C101. Mink and Terrapin Go Diving

67. Old Brother Terrapin Gets Some Fish. 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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MINK and TERRAPIN GO DIVING

There was a time when old Brer Terrapin had a tussel with Brer Mink. It seem like that they both live 'round the water so much and so long that they get kind of stuck up 'long with it. Leastways that was the trouble with Brer Mink. He jump in the water and swim and dive till he begun to believe there weren't nobody can hold their hand 'long with him.

One day Brer Mink was going long down the creek with a nice string of fish swinging on he walking-cane, when who should he meet up with but old Brer Terrapin. The critters was all hail fellow with old Brer Terrapin, and no sooner is he seed Brer Mink than he bow him howdy. Ole Brer Terrapin talk 'way down in he throat like he got bad cold. He allow, "Heyo, Brer Mink! Where you get all them nice string of fish?"

(image source)

Brer Mink was mighty up-and-spoken in them days. He allow, he did, "'Down there in the creek, Brer Terrapin."

Brer Terrapin look astonished. He say, says he, "Well, well, well! In the creek! Who'd've believed it?'

Brer Mink, says he, "Where I gonna catch 'em, Brer Terrapin, if I ain't catch 'em in the creek?"

Ole Brer Terrapin, says he, "Dat's so, Brer Mink; but a highland man like you going in the creek after fish! It looks terrible, Brer Mink—that what it do; it just looks terrible!"

Brer Mink, says he, "Looks or no looks, there where I got 'em."

Brer Terrapin sort of sway he head from side to side, and allow, "If that the case, Brer Mink, then surely you must be one of them there kind of critters what used to the water."

"That's me," says Brer Mink, says he.

"Well, then," says Brer Terrapin, says he, "I'm a highland man myself, and it's been a mighty long time since I got my foots wet, but I don't mind going in washing 'long with you. If you are the man you says you is, you can outdo me," says he.

Brer Mink, says he, "How we gonna do, Brer Terrapin?"

Old Brer Terrapin, says he, "We'll go down there to the creek, and the man what can stay under the water the longest, let that man walk off with that string of fish."

Brer Mink, says he, "I'm the very man you been looking for."

Brer Mink say he don't want to put it off a minute. Go he would, and go he did. They went down to creek and make their arrangerments. Brer Mink lay he fish down on the bank, and him and old Brer Terrapin wade in. Brer Terrapin he make great admiration about how cold the water is. He flinch, he did, and allow, "Ow, Brer Mink! This here water feel mighty cold and it ain't no more than up to my waist. Goodness knows how she gonna feel when she get up under my chin."

They wade in, they did, and Brer Terrapin say, says he, "Now, then, Brer Mink, we'll make a dive, and the man what stay under the water the longest that man gets the fish."

Brer Mink allow that's the way he look at it, and then Brer Terrapin give the word, and under they went. Course, Brer Terrapin can stay down in the water longer than Brer Mink, and Brer Mink might've knowed it. They stay and they stay, till by and by Brer Mink pleased to come up, and he took and caught he breath, he did, like he mighty glad for to get back again. 

Then after while Brer Terrapin stuck he nose out of the water, and then Brer Mink say Brer Terrapin can beat him. Brer Terrapin allow, "No, Brer Mink; it's the best two out of three. If I beats you this time then the fish, they're mine; if I gets beated, then we can take another trial."

With that, down they went, but Brer Terrapin ain't more than dove 'fore up he come, and whiles Brer Mink was down there honing for fresh air, he took and gobble up the last one of the fish, old Brer Terrapin did. He gobble up the fish, and he was fixing for to pick he tooth, but by this time Brer Mink pleased to come up, and old Brer Terrapin, he took and slid down in the water. He slid so slick that he ain't left a bubble. He ain't stay down long, neither, 'fore he come up and he make like he teetotally out of wind.

Old Brer Terrapin come up, he did, and look 'round, and 'fore Brer Mink can say a word, he holler out, "You are nice man, Brer Mink! You are mighty nice man!"

"What I done now, Brer Terrapin?"

"Don't ask me. Look up there where you been eating them fish and then ask yourself. You are mighty nice man!"

Brer Mink look 'round and, sure enough, the fish done gone. Old Brer Terrapin keep on talking, "You took and come up first, and whiles I been down there in the water, naturally aching for lack of wind, here you setting up chewing on the fish which they ought to been mine!"

Brer Mink stand him down that he ain't eat them fish; he deny it to the last, but old Brer Terrapin make out he don't believe him. He say, says he, "You'll keep going on this a-way, till after while you'll be worse than Brer Rabbit. Don't tell me you ain't get them fish, Brer Mink, 'cause you know you is."

It sort of make Brer Mink feel proud 'cause old Brer Terrapin mix him up with Brer Rabbit, 'cause Brer Rabbit was a mighty man in them days, and he sort of laugh, Brer Mink did, like he know more than he going tell. Old Brer Terrapin keep on grumbling.

"I ain't going to get mad 'long with you, Brer Mink, 'cause it's a mighty keen trick, but you ought to be ashamed yourself for to be playing tricks on a old man like me—that you ought!"

With that old Brer Terrapin went shuffling off, and after he get out of sight he drawed back in he house and shut the door and laugh and laugh till there weren't no fun in laughing.

C101. Baer (p. 108). Old Brother Terrapin Gets Some Fish

This is Chase101.

Types
Motifs K0016.2 diving match: trickster eats food while dupe is under the water
K0341.6 thief persuades owner of goods to dive as a contest (Baer not sure if new item is justified)
H1543 contest in remaining underwater
Notes

Gerber and Harris have Kaffir story with Hlakanyana and a shepherd story, including the second dive to complete the trick. See Angolan mole and fox in Chatelain, and Lambrecht has turtle tricking hawk.

Clarke invokes H1543, and Baer finally acknowledges the huge problem: "One problem with using the Motif-Index to find distribution of a tale is that one frequently has to look in a number of locations for what turns out to be essentially the same motif. Additional motifs are useful to define nuances and differences; however, when the motif does not clarify such nuances, additional numbesr are merely confusing.

Dundes documents a southeastern Native American story of Orphan and the Origin of Corn, concluding: "There can be no question as to the African origin of this element in American Indian folklore."

C101. Old Brother Terrapin Gets Some Fish (original spelling)

67. Old Brother Terrapin Gets Some Fish. 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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"Dat tale," said Uncle Remus, "puts me in min' er de time w'en ole Brer Tarrypin had a tussel wid Brer Mink. Hit seem lak," he went on, in response to inquiries from the little boy, "dat dey bofe live 'roun' de water so much en so long dat dey git kinder stuck up long wid it. Leasways dat 'uz de trouble wid Brer Mink. He jump in de water en swim en dive twel he 'gun ter b'leeve dey wa'n't nobody kin hol' der han' long wid 'im.

"One day Brer Mink 'uz gwine long down de creek wid a nice string er fish swingin' on he walkin'-cane, w'en who should he meet up wid but ole Brer Tarrypin. De creeturs 'uz all hail feller wid ole Brer Tarrypin, en no sooner is he seed Brer Mink dan he bow 'im howdy. [374]Ole Brer Tarrypin talk 'way down in he th'oat lak he got bad col'. He 'low:

"'Heyo, Brer Mink! Whar you git all dem nice string er fish?'

"Brer Mink 'uz mighty up-en-spoken in dem days. He 'low, he did:

"'Down dar in de creek, Brer Tarrypin.'

"Brer Tarrypin look 'stonish'. He say, sezee:

"'Well, well, well! In de creek! Who'd er b'leev'd it?'

"Brer Mink, sezee: 'Whar I gwine ketch um, Brer Tarrypin, ef I aint ketch um in de creek?'

"Ole Brer Tarrypin, sezee: 'Dat 's so, Brer Mink; but a highlan' man lak you gwine in de creek atter fish! Hit looks turrible, Brer Mink—dat w'at it do; hit des looks turrible!'

"Brer Mink, sezee: 'Looks er no looks, dar whar I got um.'

"Brer Tarrypin sorter sway he head fum side ter side, en 'low:

"'Ef dat de case, Brer Mink, den sho'ly you mus' be one er dem ar kinder creeturs w'at usen ter de water.'

"'Dat 's me,' sez Brer Mink, sezee.

"'Well, den,' sez Brer Tarrypin, sezee, 'I'm a highlan' man myse'f, en it's bin a mighty long time sence I got my foots wet, but I don't min' goin' in washin' 'long wid you. Ef youer de man you sez you is, you kin outdo me,' sezee.

"Brer Mink, sezee: 'How we gwine do, Brer Tarrypin?'

[375]"Ole Brer Tarrypin, sezee: 'We 'ull go down dar ter de creek, en de man w'at kin stay und' de water de longest, let dat man walk off wid dat string er fish.'

"Brer Mink, sezee: 'I'm de ve'y man you bin lookin' fer.'

"Brer Mink say he don't wanter put it off a minnit. Go he would, en go he did. Dey went down ter creek en make der 'rangerments. Brer Mink lay he fish down on der bank, en 'im en ole Brer Tarrypin wade in. Brer Tarrypin he make great 'miration 'bout how col' he water is. He flinch, he did, en 'low:

"'Ow, Brer Mink! Dish yer water feel mighty col' and 't aint no mo'n up ter my wais'. Goodness knows how she gwine feel w'en she git up und' my chin.'

"Dey wade in, dey did, en Brer Tarrypin say, sezee:

"'Now, den, Brer Mink, we'll make a dive, en de man w'at stay und' de water de longest dat man gits de fish.'

"Brer Mink 'low dat 's de way he look at it, en den Brer Tarrypin gun de wud, en und' dey went. Co'se," said Uncle Remus, after a little pause, "Brer Tarrypin kin stay down in de water longer'n Brer Mink, en Brer Mink mought er know'd it. Dey stay en dey stay, twel bimeby Brer Mink bleedz ter come up, en he tuck'n kotch he breff, he did, lak he mighty glad fer ter git back ag'in. Den atter w'ile Brer Tarrypin stuck he nose out er de water, en den Brer Mink say Brer Tarrypin kin beat 'im. Brer Tarrypin 'low:

"'No, Brer Mink; hit 's de bes' two out er th'ee. Ef I beats you dis time den de fish, deyer mine; ef I gits beated, den we kin take 'n'er trial.'

[376]"Wid dat, down dey went, but Brer Tarrypin aint mo'n dove 'fo' up he come, en w'iles Brer Mink 'uz down dar honin' fer fresh a'r, he tuck'n gobble up de las' one er de fish, ole Brer Tarrypin did. He gobble up de fish, en he 'uz fixin' fer ter pick he toof, but by dis time Brer Mink bleedz ter come up, en ole Brer Tarrypin, he tuck'n slid down in de water. He slid so slick," said Uncle Remus, with a chuckle, "dat he aint lef' a bubble. He aint stay down long, n'er, 'fo' he come up en he make lak he teetotally out er win'.

"Ole Brer Tarrypin come up, he did, en look 'roun', en 'fo' Brer Mink kin say a wud, he holler out:

"'Youer nice man, Brer Mink! Youer mighty nice man!'

"'W'at I done now, Brer Tarrypin?'

"'Don't ax me. Look up dar whar you bin eatin' dem fish en den ax yo'se'f. Youer mighty nice man!'

"Brer Mink look 'roun' en, sho' 'nuff, de fish done gone. Ole Brer Tarrypin keep on talkin':

"'You tuck'n come up fust, en w'iles I bin down dar in de water, nat'ally achin' fer lack er win', yer you settin' up chawin' on de fish w'ich dey oughter bin mine!'

"Brer Mink stan' 'im down dat he aint eat dem fish; he 'ny it ter de las', but ole Brer Tarrypin make out he don't b'leeve 'im. He say, sezee:

"'You'll keep gwine on dis a-way, twel atter w'ile you'll be wuss'n Brer Rabbit. Don't tell me you aint git dem fish, Brer Mink, 'kaze you know you is.'

"Hit sorter make Brer Mink feel proud 'kaze ole Brer Tarrypin mix 'im up wid Brer Rabbit, 'kaze Brer Rabbit [377]wuz a mighty man in dem days, en he sorter laugh, Brer Mink did, lak he know mo' dan he gwine tell. Ole Brer Tarrypin keep on grumblin'.

"'I aint gwine ter git mad long wid you, Brer Mink, 'kaze hit 's a mighty keen trick, but you oughter be 'shame' yo'se'f fer ter be playin' tricks on a ole man lak me—dat you ought!'

"Wid dat ole Brer Tarrypin went shufflin' off, en atter he git outer sight he draw'd back in he house en shot de do' en laugh en laugh twel dey wa'n't no fun in laughin'."