Rabbit and the Gator's Tooth

"Fetch a tooth from a living gator," Man told Rabbit, "so you can marry my daughter."
Rabbit took his fiddle and went to the riverside.
Rabbit started playing and Gator rose up. "You do play fine, Rabbit!" said Gator. "Can you teach me to play?"
"Can't do that," said Rabbit, "but I can teach you to dance!"
Gator came out and started dancing. 
"Dance left!" Rabbit said. "Now right! Eyes open! Mouth closed! Eyes closed! Mouth open! Now shimmy through my feet."
Then Rabbit knocked out a tooth from Gator's open mouth and ran back to Man, laughing and laughing.


Inspired by: South Carolina Folk Tales. Bulletin of University of South Carolina (a WPA project).
Notes: This story is "You Can' Head Buddah Rabbit." The book provides detailed comparative notes. For the first task, see Rabbit Must Catch Blackbirds. The original story is full of all kinds of detail as Rabbit instructs Gator in how to dance.

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