Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-12-25

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animals which are made to think, talk ant
behave among themselves like rationa
beings; and the two beasts most prominen
in these legends, are the wolf and th'
rabbit. The two are ever represented in op
position, and the rabbit always comes of
victorious through his superior strategy.
A. NJ. Holmes furnishes several of these
legends, the most popular of which is tht
following, called DE Wolf, de Rabbit an
de Tar Baby 1t is in Christmas times
that these stories are oftenest told, but tc
appreciate them you must imagine some
such old grandame as is represented in
our picture, with her blue checked home
spun dress and stiff red -and-yellow turban
with group of little woody headed chill
drcn clustering about her knee, all sitting
before the fire waiting for the sweet pota
toes in the ashes to roast. Here is the
story
Now de Wolf e berry wise man, but {
not SO wise as de Rabbit. De Rabbit Z
mos cunnin' man dat go on fo' leg. T
lib in de brier-bush.
Now Wolfe done plant corn one ear
but Rabbit e aint plant nuthin' tale lii
on Wolf corn all Winter. Mex ear Wolf
aint plant corn, e tink corn crop too poo
SO e plant groun' nut (peanuts). Rabbit
e do JUS de same as befo'. Well, Wolf e
biggin for tink something wrong. e gone
out in de mawnin', look at e groun' nut
patch, look berry hard at Rabbit track,
say: Il 'spicion somebawdy ben tiei
my grouu' nut. Mex mawnin' e gone gen.
meet mo groom nut gone, say same ting.
Den e say: "Igwine mex one skeer-
70 set up in dis yer groun' nut patch for
skeer de tief.' So e make one ole skecr
crow an set um in de middle of de groun
nut patch. Dat night when Rabbit come
wild e bag for get groun' nut e see de
skeer crow stan berry white in de moon
shine, an e say: 'Wha' data"
Nobawdy aint say anything. "Wha'
dat?' e say gen. Den nobawdy aint say
anything, an e aint see nuttin' moobe, SO
e gone leetle closter. an leetle closter, till
e get close up ter um, den e put out e paw
an touch de skeer-crow. Den e say
''You aint nuttn' but ole bundle o rag
Wolf tink | gwine fraid youl Mus be
fool" So e kick ober de skeer-crow, an
ill e bag wild groun' nut an gone back
home to de brier bush.
Mex mawnin' Wolf gone out for look
at e groun' nut patch, an when he meet
mo- groun' nut gone an de skeer-crow
knock down g berry mad. e say: "Neb-
Der YOU min, fix ole Rabbit dat done
tief all my groun' nut. JUS le' me show
you" So c mex one baby O. tar, an set
um up In de middle eb de groun' nut
patch, an say: Jus le' old Rabbit tr.,
for knock ober dis yere Tar Baby, an
he'll see. JUS want um for try"
Dat night, when Rabbit com gen wild
e bag for get groun' nut an see de Tar
Baby stan berry black in de moenshine
e say. "Wha' data Ole Wolf done gon
set up nodder skecr-crow Mus be"
So e moobe leetle nearer an leetle
nearer, den e stop an say, "Dis yere enty
no skcsr-crow dis year mus be one gal.
mus study pom dis
So e tun roun' an spread out e bag,
and sit down in de middle of de groun'
nut patch an look hard at de Tar Baby
Bimeby e say: Gal. what you name
How dey call your" Gal amt say any
ting. Gal, why don't you speak me
What you do dere 7" Den e listen long
time; aint hear anything 'cept whippoor-
will in e swamp.
So e gone close up ter um an say, ''Gal,
you speak to me, you min. Gal. if you
amt speak me l gwine knock, you. /
knock YOU wild my right paw, den you
tink it tunderl" Tar Baby aint say nut
tin, so e knock um wild e right paw, an
e paw stick, .r .F -
Den e piggin for holler. Gal, le me
90. l tell you le' go me. Wha' for you
hole me2 Ef you don min knock you
wild my lcf' paw. den you tink it tunder
an Tighten too"' So e knock um gen
wild e lef' paw. an e lef' paw stick. Den
e say Gal, lef me loose, lef me loose,
tell you. FL you aint le' me lone l gwine
kick you wild my right foot, den you tink
colt kick YOU" So e kick um wild e
right foot, an e right foot stick!
Den e say Now, gal, eff you aint LEI
me be, dis time kick you wild my lef' foot
den you tink hoss kick your So e kick
UNI, an e lef' foot stick!
Den e say Min now gal, l amt do
nuttin' to you. Wha' for you hole me
Mebbe you tink can't do nuttin' to you
Amt you know can bite you though
Ef you aint lef me loose mighty quick
gwine bite you. Amt you know my bite
wuss dan snake bite p So e bite um, an
e nose stick,
Mex mawnin' Wolf gone out to e groun
nut patch for sec what e kin fin, an e
meet poo Rabbit wild paw an e feet an
e nose all farsten on Tar Baby, an e say
"Enty | tole you so Look yander! !
reckon Tar Baby done cotch ole Rabbit
dis time" So e tuck Rabbit off an say
You done tief half my groun' nut, now
what | gwine do wild you2'
Den Rabbit biggin for beg. "Oh! Mau-
ssa Wolf do le' me go an 1 nebber tief
groun' nut no MOI Wolf say: mo, Brud-
der Rabbit. you ben tief my corn las
ear, an you ben tief my groun' nut dis
ear, an now gwine to eat you up"
don't do me so, but le' me beg you. You
ma roas' me, you ma toas' me, you ma
cut me up in fine pieces, but do NAUSEA
Wolf, what ebber you do, don't troec me in
de bram6le bush. Eff you trow me into de
bramble bush gwine dead !"
So Wolf say "You aint want me for
trow you in de bramble bush, enty9 Dat
JUS what gwine do wild you den." So
e flung um in de brier bush, an at dat
Rabbit laugh and say: "Ho! NAUSEA
Wolf, dis jus whar want you for put me.
Amt you know 1 born in de ier-bush
Amt you know all my family born and
bred in de brier-bush How you gwine
git me gin9"
Den Wolf e berry mad cause he see Rab-
bit too wise man for him. He gone home
and tell e wife. mo Rabbit soup for
dinner to-day" and dey biggin for con-
tribe. An dey mex plan for get Rabbit
for come to deir house. So one day Wolf
wife call Neighbor Dog an tell UNI