Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-19
and was now holding him in unlawful

'-N -isNNAANl llOlllNhlAI NOllllllhCA dlNb
his captive neighbor, and proposes to set
him free when, suddenly noticing the
water-bucket end the tracks by the well,
he charges Buh Rabbit with his repeated
robberies by night, aud concludes by
declaring his intention to put him to
immediate death.
The case has now becomepretty seri.
Gus, and Buh Rabbit is of course wOefully
troubled at the near approach of the
great catastrophe; still, even in this dire
extremity, his wits do not cease to cheer
him with some hope of escape. Seeing
that bis captor is preparing to hang him
fer the cord is already around his neck
and he is being dragged toward an over
hanging limb-he expresses the greatest
joy by capering, dancing and clapping
his hands-so much % that the other
curionsly inquiries, "What for you 90
glad Buh Rabbit ?"
"Oh," replies the sly hypocrite, abe.
cause you gwine hang me and not trow
me in de rier.bush."
" What for | mustn't trow you in de
brierbush? ?" inquiries Mr.. Simpleton
Wolf.
"Oh," prays Buh Rabbit with doleN
ful whimper, "please hang me please
trow me in de wafer or trow me in de fire,
where | die at once. But don't-oh
don't--trow me in de brier bush to tear
my poor flesh from off my bones"
gwine to do 'zactIy wah you AK me
not to do" returns Wolf, in savage tone.
Then, going to neighboring patch of
thick, strong briers, he pitches Buh Rab.
bit headlong in the midst, and says,
" Now let's see de flesh come off de
bones.
No sooner, however, does the strug.
Cling and protesting Buh Rabbit find
himself among the briers than he slides
gently to the ground, and peeping at his
would.be torturer from safe place be-
hind the stems, be says, Thankee, Buh
Wolf tousand tankee--for bring me
home! De brier. brush de berry place
where ! been born"
Another favorite story is that of the
" foot race" Buh Rabbit and Buh
Frog are admirers OF the beautiful Miss
Dinah, and try their best to win her.
The lady likes them both, but not being
permitted to marry them both, she re-
solves to make her choice depend upon
the result of foOt-race. The distance
is to he ten miles-that is, five miles out
and five miles in-along a level road
densely bordered with bushes. The day
arrives. Miss Dinah, seated at the start
ia to give the word to the
rivals who stand one on either side, and
the goal for the winner is to be place
in her lap. BY agreement Bun Rabbit
is to take the open road, and Buh Frog,
who perfers it, is allowed to leap through
the bushes, and both are to halloo to
each other at the end Of every mile.
Buh Rabbit, however, with all his cur
ming, ehas this time met bis match; for
Buh Frog has engaged five of his kins.
men, so nearly like himselfin appearance
that they can not be distinguished from
him, and has stationed one in conceals
ment near each mile-post, with in
structic as how TO act, while he mas pro-
vided for himself nice hiding place IN
the bushes near Miss Dinah's seat. At
the word go the rivals start, Buh Frog
leapng into the bushes, where he dis
appears, and Buh Rabbit cape ring along
the road and Haunting his white tai
merrily at the thought of distancing the
other SO far that he shall never see or
hear of him again till after Miss Dinah
has been won. At the end of the first
mile Buh Rabbit turns his head back and
tauntingly halloos, " ! here Buh Frog
How yeu get along?"
To his dismay, however, he hears the
voice of the other in the bushes ahead OF
him singing out, " Boo.hoo hele,
too! | beat you here, I'll beat you
there I'll beat you back to Miss Dinah's
lap"
On hearing this boast repeated ahead
of him in the bushes at each mile post,
Bun Rabbit becomes frantic, and rushes
through the last mile as he had never
run before. But all in vain, just as he
comes within easy view of the coveted
goal he sees Bah Frog leaping from the
bushes plump into Miss Dinah's lap, and
hears him sing, with as good breath as
though he had not run mile
"Boo,noo Before you
beat you there, beat you here;
I've beat YOU back to Miss Dinah's lapw
Another version makes the competitors
Buh Deer and Buh Cooter (the negro
name for terrapin or land.tortoise), in
which Buh CooIer wins the day by col
fusion with some of his closely-resembling
kin. Substantially the same story is to
be heard fir m the natives OF each of the
four continents, but whether the African
gained his idea of IT from Europe or Asia,
or whether the European or Asian gained
IL from Africa, is perhaps past determin-
ing. The writer can testify that the
story as above narrated, or rather the
substance of it, was told him in child
hood by negroes supposed to have
it direct from Africa.
Some of these stories are mere lauda'
tions of Buh Rabbits shrewdness and
common sense. Buh Wolf has long had
a watering of the mouth for rabbit flesh,
but has never been able to crafty it.
He finally hits upon the following ex.
pedient. He causes a report to be spread
that he has suddenly died, and all his
neighnors, especially Buh Rabbit, are
invited to his funeral He has no doubt
that his plump, short-tailed neighbol,
being once inclosed within the walls of
his house, will fall an easy prey to him
self and his attending cousins. Buh Rab
bit, however, is not to be easily ensnared.
He goes demurely to the house of mourn
ing, but does not enter. He seats him.
seif on the steps by the side of Buh Cat,
who is enjoying the sunshine in the door
way.
dis Buh Wolf dead, for true and
true2" he inquiries,
al suppose SO. Eberybody say he
dead" answers Buh Cat.
"How did he die, and when ?" he con.
tinues to inquire.
Bnh Cat gives the particulars as re-
ported to him, and Buh Rabbit pretends
TO receive them with all faith, expressing
great sorrow for the loss experienced by
The neighborhood. But after a little
musipg he seems to be struck with new
idea, and, turning to Buh Cat, he in
1uires, in hopeful tone: "But did lie
grin or whistle before he died2 People
VINO die must do one or t'other and
some, who die hard, do both. Pm a
doctor, you know"
This is said in the doorway, near the
corpse, and in whisper