The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-07-02
A FAMILIAR LEGEND.

"D' woif' De IsBHos E1ShIs and De Tar
The negroes of the south have a lit
erature of their own, although, till late
ly, unwritten and almost unknown. But
their lyrics are now becoming famous
through the Fisk jubilee and Hampton
singers. Besides these, there are a
great number of fre-side 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 conversation, speak of
animals as if they thought, talked and
behaved among themselves like rational
beings; and the two animals most prom
inent in these legends are the wolf and
the rabbit. They are represented as en-
emies, and the rabbit always comes of
victorious through his superior strategy.
The following is, believe, the most
popular of these fire-side stories. But
to appreciate it you should see the old
grandmother in her blue-checked home
spun dress, and high red-Rnd-yellow
turban, with five or six little wooily
heads clustering about her knee, before
blazing fire, waiting for the sweet DO
tatoes In the ashes to roast for their
supper, and amusing themselves mean
while 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 fo' legs.
e lib in de brier-bush.
Now de wolf e done plant corn one
ear, but rabbit, e amt plant nuthen'
tall e lib on wolf corn all winter.
Mex ear, wolf amt plant corn, e tink
corn crop too poo; so e plant groun'-
nut. CThat is, peanuts) Rabbit e do
jes' de same as befo'.
Well, wolf q biggin' to tink some
ting wrong. E gone in de mawpin'
look at e groun-nut patch, look berry
hard at rabbit track, say, Z" 'spicion
somebody ben a tief my grouncnut "
Mex mawnin' 2 gain meet mo- groun'-
nut gone, say same ting. Den e saw.
gwine mex one skeer crow for set
skeer de tief." So . mex
crow an set um in de middle Oh de
groun.nut patch
Dat night, when rabbit come wld'
bag for get groun' n'-nut, @ see de skeer-
crow stan berry white in de moonshlne,
an e say "Wha' dat2" Nobody amt
say anything. "Wha' dat ?" e say gain.
Den nobody amt say nuthin AN e amt
see nuthin moobe, so e gone leetle clo-
ser an Ieetle closer, till e git close ter
um' den e put e paw an touch de
skeer-crow. Den e say, You amt
nuthin but one old bundle o. rag
Wolf tink gwine 'fraid you ? mus be
fool" So q kick ober de skeer-crow
an fill e bag wild groun'-nut an gone
back home to de brier-bush.
Mex mawnih', wolf cote out for
look at Q groun-nut patch, an when e
meet mo- groun'-nut gone and de skeer-
crow knock down, g berry mad. u
say, Nebber you min, 1 fix ole rabbit
dat done tief all my groun' nut; just
let me show you" So Q mex one baby
out o. tar an set up in 3 groun- nut
| patch. an say, g JUS let old rabbit try
for knock over dis yere tar baby, an
ell see I JUS want um for try"
Dat night when rabbit come gain wild
e bag for get grO9n'- nut an see de tar
baby stan berry black in de moonshine,
q say "Wha' dat ole wolf done gone
set up nodder skeer- crow, mus be. y
So e moobe leetle nearer, and leetle
nearer, den g stop an say, "Dis yere
enty no skeer-crow, dis ere mus be
one gal I mus study pom dis.
SO e tun roun' an spread out e bag
an sit down in de middle OBJ de groun'-
nut patch an look hard at de tar baby
Bimeby @ say, 4" Gal, what you name p
| Gal amt say anything. "Gal, why
don't You speak me? what you dc
dere p" Den e listen long time, amt
hear anything 'cept whippoorwill in de
swamp.
So e gone close up ter un, an say,
"Gal, you speak me, you mini Gal,
if you amt speak me 1 knock you.
knock you wild my right paw, den you
nI,A Lo1 rsy,tk
! nuttin' so e knock um wild e right paw,
an . paw stick
Den e biggin for holer, "Gal, ID 60
me, I tell you le' go me wha' for you
hole me2 II you don't le' go me
knock you wild my lef' paw, den you
| tink it tunder and tighten too T. So e
knock um gain will . lef' paw, an e
lef' paw stick
Den q say, 50 Gal, lef' me loose, lef
me loose, I tell you. If you don't
kick you wild my right foot, den you
! tipk colt kick you - So e kick un
/ wild e right foot, an e foot stick
Den e say, Z" Now gal, if you aim
lef' me loose mighty quick I kick YOU
| wild nv lef' foot den you tink hOss kicl
YOU" So q kick um wild e lef foot
and e lef' foot stick
Den e say, " Min now, gal, I amt dC
/ nuttin to you, wha' you hole me
Mebbe you tink I can't do nuttin to you
amt you know can bite you, though
/ If you amt lef' me loose gwine bite
/ YOU. Amt you know my bite worse
! dan snake bite ?" So . bite um un' Z
nose stick
Mex mawnin', fore sun-up, vol
gone out TO e groun'-nut patch for se'
what e kin fin, an e meet poo rabbi
| wid e paw an e feet an e nose al
farsten on tar baby, an e say, Enty
| I toIe you so look yavnderi reck
on tar baby done catch ole rabbit dil
/ time" SO q TUX rabbit of an say
"You done tief half my groun'-nut
now what I gwine do wid you p
Den rabbit biggin for beg. 'Oh maus
so wolf, do le' me go an nebber tie
| Croun'-nut no mo-. Wolf say, :" No
| brudder rabbit, you ben a tief my corn
! las ;, ar, an you ben a tief my grOun'
nut, dis ear, an now 1 gwine eat yo5
Den rabbit say, "Oh NAUSEA wolf, d,
don't do me so, but le' me beg you
You ma roas' me, 20 nma' toas' me, yoJ
ma cut me up, you ma eat me, but dt
NAUSEA wolf, whatebber you do don
trow me IN de brier bush. Ef you trov
me in de brier bush 1 gwine dead.
So wolf say, "You amt want me 70
trow you in de brier bush, enty da
les what I gwine do wild yew." So
fling um in de bramble bush, an del
rabbit laugh an say, "Hi maussl
wolf, amt you know / lib in de brie
bush {? amt yaw know all my fambl,
born an bred in de brier bush dis ies