Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-01-30
VENEZUELAN RABBIT TALES.
uscie Tigers Watermelon Patch - Tn
Strategy of Uncle Rabbit

ouetcEy VI CnSie h3DDfI
DR.. A. Ernst, who has done much to
increase the popular knowledge Of
Venezuelan ethnology, has collected a
few popular tales, which are very in
teresting on account of their Tupi and
spanish afinities. The tales are en-
titled ITO Tigre and TIC Conejo
uncle Tiger and Uncle Rabbit" and
all of them have for their subject the
superiority of cunning and craft over
sheer force.
uncle Tiger had a field Of splendid
watermelons. He observed that some
body visited his field at night and
stole the melons; therefore he made o
figure OF a man of black wax and
placed il in the field. At night Uncle
Rabbit came and saw the figure.
What are you doing there, you black
mani Get awayf The figure did not
reply. Then Uncle Rabbit went up to
the black man and boxed his ears; but
his right hand stuck TO the wax. Let
60 my hand or I'll box your other
earl cried he. When he did so his
left hand also stuck in the wax. Then
he knocked his head against the fore
head Of the figure; his head stuck to
1t. Then he worked with his hind
legs to get away; they also stuck to
the wax, and Uncle Rabbit was
caught. Early in the morning Uncle
Tiger came, and when he saw Uncle
Rabbit, be cried, Ohoi have we got
the thief Now I'll eat your Wait
a moment, said Uncle Rabbit; set me
free and / will show you a pit in
which two large deer have been
caught. You had better eat those
Uncle Tiger thought, Two large deer
are better than Uncle Rabbit, and he
set him free. Uncle Rabbit led him
to a deep pit, and said, 'Stoop down
and you will see the deer When
Uncle Tiger did so, Uncle Rabbit
pushed him from behind, and Uncle
Tiger fell into the pit. Uncle Rabbit,
however, ran away as fast as his legs
would carry him."
Here is another story; "Uncle Rab
bat was very sad because he was so
small. He went 10 God and wanted
TO be made taller. God said, 4 will do
so; but first bring me a coral snake, a
wasp swarm and a calabash filled with
womea's Tears Uncle Rabbit started
on his journey and arrived in a forest
where there were many snakes. Walk
ing along there, he said, i bet there is
room for him, / bet there is room for
himr A coral snake heard him and
asked what his speech meant. He re
piled, The wasps say that there is not
room enough for you in this calabash.
and | bet that you can get in there.
We will see at once who Is right said
the snake. and crawled into the Gala
bash. When he was in il Uncle Rab-
bit at once put the stopper into the
opening, and thus the snake was
caught Then he went on, and said:
4 bet there is room for them, / bet
there is room for them The wasps
heard him, and asked what his speech
meant. OH said Uncle Rabbit, the
snake says there is not room enough for
your swarm in this calabash, and / bet
that all Of you can get in there We
will see at once who is right, said the
wasps, and crawled into the calabash.
When tie whole swarm was in, Uncle
Rabbit put the stopper into the open
ing, and thus the wasps were caught.
be next went 10 a village, and when
near the huts lac began to cry and
lament. Then all the women gathered,
and asked the cause of his grief. 'Ohp
said Uncle Rabbit, why should | not
cry and lamentl The world is going
10 be destroyed today and all Of us will
perish When the women heard this
they began 10 cry wofully, and Uncle
Rabbit filled a calabash with their
tears Then he returned 10 God.
When the latter saw the three Gala
bsshes with the snake, the wasps and
the tears, he said, Uncle Rabbit, you
are more cunning than any M else.
Why do you want 10 be tallerl But
a you wish il, / will at least make
your ears larger Saying SO, he pulled
Uncle Rabbits ears, and since that day
they have remained ."-Science.