Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-06-27
A FAMILIAR LEGEND.
UDe Wolf De Rabbit and DE Har
Baby,H

A FAMILIAR LEGEND.
"De Wolf, De Rabbit and DE gar
Baby"
The negroes Of the south have lit
erature of their own, although, till late
", 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 fireside legends that
have been to them what Cinderella and
Rebuilding 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 1ire-side stories. But
to appreciate it you should see the old
grandmother in her blue-checked home
spun dress, and high red-and-yelIo1"
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 "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 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. Chat is, peanuts.) Rabbit e do
es' de same as befo'.
We'll, wolf e biggin to tink some,
ting wrong. II gone in de mawnln
look at e groun'-nu patch, look berry
hard at rabbit track, say, =" spicloI
somebody ben a tief my groun'-n
Mex mawnin' e gain meet mo- groun'
nut gone, say same ting. Den o say
81 gwine mex one skeer-crow for se
up in dis yere groun-nut patch fol
skeer de tief." So e mex one ole skeer
crow an set UNI in de middle OBJ d.
groun' nut patch. go
Dat night, when rabbit come wid
bag for get groun'-nut, e see de skeer
crow stan berry white in de moonshlne
an e say "Wha' dat?' Nobody ain
say anything. "Wha' dat p e say gain
! Den nobody amt say nuthin an e ain
see nuthin moobe, 50 e gone leetle clio
ser an leetle closer, till e git close te
um' den Q put e paw an, touch d
skeer-crow. Den e say, " You ain
uuthin but one old bundle O rag
Wolf tink | gwine 'fraid you? mus b
fool" So e kick ober de skeer-cro'
an fill e bag wild groun'-nut an gon
back home to de brier-bush.
Mex mawnin', wolf goLe out fe
look at e groun'-nut patch, an, when
meet mo- groun' nut gone and de skeel
crow knock down, e berry mad.
saw, "Nebber you mir, | fix ole rabbi
dat done tef all my groun'-nut; JUS
let me show you." So e mex one bah
| out O tar an' set up in e groun'. nj
, patch. an say, "Jus' let old rabbit II
: for knock over dis yere tar baby, a
! ell see ! JUS want um for try.
Dat night when rabbit come gain W
e e bag for get groun' nut an see de t
; baby stan berry black in de moonshln
n o say "Wha' dat ole wolf done gol
r set up nodder skeer-crow,. mus be
g So e moobe leetle nearer, and leet
t nearer, den e stop an say, "Dis ye
II enty no skeer, crow, dis ere mus
\ one gal I mus study 'pon dis"
a So e tun roun' an spread out g b
u an sit down in de middle OBJ de groui
7, nut patch an look hard at de tar bat
$ Bimeby @ say, "Gal, what you name
Gal amt say anything, "Gal, "
don't you speak me what you
W dere ?" Den e listen long time, al
1, hear anything cept whippoorwill IN
j. swamp. LID.
.. So e gone close up ter un, an $, 8
!, "Gal, you speak me, you mini q
- if you amt speak me | knock YOU
~ knock YOU wild my right paw, den
r p tink it tunder !" Tar baby amt
in in nuttin' so e knock um wild e right p'
! au' e paw stick
rs Den e biggin for ho'ler, Gal, II
rs as me, tell you le' so me ; wha' for
w W. hole met II you don't le' go MI
ect knock you wild my lef' paw, den
II. H. tink it tunder and tighten too !" s.
no no knock um gain will e lef' paw, an
#. lef' paw stick
he he Den g say, "Gal, lef' me loose,
re. me loose, I tell you. If you don
ro no kick YOU wild my right foot, den
of t tink colt kick you !" So e kick
bo wid o right foot, an . foot stick
nr -" Den e say, SNOW gal, if you a
J ,b. lef' me loose mighty quick | kick
'ed wild my lef' foot den you tink hoss
net net you." So e kick nm wild e lef' +
in and e leE' foot stick
at Den o say, "Min' now, gal, l ain
;ce nuttin to you, wha' f,r you hole
of Mebbe you tink can't do nuttin to
M. amt you know l can bite you, thou
me- nv if YOU amt lef' me loose gwine
ica M YOU, Amt you know my bite W
,oy. dan snake biteP" So e bite UNI u
.eat nose stick
ci"I GSI Mex mawnin, fore sun-up,
his gone out TO q groun'-nut patch fol
~ What g kin fin, an e meet poo ra
wild e paw an e feet an e. nose
sui Farsten on tar baby, an g say, L
less | tole you SOP look a yawnderl T.
thsr on tar baby done catch ole rabbit
ing time" SO Q TUX rabbit off an
red, "You done tief half my groun'
one now what / gwine do wid your
look Den rabbit biggin for beg. ION II
'self sa wolf, do le' me 60 an, | nebbeI