Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-03
Written for THE EVENING STAR.
How THE BLACK SNAKE CAUGHT
THE WOLF.
A PLANTATION LEGEND.
BIZ JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS.
copyrighted, 1861

copyrighted, 1861
One time" said Uncle Remus, putting the
"noses" OF the chunks together with his cane,
% as to make light In his cabin-"one time
Brer Rabbit en- old Brer Wolf wuz gwine down
de road terge'er, en- Brer WOLF he low dat times
wuz mighty hard en- money skace. Brer Rab-
bit he gree long wild i'm, he did, dat times
wuz mighty tight, en- he up en- say dat 'twuz in
about much ez he kin do fer ter make bofe'
GEMS meet. He low, he did
"Brer Wolf, youer gittn' mighty CANT
'twon't be so mighty long TO we'll hatten be
tuck up en- put In de po' house. Wat make dis
Brer Rabbit, sezee, be bless ell kin TELL kase
yer all de creeturs gittin' ga Mt, wiles all de
reptules Is a gittin' seal fat No longer'n yis-
tiddy, 'uz comm along thoo de woods, ween
who should meet but ole Brer Snake, en- ne
'uz dat put dat he amt kin skacely pull he tail
long after he head. / low To myself, did dat
dish yer country gittin' in a mighty bad way
wen de creeturs is got ter go roun' wild der ribs
CROWN terge'er, wiles de reptules layin up in,
de sun des natally fattenin on der own lazi-
ness Yassar, dat what lowed
"Brer Wolf he say, he did, dat if &c reptules
wus gittn' de vantage er de creeturs dat
away, dat hit twuz bout time fer ter clean
out de reptules er leaf de country, an he low,
fuddermO, dat he w ready fer ter jne in wild
&c patter-rollers en- drive UNI out.
but Brer Rabbit, he low, he did, dat de
bes' way fer ter git long wuz ter fine out
whar bouts de reptules had der smolle-'ouse en-
60 In der EN- git some er de whites wat by
good rights b'long'd ter d creetuTs. Brer Wolf
say maybe dis de hes way, kaze eff de reptules
git word dat de patter-Tollers is comm,
dey'H take en- hide der ginger-cakes en- der
slnmOn beer Ell der watZiSnames, 50 dat de
creeturs can't git UNI. BY dis time dey come
TO dc forks er de road, en- Brer Rabbit i've went
one way, en- Brer WOLF he went dc yuther.
Nv har BTer " off went" Uncle Kemus went
ON, with Increasing gravity, "de goodness
knows, but Brer Rabbit, he went on down der
road todeS he own house, en- wiles he wuz lip
Tttin long, nibblin a bite Yer en- bite dar, he
year mighty kuse fuss IN de woods He lay
low, Brer Rabbit did. en- lissen. He look sharp,
he did, en- bimeby he ketch a glimp er ole Mr..
Black Snake gwine long thoo de grass. Brer
Rabbit he lay low en- watch him. Mr.. Black
Snake crope long, he did, dcs like he 'uz
creased. Brer Rabbit say ter hisse'i:
Hi! dar goes one er de reptules, en- ez she
.'Yit. still he lay low en- watch. Mr.. Black
Snake crope long, he did, en- bimeby he come
Rabbit, he croPe on his belly, en- follow long
after. MIR. Black Snake tuckn circle all round
de tree. en- den be stop CT sing out:
"'WatsiIla, watstla,
COusario wO!
WatSlla watsilla,
Consario wOr
'.En den, mos TO MIR. Rabbit kin wink he eye,
door wat wuz in de tree fiew'6 open, en- MIR.
Black snake tuckin' crawl in. Brer Rabbit low,
lie did:
"'Ah-yii Oar whar you stay: Oar whar you
Keeps yo' simmon beer. Oar whar you hides
20 backbone en- spar ribs. Ah-yir
Gwen Mr.. Black Snake went in he house,
Brer Rabbit crope up, he did, en- lissen ter ter
See what he kin year gwine on in dar. But ne
amt year nothln'. Bineby, wiles he settin'
'roun dar, he year de same song
".Watsilla, watsilla,
ConSario wo,
Watsilla- watsila,
Consario wo!'
"En mos 10 Brer Rabbit kin hide in de weeds
de door hit fiewd open en- out MIR. Black Snake
Slid. He slid out ne did, en- slid off, en- after he
SINyl q IN WD
10 de poplar tree FOR ter eff he kin git in dar.
He hunt roun' en- he hunt roun'. en- yit Amt fine
Brer Rabbit did, en- low
Hey !. W at kinder contrapshun dish yer?
seed door dar des now, but dey amt no door
.'Ole Brer Rabbit scratch he head he did, en-
bimeby nit come inter he mine dat maybe de
song got sumpn n'er ter do wild 1t, en- wild dat
lie chuned up he did, en- sing
." .WdtSjlId- JcatsiIia,
BaadGrtO, t0o-I.dD r
Time he say de fus' part, de door sOrter open,
but wen he say de la part hit slammed Shut
agln- Den he chune up some mo:
'Watsilla, watsila,
Bandario, wO-hawr
Time he say &c fIIs' part de door open little
ways, but time he say de las part hit slammed
shet again. Den Brer Rabbit low he'd hang
roun' dar EN- fine ont what kinder hinges dat ar
he did, twel bimeby Mr.. Black Snake came
long back. Brer Eabbit crope up, he did, EN- he
year I'm sing de song:
"'Wat>iila, watsilla
Consario VOL
Watsiila. watsilIa,
Consario wor
Den de door open, en- Mr.; Black Snake, he
slid in, en- Brer Rabbit he Tipped off in de
bushes en- sung de song by hisse'f. Den he went
back; en-. W EN- Mr.. Black Snake come ont en-
went of, Brer Rabbit, ne tuck n sing de song.
en- de door fiewd open, en- in he went. He went
In he did, en- wen he got in iar he fine lots er
goodies He fine cakes sausslges, en- all sorter
nice doins- Den he come out. en- de mex day
he f9.f.s NfIT ,,lf
low dat. being times is hard, he b'iieve
he'll go long en- sample some er Mr.. Black
..Dey went, dey did Ell soon ez DEE fine dat
Mr.. Black Snake is gone, Brer Rabbit he sing
de song en- de door open, en- in he went. He
went III dar, he did, en- ne gobbled up his bel
lyful. en- wiles he doin' dis Brer Wolf he gall
lOp roun' en- 'roun, tryin' ter ter git in. But
de door done slam shet, en- Brer Wolf Amt
know de song. Bimeby Brer Rabbit he come
out, he did, lickin he chops en- wipen he mus
goodness is de reason he amt let i'm go in long
Mid i'm
'.BFer Rabbit he VOW, lie did. dat he SPECIFIED
outside en- watch wiles de yuther one wuz on de
inside Brer Wolf say he amt thunk er dat,
please be so good ez ter stay out dar en- watch
wiles ne git some er de goodies.
Wild dat Brer Rabbit he sung de song:
''W atsilla, watsilla,
CcuSario VIC.
Watsilla, watsilla,
COnsariO wor
lie sung &c song. he DID, en- de door deWed
open, en- Brer W off ne lipt in, en- gun ter COB
bic up de goodies. Brer Rabbit he STAYED out
size. en- make like he gwine ter watch. Brer
Wolf. he ct en- he ct, he keep on a eatiu'
} rer Rabbit, he tuck he stan off in de bushes
en- bimeby he year Mr.. Black Snake a-slidin'
too de grass Brer Rab bit. ne amt say notuin'
lie low ter his>elf. he did, dat he wuz dar to-
watch, Ca dat wut he gwine DO ef de good Lord
SPAR i'm 80 he set dar Ell watch, en- Mr.
Black Snake, he come a-slI6in' up ter de house
ca sing de song. en- de door fiewed open en- i'm
he went.
"Brer Rabbit set dar en- watch so hard he did
dat A. look like he eyes gwine ter pop out
iwaui long 10 he yea suInp'n ner like scut-
Ne Swine ON IN poplar tree, en-. fus' news you
Know. BTer Wolf come tumberiln' out. He
come tuInberlln' Ou,, he did, en- down he fell
k'tie SlT. Back Snake got i'm tied hard en- fast
81 he amt kin run.
l'cn. after 20 long time, Mr.. Black Snake
tuck lie Brer Wolf up ter q lim en- dar dat
cEeetur swung twix' de hevin en- de yetn He
swUn. en- swsyed, en- eve y time he swung MIR
Black Snake tuck lash i'm wild he tail en-
eve time ne lash IN Brer Rabbit holler out he
hid:
'~strVe IN right sarye i'm right"
I'm let you know" said the old man, refill
Ing his pipe, dat wen Mr.. Black Snake git thOo
Wiz dat creetur, he amt want no mo goodies"
Flight of Mr. and Mrs. w. y. Warner.