The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-07-16
A Hegro Leeead.
Dc welf. To aassas, and De Tar
BABY

a Uoutu'Iu Coubtt-'sOf VI soS SPsA"R>
Rpsblicax sends ire following from
Beaufort, s. c.: The negroes OF the
South have 4 literature of their ewn, al.
though, till lately unwritten and alnos,
unknown. But their lyrics are now be.
coming famous through the. Fisk jubilee
and Hampton singers. Besides these there
are . great number of 6rsside legends thai
have been 10 them what Cinderella and
Red Riding Hood are to O.. These arr
all about animals. The negroes, even 10
cosnmon coaversation. speak Of animals u
if hey thought, talked, and behaved among
themselves like rational beipgs; and the
two aDirals most prominent in these
| legends are the wolf and the rabbit. They
are represented a. enemies, and the rabbit
always comes of victorious; his superior
strategy The following Is, believs. the
| most popular of these Preside stories.
AIT to appreciate it you should see the Old
grandmother in her blue-cbecked, home
srun dress, and high red-and-yeLow tur.
ban with five or Six little ~ooley heads
clustering about her knee, before blazirg
fire, waiting for the sweet potatoes in the
ashes to roast for their supper, and anus
! ing themselves meanwhile with the story
of "De Wolf. de RABBIT an de Tar Baby
Now de Wolf e berry wise man, but q
not 30 wise as de Rabbit. De Rabbit. e
mos cunnin' man dat 90 on 70 leg. e lib
in de brier bush.
Now de Wolf e done plant corn one ear,
but Rabbit, e. amt plant nuthin tai; e
lib on Wolf corn all winter. Mex ear
Wolf amt plant corn, . link corn crop
poo'; so @ plant groun, nut. THAT is,
pesnuts.) Rabbit do jus de same as
befo'.
Well, Wolf, e biggin for tink something
wrong. 4 gone out in de mawnin', look at
e groun nut patch, look berry hard at
Rabbit track, say, 81 spicion somebody
ben tief my groun' nut" Neg mawnln',
e gain meet mo groun' nut gore, say same
ting. Den e say, IL gwine mex one skeer-
crow for get up in dis yere grour nut patch
for skeer de tief" So e mex one ole skeer-
crow an cit um in de middle oh dc grouu'-
nut patch.
Dat night when Rabbit come wild e bag
for get grun' nut, e see de skeer-crow stan
berry white in de moonshins, an . say,
"Whas dat?" Nobody amt say anything.
"Wha' DAFT" e say gam. Den nobody
amt say nutiu' an 9 amt see nutin' moo.
be, 80 he gone leetle closer an leetie
closer, till e git close ter I'm, den e put
out e paw an touch de skeer.crow. Den
e say, "You amt nuthin' but one ole
bundle o ragi Wolf tink / gwine fraid
you, mus be fool" So e kick ober de
skeer-erow, an fill e bag wild group nut,
an gone back home to de brier bush.
Mex mawnin', Wolf gone out for look at
e groun' nut patch, an when . NEE. mo-
zroun'nut gone and de sees-crow knock
down, e berry mad. e say, "Nebber you
min, fix ole R,bbid dat done ticf all my
G, cum nut jus let me show you So e
mex one baby out O. tar an set up in 'e
groun' nut patch, an say, "Jus' let old
Rabbit try for to knock over dis yere Tar
Baby, an ell seel / jus want una for
ID try"
Dat night, when Rabbit came gain wild
e bag for to get groun' nut an see de Tar
Baby stan berry black in de moon.hire,
. say "Whs' dat ole Wolf done gone
set up nodder skeer-crow, mus be-" So e
moobe leetle nearer, and leetle nearer, den
. stop and say, "Dis yere euty no skeer-
crow, dis yere mus be one gal | mus
study pom dis"
So e tun roun' an spread out e bag an
sit down in de middle OBJ de grouu' nut
patch an look hard at de Tar Baby.
Bimeby e say, "Gal, what you name p
Gal amt say anything, "Gal, why don't
you speak me? what you do deere" Den e
listen long time, amt hear anything 'eept
whippoorwill in . swamp.
So e gone close up ter um, an say, "Gal,
you speak me, you mini Gal, IL you aiu I
speak me knock you. knock you wild
my right paw, den you ting it tunde- y
Tar Baby amt say nuttin' SO e knock
um wild e RICH paw, an e paw stick
Den e begin for boiler. "Gal, le' &c
me. l tell you le' 60 me wha' for you
hole me 7 if you don't le' 20 me / knock
you wild my lief, paw. den you tink it tunder
and tighten tool" So e knock UNI gair
wild g ief paw, ans e lef' paw stick!
| Den Q say, "GaI, lef' me loose, lef mt
losse, tell you. II you don', / kick yor
wild my right foo foot : den you tink hos
kick you" Sc e kick 'um wild e lef foo
an e lef' foot sticki
Den e say, min now, gal, 1sin't d,
muffin to you, wha' for you hole me
Mebbe you think / can. do muffin to you
know can bite you, though I if you ain'
lef7 me loose gwine bite you. Amt 20
know my bite am wor. dan snake bite7 s.
e bite um' an Z nose stick.
Nee mawnin,' fore sun-up, Wolf gon
out 70 g groun'-uut patch for see what
kin fin an e meet poo Rabbit wild e pa,
an e feet an Q nose all fasten ON Ia
Bag, an e say, "Enty toIe you SO! loo
a yawnder | reckon Tar Baby done cate
ole rabbit dis tiner' So q tux Rabbit o.
an' say, "Yoa done tief half my groun
nut, now what gwine do wild you'"
Dee Rabbit bisgin for beg, ooh Mauss
Wolf, do le' me 60 an nebber tief groun
nut no mo-" Wolf say, "No Bl'udde
Rabbit, you ben lief my cor, las 'eaI
an you ben tlef my ground'-nt, dis 'eaI
au nos l gwine eat you up."
Den Rabbit saw ssOh Maussa Wolf a