Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-07-07
AMERICAN FOLK LORE
Animal Stories Here Long Before
White Man.
NEGROES GOT THEM FROM INDIANS
The Rabbit, the Bear and the FOX
Figured in the ingenious lmagIna-
ton of the Priests of the AborisInes'
Harry E. Barnett in Dearborn lndc-

tion OF the TrieStS VI li'S
Harry Z. Barnett in Dearborn lnde-
pendent.
In the wild uplands Of Eastern Ken
lucky and Tennessee, the Western
Carolinas and Virginias in Unknown
America, there lnger the weird tradi-
tions which were told in the days be-
fore the white man saw the continent.
The Indians. who once listened in
Ehostly fear to the camp fire tales in
which their priests of tradition told
the stories of the beginnings OF the
earth, and of life, have gone. But in
the sentimental minds OF the negroes,
and even among the white inhabitants
whose forcfathers have been noun
taineers for scores of years, the fan
tastic tales are still whispered
Among these tales were some that
accounted for various animal traits.
AS Indian tales, however. these stories
never got into general circulation be-
yond the mountains of the South. But
it is said that they form the basis of
the negro stories of the "Uncle Remus'
type. This claim arises from the en-
slavement of coast Indians before the
Revolutionary war. The Indians
were worked alongside the negroes in
the lowlands. Stray mountain Indians
who wandered into the coast country
were enslaved They repeated the ami
NAL stories prevalent in the mountaips
to the negroes, who handed them down.
In the course of time, these Indian
stories became known as negro stories.
The rabbit is the central figure in
most of the stories told by the 1ndiar
priests, perhaps because the rabbit is
the commonest of ali game. The
rabbit is prominent in the animal
stories of all primitive peoples. Every
body knows that the rabbit has only a
tuft of hair where his tail should be.
But it's dollars to doughnuts that in
our day no hunter has figured out
what became of that part of the
rabbits tail that he doesn't now carry
along behind him.
These priests in Unknown Ameri-
ca, however, settled that question long
before there was q white man in this
country. Their explanation began
with the statement that the animals
were of different sizes, and wore coats
of various colors and patterns. Some
wore long fur and others short fur.
Some had rings on their tails, and
some had no tails at all. Some had
coats of brown others of black and
yellow They were always disputing
about their good looks, and they finally
agreed to hold a council 20 decide who
had The finest coat.
The animals heard great deal
about the otter, who lived far up the
creek. 1t was said that, he had the
finest coat of all, but no one knew just
what it was like, because it had been
a long time since any one had seen
him. No one ever knew exactly where
the otter lived; they only knew the
general direction. But the animals
knew he would come 10 the council
when the word got out.
The rabbit, who wanted the verdict
for himself, schemed to disqualify the
otter. BY few sly questions he learn
cd the trail the otter would take. On
the trail he met the otter, and saw his
coat of soft, dark brown fur.
The otter was glad to see the rabbit