The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-10-16
Ode Wolf, de Rabbit, an de Tar
Baby.v

! TURF VI tiitlr own, aithOugn until Mttly
unwritten and almost unknown. Their
lyrics have already become quite famous
through the Fisk Jubilee and Hampton
singers.
But, besides these, there are a great
number of firesde legends that are 10
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
rs II they thought, talked, and behaved
among themselves like rational beings
and the two animals most prominent in
these legends are the wolf and the rabbit.
They are represented in opposition. and
the rabbit always comes of victorious
through his superior strategy.
The following is, | believe, the most
popular of these iireside stories but, to
appreciate it, you should see the old
! grandmother, in her blue checked home
/ spun dress and stiff red-and-yellow tur-
ban. with five or six little woolly-headed
children clustering about her knee, sitting
before blazing fire. waiting for the sweet
/ potatoes in the ashes to roast for their sup
per, and meanwhile amusing themselves
with the story of de Wolf, de Rabbit,
and de Tar Baby"
Now de Wolf, e berry wise man. but e
not so wise as DC Rabbit. De Rabbit, e
I Mus tuiilllll iildH tlll ~ Oll 10 ltH. II
lib in de trier-bush.
Now Wolf. e done plant corn one wear:
but Rabbit, e amt plant nuttin' tale
lib on Wolf corn ali Winter. Mex year.
Wolf amt plant corn; e t'ink corn crop
TOO po'. 80 e plant groun' nut (peanuts).
Rabbit e do JUS dc same as befo'. Well,
Wolf e begin for t'ink sonnet ing wrong.
II gone out in de mawnin', look at de
groun' mt patch, look berry hard at Rab-
bit track. say: = 'spicion somebawdy ben
t'iei my groun' nut" Mex mawnin' e
GAVIN gen, meet mo- groun' nut gone, say
same ting. Den e say. " | gwne mex
one skeer-crow for set up in dis yer groun'
nutpatch for skeer de t'ief." So e make
one ole skeer-crow an set um in re mid.
die of de groun' nut patch. Dat night, /
when Rabbit come wild e bag for get
groun' nut. e see de skeer-crow stan
berry white in de moonshine, an e say, |
" VIVA dat?"
Nobawdy amt say anything. VIVA |
datg" e say gen. Den nobawdy aint say
anything. an e amt see nuttin' moobe, so /
e gone leetle clostcr, an leetle closter, till |
e cit close up ter um. den e put out e /
paw an touch de skeer-crow. Den e say |
: \ on amt muffin but ole bundle o. rag. /
Wolf tnk gwine fraid you ? Mus be |
fool" so e kick ober de skeer-crow an |
III Z tdZ Niu EIONl nut all zone Ddtk
home To dc brier-bush.
Next mawnin' Wolf gone out for look
at e groun' nut patch. an when e meet
mo- groun' nut gone an de skeer-crow
knock down Z berg mad. II say: {" Neb-
Der you min, fix ole Rabbit dat done tief
all my groun' nut. jas lc' show YOU"
30 e mex one baby out of tar. an set um
up in dc middle Oh de groun' nut patch.
an say jus le' old Rabbit try for knock
ober dis we're Tar Baby, an he'll see.
JUS want um for try"
Dat night, when Rabbit com gen wild e
bag for get groun' nut an see de Tar Baby
stan berry black in de moonshine, e say.
" Wha' daty Ole Wolf done gone set up
nodder skeer-crow? Mus be-
So e moobc leetle nearer an leetle near
er. den e stop an say, "Dis we're enty no
skeer-crow. dis we're mus be one gal.
mus study pom dis"
SO e tun roun' an spread out e bag,
and sit down i'm de middle of De groun' nut
patch an look hard at de Tar Baby.
Bimeby e say Gal what YOU name?
How dey call you?" Gal amt say any,
ting. Gal, why don't you speak me ?
What you do dere." Den e listen long
time; amt hear anything 'cept whippoor-
will in e swamp.
So e gone close up ter um an say. /,
: Gal. you speak TO me, you min. Gal,
If you amt speak me gwine knock you.
knock you wild my right paw. den you !
tink 1t tunder " Tar Baby amt say nut !
tin, so e knock um wild c right paw, an ,,
e paw stick.
Den e biggin for holler. "Gal. le' 90
me. tell you le' 90 me. Wha' for you !
hole me? IF you dom min | knock you
wild my lef paw, den you tink il tunder ,
and tighten too, So knock um gen wild !
e left paw, an e paw stick, Den e.
say Gal, lcf me loose. lefme loose, | tell
you. TT you amt le' me lone | gwine
kick you wild my right foot, den you tink
colt kick you!" So e kick um wild e
right foot, an e right foot stick
Den e say: Now, gal, ef you amt lef G
me be, dis time | kick you wild my lef foot. b
len you tink boss kick you!" So e kick /
lm, am e lief foot stick !
Den e say '.Mn' now gal. amt do n
1utin to you. Wha' for you hole me I? a
Mebbe you tink can't do muffin to YOU. n
Amt you know can bite you though? q
II you amt lief me loose mighty quick &
ywine bite you. Amt you know my bite a
yuss den snake bite 2" So e bite um, an d
c nose stick! y
Mex mawnin' Wolf gone out to e e
rroun' nut patch for see what e kin fin, s.
IN e meet poo Rabbit wild e paw an e a
ect an q nose all farsten on Tar Baby, II
m e say "Enty | tole you so? Look &
yander. reckon Tar Baby done cotch !,
lie Rabbit dis time" So e tuck Rabbit Il
III an say: "You done tief half nv cl
rroun' nut, now what | gwine do wild L
oug' $,
Den Rabbit biggin for beg. "Oh a
iaussa Wolf do le' me go an nebber tief b.
roun' nut no mo-" Wolf saw: mo a
'rudder Rabbit, you ben a tief my corn II
ls' ear, an you ben tief my groun' nut e.
Is ear, an now gwne eat you up" b
Den Rabbit say: "Oh NAUSEA Wolf. 81
o don't do me so, but le' me beg YOU. vi