The sun., 1908-12-13
Observation-Disclosures
A TRTCkSTER As IN THE "UN.
Gle REMUS" STORIES.


Tales Told Among the ned Men That Re
.lt setnble These Of the Southern Resrt
II --TFicks Played b. the Rabbit on th'
wildcat, Possum and Other Animals
OLATHB, Kan, Dec. 7.-Joel Chandler
Harris in his "Uncle Remus' stories hai
4 made the world familiar with the Southern
negro version Of Br'er Rabbit and hi
cunning. 1T is not generally known. how
Br'er Rabbit figures in the animal lore
Of the North American Indians.
An effort has been made to establish
for these animal stories Of the red man
negro origin. regardless OF the fact thai
1 the rabbit--the great white erabbit-fgures
as the hero god, trickster and wonder
worker of almost every Indian tribe from
Hudson Bay TO the Gulf and from Nova
SCOTIA to the .Paoiho, while the famous
aTar Baby story has variants wherever
the pinion or the pine supplies enough
gum TO be moulded into a ball Tor Indian
uses. The idea that such stories ore
necessarily OF negro origin ID due largely
to the common but mistaken notion that
the Indian has no sense OF humor.
Gin many cases IL is not necessary to
eeeume borrowing from either side. the
aiyths being such 40 would naturally
eprine W. In any part Of the world among
primitive people accustomed to observe
tHe tHeseheraoteristcs Of animals, II there
RasS any Borrowing 1t is probable that the
negro. with his genius for initiation and
his love for stories. absorbed more from
the red man than the Indian. with his
pride Of conservatism and contempt for
aisubjeot race. took from the negro.
As to the contact of the two races, by
which such stories could be borrowed
from one by the other In all the Southern
colonies, Indian slaves were bought and
sold and kept In servitude and worked In
the fields side by side with the negroes
up to the time of the Revolution. The
Cherokees, Tuscaroras, Appalaches,
Matches and others wore all victims Of
the slave hunters. and furthermore, as
the coast tribes dwindled, they were COM
PEELED to associate and interInarry with
the negroes until finally they lost their
identity and were oIassed with that race.
This sort OF contact could not. however.
account for the existence Of these stories
among the free tribes In the distant and
remote parts of the continent.
1t is not improbable that the negro
brought, store Of animal lore with him
from Africa. for Br'er Rabbit has been
found in the Dark Continent. but that his
association with the red man added to It
there Is little doubt. It gives point to
these Indian animal stories and brings
out their humor, In addition to throwing
light upon their origin. TO bear In mind
that the clan or totemic system prevails
among the Indian tribes, and that the dif
fereDt clans were generally named after
come animal as the turtle clan, wildcat
clan, bear clan. rabbit clan, .,
Charles Bluejacket, the last chief Of the
Shawnees, who was himself a member Of
the rabbit clan Of that tribe. used TO tell
the following story at the expense OF the
wildcat clan.
A long time ago wildcat pursued
a rabbit and was about to catch him wher
the rabbit ran irto a hollow tres. The
wildcat took q position in front Of the
entrance and told the rabbit that he
would remain there until the rabbit from
hunger vas induced to come out: that
he need not think of escape ~. |
After time the rabbit said be would |
come out and let the wildcat make q |
meal of him on one condition, and that |
was that the wildcat should make q fire |
in front of the tree. saying that ss soon |
as bed OF Goals sufficient to roast him |
had been prepared he would come out
and be roasted: that he did not want !
TO be eaten raw,
h,,;l Al,a g., |
when, the sticks were burned into Goals
he settled himself on his haunohes and
notified the rabbit that all was ready.
whereat the rabbit gave ASPIRING. strik-
ing all his feet into the Goals and knock
ing them into the face and even over
the breast Of the cat, and escaping
@This burned the hair in spots on the
cats breast and when il grew out il
vas white. This is why tine wildcat
has white spots or his breast"
Among the Sioux Br'er Rabbit also
his character as clever trick
ster.
Ikto was a once mythical character,
more cunning than human beinge, but
The name is now given to the spider.
Though Ikto was very cunning he was
sometimes outwitted.
One day he caught the rabbit and the
after was about to fare hard when a
thought occurred to him. He persuaded
his captor to release him on condition
hat he teach Ikto one Of his magic arts.
Said the rabbit:
ELDER brother, IL you wish snow TO
all at any time take some hair such as
his fpullng out some rabbit furl and
blow Il in all directions and there will be
L blizzard
The rabbit then made a deep snow in
his manner. though the leaves were still
green, This surprised lkto, who thought
hat he had learned a wonderful accom-
,lshment. But the foolish fellow did
lot know that rabbit fur was necessary.
md when he tried to make snow by blow
ng his own hair he was disappointed,
The Cherokees have a story of sTbe
Rabbit and the Tar Wolf,' which has
,oints Of similarity to the East African
,ersion. that was printed In THE SUN on !.
day 8 last
"Onoe there was such long season of J
Try weather that no more water remained |.
n the creeks and springs, and the animals \
Ield council to see what could be done,
hey decided to dig q we'll and all agreed
o help except the rabbit. who was a lazy
elbow, and said;
'HI don't need to dig for water The I,
lew on the grass Is enough for me- g
The other animals were not pleased :,
nth tho rabbits remark, but they set to