit took he stand 'way off from the tree, and he holler, says he, "If you'll take and jump out this way, Brer Fox, I'll catch you."

Brer Fox look up, he look down, he look all 'round. 

Brer Rabbit come little closer, and allow, says he, "Hop right down here, Brer Fox, and I'll catch you."

It keep on this a-way, till, by and by, Brer Fox took a notion to jump, and just as he jump Brer Rabbit hop out the way and holler, says he, "Ow! Excuse me, Brer Fox! I stuck a brier in my foot! Excuse me, Brer Fox! I stuck a brier in my foot!"

And that old Brer Fox, gentlemens! You ought to been there! He hit the ground like a sack of taters, and it just naturally knock the breath out of him. When he get up and count hisself for to see if he all there, he ain't can walk scarcely, and he sat there and lick the sore places a mighty long time 'fore he feel like he can make he way towards home.

And Brer Rabbit, he kick up he heels and put out from there.

C097. Baer (p. 106). Brother Fox and the White Muscadines

This is Chase097.

Types
Motifs K1113.1 dupe pesuaded to climb tall tree; falls
Notes

Gerber has African story  "in which foxinduces hyena to get on a cloud to eat white fat. When hyena is ready to jump, fox offers the same excuse as Rabbit about the torn in his paw and hyena strikes the ground so hard her right hind-foot is smaller than the left." -- in Bleek, and Thompson has it as A2284.6 jackal persuades hyena ot jumpa nd break foot; A2373.2.5 why hyena has short left foot.

Baer admits "in this case, the motif index does not show the similarity between the two stories, yet they surely seem related."

C097. Brother Fox and the White Muscadines (original spelling)

63. Brother Fox and the White Muscadines. 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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Aunty Tempy did not attempt to conceal the pleasure which Uncle Remus's praise gave her. She laughed somewhat shyly, and said:

"Bless you, Brer Remus! I des bin a-settin' yer l'arnin'. 'Sides dat, Chris'mus aint fur off un I 'speck we er all a-feelin' a sight mo' humorsome dan common."

"Dat 's so, Sis Tempy. I 'uz comin' thoo de lot des 'fo' supper, en I seed de pigs runnin' en playin' in de win', en I 'low ter myse'f, sez I, 'Sholy dey's a-gwine ter be a harrycane,' en den all at once hit come in my min' dat Chris'mus mighty close at han', en den on ter dat yer come de chickens a-crowin' des now en 't aint nine er'clock. [358]I dunner how de creeturs know Chris'mus comin', but dat des de way it stan's."

The little boy thought it was time enough to think about Christmas when the night came for hanging up his stockings, and he asked Uncle Remus if it was n't his turn to tell a story. The old man laid down the piece of glass with which he had been scraping the cow's horn, and hunted around among his tools for a piece of sandpaper before he replied. But his reply was sufficient. He said:

"One time w'iles Brer Rabbit wuz gwine thoo de woods he tuck'n strak up wid ole Brer Fox, en Brer Fox 'low, he did, dat he mighty hongry. Brer Rabbit 'low dat he aint feelin' dat a-way hisse'f, 'kaze he des bin en had er bait er w'ite muscadimes, en den he tuck'n smack he mouf en lick he chops right front er Brer Fox. Brer Fox, he ax, sezee:

"'Brer Rabbit, whar de name er goodness is deze yer w'ite muscadimes, en how come I'm aint never run 'crosst um?' sezee.

"'I dunner w'at de reason you aint never come up wid um,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee; 'some folks sees straight, some sees crooked, some sees one thing, some sees 'n'er. I done seed dem ar w'ite muscadimes, en let 'lone dat, I done wipe um up. I done e't all dey wuz on one tree, but I lay dey's lots mo' un um 'roun' in dem neighborhoods,' sezee.

"Ole Brer Fox mouf 'gun to water, en he git mighty restless.

"'Come on, Brer Rabbit; come on! Come show me whar dem ar w'ite muscadimes grows at,' sezee.

"Brer Rabbit, he sorter hang back. Brer Fox, he 'low:

[359]"'Come on, Brer Rabbit, come on!'

"Brer Rabbit, he hang back, en bimeby he 'low:

"'Uh-uh, Brer Fox! You wanter git me out dar in de timber by myse'f en do sump'n' ter me. You wanter git me out dar en skeer me.'

"Ole Brer Fox, he hol' up he han's, he do, en he 'low:

"'I des 'clar' 'fo' gracious, Brer Rabbit, I aint gwine do no sech uv a thing. I dunner w'at kinder 'pinion you got 'bout me fer ter have sech idee in yo' head. Come on, Brer Rabbit, en less we go git dem ar w'ite muscadimes. Come on, Brer Rabbit.'

"'Uh-uh, Brer Fox! I done year talk er you playin' so many prank wid folks dat I fear'd fer ter go 'way off dar wid you.'

"Dey went on dat a-way," continued Uncle Remus, endeavoring to look at the little boy through the crooked cow's horn, "twel bimeby Brer Fox promise he aint gwine ter bodder 'long er Brer Rabbit, en den dey tuck'n put out. En whar you 'speck dat ar muscheevous Brer Rabbit tuck'n kyar' Brer Fox?"

Uncle Remus paused and gazed around upon his audience with uplifted eyebrows, as if to warn them to be properly astonished. Nobody made any reply, but all looked expectant, and Uncle Remus went on:

"He aint kyar 'im nowhars in de roun' worl' but ter one er deze yer great big scaly-bark trees. De tree wuz des loaded down wid scaly-barks, but dey wa'n't ripe, en de green hulls shined in de sun des lak dey ben whitewash'. Brer Fox look 'stonish'. Atter w'ile he up'n 'low:

[360]"'Is dem ar de w'ite muscadimes? Mighty funny I aint fine it out 'fo' dis.'

"Ole Brer Rabbit, he scratch hisse'f en 'low:

"'Dems um. Dey may n't be ripe ez dem w'at I had fer my brekkus, but dems de w'ite muscadimes sho' ez youer bawn. Dey er red bullaces[*Another name for muscadines.] en dey er black bullaces, but deze yer, dey er de w'ite bullaces.'

"Brer Fox, sezee, 'How I gwine git um?'

"Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'You'll des hatter do lak I done.'

"Brer Fox, sezee, 'How wuz dat?'

"Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'You'll hatter clam fer 'm.'

"Brer Fox, sezee, 'How I gwine clam?'

"Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'Grab wid yo' han's, clam wid yo' legs, en I'll push behime!'"

"Man—Sir!—he's a-talkin' now!" exclaimed Aunt Tempy, enthusiastically.

"Brer Fox, he clum, en Brer Rabbit, he push, twel, sho' 'nuff, Brer Fox got whar he kin grab de lowmos' lim's, en dar he wuz! He crope on up, he did, twel he come ter whar he kin retch de green scaly-bark, en den he tuck'n pull one en bite it, en, gentermens! hit uz dat rough en dat bitter twel little mo' en he'd 'a' drapt spang out'n de tree.

"He holler 'Ow!' en spit it out'n he mouf des same ez ef 't wuz rank pizen, en he make sech a face dat you would n't b'leeve it skacely less'n you seed it. Brer Rabbit, he hatter cough fer ter keep fum laughin', but he make out ter holler, sezee:

[361]"'Come down, Brer Fox! Dey aint ripe. Come down en less go some'rs else.'

"Brer Fox start down, en he git 'long mighty well twel he come ter de lowmos' lim's, en den w'en he git dar he can't come down no furder, 'kaze he aint got no claw fer cling by, en not much leg fer clamp.

"Brer Rabbit keep on hollerin', 'Come down!' en Brer Fox keep on studyin' how he gwine ter come down. Brer Rabbit, he 'low, sezee:

"'Come on, Brer Fox! I tuck'n push you up, en ef I 'uz dar whar you is, I'd take'n push you down.'

"Brer Fox sat dar on de lowmos' lim's en look lak he skeer'd. Bimeby Brer Rabbit tuck he stan' 'way off fum de tree, en he holler, sezee:

"'Ef you'll take'n jump out dis way, Brer Fox, I'll ketch you.'

"Brer Fox look up, he look down, he look all 'roun'. Brer Rabbit come little closer, en 'low, sezee:

"'Hop right down yer, Brer Fox, en I'll ketch you.'

"Hit keep on dis a-way, twel, bimeby, Brer Fox tuck a notion to jump, en des ez he jump Brer Rabbit hop out de way en holler, sezee:

"'Ow! Scuze me, Brer Fox! I stuck a brier in my foot! Scuze me, Brer Fox! I stuck a brier in my foot!'

"En dat ole Brer Fox," continued Uncle Remus, dropping his voice a little, "dat ole Brer Fox, gentermens! you oughter bin dar! He hit de groun' like a sack er taters, en it des nat'ally knock de breff out'n 'im. W'en he git up en count hisse'f fer ter see ef he all dar, he aint kin walk [362]skacely, en he sat dar en lick de so' places a mighty long time 'fo' he feel lak he kin make he way todes home."

When the little boy wanted to know what became of Brother Rabbit Uncle Remus said:

"Shoo! don't you pester 'bout Brer Rabbit. He kick up he heels en put out fum dar." Then he added: "Dem ar chick'ns crowin' 'g'in, honey. Done gone by nine er'clock. Scoot out fum dis. Miss Sally'll be a-rakin' me over de coals."