C103. Brer Fox's Fish-Trap

69. Brother Fox's Fish-Trap. Text Source: Nights with Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. Harris notes that "snake-doctors" are dragonflies. 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'S FISH-TRAP

One time Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit live the on river. After they been living there so long a time, Brer Fox allow that he got a mighty hankering after something besides fresh meat, and he say he believe he make him a fish-trap. Brer Rabbit say he wish Brer Fox mighty well, but he ain't honing after fish hisself, and if he is he ain't got no time for to make no fish-trap.

No matter for that, Brer Fox, he took and got him out some timber, he did, and he work nights for to make that trap. Then when he get it done, he took and hunt him a good place for to set it, and the way he sweat over that there trap was a sin—that it was.

Yet after so long a time, he got her set, and then he took and wash he face and hands and go home. All the time he was fixing of it up, Brer Rabbit was setting on the bank watching him. He sat there, he did, and play in the water, and cut switches for to whip at the snake-doctors, and all that time Brer Fox, he pull and haul and tote rocks for to hold that trap enduring a freshet.

Brer Fox went home and rest hisself, and by and by he go down for to see if there any fish in he trap. He sort of feared of snakes, but he feel 'round and he feel 'round, yet he ain't feel no fish. Then he go off.

By and by, 'long towards the last of the week, he go down and feel 'round again, yet he ain't feel no fish. It keep on this a-way till Brer Fox get sort of fag out. He go and he feel, but there ain't no fish there. 

After while, one day, he see the signs where somebody been robbing he trap, and he allow to hisself that he'll just in about watch and find out who the somebody is. Then he took and got in he boat and paddle under the bushes on the bank and watch he fish-trap. He watch all the morning; nobody ain't come. He watch all enduring of after dinner; nobody ain't come. Along towards night, when he just about making ready for to paddle off home, he hear fuss on the other side the river, and lo and beholds, here come Brer Rabbit poling a boat right towards Brer Fox fish-trap.

Look like he don't know how to use a paddle, and he just had him a long pole, and he'd stand up in the behind part of he boat, and put the end of the pole against the bottom, and shove her right ahead.

Brer Fox get mighty mad when he see this, but he watch and wait. He allow to hisself, he did, that he can paddle a boat perter than anybody can pole 'em, and he say he surely going catch Brer Rabbit this time.

Brer Rabbit pole up to the fish-trap, and feel 'round and pull out a great big mud-cat; then he reach in and pull out another big mud-cat; then he pull out a big blue cat, and it keep on this a-way till he get the finest mess of fish you most ever laid your eyes on.

(image source)

Just about that time, Brer Fox paddle out from under the bushes, and make towards Brer Rabbit, and he holler out, "Ah-yi! You are the man what been robbing my fish-trap this long time! I got you this time! Oh, you needn't try to run! I got you this time sure!"

No sooner said than no sooner done. Brer Rabbit fling he fish in he boat and grab up the pole and push off, and he had more fun getting 'way from there than he ever had before in all he born days put together. Brer Fox, he was there, and he seed it, and Brer Rabbit, he seed it, and even down to old Brer Bullfrog, a-sitting on the bank, he seed it.

(image source)

Now, then, when Brer Rabbit pole he boat, he pleased to sit in the behind end, and when Brer Fox paddle he boat, he pleased to sit in the behind end. That being the state of the condition, how Brer Fox going catch him? I ain't disputing but what he can paddle perter than Brer Rabbit, but the long and the shorts of it is, the perter Brer Fox paddle the perter Brer Rabbit go.

When the nose of Brer Fox boat get close to Brer Rabbit boat all Brer Rabbit got to do in the round world is to take he pole and put it against Brer Fox boat and push hisself out the way. The harder he push Brer Fox boat back, the perter he push he own boat forward. It look mighty easy to old Brer Bullfrog sitting on the bank, and all Brer Fox can do is to shake he fist and grit he tooth, whiles Brer Rabbit sail off with the fish.

C103. Baer (p. 110). Brother Fox's Fish-Trap

This is Chase103.

Types
Motifs
Notes
Gerber has no parallels, but Jones has "Buh Rabbit, Buh Fox, and de Fisherman," which starts with a fish-trap, but then becomes AT0001. Baer concludes: "I have found nothing resembling this tale."

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MY NOTES

This might be a good story to make my case for functional analysis because even if there is not an obvious type or motif classification, it's clear that the plot functions in this story are completely typical of a Brer Rabbit trick.

C103. Brother Fox's Fish-Trap (original spelling)

69. Brother Fox's Fish-Trap. Text Source: Nights with Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. I have removed the frame material. You can click here for the standardized spelling plus all notes to the story.

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One time Brer Fox en Brer Rabbit live de on river. Atter dey bin livin' dar so long a time, Brer Fox 'low dat he got a mighty hankerin' atter sump'n' 'sides fresh meat, en he say he b'leeve he make 'im a fish-trap. Brer Rabbit say he wish Brer Fox mighty well, but he aint honin' atter fish hisse'f, en ef he is he aint got no time fer ter make no fish-trap.

No marter fer dat, Brer Fox, he tuck'n got 'im out some timber, he did, en he wuk nights fer ter make dat trap. Den w'en he git it done, he tuck'n hunt 'im a good place fer ter set it, en de way he sweat over dat ar trap wuz a sin—dat 't wuz.

Yit atter so long a time, he got 'er sot, en den he tuck'n wash he face en han's en go home. All de time he 'uz fixin' un it up, Brer Rabbit 'uz settin' on de bank watchin' 'im. He sot dar, he did, en play in de water, en cut switches fer ter w'ip at de snake-doctors, en all dat time Brer Fox, he pull en haul en tote rocks fer ter hol' dat trap endurin' a freshet.

Brer Fox went home en res' hisse'f, en bimeby he go down fer ter see ef dey any fish in he trap. He sorter fear'd er snakes, but he feel 'roun' en he feel 'roun', yit he aint feel no fish. Den he go off.

Bimeby, 'long todes de las' er de week, he go down en feel 'roun' 'g'in, yit he aint feel no fish. Hit keep on dis a-way twel Brer Fox git sorter fag out. He go en he feel, but dey aint no fish dar. Atter w'ile, one day, he see de signs whar somebody bin robbin' he trap, en he 'low ter hisse'f dat he'll des in 'bout watch en fine out who de somebody is.

Den he tuck'n got in he boat en paddle und' de bushes on de bank en watch he fish-trap. He watch all de mornin'; nobody aint come. He watch all endurin' er atter dinner; nobody aint come. 'Long todes night, w'en he des 'bout makin' ready fer ter paddle off home, he year fuss on t'er side de river, en lo en beholes, yer come Brer Rabbit polin' a boat right todes Brer Fox fish-trap.

Look lak he dunner how to use a paddle, en he des had 'im a long pole, en he'd stan' up in de behime part er he boat, en put de een' er de pole 'gin' de bottom, en shove 'er right ahead.

Brer Fox git mighty mad w'en he see dis, but he watch en wait. He 'low ter hisse'f, he did, dat he kin paddle a boat pearter dan anybody kin pole um, en he say he sho'ly gwine ketch Brer Rabbit dis time.

Brer Rabbit pole up ter de fish-trap, en feel 'roun' en pull out a great big mud-cat; den he retch in en pull out 'n'er big mud-cat; den he pull out a big blue cat, en it keep on dis a-way twel he git de finest mess er fish you mos' ever laid yo' eyes on.

Des 'bout dat time, Brer Fox paddle out fum und' de bushes, en make todes Brer Rabbit, en he holler out, "Ah-yi! Youer de man w'at bin robbin' my fish-trap dis long time! I got you dis time! Oh, you nee'nter try ter run! I got you dis time sho'!"

No sooner said dan no sooner done. Brer Rabbit fling he fish in he boat en grab up de pole en push off, en he had mo' fun gittin' 'way fum dar dan he y-ever had befo' in all he born days put terge'er.

Brer Fox, he wuz dar, en he seed it, en Brer Rabbit, he seed it, en e'en down ter ole Brer Bull-frog, a-settin' on de bank, he seed it. Now, den, w'en Brer Rabbit pole he boat, he bleedz ter set in de behime een', en w'en Brer Fox paddle he boat, he bleedz ter set in de behime een'. Dat bein' de state er de condition, how Brer Fox gwine ketch 'im? I aint 'sputin' but w'at he kin paddle pearter dan Brer Rabbit, but de long en de shorts un it is, de pearter Brer Fox paddle de pearter Brer Rabbit go.

W'en de nose er Brer Fox boat git close ter Brer Rabbit boat all Brer Rabbit got ter do in de roun' worl' is ter take he pole en put it 'gin' Brer Fox boat en push hisse'f out de way. De harder he push Brer Fox boat back, de pearter he push he own boat forrerd. Hit look mighty easy ter ole Brer Bull-frog settin' on de bank, en all Brer Fox kin do is ter shake he fist en grit he toof, w'iles Brer Rabbit sail off wid de fish.