C162. Brer Rabbit's Frolic

2. Brother Rabbit's Frolic. Text Source: Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit 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 Rabbit had a mighty quick thinking apparatus, and most in generally, all the time, the pranks he played on the other critters pestered 'em both ways a-coming and a-going. The dogs done mighty well, along as they had dealings with the small fry, like Brer Fox, and Brer Coon, and Brer Wolf, but when they run against old Brer Bear, they sure struck a snag. The most servigorous was the identical one that got the worst hurted. He got too close to Brer Bear, and when he look at hisself in running water, he took notice that he was split wide open from flank to dewlap.

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After the ruckus was over, the critters hobbled off home the best they could, and laid 'round in sun and shade for to let their cuts and gashes get good and well. When they got so they could segashuate and pay their party calls, they agree for to assemble somewheres, and hit on some plan for to outdo Brer Rabbit.

Well, they had their assembly, and they jowered and jowered; but, by and by, they agreed upon a plan that look like it might work. They agree for to make out that they going to have a dance. They knowed that old Brer Rabbit was always keen for that, and they say they'll give him a invite, and when he got there, they'd ask him for to play the fiddle, and if he refuse, they'll close in on him and make way with him.

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So far, so good! But all the time they was jowering and confabbing, old Brer Rabbit was sitting in a shady place in the grass, a-hearing every word they say. When the time come, he crept out, he did, and run around, and the first news they knowed, here he come down the big road — bookity-bookity — same as a hoss that's broke through the pasture fence.

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He say, says he, "Why, hello, friends! and howdy, too, 'cause I ain't seed you all since the last time! Where the name of goodness is you been there odd-come-shorts? And how did you fare at the barbecue? If my two eyeballs ain't gone and got crooked, there's old Brer Bear, him of the short tail and sharp tooth — the very one I'm a-hunting for! And there's Brer Coon! I sure is in big luck. There's going to be a big frolic at Miss Meadows', and her and the gals want Brer Bear for to show 'em the roasting-ear shuffle; and they put Brer Coon down for the jig they calls rackback Davy. I'm to play the fiddle — something I ain't done since my oldest gal had the mumps and the measles, both the same day and hour! Well, this morning I took down the fiddle from where she was a-hanging at, and drawed the bow backwards and forwards a time or two, and then I shut my eyes and it some of the old-time tunes, and when I come to myself, there was my whole blessed family skipping and sashaying 'round the room, spite of the fact that breakfast was to be cooked!"

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With that, Brer Rabbit bowed, he did, and went back down the road like the dogs was after him.

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The critters ain't had no dance, and when they went to Miss Meadows', she put her head out the window, and say if they don't go off from there she'll have the law on 'em!

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C162. Baer (p. 150). Brer Rabbit's Frolic

This is Chase162.

Types
...
Motifs
K0816 dupe lured to supposed dance and killed
Notes

Thompson has Fjort story; "in the Afro-American version the dupes are threatened and dispersed rather than killed, but even among African versions of the same tale, the ending can be fatal or non-fatal."

conclusion: "This tale is probably derived from the African."

C162. Brother Rabbit's Frolic (original spelling)

2. Brother Rabbit's Frolic. Text Source: Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit 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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Brer Rabbit had a mighty quick thinkin’ apple-ratus, an’ mos’ inginner’lly, all de time, de pranks he played on de yuther creeturs pestered um bofe ways a-comin’ an’ a-gwine. De dogs done mighty well, ’long ez dey had dealin’s wid de small fry, like Brer Fox, an’ Brer Coon, an’ Brer Wolf, but when dey run ag’in’ ol’ Brer B’ar, dey sho struck a snag. De mos’ servigrous wuz de identual one dat got de wust hurted. He got too close ter Brer B’ar, an’ when he look at hisse’f in runnin’ water, he tuck notice dat he wuz split wide open fum flank ter dewlap.

Atter de rucus wuz over, de creeturs hobbled off home de best dey could, an’ laid ’roun’ in sun an’ shade fer ter let der cuts an’ gashes git good an’ well. When dey got so dey could segashuate, an’ pay der party calls, dey ’gree fer ter insemble some’rs, an’ hit on some plan fer ter outdo Brer Rabbit.

Well, dey had der insembly, an’ dey jower’d an’ jower’d des like yo’ pa do when he aint feelin’ right well; but, bimeby, dey ’greed ’pon a plan dat look like it mought work. Dey ’gree fer ter make out dat dey gwine ter have a dance. Dey know’d dat ol’ Brer Rabbit wuz allers keen fer dat, an’ dey say dey’ll gi’ him a invite, an’ when he got dar, dey’d ax ’im fer ter play de fiddle, an’ ef he ’fuse, dey’ll close in on ’im an’ make way wid ’im.

So fur, so good! But all de time dey wuz jowerin’ an’ confabbin’, ol’ Brer Rabbit wus settin’ in a shady place in de grass, a-hearin’ eve’y word dey say. When de time come, he crope out, he did, an’ run ’roun’, an’ de fust news dey know’d, here he come down de big road—bookity-bookity—same ez a hoss dat’s broke thoo de pastur’ fence.

He say, sezee, "Why, hello, frien’s! an’ howdy, too, kaze I aint seed you-all sence de last time! Whar de name er goodness is you been deze odd-come-shorts? an’ how did you far’ at de bobbycue? Ef my two eyeballs aint gone an’ got crooked, dar’s ol’ Brer B’ar, him er de short tail an’ sharp tush—de ve’y one I’m a-huntin’ fer! An’ dar’s Brer Coon! I sho is in big luck. Dar’s gwineter be a big frolic at Miss Meadows’, an’ her an’ de gals want Brer B’ar fer ter show um de roas’n’-y’ar shuffle; an’ dey put Brer Coon down fer de jig dey calls rack-back-Davy. I’m ter play de fiddle—sump’n I aint done sence my oldest gal had de mumps an’ de measles, bofe de same day an’ hour! Well, dis mornin’ I tuck down de fiddle fum whar she wuz a-hangin’ at, an’ draw’d de bow backerds an’ forerds a time er two, an’ den I shot my eyes an’ hit some er de ol’-time chunes, an’ when I come ter myse’f, dar wuz my whole blessed fambly skippin’ an’ sasshayin’ ’roun’ de room, spite er de fack dat brekkus wuz ter be cooked!"

Wid dat, Brer Rabbit bow’d, he did, an’ went back down de road like de dogs wuz atter ’im.”

De creeturs aint had no dance, an’ when dey went ter Miss Meadows’, she put her head out de winder, an’ say ef dey don’t go off fum dar she’ll have de law on um!