C098. Brer Hawk and Brer Buzzard

64. Mr. Hawk and Brother Buzzard. 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. The first part is Daddy Jack's Gullah story about the buzzard in the rain; the next part is Uncle Remus's story about the buzzard and the hawk.

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BRER HAWK and BRER BUZZARD

Daddy Jack:

You watch them Buzzard, he fly high, he fly low, he fly 'way 'round. Rain come, he flap he wings, he light upon dead pine. Rain fall, he hug heself with he wing, he scrooch he neck up. Rain come, wind blow, the Buzzard been look ragged. The Buzzard been wink he eye, he say, "When the wind for stop blow and the rain for stop drip, me go make me one house. Me make 'em tight for keep the rain out; me put top on strong for keep the wind out."

Then the rain dry up and the wind stop. The Buzzard, he stand upon top the dead pine. When the sun been shine, he no make 'em no house none at all. He stay upon the dead pine; he stretch he wing wide open; he been dry hisself in the sun. He have make no house since he been born. He one fool bird.

Uncle Remus:

I hear tell of one time when old Brer Buzzard weren't so mighty far out of the way with he notions. It seem like that there was one time when Mr. Hawk come sailing 'round hunting for something or other to eat, and he see Brer Buzzard setting on a dead limb, looking mighty lazy and lonesome.

Mr. Hawk, says he, "How you come on, Brer Buzzard?"

Brer Buzzard, says he, "I'm mighty poorly, Brer Hawk; poorly and hungry."

Mr. Hawk, says he, "What you waiting here for if you hungry, Brer Buzzard?"

Brer Buzzard, says he, "I'm a-waiting on the Lord."

Mr. Hawk, says he, "Better run and get your breakfast, Brer Buzzard, and then come back and wait."

Brer Buzzard, says he, "No, Brer Hawk, I'll go without my breakfast rather than be biggity about it."

Mr. Hawk, he allow, says he, "Well then, Brer Buzzard, you got your way and I got mine. You see them there chickens, down there in Mr. Man horse-lot? I'm a-going down there and get one of 'em, and then I'll come back here and wait along with you."

With that, Mr. Hawk took and sail off, and Brer Buzzard drop he wings down on the limb and look mighty lonesome. He sat there and look mighty lonesome, he did, but he keep one eye on Mr. Hawk.

Mr. Hawk, he sail 'round and 'round, and he look mighty pretty. He sail 'round and 'round above the hoss-lot — 'round and 'round — and by and by he dart down at chickens. He shut up he wings and dart down, he did, just same if he was fired out of a gun.

He dart down, he did, but instead of he hitting the chickens, he took and hit upon the sharp end of a fence-rail. He hit there, he did, and there he stuck.

There he stuck. Brer Buzzard sat and watch him. Mr. Hawk ain't move. Brer Buzzard sat and watch him some more. Mr. Hawk ain't move. He done stone dead. 

The more Brer Buzzard watch him the more hungrier he get, and by and by he gather up he wings, and sort of clean out he ear with he claw, and allow, says he, "I know'd the Lord was going to provide.'"

Brer Buzzard, he took and drop down from the dead limb, and he lit on Mr. Hawk, and had him for breakfast. Ut's a mighty 'round about way for to get chicken-pie, yet it's lots better than no way. Hawk do taste like chicken, they most surely does.

C098. Baer (p. 106). Mr. Hawk and Mr. Buzzard

This is Chase098.

Types
Motifs
A2435.4.5 food of buzzard (?) - Ojibwa
A2435.4.6 food of hawks (?)
J2171.2.1 does not need roof when it is fair; cannot put it on when it rains
A2233.2.1 too cold for hare (dog) to build house in winter, not necessary in summer; must go without house.

Notes

Baer admits that these motifs are not really helpful. Jones has buzzard and hawk, as does Dorson (Why The Buzzard Went South), with three additional southern black examples.

Baer concludes: "This story may well be an Afro-American tale indigenous to the South."

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Whoa, I am really surprised: Baer does not say anything about this being two stories; before the story about hawk and buzzard, there is the story of buzzard in the rain -- that is in Jones also: Buh Tukrey Buzzud an de rain ... and there is an Aesop's fable about the dog who doesn't build a house when the sun comes out: Perry 449. The Dog's House, which Perry identifies as J2171.2.1, so I've added that motif here myself; Perry only gives the J item, but Thompson lists the A item beside the J item (and honestly, they seem like the same thing; the whole motif-type indexing seems so arbitrary in cases like this).

C098. Mr. Hawk and Brother Buzzard (original spelling)

64. Mr. Hawk and Brother Buzzard. 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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One night the little boy ran into Uncle Remus's cabin singing:

"T-u Turkey, t-u Ti,
T-u Turkey Buzzard's eye!"
Uncle Remus, Daddy Jack, Aunt Tempy, and 'Tildy were all sitting around the fire, for the Christmas weather was beginning to make itself rather severely felt. As they made room for the child, Daddy Jack flung his head back, and took up the song, beating time with his foot:

"'T-u Tukry, t-u Ti,
T-u Tukry-Buzzud y-eye!
T-u Tukry, t-u Ting,
T-u Tukry-Buzzud wing!"
"Deyer mighty kuse creeturs," said 'Tildy, who was sitting rather nearer to Daddy Jack than had been her [363]custom,—a fact to which Aunt Tempy had already called the attention of Uncle Remus by a motion of her head, causing the old man to smile a smile as broad as it was wise. "Deyer mighty kuse, an' I'm fear'd un um," 'Tildy went on. "Dey looks so lonesome hit makes me have de creeps fer ter look at um."

"Dey no hu't-a you," said Daddy Jack, soothingly. "You flut you' han' toze um dey fly 'way fum dey-dey."

"I dunno 'bout dat," said 'Tildy. "Deyer bal'-headed, en dat w'at make me 'spize um."

Daddy Jack rubbed the bald place on his head with such a comical air that even 'Tildy laughed. The old African retained his good-humor.

"You watch dem Buzzud," he said after awhile, addressing himself particularly to the little boy. "'E fly high, 'e fly low, 'e fly 'way 'roun'. Rain come, 'e flup 'e wings, 'e light 'pon dead pine. Rain fall, 'e hug 'ese'f wit' 'e wing, 'e scrooge 'e neck up. Rain come, win' blow, da Buzzud bin-a look ragged. Da Buzzud bin-a wink 'e y-eye, 'e say:

"'Wun da win' fer stop blow un da rain fer stop drip, me go mek me one house. Me mek um tight fer keep da rain out; me pit top on strong fer keep da win' out.'

"Dun da rain dry up un da win' stop. Da Buzzud, 'e stan' 'pon top da dead pine. Wun da sun bin-a shine, 'e no mek um no house no'n 't all. 'E stay 'pon da dead pine; 'e 'tretch 'e wing wide open; 'e bin dry hisse'f in da sun. 'E hab mek no house sence 'e bin born. 'E one fool bud."

"En yit," said Uncle Remus, with a grave, judicial air, [364]"I year tell er one time w'en ole Brer Buzzard wa'n't so mighty fur outer de way wid he notions."

"Me yent yeddy tahlk 'bout dis," Daddy Jack explained.

"I 'speck not," responded Uncle Remus. "Hit seem lak dat dey wuz one time w'en Mr. Hawk come sailin' 'roun' huntin' fer sump'n' 'n'er t' eat, en he see Brer Buzzard settin' on a dead lim', lookin' mighty lazy en lonesome.

"Mr. Hawk, sezee, 'How you come on, Brer Buzzard?'

"Brer Buzzard, sezee, 'I'm mighty po'ly, Brer Hawk; po'ly en hongry.'

"Mr. Hawk, sezee, 'W'at you waitin' yer fer ef you hongry, Brer Buzzard?'

"Brer Buzzard, sezee, 'I'm a-waitin' on de Lord.'

"Mr. Hawk, sezee, 'Better run en git yo' brekkus, Brer Buzzard, en den come back en wait.'

"Brer Buzzard, sezee, 'No, Brer Hawk, I'll go bidout my brekkus druther den be biggity 'bout it.'

"Mr. Hawk, he 'low, sezee, 'Well, den, Brer Buzzard, you got yo' way en I got mine. You see dem ar chick'ns, down dar in Mr. Man hoss-lot? I'm a-gwine down dar en git one un um, un den I'll come back yer en wait 'long wid you.'

"Wid dat, Mr. Hawk tuck'n sail off, en Brer Buzzard drop he wings down on de lim' en look mighty lonesome. He sot dar en look mighty lonesome, he did, but he keep one eye on Mr. Hawk.

"Mr. Hawk, he sail 'roun' en 'roun', en he look mighty [365]purty. He sail 'roun' en 'roun' 'bove de hoss-lot—'roun' en 'roun'—en bimeby he dart down at chick'ns. He shot up he wings en dart down, he did, des same ef he 'uz fired out'n a gun."

"Watch out, pullets!" exclaimed 'Tildy, in a tone of warning.

"He dart down, he did," continued Uncle Remus, rubbing his hand thoughtfully across the top of his head, "but stidder he hittin' de chick'ns, he tuck'n hit 'pon de sharp een' un a fence-rail. He hit dar, he did, en dar he stuck."

"Ah-yi-ee!" exclaimed Daddy Jack.

"Dar he stuck. Brer Buzzard sot en watch 'im. Mr. Hawk aint move. Brer Buzzard sot en watch 'im some mo'. Mr. Hawk aint move. He done stone dead. De mo' Brer Buzzard watch 'im de mo' hongrier he git, en bimeby he gedder up he wings, en sorter clean out he year wid he claw, en 'low, sezee:

"'I know'd de Lord 'uz gwineter pervide.'"

"Trufe too!" exclaimed Aunt Tempy. "'T aint bin in my min' dat Buzzard got sense lak dat!"

"Dar's whar you missed it, Sis Tempy," said Uncle Remus gravely. "Brer Buzzard, he tuck'n drap down fum de dead lim', en he lit on Mr. Hawk, en had 'im fer brekkus. Hit 's a mighty 'roun' about way fer ter git chick'n-pie, yit hit 's lots better dan no way."

"I 'speck Hawk do tas'e like chicken," remarked 'Tildy.

"Dey mos' sho'ly does," said Uncle Remus, with emphasis.