The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1874-08-05
A FAMILIAR EGEND.
De Wo!f De Rabbi and De Tar Baby

A1HFf r. "a ssff tIf
! DE Wo!f De Rabbi and De Tar Baby
The negroes Of the south have litsra-
ture Of their own, although. till lately.
unwritten and almost unknown. But their
lyrics are now becoming famous through
! the Fisk jubilee aud Hampton singers.
Besides these. there are great number Of
tire-side legends that have been to theni
what Cinderella aud ed-lsidipg- Hood are
TO US, These are almost about ANIMALS.
The negroes, even Uncommon conversation,
speak Of animals as il they thought. talked
and behaved among themselves like ration
al beings; aud the two animals most prom
inent ia these legends are the wolf and the
rabbit. They sre represented as enemies.
aud the rabbit always comes Of victorious
through bis superior strategy. The follow.
ing is, believe, the most popular OF these
| ire.side stolies. But to appreciate it you
should see the old grandmother in her blue
checked houlespun dress. and high rcd-and
| yellcS turban. with Eve or six little woolly
heads clustering about her knee. before d
blszing ere. waiting for the sweet potatoes
! in the ashes to..roast for their supper. and
amusing themselves meanwhile with the
story Of Dc Wolf. &c Rabbitan' de Tar
/, Baby?
Now de wolf g berry wise man, tu. e
not SO wise as de rabbit. De rabbit, o
mos cunnin' man dat 60 on TO- legs. IL
/ lib in de brier bush.
| Now de wolfe done plant corn one ear,
but rabbit. e ain't plant nuthen' tall e
lib on wolf corn all winter. Mex ear, wolf
amt plant corn, e tink corn,crop too poo |:
. plant groun' nut. (That Is. peanuts, /,
Rabbit Z do jes' de saLe as befo'.
Well, wolf q biggih' TO tink someiing
wrong. Il gone IN de mawnin', look at e
/ groua'-nut patch, look berry hard at rub-
BIZ track, say, 'spicion somebody Den o
tief my groun'nut.' Mex mawnin' e
gain meet mo- groun'-nut gone. say same
ting. Dsn e Say. .Igwine mex one skeer-
CROW for 80 up IN dis yers groun'-nut patch
for skeer de tiet. So 'emek one ole skeer-
crow an set nnl ii de ulidlle OBJ de grOun'-
nut patch. ka i.t
Dat night. when rabbiteome gid' e beg
| fcr get groun-nut. e see de skeer-crow
stan berry white in de moonshine, an' e
say whl dat!' Nobody amt say any
thing. sWha' datr g say gain. Den
nobody amt say nuthiu' an . amt zee
nuii,in moObe. 80 o gone leetlc closer an
| leetle closer. til e git close Ter um' den
q pu: 4 paw an touch de fkeer-crOw.
Den e say. You amt nuthin but one old
bundle % rag. WOLF tink | gwioe 'frs;d
YOU? mus be fool So. e kick ober de
skeer-erow sn' 6ll e bag wild groun' -Dut
aa' gone back home 70 de brier.bush.
Mex maxnin'. wolf gone out for look
at e groun. nut patch an when e meet
mo- eroua nut gone aud de skeer-crow
knock down e berry mad. i say, .Neb-
Der you min, | fix ole rabbit dat done tief
all ms groun' nut just let me show you. !,
! 80 Z mex one baby out o tar an set up
II e groun' nut patch. an say, jus let
6la rabbit try for knock over dis yere tar
baby, an' ell see jus want um for try.
Dat night when rabbit come gain wid
e bag ioI get groun'-nut an'see Do tar ba.
by stan berry black IL de noonshine. e
ssy VIA dat 7? ole wolf donc gone set up
noddcr skeer.crow. INNS be- So 20 moi-
be leetle nearer. aud lectle nearer. den e
stop sn' my. Dis yere enty no skeer-crow,
dis yere mus 10 one gal ! mus study
pqp d.
So q tun roun' an spread out e bag
an III down Ia de midd.e oh de groun nut
patch an look hard at tar baby Bimebyse E
saw. .Cal. what yod namei' Gal amt say
anything. Gal, xts don't sou speak ne
wint yoa @ DO dere! Den e listen long time.
amt bear anything 'eept whipPor~ill 10 de
swamp.
So Z gone close up ter ~. an nay.
Gal. you speak me. you min Gal. y
YOU amt speak me Iknock you. | knock
YOU wid my right paw. den you tink i
iundarr Ter baby amt 81 npttin' SOC
knock nun wild . right paw, an e paw
Den q 6irgin Cor ho' Ter. Gal, 10 60
me, I teIl you le' 10 me wha' FOR you
holc mss hyou do,,'t To- game | knock
yco wid w isf paw. iea ysO link i tua.
der and tighten TOO i SO 'ekncck nm gain
VILE lsf' paw. aa' e lef' paw stick
Den . say, Gal. ler ne loose. lei' me
loose. 1 tell YOU. n you don't | kick you
wid my right foot. den you iink colt kick
ymp SO q kick um wid . right icpt.
az a foot stlcklQfgDes ngsi
Den 3 say. Nov gal. II you amt lsf'
me loOss mighty quick kick you wid ms
iei' fcui de6 yoa fiat hess kick you. SO
. kick uln wid' . lcr foot. and q lcf
foot stick
ro Dcnl'c say, Min now. gall ! aiD't DO
naslin. 10 yua. wha' for you hole me Nleb-
be you tipk can't do nnttin TO you ain !
Won know eau bite you. though II you
Ssinf laf ms lpcbc lsNms bite you. Aunt
YOU lnow my bite worse dan snake biter
a u bite ula an ncsc stick 80 u
Mex, mawnih'. fore suu.tip.l vol eshe
on, 10 % rfoun' nut pstcb Cor see What 2
liniHu' az 'emeet poo rabbit wid g
,ss s,sf,.S Zoe, an . nose al, hrsten on
M tisby. IN: fe say. EntN Llole you 10 Z
MA yaka5bt. I teckon w baby done
sa,..h ale raAl,l dis time, 50 g TUX fsb-