Tiny Tales: Traditional Stories in 100 Words: AA: Brer Rabbit

Showing posts with label AA: Brer Rabbit. Show all posts

Rabbit Finds Panther in a Pit

Rabbit found Panther in a pit.

"He looks dead!" said Rabbit. "I'll take him home and eat him."

Rabbit hauled Panther out of the pit, but Panther wasn't dead. He'd waited in that pit to catch Rabbit.

Rabbit ran, but Panther grabbed him.

"They say you're the world's greatest jumper," said Rabbit. "If someone throws an apple, you can jump up and catch it between your legs before it hits the ground."

"Easy!" said Panther.

Rabbit threw an apple. "Show me!"

When Panther jumped, Rabbit ran.

Rabbit didn't get to eat Panther, but Panther didn't get to eat Rabbit either.

Inspired by: Negro Tales from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and Calvin, Michigan by Richard Dorson (online at Hathi).
Notes: This story is "Rabbit Fool the Panther" as told by James Douglas Suggs. The original story also has Turtle as part of the story with Panther scratching at Turtle until Turtle finally goes off and leaves Rabbit to deal with Panther on his own.

How Rabbit Got His Long Ears

When Rabbit boarded Noah's ark, he had short little ears, kind of like a mouse. Not like Rabbits today.

Times were hard there in in the ark: forty days and nights of rain, and even Noah got nervous when the ark started leaking.

All the animals were gossiping and spreading rumors, and Rabbit listened at every keyhole to hear everybody's business. Elephants ate too much, Dogs snored, Goats wouldn't share their tobacco, and so on.

By the time they reached land, Rabbit's ears had grown tall from stretching to listen at keyholes, and Rabbit's ears are long to this day.

Inspired by: How and why stories, recorded by John C. Branner (online at Hathi), with illustrations by R. K. Culver.
Notes: This story is "21 Why the Rabbit Has Long Ears," and here is an illustration showing Rabbit's short ears when he entered the ark:

Wolf Steals Rabbit's Pig

Rabbit was courting Wolf's daughter.

Waiting on the porch, Rabbit heard Wolf say, "Keep Rabbit here this evening. I'm going to steal Rabbit's prize pig."

Rabbit ran home lickity-split and hid, watching.

Then he saw Wolf take his pig and put it in a sack.

When Wolf went to fetch a cart, Rabbit hopped in the sack with the pig.

Wolf returned, threw the sack into the cart, and drove off.

From inside the sack, Rabbit moaned, "Oooooooooooo-eeee-ooo!"

"Who's there?" said Wolf.

"Oooooooooooo-eeee-ooo!"

"The devil's in that sack," shouted Wolf, and he took off running.

Rabbit took his pig home.

Inspired by: Tales of the Rabbit from Georgia Negroes by Emma Backus (in JAF, online at Hathi).
Notes: This story is When Brer Rabbit Save the Pig." In Backus's verison, Wolf and Bear are collaborating. To shorten the story, I focused on Wolf, and had him tell the plan to his daughter.

Lapin and Bouki in the Smokehouse

"I'm starving!" Bouki told Lapin.

"I'll share my secret way into the Frenchmen's smokehouse," said Lapin. "But don't be greedy."

Lapin showed Bouki a hole in the smokehouse wall. They crept in.

Lapin carved a small piece of meat, but Bouki unrolled a bag he had brought and began filling it.

"Fool!" said Lapin, and he hopped back out through the hole.

Bouki finally tied his bulging sack, ready to leave, but the bundle was too big for the hole.

Bouki pushed and shoved, shoved and pushed, all night long.

Then dawn came.

The Frenchmen caught Bouki and whipped him.

Inspired by: Buying the Wind: Regional Folklore in the United States by Richard Dorson.
Notes: This is "Bouki and Lapin in the Smokehouse" recorded by Calvin Claudel in 1883 from his mother, Mrs. Leota Edwards Claudel. The opening part of the story has Bouki trying to trick the rooster into crowing to wake Lapin to go sooner.

Rabbit, Raccoon, and the Frogs

"What's wrong with you?" Rabbit asked Raccoon.

"I"m starving!" said Raccoon. "The Frogs are so sly now I can't catch them."

"Lie there and play dead," said Rabbit. "Don't move!"

Then Rabbit yelled, "Raccoon's dead!"

Bullfrog came. "I don't believe it."

"Well, let's bury him," said Rabbit. "Start digging."

Bullfrog and all the Frogs started digging.

"Deep enough!" said Bullfrog.

"Can you jump out?" asked Rabbit.

Bullfrog hopped out.

"Keep digging!" said Rabbit.

They dug and dug.

And dug and dug.

"Can you jump out?"

"No!" said Bullfrog.

"Rise up, Raccoon," said Rabbit, laughing. "Frogs in the hole, and supper's ready!"

Inspired by: A Treasury of Afro-American Folklore by Harold Courlander.
Notes: This is "Brer Coon Gets His Meat" (p. 467), and Courlander cites as his source A. W. Eddins in the Publication of the Folk-Lore Society of Texas, 1916. The original story is full of all kinds of fun details and sound effects of the frogs croaking, etc.

After Brer Turtle Won the Race

Rabbit couldn't believe it: Turtle beat him to the finish line.

"You cheated!" Rabbit shouted angrily. Then Rabbit grabbed a stick and he started to beat Turtle, breaking his back into pieces. He finally left Turtle for dead.

"Help!" Turtle groaned. "Help!"

Ants came. "What's wrong?" they asked.

"Rabbit broke my back into all these pieces," said Turtle. "Help me!"

"We can sew you back up," the Ants said, "but what will you give us in return?"

"There is fat under my shell," said Turtle. "Take that!"

So the Ants stitched Turtle's shell back together, and they took his fat.

Inspired by: Swapping Stories: Folktales from Louisiana by Carl Lindahl.
Notes: The storyteller is Bel Abbey, a Koasati storyteller, recorded in 1989.

Spider and Rabbit Go to the Dance

Spider and Rabbit were going to the dance but the river was high; Rabbit couldn't cross.

"I'll spin a web," said Spider, and he spun from one side to the other. But when Rabbit was crossing, Spider cut the web, and Rabbit fell in the water.

Spider ran to the dance, and the ladies admired his fine clothes and elegant dancing.

Rabbit showed up later, soaked and barely alive. He got out his fiddle and sang, "Hear what Spider did do to me, ooooooh, what Spider did do!"

The ladies all comforted Rabbit with kisses and told Spider, "Go away!"

Inspired by: Tales of the Congaree by Edward C. L. Adams.
Notes: This is "The Spider and the Rabbit" (p. 242).

Brer Rabbit, Brer Tiger, and the Treasure

The little Rabbits rushed to untie their father. "No!" Rabbit said. "Leave me tied up. I've got a plan." He told them what to do, and then he waited for Tiger, who showed up at dawn.

"Okay, Tiger," Rabbit said, "we'll split the treasure."

He then led Tiger to the cave and showed him the thread. Tiger rushed in, thinking he would take all the treasure for himself... and he fell into a pit and died.

The children had spent all night digging that pit!

Then they filled it in, brought the dragon's treasure home, and lived happily ever after.

Inspired by: The Days When the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: This is a continuation of Rabbit and the Dragon's Treasure. In the original story Rabbit has all the other little animals helping him, but I focused instead just on the rabbits to keep it short.

Rabbit and the Dragon's Treasure

When Rabbit rescued the little Rabbits from the dragon's cave, he saw the dragon's treasure in there, and he knew the thread would get him safely in and out.

Tiger also heard about the treasure. He caught Rabbit and tied him up in his own home. "You can have one half," Tiger said, "and I'll take the other half. Just show me how to get in and out of the dragon's cave."

"It's my treasure, not yours!" shouted Rabbit.

"I'll come back tomorrow and ask you again," said Tiger. "If you say no tomorrow, I'll eat you for my breakfast."

Inspired by: The Days When the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: This is a continuation of Rabbit in Gilyard's Cave. In the original story, Bear and Tiger gang up on Rabbit, but I focused on Tiger. Also, Lizard comes and finds Rabbit and carries the message to the other animals, but I had the little Rabbits do that. To find out what happens next, see Brer Rabbit, Brer Tiger, and the Treasure.

Rabbit in Gilyard's Cave

Rabbit had to rescue the little Rabbits from Gilyard's cave!

He gathered supplies: thread from Spider, light from Lightning-Bug, poison from Rattlesnake.

Then he got meat from Bear's butcher-shop, smearing it with poison.

After tying the thread to a tree, Rabbit entered the cave, using the light to find his way.

At last he saw them: Gilyard, and the little Rabbits in cages.

Rabbit threw the meat at the sleeping dragon, who gobbled it up and died.

Rabbit took the key from Gilyard's pocket, freed his children, and they ran back out, holding the thread.

Nobody mourned the dead dragon.

Inspired by: The Days When the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: This is a continuation of Brer Rabbit's Children Follow Brer Wolf. In the original story, Lion lives in the cave with Gilyard the dragon, and Rabbit tricks them into fighting with each other before the poisoned meat kills them off. To keep things simpler, I focused on Gilyard. Also, Rabbit makes a first visit into the cave to survey the situation, and since he doesn't have the thread, he makes his way by keeping his left hand always against the cave wall, and then he can come out again by keeping his right hand against the wall. I left out that episode and just had Brer Rabbit go into the cave fully ready for the rescue.

Brer Rabbit's Children Follow Brer Wolf

"Don't wander off," Rabbit said to the little Rabbits. "Gilyard might eat you!"

Wolf, meanwhile, dressed up as a little old lady, and he strolled down the road singing, "Rabbits like to hippity-hop, nibbling on the turnip tops."

Rabbit's children hopped after the lady, singing along.

"Go sing inside that cave," Wolf said sweetly, "and you'll hear your voices echoing."

That cave was the den of Gilyard the dragon!

Back at home, Rabbit wondered where his children had gone.

He followed their tracks all the way to Gilyard's den.

"Oh no!" groaned Rabbit. "Tracks going in, but none coming out."

Inspired by: The Days when the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: This is "Brer Rabbit Rescues His Children" (p. 169). In the story, Fox and Wolf gang up together, but I changed it to just be Wolf. To find out what happens next, see: Rabbit in Gilyard's Cave.

Rabbit in the Dragon's Hen-House

Now Rabbit was locked in Gilyard's hen-house, and Gilyard was going to eat him for breakfast.

But when Fox walked by, he heard Rabbit laughing.

"What are you laughing about?" asked Fox.

"I've never seen such fat hens," shouted Rabbit. "I'll be Gilyard's breakfast, but I'm going to feast on his hens all night long."

"Let me have some!" begged Fox.

"Alright," Rabbit agreed. "There's enough for us both. Unlatch the door and come on in."

Fox unlatched the door.

Rabbit hopped out. Fox hopped in.

Then Rabbit slammed the door shut and latched it.

Gilyard ate Fox for breakfast.

Inspired by: The Days when the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: For the first half of this story, see The Dragon and the Sheep-Thief.

The Dragon and the Sheep-Thief

Gilyard was a dragon. Big as an ox, with razor-teeth and a pitchfork-tongue. When Gilyard held barbecues, everybody enjoyed the food, but they were scared too.

Fox had been stealing Gilyard's sheep and wanted to fix the blame on Rabbit. "Gilyard invited us to sing at the barbecue," he said. Then he taught Rabbit his part.

"Who sees Gilyard's sheep?" sang Fox.

"I do, I do!" sang Rabbit.

Then Fox changed the words. "Who steals Gilyard's sheep?"

"I do, I do!" sang Rabbit.

Gilyard grabbed Rabbit and locked him in the henhouse. "I'll eat that Rabbit for breakfast!" he snarled.

Inspired by:The Days when the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: This is "Who Stole Brer Gilyard's Sheep?" (p. 158). In the original, Wolf, Fox, and Bear have ganged up on Rabbit, and they sing in a quartet, but I narrowed it down to Fox. I haven't seen the Gilyard-dragon in any other other stories, but there is a whole cycle of Gilyard stories here. To find out what happens next in this story, see: Rabbit in the Dragon's Hen-House.

Brer Bear, Brer Rabbit, and the Cows

Bear had many cows, but he stole Rabbit's only cow and ate it.

"Sorry to hear about your cow, Rabbit" said Bear.

"She probably went underground," Rabbit replied.
Bear just laughed. "Maybe she did!"

That night Rabbit stole one of Bear's cows and ate it.

"Did you take her, Rabbit?" Bear shouted.

"Not me!" said Rabbit. "I bet she's underground. Let's look!"

Then Bear saw his cow's tail sticking up out of the ground. He grabbed and pulled. The tail came out of the ground.

"You pulled too hard!" said Rabbit. "She's gone now."

Bear never figured out what happened.

Inspired by: The Days when the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: This is "How the Cow Went Under the Ground," and Faulker has a great introduction to this story about how Simon Brown told this story as an example of how "unless a slave knew how to outthink his master or oversser, he might not get enough to eat in the wintertime, or he might get a whiplashing on his naked back if he was caught stealing a piece of meat or something. Now, I was too smart to ever go hungry or to get a whipping. I was too much like Brer Rabbit."

Wolf and Rabbit's Jug of Honey

Rabbit hopped inside a tree-hole to escape from Wolf.

"I'll make a fire and smoke you out!" Wolf shouted.

"Don't you want some honey first?" Rabbit replied. "I keep my honey here. You can have half."

Wolf loved honey. "Hand it over!" he shouted.

"I can't!" said Rabbit. "The hole's too small for the jug.

"I'm coming in!" Wolf shouted.

"You can't!" said Rabbit. "There's not enough room in here for us both. But I'll come out, and you can come in."

Rabbit hopped out, Wolf hopped in, and then Rabbit set the tree on fire.

There wasn't any honey.

Inspired by: The Days when the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: This is "Brer Wolf Wants the Honey" (p. 139).

Fox Is Looking for Trouble

"What's wrong with you?" Fox asked Rabbit.

"Times are hard," Rabbit replied. "Trouble's been visiting me."

"Who's Trouble?" said Fox.

Rabbit was surprised. "You don't know Mr. Trouble?"

"Can't say that I do," Fox replied.

"Well, come on!" said Rabbit. "I'll show you."

Rabbit led Fox to a nearby barn. "Go stick your head in there and yell, 'I'm looking for Trouble' and you'll find out."

Rabbit hid in the bushes while Fox stuck his head in the barn door. "I'm looking for trouble!"

A pack of dogs came bounding out, howling and yowling. Fox barely escaped with his life.

Inspired by: The Days when the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: This is "Brer Fox Meets Mister Trouble."

Wolf and Rabbit Plant Corn

The next time Wolf farmed with Rabbit, he was ready.
"Let's plant corn!" said Rabbit.

"And this time," said Wolf, snarling, "I'll take the tops and the bottoms."

"Alright," said Rabbit, looking very humble. "I agree: tops and bottoms both for you."

Wolf worked extra hard, and the corn grew tall and strong.

"All mine!" he thought.

But Wolf was wrong. At harvest-time he went to the field, and all he found were stalks from the bottom of the corn and silk from the top.

Rabbit left the tops and the bottoms, but he had taken the ears for himself.

Inspired by: The Days when the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: This is "09. Brer Fox Tries Farming Too" where Fox joins in on the farming adventure. To keep things simple, though, I did not add Fox into the mix; instead, I just had Rabbit trick Wolf for the third and final time with the corn.

corn silks

Wolf and Rabbit Plant Cow-Peas

Next Rabbit and Wolf planted cow-peas.

"How will we divide the crop this time?" Wolf asked, looking unhappy.

"I'll take the tops," said Rabbit. "Will that make you happy?"

Wolf hesitated, not sure what to say. "Rabbit's trying to trick me," he thought. "I better take the tops." But then he thought some more. "No, that's exactly what Rabbit wants me to do: he's pretending to want the tops, but he really wants the bottoms."

So Wolf said, "Yes! I want the bottoms."

The plants grew tall and strong, and Rabbit got all the cow-peas; Wolf got nothing but roots.

Inspired by: The Days when the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: I'm carrying on with the farming adventures of Rabbit and Wolf as in Faulkner's book, but I borrowed the cow-peas from the story of Rabbit and Fox in Strange ways and sweet dreams : Afro-American folklore from the Hampton Institute edited by Donald J. Waters (online at Hathi Trust).

Wolf and Rabbit Plant Carrots

Rabbit liked farming with Wolf. Wolf worked hard, but he didn't know anything about farming. That suited Rabbit just fine.

"Let's plant carrots together!" said Rabbit. "Then we'll divide the harvest."

"How will we do that?" asked Wolf.

"Well, you're big and strong, so you take the tops," said Rabbit. "The bottoms will be enough for me."

Time passed. Wolf saw carrot-plants getting taller and taller, but he didn't see any carrots.

Then Rabbit said it was harvest-time.

"Tops for you," said Rabbit, pulling up one of the carrot plants. "Bottoms for me!"

That's how Rabbit got all the carrots.

Inspired by: The Days when the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: This is "Brer Wolf's Second Pinder Patch" (p. 106). In Faulkner's story, Wolf and Rabbit plant peanuts again. Wolf sees the peanut plants growing and suspects he will get lots of peanuts, only to find out the peanuts are underground. I wanted to separate it from the peanut story, so I used carrots instead.

Gator's Soft Bed

Rabbit saw Gator sunning himself on a rock in the river.

"That bed looks hard!" said Rabbit. "I'll you a nice, soft, warm bed. Very warm!"

"Show me!" said Gator. Then he waddled out of the water and followed Rabbit to a nearby field.

"There in the grass," Rabbit said. "It's so soft!"

Gator sank down into the grass. "Oh!" he said. "Very soft!"

Once Gator was asleep, Rabbit set fire to that grass.

Gator waddled as fast as he could back to the water, but the fire burned his skin all over.

That's how Gator got his crackly skin.

Inspired by: The Days when the Animals Talked by William J. Faulkner.
Notes: This is, "Run, Brer Gator, Run" (p. 128). The story starts with Gator boasting to Fox that he is the smartest animal anywhere. Fox reports this to Rabbit, so Rabbit decides to teach Gator a lesson.