The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-06-26
4 FAMILIAR LEGEND.
50 De Wolf, De Rabbit aud De Tai
Baby,

-
"De Wolf, De Rabbit aud De Tar
Baby.''
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 fire-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 off
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 Ted-and-yellow
turban, with five or six little wOOlly
heads clustering about her knee, before
a blazing fire, waiting for the sweet po-
tatoes In the ashes to roast for their
supper, and amusing themselves mean
while with the story of I" 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-b bush.
Now de wolf e done plant corn one
ear, but rabbit, e amt plant nuther'
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. CHhat is, peanuts.) Rabbit e do
jes' de same as befo'.
Well, wolf e biggin' to tink some
ting wrong. E gone in de mawnin',
look at e groun'-nut patch, look berry
hard at rabbit track, say, "I 'spicion
somebody ben a tief my groun' nut.
Mex mawnin' e gain meet mo- grCun'-
nut gone, say same ting. Den e say,
"I gwine mex one skeer- crow for set
up in dis yere groun-nut patch for
skeer de tief." So e mex one ole skeer-
crow an set um in de middle OBJ de
groun' nut patch.
Dat night, when rabbit come wid e
bag for get groUn'-nu e see de skeer-
crow stan berry white in de moonshine,
an e say "Wha' dat?" 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 leetIe closer, till e git close ter
UNI den e put e paw an touch de
skeer-crow. Den e say, You amt
nuthin but one old bundle O. rag
Wolf tink I gwine 'fraid you mus be
fool" So e kick ober de skeer-crow
an fill e bag wild groun'-nut an gone
back home to de brier-bush.
Mex mawnin', wolf goLe out for
1CrEx oE % oy,3 %
meet mo- groun'-nu gone and de skeer-
crow knock down, e berry mad. E
say, " Nebber you min, fix ole rabbit
dat done tief all my groun'-n nut just
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 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 groun'-nut an see de tar
! baby stan berry black in de moonshine,
e say "Wha' dat ole wolf done gone
! set up nodder skeer- crow, mus be. "
So e mOobe leetle nearer, and leetle
nearer, den e 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 g bag
an sit down in de middle OBJ de groun'-
nut patch an look hard at de tar baby.
Bimeby e say, Sc Gal. what you name %
Gal amt say anything. Gal, why
don't you speak me? what you do
dere?" Den e listen long time, amt
hear anything 'cept whippoorwill in de
swamp.
So e gone close up ter un, an say,
q Gal, you speak me, you mini Gal,
| if you amt speak me I knock you. ]
| knock you wild my right paw, den you
tink it tunder p Tar baby amt say
nuttin' so e knock um wild e right paw,
an e paw stick
Den e biggin for ho'ler, "Gal, Il &c
me, I tell you le' go me wha' for you
hole me? II you don't le' go me
| knock you wild my lef' paw, den you
tink it tunder and Tighten too ~ So e
knock um gain will e lef' paw, an e
lef' paw stick
Den e. say, "Gal, Ief' me loose, Ief
me loose, I tell you. If you don't
kick you wild my right foot, den you
tink colt kick you p So e kick un
wild e right foot, an e foot stick
Den e say, ''Now gal, if you aim
lef' me loose mighty quick I kick yoJ
wid my lef' foot den you tink hOss kicl
you" So e kick um wild e lef' foot
and e lef' foot stick
Len e say MIN nov, R4l, l. ALI I uS
| Duttin to you, wha' f you hole me
Mebbe you tinkI I can't do nuttin to you
amt you know can bite you, though
if you amt lef' me loose I gwine bit,
you. Amt you know my bite wors,
dan snake bite ?" So e bite um un' ,,
nose stick
Mex mawnin', fore sun-up, vol
gone out 70 e groun'-n patch for Sc,
what e kin fin, an e meet poo rabbi
wild e paw an e feet an e nose al
farsten on tar baby, an e say, " Enty
I tole you so look yawnderl I reck
on tar baby done catch ole rabbit di
time. So e tux rabbit off an say
"You done tief half my groun' nut
now what gwine do wild you?"
Den rabbit biggin for beg. "Oh maus
sa wolf, do le' me go an nebber tie
groun'-nut no MOI Wolf say, " Nc