The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-11-26
Uncle Remus's Folk Lore.
Brer Rabbit, srer Fox and the Tar-Baby.

Didn't the fox never catch the rabbit, Un-
Gle Remus?' asked the little boy to whom the
old man delights to relate his stories.
'He come mighty nigh it, honey, sho's you
bawn-Brer Fox did. One day arter Brer Rab
bit fooled i'm wild dat calamus root, Brer Fcx
went ter wuk en- got i'm some tar, en- mkt it
wild some turkentime, en- fixt up contrapshun
dat he call a tar-baby, en- he tuck dis yer tar
baby ell he sot er in de big road, den he laid
off in de bushes fer ter see wat de news wuz
gwine ter be. En- he didn't halter wait long,
nudder; case by'm by here come Brer Rabbit
pacin' down de road-lippety-clippety clippe-
ty-lippety--dez ez sassy ez hotel niger. Brer
Fox. he Law low. Brer Rabbit he come pranc-
in long 'twell he spied he tar-baby, EN- den he
fotch up ON his behime legs like he wuz 'ston-
ished. De tar-baby, she sot dar, en- Brer Fos,
he lay low
'Mawnnn sez Brer Rabbit, sezee-nice we'd
| der dis mawnin. sezee.
| Tar-baby amt sayin' nuthln' Ell Brer FOX,
| he lay low.
How duz yo' symtums seem ter segashuate?
| seZ Brer Rabbit, seZee.
Brer Fox, he wink his eye slow, en- lay low,
| en- de tar-baby, he amt sayin' nuthin'.
! 'How you come on. den? Is you deet?' sez
| Brer Rabbit, sezee. Gaze eff you is, kin hol-
/ ler louder sezee.
Tar-baby keep quiet, en- Brer Fox, he lay
! low.
| Rabbit, sezee, zen I'm gwine to kyore you,
dat's wat I'm a-gwinter do sezee.
| Brer Fox, he sorter chuckle in his stummick
! but Tar-baby amt sayin' nuthin'.
| I'm gwineter larn you howter talk TO 'spect-
tabble people eff hits de las ack. SEE Brer Rab-
bit, sezee. EFF yo' don't take off dat hat en-
tell me hUwdo, Pm gwineter bus you wide
Tar-babv sot still en- Brer Fox lay low.
| Brer Rabbit keep on akin i'm EN- de Tar-baby
keen on sayin' M thin 'twel presently Brer
| Rabbit draw back wild his fis, en- blD he tuck
| i'm side er de fead. Right dar's whar he broke
his molasses jug. His fs' stuck en- he couldn't
| pull loose. DE tar het i'm.
| 'Ef YOU don't lemme go, I'll hit you agin,'
sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, en- wild dat he fotch i'm
a wipe wild de udder han en- dat stuck. Brer
| Fox, he lay low.
Turn me loose. TO kick de natal stutfin
outen you,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee. but de Tar
baby he helt on en- den Brer Rabbit lose de
| use un his feet in de same way. Brer Fox, ne
lay low. Den Brer Rabbit squalled out dat Ell
| de Tar-baby didn't let i'm loose he'd butt i'm
crank-sided, en- he butted en- his head got fas-
tened. Den Brer Fox, he Sd ntered fort, look
in des ez WINNER yo' mammys mockin'-birds.
'Howdy Brer Rabbit sez Bror Fox, sezee.
You look sorter stuck up dis mawnin,' sezee,
| en- den he rolled on he groun', en- laft en- lais
| twell he couldn't laff no mo-. L spect you'll
take dinner wild me dis time, Brer Rabbit. /
| done laid in some caamus root, Ell amt goln
ter take no skuse,' sez Brer Fox. sezee"
Here Uncle Remus paused and drew two
pound yam out of the ashes.
! "Did the fox eat the rabbit" asked the little
boy to whom the story had been told.
OATS all de fur de tale goes, replied the old
| man, "Hc mout en- den agin he moutent.
Some say Jedge Bar come long en- loosed i'm
some say he didn't. / oD'y tells you dat
wat knows. I hear Miss Sally calm. You
| better run long. Atlanta (Ga.) Constitution.