Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-19

With calm sweet skies and favoring air,
when the tide goes out
" !. Observer.
Folklore of the Southern Negroes
The folklore of Africo. Americans, a
appearing in our southern states, is
medley Of fables, songs, sayings, incanta
tiOns, charms and superstitious tradition
brought from various tribes along tn
west African coast, and 30 far cOndense,
into one mass in their American homes
that often part of story or tradition
belonging to one tribe is grated, wilhou
much regard to consistency, upon a par
belonging to another people, while the,
are still further complicated by the IRE
quent infusion into them of ideas evl
dently derived from communication witt
the white race.
MultifarOus as are the forms and as
poets of folklore among this remarkable
and, in some respects, highly-interesting
people, the chief bulk of it lies storec
away among then fables, which are d
purely African as are their faces or thei
plaintiye melodies.
Travellers and missionaries tell us tina
the same sweet airs which are so Otter
heard in religious meetings in America
set to Christian hymns, are to be recog
nized in the boats and palmroofed hous,
of Africa, set to heather words, and tia
the same wild stories of Buh Rabbit, Bul
Wolf, and other Buhs that are so charm
ing to the ears of American children, Az
to be heard this day in Africa, differiD,
only in the drapery necessary to thu
change of scene.
Almost without exception the actor
in the fables are brute animals endowed
with speech and reason, in whom minglC
strangely, and with ludicrous incongru
ity, the human and brute characteristics
The drdmatiS per8cnU are always honoreC
with the title of Buh, which is generally
supposed to be an abbreviation of the
wcrd "brother" (the br being SOUNDED
without the whir of the ~, but il
probably is a title of respect equivalent
to our Mr.. The animals which fgur, il
the stories are chief Bub Rabbit Bnl
Lion Buh Wolf and Bub Deer tbougl
sometimes We hear OF Buh Elephant
Bah Fox, Buh COoter and Buh Goose
As a rule, each Buh sLstains in every
fable the same general character. But
Deer is always a simpleton; Buh VOL
always rapaciou8 and tricky; Buh nab
bit toppish, vain. duick-witted, though
at times a great fool; Buh Elephant
quiet sensible and dignifed.
Or the Buh fables, that which is by all
odds the greatest favorite, and which
appears in the greatest variety of forms
is the "story of Buh Babbit and the Tan
Baby.n Each variation preserves the
great landmarks, particularly the closing
Scene. According to the most thoroughly
African version. it runs thus: Buh Rab,
bit and Buh Wolf are neighbors. In Q
conversation one day Buh Wolf propose,
that they two shall dig a well for theil
Joint benefit, instead of depending upon
chance rainfalls or going to distant pools
or branches, As they have etten to do, to
ouepch their thirst. To this Buh Rab,
hit who has no fondness for labor, though
willing enough to enjoy its fruits, offer,
voriotis objections. and finally gives O
fot ref,Isal
i" Well " saws Buh Wolf who per,
fectIv understands his neighbor, "if YOU
M helm die we'll Won mustn't II de
water "
WWbat for 7 cwine to use de wafer -
reenonds Bnb Rabbit with affected dis.
lain. tcwbat nse 7 cot for we'll In dc
n,ornin, drink de dew an in middle O
doy I drink from de- cow.tracks,"
The we'll il duC bv Buh Wolf alone
wbo otter a while perceivps that some ont
besides himself draws from It. Ht
wotcbos and soon indentifes the intru
Jsr oa Rnb Rehbit who makes his visit,
' llr ni,bt %Y Eho,y noornin, he sces Ruh
Robh;, ~ tracksNehcrv mornin' Buh Rab.
bip MA tracts y Trdirnant at the intrusion
In ' resolves to set tran for his thi, vi,b
neiabbor and 70 nnt him to DEAN
Wnon'ioo ~ Rnb Robh;t,s love for the
nJE. ia5ie. ba ftS nm q tar babv1 made ia
i"oI I" i;lin q beouiif,,I C;rl and acts il near
tIo tIoN VII r,HT Nv what magical process thi,
'non"toctrro rmU "t Of an aftractive.lookino
in%v h,% n,,t ~ treacberons adhesive tar !,
Donor, ,"uo r,',I;.bsd "uG hi "" aro not ;nfarmed Rnt
TotO az iStOnora % tn Stor;os w mnst not be inonisi
i1uontS t;no ohont ' the mysterions norts thcy
rnuot oU he content tn hear
n'TSS pUh Pobbit omboIJonod bv lono i'm.
n,ni,u n ] COOS ~ the woII 10 usual otta,
i guI,'y ~ FL ,bis bsou+ir,i @ crootmro stond
Hi ; 49, ev' ront;opIess ' neens al IL time and
aaoin ans r"el1 ,nsnicionsIv ] but beinS satisfied
ISat Il 10 really voung ladv he make,
Y on"c oi;tn ~ =, how apJ oJJrossos ber in GaIIon,
"a a. arnooo pUrn.o Wv The young lsdv mafes ne
,"nSu" Tb;o arcoypsaGs % % him IN osI # be M
Iepl! non,o v to toL.is Lis, St;I, no roriv
may m t no' I'm W ," ,"Lat On tba ~ronn3
s. ne SJ.s lis boidI'y anJ oItoins tSo Iisa
Ina. naiI!ei tP bio TO s,,Dr;se % tbot bo % nsn no,
puS 20 IL L;a liz iirs 20 lila foot br tbo tor
SgsS%%y % ond tr;oa n to rSrsuode % bor % r.
t ile h;, 81 Tow How 10 J obIs to snoot ;tS Il
M lgs iiin I'm eo ot;ot;n~ test IL onotbsr n"o~ "oy
us liPe ou,Sn ."ton,I L1t ltV u'"tton h IL Az,