The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-01-17
and was now holding him in unlawful

4
his captive neighbor, and proposes TO set
him free when, suddenly noticing the
| water-bucket and the tracks by the we'll,
he charges Bah Rabbit with his repeated
rObberies by night, aud concludes by
declaring his intention 10 put him to
immediate death.
The case has now becemepretty 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 his captor is preparing TO hang him
for 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 clspping
his hands-so much so that the other
curiously inquiries, "What for you 90
glad, Buh Rabbit ?"
"Oh," replies the sly bypOcrite, "be-
cause you gwine bang me and not trow
me in de brier-bush."
What for | mustn't trOw you in de
brier-bush ." inquiries Mr.. Simpleton
Wolf.
"Oh," prays Buh Rabbit with dole>
full whimper, "please hang me please
trow me in de wafer or trow me in de fire,
where I 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 'zactly wah you AK me
not to do," returns Wolf, in savage tone.
Then, going to a 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, hewever, 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 a safe place be-
hind the stems, he says, " Thankee, Buh
Wolf tousand tankee-for bring me
home! De brier-brush de berry place
where l been born"
| Another fagorite story is that of the
90 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 a foOt-race. The distance
is to be ten miles-that is, five miles out
and five miles in-along a level road
denseIy bordered with bushes. The day
arrives. Miss Dinah, seated at the start
|
rivals, who stand one on either side, and
the goal for the winner is to be a place
in her lap. By agreement, Buh 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 ,fhas this time met his match; for
Buh Frog has engaged five of his kins>
men. SO nearly like himself in appearance
that they can not be distinguished from
him, and has stationed one in conceal=
ment near each mile-post, with in
structions how to act, while he has pro-
vided for himself nice hiding place IN
the bushes near Miss DiDah's seat. Al
the word go the rivals start, Buh Frog
leaping into the bushes, where he dis
appears, and Buh Rabbit cape ring along
the road and Haunting his white tail
merrily at the thought of distanciDg the
other so far that he shall never see OF
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 2"
To his dismay, however, he hears the
voice of the other in the bushes abe ad OF
him singing out, Boo-hoo! | here,
too! / beat you here, I'll beat you
there Tll beat you back to Miss Dinah's
lap"
On hearing this boast repeated ahead
of him in the bushes at each mile post,
Buh 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 Buh 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 yOui
! ! beat you there, | beat you heTe;
I've beat YOU back to Miss mains lap"'
Another version makes the competitors
Buh Deer and Buh Cooter (the negro
name for terrapin or land tOrtOise), in
which Buh COoter wins the day by col
fusion with some of his closely y-resembling
kin. Substantially the same story is tC
be heard fir m the natives ct each of the
) four continents, hut whether the African
gained his idea of II from Europe or Asia
or whether the European or Asian gained
it 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
obtained it direct from Africa.
, Some of these stories are mere lauda
: tions of Buh Rabbits shrewdness anC
: common sense. Buh Wolf has long haC
a watering of the mouth for rabbit flesh
= but has never been able to crafty il
: He finally hits upon the following ex
T pedient: He causes q report to be spreat
: that he has suddenly died, and all hi
,a;ohIcra aspanioIIu Rub Rabbit
invited to his funeral. He has no dOub
that his plump, shOrt-tailed neighbor
> being once inclosed within the walls q
/. his house, will fall an easy prey 20 him
4 self and his attending cousins. Buh Rat
4 bit, however, is not TO be easily ensnared
. He goes demurely to the house OF mourn
4 ing, but does not enter. He seats him
a self on the steps by the side OF Buh Cat
3 who is enjoying the sunshine in the dool
|, way.
/ dIs Buh Wolf dead, for true an
! true" he inquiries.
!; az suppose so. Eberybody say b
; dead, :" answers Buh Cat.
- Chow did he die, and when ?" he cor
i tinues to inquire.
Bnh Cat gives the particulars as n
). ported to him, and Buh Rabbit pretend
, to receive them with all faith, expressin
= great sorrow for the loss experienced b
,e the neighborhOOd. But after a litt
"a musing he seems TO be struck with NJ
Is idea, and, turning to Buh Cat, he il
- auires, in hopeful tone: Z" But did /
y grin or whistle before he died 2 Poop
J. VINO die must do one or t'Other; an
. some, who die hard, do both. Pm
+ doctor, you know"
,e This is said in the doorway, nsar tt
uI stih.Iookine corpse, and in a whisp'
loud enough to be heard all through ii
I'd room. Very soon Buh Wolf is heard
t. whistle, and then his lips settle into
p grin 30 broad rs to show his teeth.
H. Buh Cat says Buh Rabbit, putin
ve his hand on his stomach and screwing u