Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-09
THE TOPICAL IALKER.

| Faust n Great Burlesque Subjcct-various
Versions Compared-The Brer Rabbit
Myths Came From Central Africa
Animal Fables - Mission for Joel
| Chandler Harris.
| THE legend of Faust has always been a favor
lite with dramatists of all Sorts and it
| lends itself to the writer of burlesque and
| comic opera as readily as to more ambitious
brethren. The burlesque by Sims and Petit,
| which PIttsburgers now have an opportunity of
| seeing is the last of dozens of skits upon the
| story of Faust and Marguerite. The merits
| have been alluded to in THE DISPATCH
already, without much waste of language. The
burlesque simply consists in bringing the
romance down ito date" and into London and
| Paris as scene 1t might have been made
very funny but either Petit did the libretto
and borrowed Mr.. Sims name to float 1t, or
else the latter did not think it worth while to
let any of the wit which as "Dagonet'' in the
Referee he has accustomed his readers escape
into the burlesque.
Faust up to Date" does not compare at all
well with another burlesque of the same sub
/ ject called Little Doctor Faust" which was
produced at the very same Gaiety Theater,
London. about 10 or IL years ago. The author
of Little Doctor Faust" was the late Henry ].
Byron, who is best known here through his
comedies, "Our Boys" etc. There was a good
deal OF honest fun and some little wi. in the
ibretto of Little Doctor Faust" A very
strong company-the old Gaiety burlesque COM
pany-played 1t. 1 remember Edward Terry
made remarkably angular and diabolical
Mephfstopheles The ever young Nellie Farren
was the Faust. and the dainty Kate Vaughan
was Marguerite. There was a song in the Sec
ond act, the scene of which was laid in Kir-
German which
that haunts me still. 1t described all the rare
and astonishing animals inside the circus, over
which Terry, as MephiStopheles was presiding.
The accent he gave to the word dodo as he
eulogized the extinct bird. and emphasized
with two terrific thumps on his bass drum
will never be forgotten by anyone who heard
it.
7 IEUTENA MT JEROME BECKER, who doubt
less never heard of Joel Chandler Harris
"Brer Rabbit" says in his "Vie en- Afriquo,"
which is his report of the Belgian expedition
from Zanzibar into Central Africa in 1ss4ISs6:
Arrivals play an important role in African
folk tales. The rabbit there replaces our old
friend, Reynard, as the type of cunning aud
knavery. The people thinking they can per-
ceive in the movements of the rabbits lips an
expression of raillery attribute to him malice
far removed from his timId nature-and they
use the expression, "You rabbit" as we would
say, you old fox"
In one of these tales when the animals are
required by the lion to dig well, the rabbit
was the only one who found means to excuse
himself. as he also did when his turn came to
draw the water. In another story entitled the
'Laundryman's Donkey" the rabbit induces
the donkey to visit sick and hungry lion
much as "Brer Rabbit" does in the Harris
tales
1t would seem. then, that the myth Of "Brer
Rabbit" had been imported from Africa with
the Southern negroes
IT IS curious how every race almost has showed
fondness for the beast fable in some form
or other. Animal myths existed long before
Esop, although We are inclined to think of
him as the first fabulist Even the very fables
which have reached us bearing the name of
Esop are only Greek versions of tales which
were invented first in Hindustan and reached
Greece in the course of centuries by way of
Persia.
But the tondness for making animals the
actors in these myths seems to have been con-
fined to people tribe of the earth. The Flat
head Indians have legend which might pass
muster with Mr.. Harris tales, or with the
fables of the Brahma Vishnu Sarman. In this
legend the Little Wolf found in cloudland his
grandsires the Spiders, with their grizzled hair
and long crooked nails, and they spun balls of
thread to let him down to earth. When he |
came down and found his wife. the Speckled
Duck, whom the Old Wolf had taken from
him. she fed in confusion, and this is why she
lives and dives alone to this very day.
Nov that everybody is going to Africa, and |
no doubt there will be personally con-
Quoted tours to the heart of the Dark Cont |
nent before very long. what a delightful thing |
it would be to send Brer Harris into Central |
Africa to obtain data for new stories in the |
"Uncle Remus' style. The United States ought |
to make the expedition a national affair, and |
allow Mr. Harris enough money and men and |
equipments to make the journey in frst-class |
shape. In return for new stories OF "Brer |
Rabbit he could give to the natives the de-
lightful ones that we are never tired of read |
ing. 1t would be an exchange in which for |
once the benighted negro would not be beaten. |
Other men may grab the ivory, steal the land |
and swindle Tippoo Tib. but only Joel Chand-
Ter Harris could borrow the animal myths now |!
secluded in the dark valleys of the Congo.