C166. How Mr. Lion Lost His Wool

6. How Mr. Lion Lost His Wool. 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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Mr. Man took a notion that the time done come for him for to have a hog-killing and he got him a big barrel, and fill it half full of water from the big springs. Then he piled up about a cord of wood, and as he piled, he put rocks 'twixt the logs, and then he sat the wood after at both ends and in the middle. It weren't long 'fore they had the hogs killed, and everything ready for to scrape the hair off. Then he took the red-hot rocks what he put in the fire, and flung 'em in the barrel where the water was, and it weren't long, man, 'fore that water was ready for to boil. Then they took the hogs, one at a time, and soused 'em in the water, and time they took 'em out, the hair was ready for to drop out by the roots. Then they'd scrape 'em with sticks and chips, and they ain't leave a hair on 'em.

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Well, by and by, they had all the hogs killed and cleaned, and hauled off, and when everything was still as a sitting hen, old Brer Rabbit stuck his head out from behind a bush where he been sitting at. He stuck his head out, he did, and look all 'round, and then he went where the fire was and try for to warm hisself. He ain't been there long 'fore here come Brer Wolf and Brer Fox, and then he got busy.

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He say, "Hello, friends! Howdy and welcome! I'm just fixing for to take a warm bath like Mr. Man give his hogs; won't you join me?"

They say they ain't in no hurry, but they help Brer Rabbit put the hot rocks in the barrel and they watch the water bubble, and by and by, when everything was ready, who should walk up but old Mr. Lion?

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He had a mane from his head plumb to the end of his tail, and in some places it was so long it drug on the ground — that what make all the critters afeared of him. He growl and ask 'em what they doing, and when Brer Rabbit tell him, he say that's what he long been needing. "How does you get in?"

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"Just back right in," says old Brer Rabbit, says he, and with that, Mr. Lion backed in, and the water was so hot, he try for to get out, and he slipped in plumb to his shoulder-blades. You can believe me or not, but that critter was scalded so that he hollered and scared everybody far miles around.

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And when he come out, all the wool dropped out, except the bunch you see on his neck, and the little bit you'll find on the end of his tail — and that'd've come off if the tail hadn't've slipped through the bung-hole of the barrel.

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C166. Baer (p. 151). How Mr. Lion Lost his Wool

This is Chase166.

Types
...
Motifs
K1000 deception into self-injury
Notes

focuses on lion's personality: "Lion's attitude and behavior in this story is very like his attitude and behavior in African hunting tales; he wants whatever there is, and he wants it first and most."

Also consequences: "Getting burned as a consequence of his imperious ways is characteristic of the African tales. The burning is usually the result of being tricked into swallowing a hot stone, and the results are usually fatal."
See Chase079 for African hot stone as boiling water in American version.
she provides Mofokeng for references

conclusion: "While the setting is very American with the cords of wood and the hog-skinning, the animals have retained their traditional African roles."

C166. How Mr. Lion Lost His Wool (original spelling)

6. How Mr. Lion Lost His Wool. Text Source: Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit 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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Mr. Man tuck a notion dat de time done come fer him fer ter have a hog-killin’ an’ he got ’im a big barrel, an’ fill it half full er water fum de big springs. Den he piled up ’bout a cord er wood, an’ ez he piled, he put rocks ’twix’ de logs, an’ den he sot de wood after at bofe een’s an’ in de middle. ’Twan’t long ’fo’ dey had de hogs killt, an’ eve’ything ready fer ter scrape de ha’r off. Den he tuck de red-hot rocks what he put in de fire, an’ flung um in de barrel whar de water wuz, an’ ’twan’t long, mon, ’fo’ dat water wuz ready fer ter bile. Den dey tuck de hogs, one at a time, an’ soused um in de water, an’ time dey tuck um out, he ha’r wuz ready fer ter drap out by de roots. Den dey’d scrape un wid sticks an’ chips, an’ dey aint leave a ha’r on um.

Well, bimeby, dey had all de hogs killt an’ cleaned, an’ hauled off, an’ when eve’ything wuz still ez a settin’ hen, ol’ Brer Rabbit stuck his head out fum behine a bush whar he been settin’ at. He stuck his head out, he did, an’ look all ’roun’, an’ den he went whar de fier wuz an’ try fer ter warm hisse’f. He aint been dar long ’fo’ here come Brer Wolf an’ Brer Fox, an den he got busy.

He say, "Hello, frien’s! howdy an’ welcome! I ’m des fixin’ fer ter take a warm baff like Mr. Man gi’ his hogs; wont you j’ine me?"

Dey say dey aint in no hurry, but dey holp Brer Rabbit put de hot rocks in de barrel an’ dey watch de water bubble, an’ bimeby, when eve’ything wuz ready, who should walk up but ol’ Mr. Lion?

He had a mane fum his head plum ter de een’ er his tail, an’ in some places it wuz so long it drug on de groun’—dat what make all de creeturs ’fear’d un ’im. He growl an’ ax um what dey doin’, an’ when Brer Rabbit tell ’im, he say dat’s what he long been needin’. "How does you git in?"

"Des back right in," sez ol’ Brer Rabbit, sezee, an’ wid dat, Mr. Lion backed in, an’ de water wuz so hot, he try fer ter git out, an’ he slipped in plum ter his shoulder-blades. You kin b’lieve me er not, but dat creetur wuz scall’d so dat he holler’d an’ skeer’d eve’ybody fur miles aroun’.

An when he come out, all de wool drap’t out, ’cep’ de bunch you see on his neck, an’ de leetle bit you’ll fin’ on de een’ er his tail—an’ dat’d ’a’ come off ef de tail hadn’t ’a’ slipped thoo de bung-hole er de barrel.