Rabbit, Elephant and Fox were courting the same girl. She said, "I'll marry whoever dances dust out of a rock at the frolic tonight."
Fox went home and got dressed up.
Elephant did too.
Rabbit put on his best clothes and best shoes, but before shining his shoes, he filled them with ashes.
Fox danced first. He flung himself head over heels, but he couldn't raise any dust.
Elephant did his best, but he couldn't raise the dust either.
Then Rabbit danced. There was dust everywhere.
It wasn't dust from the rock; it was the ashes!
Rabbit got the girl.
Inspired by: Every Tongue Got to Confess, stories collected by Zora Neale Hurston (from a manuscript thought lost, but now found and published).
Notes: This story is "Rabbit, Elephant and Fox at the Frolic" on p. 250, as told to Hurston by Nora Lee White.
Cheats aren't supposed to prosper but Brer Rabbit seems to prosper all the time!
ReplyDeleteCheats do prosper in real life. You should try it some time, it's fun!
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