Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby by Joel Chandler Harris

www.world-english.org

One evening recently, the lady whom Uncle Remus calls !iss "ally# missed her little seven-year-old. !a$ing search %or him through the house and through the yard, she heard the sound o% voices in the old man&s cabin, and loo$ing through the window, saw the child sitting by Uncle Remus. His head rested against the old man&s arm, and he was ga'ing with an e()ression o% the most intense interest into the rough, weather-beaten %ace that beamed so $indly u)on him. This is what !iss "ally# heard* Bimeby, one day, a%ter Brer +o( bin doin& all dat he could %er ter $etch Brer Rabbit, en Brer Rabbit bin doin& all he could %er ter $ee) &im %um it, Brer +o( say to hisse&% dat he&d )ut u) a game on Brer Rabbit, en he ain&t mo&n got de wuds out&n his mou% twel Brer Rabbit come a-lo)in& u) de big road, loo$in& des e' )lum) en e' %at en e' sassy e' a !oggin hoss in a barley-)atch. ,Hol& on dar, Brer Rabbit,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee. ,- ain&t got time, Brer +o(,& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee, sorter mendin& his lic$s. ,- wanter have some con%ab wid you, Brer Rabbit,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee. ,.ll right, Brer +o(, but you better holler %um whar you stan&* -&m monstus %ull er %leas dis mawnin&,& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee. ,- seed Brer B&ar yistiddy,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee, ,en he sorter ra$ed me over de coals $a'e you en me ain&t ma$e %rens en live naberly, en - told him dat -&d see you.& /en Brer Rabbit scratch one year wid his o%% hine-%oot sorter 0ub&usly, en den he u)s en se', se'ee* ,.ll a-settin&, Brer +o(. "&)osen you dra) roun& ter-morrer en ta$e dinner wid me. 1e ain&t got no great doin&s at our house, but - s)ec$ de ole &oman en de chilluns $in sort o& scramble roun& en git u) sum)&n %er ter stay yo& stummuc$.& ,-&m &gree&ble, Brer Rabbit,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee. ,/en -&ll &)en on you,& says Brer Rabbit, se'ee. 2e(& day, !r. Rabbit an& !iss Rabbit got u) soon, &%o day, en raided on a gyarden li$e !iss "ally&s out dar, en got some cabbiges, en some roas&n-years, en some s)arrer-grass, en dey %i( u) a smashin& dinner. Bimeby one er de little Rabbits, )layin& out in de bac$yard, come runnin& in hollerin&, ,Oh, ma3 oh, ma3 seed !r. +o( a-comin&3& 4n den Brer Rabbit he tuc$ de chilluns by der years en ma$e um set down, and den him en !iss Rabbit sorter dally roun& waitin& %or Brer +o(. 4n dey $ee) on waitin&, but no Brer +o( ain&t come. .tter while Brer Rabbit

goes to de do&, easy li$e, en )ee) out, en dar, stic$in& out %um behime de cornder, wu' de ti)-een& er Brer +o(&s tail. /en Brer Rabbit shot de do& en sot down, en )ut his )aws behime his years, en begin %er ter sing*

,/e )lace wharbouts you s)ill de grease, Right dar youer boun& ter slide, .n& whar you %ine a bunch er ha&r, 5ou&ll sholy %ine de hide3#&
2e(& day Brer +o( sont word by !r. !in$ en s$u'e hisse&% $a'e he wu' too sic$ %er ter come, en he a( Brer Rabbit %er ter come en ta$e dinner wid him, en Brer Rabbit say he wu' &gree&ble. Bimeby, w&en de shadders wu' at der shortes&, Brer Rabbit he sorter brush u) en santer down ter Brer +o(&s house, en w&en he got dar he yer somebody groanin&, en he loo$ in de do&, en dar he see Brer +o( settin& u) in a roc$in&-cheer all wro) u) wid %lannil, en he loo$ mighty wea$. Brer Rabbit loo$ all roun&, he did, but he ain&t see no dinner. /e dish-)an wu' settin& on de table, en close by wu' a $yarvin-$ni%e. ,6oo$ li$e you gwineter have chic$en %er dinner, Brer +o(,& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee. ,5es, Brer Rabbit, deyer nice en %resh en tender,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee. /en Brer Rabbit sorter )ull his mustarsh, en say, ,5ou ain&t got no& calamus-root, is you, Brer +o(7 - done got so now dat - can&t eat no& chic$en &ce))in& she&s seasoned u) wid calamus-root.& 4n wid dat Brer Rabbit li)t out er de do& and dodge &mong de bushes, en sot dar watchin& %er Brer +o(8 en he ain&t watch long, nudder, $a'e Brer +o( %lung o%% de %lannil en cro)e out er de house en got whar he could close in on Brer Rabbit, en bimeby Brer Rabbit holler out, ,Oh, Brer +o(3 -&ll des )ut yo& calamus-root out yer on dis yer stum). Better come git it while hit&s %resh.& .nd wid dat Brer Rabbit gallo) o%% home. 4n Brer +o( ain&t never $otch &im yit, en w&at&s mo&, honey, he ain&t gwineter.# /idn&t the %o( never catch the rabbit, Uncle Remus7# as$ed the little boy the ne(t evening. He come mighty nigh it, honey, sho&s you bawn9Brer +o( did. One day arter Brer Rabbit %ool &im wid dat calamus-root, Brer +o( went ter wu$ en got &im some tar, en mi( it wid some tur$en-time, en %i( u) a contra)shun what he call a TarBaby, en he tuc$ dish yer Tar-Baby en he sot &er in de big road, en den he lay o%% in de bushes %er ter see wat de news wu' gwineter be. 4n he didn&t hatter wait long, nudder, $a'e bimeby here come Brer Rabbit )acin& down de road9li))itycli))ity, cli))ity-li))ity9des e' sassy e' a 0ay-bird. Brer +o( he lay low. Brer Rabbit come )rancin& &long twel he s)y de Tar-Baby, en den he %otch u) on his behime legs li$e he was &stonished. /e Tar-Baby she sot dar, she did, en Brer +o( he lay low.

,!awnin&3& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee8 ,nice wedder dis mawnin&,& se'ee. Tar-Baby ain&t sayin& nuthin& en Brer +o( he lay low. ,How du' yo& sym&tums seem ter segashuate7& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee. Brer +o( he win$ his eye slow, en lay low, en de Tar-Baby she ain&t sayin& nuthin&. ,How you come on, den7 -s you dea%7& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee. ,:a'e i% you is $in holler louder,& se'ee. Tar-Baby lay still, en Brer +o( he lay low. ,5ouer stuc$ u), dat&s w&at you is,& says Brer Rabbit, se'ee, ,en -&m gwineter $yore you, dat&s w&at -&m a-gwineter do,& se'ee. Brer +o( he sorter chuc$le in his stummuc$, he did, but Tar-Baby ain&t sayin& nuthin&. ,-&m gwineter larn you howter tal$ ter &s)ecttubble %o$es e% hit&s de las &ac$,& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee. ,4% you don&t ta$e o%% dat hat en tell me howdy, -&m gwineter bus& you wide o)en,& se'ee. Tar-Baby stay still, en Brer +o( he lay low. Brer Rabbit $ee) on a(in& &im, en de Tar-Baby she $ee) on sayin& nuthin&, twel )resent&y Brer Rabbit draw bac$ wid his %is&, he did, en bli) he tuc$ er side er de head. Right dar&s whar he bro$e his merlasses-0ug. His %is& stuc$, en he can&t )ull loose. /e tar hilt him. But Tar-Baby she stay still, en Brer +o( he lay low. ,4% you don&t lemme loose, -&ll $noc$ you ag&in,& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee8 en wid dat he %otch &er a wi)e wid te udder han&, en dat stuc$. Tar-Baby she ain&t sayin& nuthin&, en Brer +o( he lay low. ,Tu&n me loose, o%& - $ic$ de natal stu%%in& outen you,& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee8 but de Tar-Baby she ain&t sayin& nuthin&. "he des hilt on, en den Brer Rabbit lose de use er his %eet in de same way. Brer +o( he lay low. /en Brer Rabbit s;uall out dat e% de Tar-Baby don&t tu&n &im loose he butt &er cran$-sided. 4n den he butted, en his head got stuc$. /en Brer +o( he santered %ort&, loo$in& des e' innercent e' wunner yo& mammy&s moc$in&-birds. ,Howdy, Brer Rabbit7& se' Brer +o(, se'ee. ,5ou loo$ sorter stuc$ u) dis mawnin&,& se'ee8 en den he rolled on de groun&, en la%t en la%t twel he couldn&t la%% no mo&. ,- s)ec$ you&ll ta$e dinner wid me dis time, Brer Rabbit. - done laid in some calamus-root, en - ain&t gwineter ta$e no s$use,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee.# Here Uncle Remus )aused, and drew a two-)ound yam out o% the ashes.

/id the %o( eat the rabbit7# as$ed the little boy to whom the story had been told. /at&s all de %ur de tale goes,# re)lied the old man. He mout, en den ag&in he moutent. "ome say Jedge B&ar come &long en loosed &im8 some say he didn&t. hear !iss "ally callin&. 5ou better run &long.#< Uncle Remus,# said the little boy one evening, when he had %ound the old man with little or nothing to do, did the %o( $ill and eat the rabbit when he caught him with the Tar-Baby7# 6aw, honey, ain&t - tell you &bout dat7# re)lied the old dar$y, chuc$ling slyly. &clar ter grashus - ought er tole you dat8 but ole man 2od wu' ridin& on my eyelids twel a leetle mo&n -&d &a& dis&member&d my own name, en den on to dat here come yo& mammy hollerin& atter you. 1&at - tell you w&en - %us& begin7 - tole you Brer Rabbit wu' a monstus soon beas&8 leas&ways dat&s w&at - laid out %er ter tell you. 1ell, den, honey, don&t you go en ma$e no udder $al$alashuns, $a'e in dem days Brer Rabbit en his %amily wu' at de head er de gang w&en enny rac$et wu' on han&, en dar dey stayed. &+o& you begins %er ter wi)e yo& eyes &bout Brer Rabbit, you wait en see whar&bouts Brer Rabbit gwineter %etch u) at. But dat&s needer yer ner dar. 1&en Brer +o( %ine Brer Rabbit mi(t u) wid de Tar-Baby, he %eel mighty good, en he roll on de groun& en la%%. Bimeby he u) &n& say, se'ee* 1ell, - s)ec$ - got you dis time, Brer Rabbit,& se'ee8 ,maybe - ain&t but - s)ec$ is. 5ou been runnin& roun& here sassin& atter me a mighty long time, but - s)ec$ you done come ter de een& er de row. 5ou bin cuttin& u) yo& ca)ers en bouncin& roun& in dis naberhood ontwel you come ter b&leeve yo&se&% de boss er de whole gang. 4n den youer allers some&rs whar you got no bi'ness,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee. ,1ho a( you %er ter come en stri$e u) a &;uaintence wid dish yer Tar-Baby7 4n who stuc$ you u) dar whar you i'7 2obody in de roun& worril. 5ou des tuc$ en 0am yo&se&% on dat Tar-Baby widout waitin& %er enny invite,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee9, en dar you is, en dar you&ll stay twel - %i(es u) a bresh-)ile and %ires her u), $a'e -&m gwineter bobbycue you dis day, sho&,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee. /en Brer Rabbit tal$ mighty &umble. ,- don&t $eer w&at you do wid me, Brer +o(,& se'ee, ,so you don&t %ling me in dat brier-)atch. Roas& me, Brer +o(,& se'ee, ,but don&t %ling me in dat brier-)atch,& se'ee. ,Hit&s so much trouble %er ter $indle a %ier,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee, ,dat - s)ec$ -&ll hatter hang you,& se'ee. ,Hang me des e' high e' you )lease, Brer +o(,& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee, ,but do %er de 6ord&s sa$e don&t %ling me in dat brier-)atch,& se'ee.

,- ain&t got no string,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee, ,en now - s)ec$ -&ll hatter drown you,& se'ee. ,/rown me e' dee) e' you )lease, Brer +o(,& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee, ,but don&t %ling me in dat brier-)atch,& se'ee. ,/ey ain&t no water nigh,& se' Brer +o(, se'ee, ,en now - s)ec$ -&ll hatter s$in you,& se'ee. ,"$in me, Brer +o(,& se' Brer Rabbit, se'ee, ,snatch out my eyeballs, t&ar out my years by de roots, en cut o%% my legs,& se'ee, ,but do )lease, Brer +o(, don&t %ling me in dat brier-)atch,& se'ee. Co&se Brer +o( wanter hurt Brer Rabbit bad e' he $in, so he cotch him by de behime legs en slung &im right in de middle er de brier-)atch. /ar wu' a considerbul %lutter whar Brer Rabbit struc$ de bushes, en Brer +o( sorter hung roun& %er ter see what wu' gwineter ha))en. Bimeby he hear somebody call &im, en way u) de hill he see Brer Rabbit settin& cross-legged on a chin$a)in log $oamin& de )itch outen his har wid a chi). /en Brer +o( $now dat he bin swo) o%% mighty bad. Brer Rabbit wu' bleed'ed %er ter %ling bac$ some er his sass, en he holler out* ,Bred en bawn in a brier-)atch, Brer +o(8 bred en bawn in a brier-)atch3& en wid dat he s$i) out des e' lively e' a cric$et in de embers.#
www.world-english.org