C165. Brer Rabbit and the Gold Mine

5. Brother Rabbit and the Gold Mine. 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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Well, sir, one year it fell out that the crops was burnt up. A dry drought had done the work, and if you'd've struck a match anywhere in that settlement, the whole county would've blazed up.

Old man Hongriness just naturally took off his clothes and went parading about everywhere, and the critters got bony and skinny. Old Brer Bear done better than any of 'em, 'cause all he had to do was go to sleep and live off of his own fat; and Brer Rabbit and his old woman had put some calamus root by, and saved up some sugar-cane that they find lying 'round loose, and they got along pretty well. But the balance of the critters was that gaunt that they ain't got over it down to this day.

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The critters had their meeting-place, where they could all sat 'round and talk the kind of politics they had, just like folks does at the crossroads grocery. One day, whiles they was all sitting and squatting 'round, jowering and confabbing, Brer Rabbit, he up and say, says he, that old Mammy-Bammy-Big-Money told his great grandaddy that there was a mighty big and fat gold mine in there parts, and he say that he wouldn't be at all astonished if it weren't somewheres close to Brer Bear's house. 

Brer Bear, he growled, he did, and say that the gold mine better not let him find it, 'cause after he got done with it, there won't be no gold mine there.

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Some laughed, some grinned and some gapped, and, after jowering some more, they all put out to where their families was living at; but I bound you they ain't forget about that gold mine, 'cause, from that time on, go where you might, you'd catch some of the critters digging and grabbling in the ground, some in the fields, some in the woods, and some in the big road; and they was so weak and hungry that they can scarcely grabble for falling down.

Well, this went on for the longest, but by and by, one day, they all agree that something pleased to be done, and they say they'll all take one big hunt for the gold mine, and then quit. 

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They hunted in gangs, with the gangs not far from one another, and it so happen that Brer Rabbit was in the gang with Brer Wolf, and he knowed that he had to keep his eyes wide open.

All the critters had to dig in different places, and whiles Brer Rabbit weren't much of a grabbler, he had a way of making the others believe that he was the best of the lot. So he made a heap of motion like he was tearing up the earth.

They ain't been going on this away long 'fore Brer Wolf holler out, "Run here, Brer Rabbit! I done found it!"

Brer Bear and Brer Fox was both digging close by, and Brer Rabbit kind of wunk one eye at the elements; he say, says he, "Glad I is for you sake, Brer Wolf; get you gold and enjoy yourself!"

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Brer Wolf say, "Come get some, Brer Rabbit! Come get some!"

Old Brer Rabbit respond, "I'll take the leavings, Brer Wolf; you take what you want, and then when you done got enough I'll get the little bit I want."

Brer Wolf say, "I want to show you something."

Brer Rabbit allow, "My eyes ain't big for nothing."

Brer Wolf say, "I got a secret I want to tell you."

Brer Rabbit allow, "My ears ain't long for nothing. Just stand there and do your whispering, Brer Wolf, and I'll hear every word you say."

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Brer Wolf ain't say nothing, but make out he's grabbling, and then, all of a sudden, he made a dash at Brer Rabbit, but when he get where Brer Rabbit was at, Brer Rabbit ain't there no more; he done gone. 

Weak and hungry as he is, Brer Wolf know that he can't catch Brer Rabbit, and so he holler out, "What's your hurry, Brer Rabbit? Where you going?' Brer Rabbit holler back, "I'm going home after a bag for to tote the gold you going leave me! So long, Brer Wolf; I wish you mighty well!" and with that he put out for home.

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C165. Baer (p. 151). Brer Rabbit and the Gold Mine

This is Chase165.

Types
ATU0122 wolf loses his prey: escape by false plea
Motifs
K0550 wolf loses his prey: escape by false plea
Notes
See Chase001.

C165. Brother Rabbit and the Gold Mine (original spelling)

5. Brother Rabbit and the Gold Mine. 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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There had been silence in the cabin for a long ten minutes, and Uncle Remus, looking up, saw a threat of sleep in the little boy’s eyes. Whereupon he plunged headlong into a story without a word of explanation.



“Well, suh, one year it fell out dat de craps wuz burnt up. A dry drouth had done de work, an’ ef you’d ’a’ struck a match anywhar in dat settlement, de whole county would ’a’ blazed up. Ol’ man Hongriness des natchally tuck of his cloze an’ went paradin’ ’bout eve’ywhar, an’ de creeturs got bony an’ skinny. Ol’ Brer B’ar done better dan any un um, kaze all he hatter do wuz go ter sleep an’ live off’n his own fat; an’ Brer Rabbit an’ his ol’ ’oman had put some calamus root by, an’ saved up some sugar-cane dat dey fin’ lyin’ ’roun’ loose, an’ dey got ’long purty well. But de balance er de creeturs wuz dat ga’nt dat dey ain’t got over it down ter dis day.

“De creeturs had der meetin’-place, whar dey could all set ’roun’ an’ talk de kind er politics dey had, des like folks does at de cross-roads grocery. One day, whiles dey wuz all settin’ an’ squottin’ ’roun’, jowerin’ an’ confabbin’, Brer Rabbit, he up ’n’ say, sezee, dat ol’ Mammy-Bammy-Big-Money tol’ his great gran’daddy dat dar wuz a mighty big an’ fat gol’ mine in deze parts, an’ he say dat he wouldn’t be ’tall ’stonished ef ’twant some’rs close ter Brer B’ar’s house. Brer B’ar, he growled, he did, an’ say dat de gol’ mine better not let him fin’ it, kaze atter he got done wid it, dey won’t be no gol’ mine dar.

”Some laughed, some grinned an’ some gapped, an’, atter jowerin’ some mo’, dey all put out ter whar der famblies wuz livin’ at; but I boun’ you dey ain’t fergit ’bout dat gol’ mine, kaze, fum dat time on, go whar you mought, you’d ketch some er de creeturs diggin’ an’ grabblin’ in de groun’, some in de fields, some in de woods, an’ some in de big road; an’ dey wuz so weak an’ hongry dat dey kin skacely grabble fer fallin’ down.

“Well, dis went on fer de longest, but bimeby, one day, dey all ’gree dat sump’n bleeze ter be done, an’ dey say dey’ll all take one big hunt fer de gol’ mine, an’ den quit. Dey hunted in gangs, wid de gangs not fur fum one an’er, an’ it so happen dat Brer Rabbit wuz in de gang wid Brer Wolf, an’ he know’d dat he hatter keep his eyes wide open. All de creeturs hatter dig in diffunt places, an’ whiles Brer Rabbit want much uv a grabbler, he had a way er makin’ de yuthers b’lieve dat he wuz de best er de lot. So he made a heap er motion like he wuz t’arin’ up de yeth. Dey ain’t been gwine on dis away long fo’ Brer Wolf holler out,

“‘Run here, Brer Rabbit! I done foun’ it!’ Brer B’ar an’ Brer Fox wuz bofe diggin’ close by, an’ Brer Rabbit kinder wunk one eye at de elements; he say, sezee, ‘Glad I is fer yo’ sake, Brer Wolf; git yo’ gol’ an’ ’joy yo’se’f!’ Brer Wolf say, ‘Come git some, Brer Rabbit! Come git some!’ Ol’ Brer Rabbit ’spon’, ‘I’ll take de leavin’s, Brer Wolf; you take what you want, an’ den when you done got ’nough I’ll get de leetle bit I want.’ Brer Wolf say, ‘I wanter show you sump’n.’ Brer Rabbit ’low, ‘My eyes ain’t big fer nothin’.’ Brer Wolf say, ‘I got a secret I wanter tell you.’ Brer Rabbit ’low, ‘My y’ears ain’t long fer nothin’. Des stan’ dar an’ do yo’ whisperin’, Brer Wolf, an’ I’ll hear eve’y word you say.’

“Brer Wolf ain’t say nothin’, but make out he’s grabblin’, an’ den, all of a sudden, he made a dash at Brer Rabbit, but when he git whar Brer Rabbit wuz at, Brer Rabbit ain’t dar no mo’; he done gone. Weak an’ hongry ez he is, Brer Wolf know dat he can’t ketch Brer Rabbit, an’ so he holler out, ‘hat’s yo’ hurry, Brer Rabbit? Whar you gwine?’ Brer Rabbit holler back, ‘I’m gwine home atter a bag fer ter tote de gol’ you gwine leave me! So long, Brer Wolf; I wish you mighty well!’ an’ wid dat he put out fer home.”