Smyrna times., 1874-07-22
mise eIIUn eOWS.
A Negro Legend.
DE WOLF, DE RABBIT, AND DE TAR BABY.

The negroes of the South have literature OF
their own, although, till lately, unwritten and
| almost unknown. But their lyrics are now be-
coming famous through the Fisk jubilee and
Hampton singers. Besides these, there are a
great number of freside legends that have
been to them what Cinderella and Red Riding
Hood are to US. These are almost all about
animals. The negroes even in common con-
versation, speak of animals as if they thought
talked, and behaved among themselves like
rational beings; and the two animals most
prominent in these ledgends are the wolf and
the rabbit. They are represented as enemies
and the rabbit always comes off victorious
through his superior strategy.
The following is, believe the most popular
of these fireside stories. But to appreciate it
you should see the grandmother in her blue
checked, homespun dress, and high red-and-
yellow tufban, with five or six little woody
heads clustering about her knee, before blaz
ing fire, waiting for the sweet potatoes in the
ashes to roast for their supper, and amusing
themselves meanwhile with the story of - De
Wolf, de Rabbit an de Tar Baby
Now de Wolf e berry wise man, but e not so
wise as de Rabbit. DE Rabbit, e mos cunnin'
man dat go on TO leg Il lib nde brier- bush.
Now de Wolf e done plant corn one ear,
but Rabbit, e amt plant nuthin tall; e lib
on Wolf corn all winter Mex ear, Wolf
amt plant corn, e tnk corn crop too poo so
g plant groun' nut That is peanuts Rab.
bit e do jus de same as befo'.
Well, Wolf e biggin for tnk someting
wrong. Il gone out in de mawnin, look at e
groun nut patch, look berry hard at rabbit
track, say, " 'sDicion somebody ben tief my
groun nut; Mex mawnin' e gain meet
mo groun' nut gone, say same ting. Den e
say, " gwine mex one skeer crow for set up
in dis yere groun nut patch for skeer de tef"
So he mex one ole Skeer-crow an set um in de
middle OBJ de groun' nut patch.
II Dat night when Rabbit come wild e bag for
get groun' nut, e see de skeer-crow stan berry
white in dc moonshine, au e say "Wha
: dat?" Nobody amt say anything, "Wha
dat?" e say gain. Den nobody amt say
nuthin' an e amt see nuthin mo0be, so e
gone leetle closer an leetle closer, till C git
close ter um, den e put out e paw an touch
3 de skeer-crow. Den e say, You amt nuth
e in but one old bundle O rag Wolf tink
5 gwine 'fraid you ?'mus be tool" So e kick
! ober de skeercrow an fill e bag wild groun'
nut an gone back home to de brer- bush.
+; Mex mawnin, Wolf gone out for look at e
y groun nut patch, and when emeet mo grOun'
r nut gone and de skeer. crow knock down, e
: : berry mad Z say, "Nebber you min, fix
old Rabbit Cat done tief all my groun nut
jus let me show you" So e mex one baby
n out O tar and set up in e grOun nut patch,
d an say, Jus let ole Rabbit try for knock
|. over dis yere Tar Baby, an ell see! jus
d d want um for try.
!. Dat night, when Rabbit come gain wild e
bag for get groun' nut an see de Tar Baby
;: stan berry black in de moOnshine, e say,
ii "Wha dat ole Wolf done gone set up nod
d der skeer crow, mus be-" So e moobe leetle
!. nearer, and leetle nearer, den stop an say,
Il Dis yere enty no skeer.crow, dis yere mus
> be one gal. | mus study pom dis.
l. So e tun TOun an spread out e bag an 81
y down in de middle ob de groun' nut patch an
= look hard at de Tar Baby. Bimeby e say
y "Gal what you namc?' Gal amt say anything
:: "Gal, why don't you speak me ? what you do
,s dere? ?" Den e listen long time, amt heal
d anything 'cept wbippOorwill in e swamp.
,e So e gone close up ter un, an say, Gal
1t you speak me, you min Gal, if you ain
ID ID speak me knock you, l knock you wild my
d right paw, den you tink it tunder !" Ta
Z. & Baby amt say nuttin' SO knock um wild Z
H. right paw, al e paw stick
70 Den e biggin for no Ter. ''Gal, le' 20 me,
Ts Ts tell you le' go me; wha' for you hole me? i
4 you don't e' go me knock you wild my lef
We paw, den you tink it tunder and tighten too 7
,G1i So e knock um gain wild e lef paw, an 7
H. b, Den g say, " Gal, lef me loose, lei' nj
y loose, tell you. If you don't kick you Wit
no my right foot, den you tnk colt kick you 7
Ss f: SO e kick um wild e right foot, an e foo
a. stick
I'D I'D Den e say, Now gal, if you amt lef m
hs Ss loose mighty quick l kick you wild my LEI
We We foot den you tink hoss kick you" So e kic
ys um wild e lef foot and e lef' foot stick
y: Den e say, Min now, gal, aint do nut
nS nS tin to you, wha' for you hole me? Mebb
"a. you tink can't do nuttin' to you amt 20
rs know / can bite you, though? Ifyou aint lei
en- en- me loose gwine bite you. Amt you know m
bite worse dan snake bite?'' So e bite un
nd an g nose stick
-. Mex mawnin', fore sun,up, Wolf gone OF
zen to e groun nut patch for see what e kin FL
o,. on e meet poo Rabbit wild C pay an e fet
an e nose all farsten on Tar Baby, an o say
on- "Enty | tole you SO look yawnder | reel
Re, rec on Tar Baby done catch ole Rabbit dis time.
me So e tux Rabbit off an, say, You done til
"nl 'sll half my grOun- nut. now what gwine to
ne. wild you?"
a% SsS DEN Rabbit biggin for beg, "Oh, Maus,
lon nut no mo-" Wolf say, mo, Brudder RAJ
,ol. bitt, you ben tif my corn, las ear, an yc
-. ben tiff my groun nut, dis ear, an now
~" gwine eat you up.
Den Rabbit say, "Oh, Mausss Wolf, don
arr. do me so, but le' me beg you. You ma ros
srs 70. me, yeu ma toas' me, you ma cut me u
you ma eat me, but do NAUSEA Wolf, whate
one Der you do, don't trow me in de brier- bus
a no Et you trow me In de brier-bush L gwi
deadf'
''r'' So Wolf say, You amt want me for trc
bnc you in de brier bush. enty2 dat jus what
.se: gwine do wild yaw. So e fling um in de bal
! Of Of Bile bush. an den Rabbit laugh an say,
res; NAUSEA Wolf, amt you know lib in de br
iT.s: ine: bush amt yaw know all my family barn
:. :. tS to bred in de brer bush dis jus whar wa
car; you for put me. How you is gwine get
n and 81 gain p
here Den Wolf herv mad 'caus1 "a see Kab
- - :.
osss. TOO wise man Tor MIN. ~ gone nome an I
j. e wife, mo rabbit soup for dinner, to-day
$500 an dey biggin for contrbe, an dey max pl
[ OF for get Rabb for come to deir house. SO, Q
nnd dos Wolf xv;fa call Ma;Uhhor no0 nd fall m