Uncle Remus Tales (Translations, Research), Songs, Stories - Enjoy a Venerable Tradition

XXIII. Translation. Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Bear

2011-12-09T10:32:00.004-05:00

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XXIII. MR. RABBIT AND MR. BEAR.
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“There was one season,” said Uncle Remus, pulling thoughtfully at his whiskers, “when Brer Fox say to himself that he expect he better whirl in and plant a goober-patch FN 1, and in them days, man, it was touch and go. The words weren’t more than out of his mouth before the ground was broke up and the goobers was planted. Old Brer Rabbit, he set off and watch the motions, he did, and he sort of shut one eye and sing to his children:
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“ ‘Ti-yi! Tungalee!

I eat them pea, I pick them pea.

It grow in the ground, it grow so free,

Ti-yi! them goober pea.’

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“Sure enough when the goobers begun to ripen up, every time Brer Fox go down to his patch, he find where somebody been grabblin’ amongst the vines, and he get mighty mad. He sort of expect who the somebody is, but old Brer Rabbit he cover his tracks so cute that Brer Fox don’t know how to catch him. By and by, one day Brer Fox take a walk all around the ground-pea patch, and it wasn’t long before he find a crack in the fence where the rail done been rubbed right smooth, and right there he set him a trap. He took and bent down a hickory sapling, growing in the fence-corner, and tie one end on a plow-line on the top, and in the other end he fix a loop-knot, and that he fasten with a trigger right in the crack. Next morning, when old Brer Rabbit come slipping along and creep through the crack, the loop-know catch him behind the forelegs, and the sapling flew up, and there he was ‘twixt the heavens and the earth. There he swung, and he feared he going to fall, and he feared he weren’t going to fall. While he was fixing up a tale for Brer Fox, he hear a lumbering down the road, and presently here come old Brer Bear ambling along from where he been taking a bee-tree FN 2. Brer Rabbit, he hail him:
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“ ‘Howdy, Brer Bear!’
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“Brer Bear, he look around and by and by he see Brer Rabbig swinging from the sapling, and he holler out:
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“ ‘Heyo, Brer Rabbit! How you coming on this morning’ “
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“ ‘Much obliged, I’m middling’, Brer Bear, says Brer Rabbit says he.
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“Then Brer Bear, he asks Brer Rabbit what he doing up there in the elements, and Brer Rabbit, he up and say he making’ a dollar a minute. Brer Bear, he say how. Brer Rabbit say he keeping the crows out of Brer Fox’s ground-pea patch, and then he asked Brer Bear if he don’t want to make a dollar a minute, ‘cause he got family of children for to take care of,, and then he make such nice scarecrow. Brer Bear allow that he take the job, and and then Brer Rabbit show him how to bend down the sapling, and watsn’t long before Brer Bear was swinging up there in Brer Rabbit’s place. Then Brer Rabbit, he put out for Brer Fox house, and when he got there he sing out:
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“ ‘Brer Fox! Oh, Brer Fox! Come out here, Brer Fox, and I’ll show you the man what been stealing your goobers.’
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“Brer Fox, he grab up his walking stick, and both of them went running back down to the goober patch, and when they got there, sure enough, there was old Brer Bear.
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“ ‘Oh, yes! You're caught, is you?’ says Brer Fox, and before Brer Bear could explain, Brer Rabbit he jump up and down, and holler out:
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“ ‘Hit him in the mouth, Brer Fox; hit him in the mouth; and Brer Fox, he drew back with the walking-cane, and blip he took him, and every time Brer Bear try to expolain, Brer Fox would shower down on him.
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“Whiles all this was going on, Brer Rabbit, he slip off an get in a mud-hole and just left his eyes sticking out, ‘cause he knowed that Brer Bear’d be a coming after him. Sure enough, by and by here come Brer Bear down the road, and when he get to the mud-hole, he say:
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“ ‘Howdy, Brer Frog; have you seen Brer Rabbit go by here?’
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“ ‘He just gone by,’ says Brer Rabbit, and old man Bear took off down the road like a ‘scared mule, and Brer Rabbit, he come out and dried himself in the sun, and go home to his family same as any other man.”
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“The Bear didn’t catch the Rabbit, then?” inquired the little boy, sleepily.
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“Jump up from there, honey!” exclaimed Uncle Remus, by way of reply. “ I ain’t got time for to be setting here propping your eyelids open.”

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FN 1 Goober-patch, goobers.

Goobers are peanuts. See http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/goobers. Goober may derive from "ngubu" from 1833, a Bantu word says the site. But the Bantu people were not West African, the area where we understand most North and South American slaves originated, via the Caribbean often on the slave trade routes. See http://library.thinkquest.org/16645/the_people/ethnic_bantu.shtml

Grow your own goobers. See http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2002-12-01/Peanuts.aspx?page=3

Sing about Eatin' Goober Peas with Johnny Cash and Burl Ives. This is a Civil War song from the South, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBOxw6vbDyo&feature=related

FN 2 Bee-tree. Bees can nest in trees, bears get at them for the honey, see http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G7391

XXII. Translation. A Story About the Little Rabbits

2011-12-08T08:27:00.006-05:00

XXII
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A STORY ABOUT THE LITTLE RABBITS
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Rabbit, little one. Evoking Uncle Remus

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“Find them where you will and when you may,” remarked Uncle Remus with emphasis, “good children always gets took care of. There was Brer Rabbit’s children; they minded their daddy and mammy from day’s evening to day’s evening. When old man Rabbit say ‘scoot,’ they scooted, and when old Miss Rabbit say ‘scat’ they scatted. They did that. And they keep their clothes clean, and they ain’t had no smut on their nose, neither.”

Involuntarily the hand of the little boy went up to his face, and he scrubbed the end of his nose with his coat-sleeve.

“They was good children,” continued the old man, heartily, “and if they hadn’t have been, there was one time when there wouldn’t have been no little rabbits – nary a one. That’s what.”

“What time was that, Uncle Remus?” the little boy asked.

“The time when Brer Fox dropped in at Brer Rabbit house. Old Brer Rabbit, he was off somewheres raiding on a collard patch, and old Miss Rabbit she was tendin’ on a quiltin’ FN 1 in the neighborhood, and while the little Rabbits was playing hiding-switch, in dropped Brer Fox. The little Rabbits was so fat that they fairly make his mouth water, but he remembers about Brer Wolf, and he scared for to gobble them up excepting he got some excuse. The little Rabbits, they mighty skittish, and they sort of huddle theyselves up together an dwatch Brer Fox motions. Brer Fox, he sat there and study what sort of excuse he going to make up. By and by he see a great big stalk of sugar cane standing up in the corner, and he clear up his throat and talk biggity:

“ ‘Here! You young Rabs there, sail around and broke me a piece of that sweetnin’ tree,’ says he, and then he cough.

“The little Rabbits, they got out the sugar-cane, they did, and they wrestle with it, and sweat over it, but twasn’t no use. They couldn’t broke it. Brer Fox, he make like he ain’t watching, but he keep hollering:

“ ‘Hurry up there, Rabs! I’m waiting on you!’

“And the little Rabbits, they hustle around and wrestle with it, but they couldn’t broke it. By and by they hear little bird singing on top of the house, and the song what the little bird sing was this here:

“ 'Take your toothies and gnaw it.

'Take your toothies and saw it,

'Saw it and yoke it,

'And then you can broke it.’

“Then the little Rabbits, they get mighty glad, and they gnawed the cane most before old Brer Fox could get his legs uncrossed, and when they carried him the cane, Brer Fox, he sat there and study how he going to make some more excuse for nabbing on them, and by and by he get up and get down the sifter what was hanging on the wall, and holler out:

“ 'Come here, Rabs! Take this here sifter, and run down to the spring and fetch me some fresh water.’

“The little Rabbits, they run down to the spring, and try to dip up the water with the sifter, but of course it all run out, and it keep on runnin’out, until by and by the little Rabbits sat down and began to cry. Then the little bird settin’ up in the tree he begin for to sing, and this here’s the song what he sing:

“ ‘ Sifter hold water same as a tray,

'If you fill it with moss and daub it with clay;

'The Fox get madder the longer you stay –

'Fill it with moss and daub it with clay.’

“Up they jump, the little Rabbits did, and they fix the sifter so it won’t leak, and then they carry the water to old Brer Fox. Then Brer Fox he gets mighty mad, and oint out a great big stick of wood, and tell the little Rabbits for to put that on the fire. The little chaps they got around the wood, they did, and they lift at it so hard until they could see their own sins, but the wood ain’t budge. Then they hear the little bird singing, and this here’s the song what he sing:

“ ‘Spit in your hands and tug it and toll it,

'And get behind it, and push it, and pole it;

'Spit in your hands and rear back and roll it.’

“And just about the time they got the wood on the fire, their daddy, he come skippin’ in, and the little bird, he flew away. Brer Fox, he saw his game was up, and it wasn’t long before he make his excuse and start for to go.

“ ‘You better stay and take a snack with me, Brer Fox,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he. “Since Brer Wolf done quit coming and setting up with me, I getting so I feel right lonesome these long nights,’ says he.

“But Brer Fox, he button up his coat-collar tight and just put out for home. And that what you better do, honey ‘cause I see Miss Sally’s shadow sailing backwards and forwards before the window, and the first news you know she’ll be expecting on you.”

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FN 1 Tendin' on a quiltin'. Quilting. Quilts are bed coverlets, now often used as wall hangings, that were large to handle as they were made from stitching patches or scraps into designs. Some were stitched in a haphazard for a "crazy quilt". Some were stretched out on frames, and neighbor ladies would arrive all to socialize and share in the quilting around the frame; or just with sides draped over their knees. See http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-quilting-bee.htm. As sewing machines came into use, they made the job faster, but more lonesome; working in your own house would cut down on the socializing that the outing to the group provided. See patterns and more history at http://www.womenfolk.com/historyofquilts/

In this era, the role of a woman was largely confined after marriage to tending the children. See the story of Mary H. Seymour, in a Civil War era periodical, at http://bogomilia.blogspot.com/#%21/2008/07/protest-within-convention-victorian.html

XXI. Translation. Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match Again

2011-12-07T18:42:00.006-05:00

XXI

MR. RABBIT MEETS HIS MATCH AGAIN

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“There was another man that sort of play it sharp on Brer Rabbit,” said Uncle Remus, as by some mysterious process, he twisted a hog’s bristle into the end of a piece of thread – an operation which the little boy watched with great interest. FN 1 “In them days,” continued the old man, “the creatures carried on much as the same as folks. They went into farming, and I expect if the truth was to come out, they kept store, and had their camp-meeting times, and their barbecues when the weather was agreeable.”
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Uncle Remus evidently thought that the little boy wouldn’t like to hear of any further discomfiture of Brer Rabbit, who had come to be a sort of hero, and he was not mistaken.
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“I thought the Terrapin was the only one that fooled the Rabbit,” said the little boy, dismally.
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“It’s just like I tell you, honey. There ain’t no smart man, except what there’s a smarter. If old Brer Rabbit hadn’t have got caught up with, the neighbors would have took him for a haunt, and in them times they burnt witches before you could squinch your eyeballs. They did that.”
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“Who fooled the Rabbit this time?” the little boy asked.
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When Uncle Remus had the bristle set in the thread, he proceeded with the story:
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“One time Brer Rabbit and old Brer Buzzard concluded they would sort of go snacks, and crap together. FN 2. It was a mighty good year, and the truck turned out monstrous well, but by and by, when the time came for division, it come to light that old Brer Buzzard ain’t got nothing. The crap was all gone, and they want nothing there for to show for it. Brer Rabbit, he make like he in a worse fix than Brer Buzzard, and he mope around, he did, like he feared they going to sell him out.
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“Brer Buzzard, he ain’t sayin’ nuthin’, but he keep up a monstrous thinkin’, and one day he come along and holler and tell Brer Rabbit that he done find a rich gold mine that cross the river.
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“ 'You come and go along with me, Brer Rabbit,’ says Brer Turkey Buzzard, says he. ‘I’ll scratch and you can grabble, and between the two of us we’ll make short work of that gold mine,’ says he.
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“Brer Rabbit, he was high up for the job, but he study, he did, how he was going to get across the water, ‘cause every time he get his foot wet all the family caught cold. Then he up and asked Brer Buzzard how he going to do, and Brer Buzzard he up and say that he carry Brer Rabbit across, and with that old Brer Buzzard, he squat down, he did, and spread his wings, and Brer Rabbit, he mounted, and up they rose.” There was a pause.
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“What did the Buzzard do then?” asked the little boy.
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“They rose,” continued Uncle Remus, “and when they lit, they lit in the top of the highest sort of pine, and the pine what they lit in was growing on an island, and the island was in the middle of the river, with the deep water running all around.

Brer Buzzard's island. Brer Rabbit confesses.

They ain’t more than lit before Brer Rabbit, he know which way the wind was blowing, and by the time old Brer Buzzard got himself balanced on a limb, Brer Rabbit, he up and say, says he:
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“ 'While we were restin’ here, Brer Buzzard, and being as you been so good, I got something for to tell you,’ says he. ‘I got a gold mine of my own, one what I make myself, and I expect we better go back to mine before we bother longer with your’n,’ says he.
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“Then old Brer Buzzard, he laugh, he did, until he shake, and Brer Rabbit, he sing out:
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“Hold on, Brer Buzzard! Don’t flop your wings when you laugh, ‘cause then if you does something will drop from up here, and my gold-mine won’t do you no good, and neither will your’n do me no good.’
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“But before they got down from there, Brer Rabbit done told all about the crap, and he had to promise to provide fair and square. So Brer Buzzard, he carry him back, and Brer Rabbit he walk weak in the knees a month afterwards.”

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Photo: Reservoir #6, MDC, Metacomet Trail area, West Hartford, CT
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FN 1. Hog bristle needle for sewing. History of sewing needles, sewing implements. Some 25,000 years ago, needle forms were made from antlers, bone, and ivory. Germans used iron in the 3d Century BC. Egyptians used copper, silver and bronze. Metal needles were perfected by the Muslims in Spain in the 11th Century, when they controlled Spain and other areas. This included fine needles for suturing. They took the skills back to the Middle East in the 15th Century after the Reconquest; and Arabs brought the knowledge back to Europe in the 17th Century. Other needle functions, not metal, included the use of boar bristles in bookbinding and shoemaking in the middle ages. See Sewing Mantra at http://www.sewingmantra.com/index.php/needles/history-of-sewing-needles-2/
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FN 2. " ... go snacks, and crap together" when the truck was good. Truck: truck farming -- grow produce and take it to market without a middleman, directly from the farm. So if the truck was good, it would have been a good year. Is this correct here?
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Snacks and crap: Going snacks and crap together could mean a joint venture in farming small crops in the context here, where two characters join in the effort. Snacks - easy growing, eat on the spot produce? See story XXI, where Brer Rabbbit invites Brer Fox to stay for snacks.
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But in the end in this story, in the growing of the snacks, there is nothing left for one of them, the Buzzard -- who then forces a confession.
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Crap, then, as a modification of crop? Snacks and crap (crop). Crap -- there is also craps, the game, but there is no reference to the dice, or rules or equipment hat fits this context, see http://wizardofodds.com/games/craps/, but

XX. Translation. How Mr. Rabbit Saved His Meat

2011-07-22T17:21:00.005-04:00

HOW MR. RABBIT SAVED HIS MEAT

"One time," said Uncle Remus, whetting his knife slowly and thoughtfully on the palm of his hand, and gazing reflectively in the firs -- "one time Brer Wolf --"

"Why, Uncle Remus!" the little boy broke in, "I thought you said the Rabbit scalded the Wolf to death a long time ago."

The old man was fairly caught and he knew it; but this made little difference to him. A frown gathered on his usually serene brow as he turned his gaze upon the child -- a frown in which both scorn and indignation were visible. Then, all at once he seemed to regain control of himself. The frown was chased away by a look of Christian resignation.

"There now! What I tell you?" he exclaimed as if addressing a witness concealed under the bed. "Ain't I done told you so? Bless gracious! if children aren't getting so they know more than old folks, and they'll dispute longer than you and dispute longer than you, excepting their ma call them, which I expect won't be long before she will, and then I'll set here by the chimney-corner and get some peace of mind. When Old Miss was living," continued the old man, still addressing some imaginary person, "it was more than any of her children would dare to do to come disputing longer than me, and Master John'll tell you the same any day as you ask him"

"Well, Uncle Remus, you know you sad the Rabbit poured hot water on the Wolf and killed him," said the little boy.

The old man pretended not to hear. He was engaged in searching among some scraps of leather under his chair, and kept on talking to the imaginary person. Finally, he found and drew forth a nicely plaited whip-thong with a red snapper all waxed and knotted. FN 1

"I was fixing up a whip for a little chap," he continued, with a sigh, "but, bless gracious! before I can get her done, the little chap done grown up until he know more than I do."

The child's eyes filled with tears and his lips began to quiver, but he said nothing; where upon Uncle Remus immediately melted.

"I declare to goodness," he said, reching out and taking the little boy tenderly by the hand, "if you ain't the very spitting image of Old Miss when I brought her the last news of the war. It's just like scaring up a ghost that you ain't afraid of."

Then, there was a pause, the old man patting the little child's hand caressingly.

"You ain't mad, is you, honey?" Uncle Remus asked finally, "because if you is, I'm going out of here and butt my head against the door jamb."

But the little boy wasn't mad. Uncle Remus had conquered him and he had conquered Uncle Remus in pretty much the same way before. But it was some time before Uncle Remus would go on with the story. He had to be coaxed. At last, however, he settled himself back in the chair and began:

"Of course, honey, it might have been old Brer Wolf, or it might have been before he got caught up with, or it might have been afterwards. As the tale was given to me, just that way I give it to you. One time Brer Wolf was coming along home from a fishing frolic. He sauntered along the road, he did, with his string of fish across his shoulder, when first news you know old Miss Partridge, she hop out of the bushes and flutter along right at Brer Wolf's nose. Brer Wolf he say to himself that old Miss Partridge trying for to lure FN 2 him away from her nest, and with that he lay his fish down and put out into the bushes where old Miss Partridge came from, and about that time Brer Rabbit, he happen along. There was the fishes, and there was Brer Rabbit, and when that is the case, what do you expect a sort of independent man like Brer Rabbit going to do? I can tell you this, that them fishes ain't stay where Brer Wolf put them, and when Brer Wolf come back, they was gone.
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"Brer Wolf, he sat down and scratched his head, he did, and study and study, and then it sort of rushed into his mind that Brer Rabbit been along there, and then Brer Wolf he put out for Brer Rabbit house, and when he got there, he hailed him. Brer Rabbit, he don't know nothing about no fishes. Brer Wolf he up and say he obliged to FN 3 believe Brer Rabbit got them fishes. Brer Rabbit deny it up and down, but Brer Wolf stand to it that Brer Rabbit got them fishes, then he give Brer Wolf leave for to kill the best cow he got. Brer Wolf, he took Brer Rabbit at his word, and go off to the pasture and drive up the cattle and kill Brer Rabbit's best cow.

"Brer Rabbit, he hate mighty bad for to lose his cow, but he lay his plans, and he tell his children that he going to have that beef yet. Brer Wolf, he was taken up by the pater-rollers FN 4 before now, and he was mighty scared of them, and first news you know, here comes Brer Rabbit hollering and telling Brer Wolf that the pater-rollers coming.

" 'You run and hide, Brer Wolf," says Brer Rabbit, says he, and I'll stay here and take care of the cow until you get back,' says he.

"Soon as Brer Wolf hear talk of the patrollers, he scramble off into the underbrush like he been shot out of a gun. And he wasn't more than gone before Brer Rabbit, he whirl in and skinned the cow and salt the hide down, and then he took and cut up the carcass and stow it away in the smoke-house, and then he took and stick the end of the cow-tail in the ground. After he gone and done all this, Brer Rabbit he squall out for Brer Wolf.

" 'Run here, Brer Wolf! Run here! Your cow gone in the ground! Run here!'

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"When old Brer Wolf got there, which he come a-scooting, there was Brer Rabbit holding on to the cow-tail, for to keep it from going in the ground. Brer Wolf, he caught hold, and they begin a pull or two and up comes the tail. Then Brer Rabbit, he wink his off eye FN 5 and say, says he:

" 'There! the tail done pulled out and the cow gone,' says he.
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"But Brer Wolf he wasn't the man for to give it up that way, and he got him a spade, and a pick-axe, and a shovel, and he dig and dig for that cow until digging was past all endurance, and old Brer Rabbit he sat up there in his front porth and smoke his cigar. Every time old Brer Wolf stuck the pick-axe in the clay, Brer Rabbit he giggle to his children.

" 'He diggy, diggy, diggy, but no meat there! He diggy, diggy, diggy, but no meat there!"

"Because all the time the cow was laying piled up in his smoke-house, and him and his children was eating fried beef and onions FN 6 every time their mouth watered.

"Now then, honey, you take this here whip," continued the old man, twining the leather thong around the little boy's neck, "and scamper up to the big house and tell Miss Sally for to give you some of it the next time she find your tracks in the sugar-barrel."

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FN 1 Plaited whip-thong. Whip. The leather whip-thong, loop handle, stick and top stinger, has long been part of proper mounted fox-hunting gear, with the pack of dogs, see one whip thong maker now using nylon, see http://www.nylonhuntingwhipthongs.com// Long whip thongs, some braided for strength, become useful in carriage whips, to reach the pulling animal(s) see the history and evolution of uses of goose quill and whale bone; in the late 1800's, early 1900's, some 90% of all whip thongs were made in the US, see http://www.gladstonedriving.org/History/gea_whip.html. It also has an unsavory history as an instrument of punishment, inflicting a slight or greater cut, scroll down to whip at http://www.archive.org/stream/lincolnshiredane00stre/lincolnshiredane00stre_djvu.txt

Whip as enforcer. The whip was also used to control, punish, slaves, see http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASwhipping.htm; http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215086/slave_punishment_&_manipul.htm.

In the story, Uncle Remus sends the little boy back to his mother, Miss Sally, with the whip wound around his neck.
A whip wound around a child's neck? A white child? Son of the owner?

Danger, threat. All is not playful here.

Conjecture, given Uncle Remus' strong personality: Was he, as a slave, whipped with just such a whip, and did Miss Sally, growing up on that Plantation, witness it and make no protest. Or otherwise know.
Is Uncle Remus saying, in his way, that the whipping time is not forgotten and that he himself holds some power in that regard, even if he refrains from using it as it was perhaps used against him. More mildly, a reminder: What if it were her son in those days. What was Uncle Remus' relationship to Miss Sally? He would have been of her mother's generation, "Old Miss" who is now dead.

FN 2 Word given is "toll" -- as in toll him away from her nest. See 13th Century Old English, tollen for draw, lure or decoy. Think of a bell toll, a single stroke, a lure to come to church, perhaps says http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=toll

FN 3 Phrase given is "bleedzd to" -- as in, we think, "obliged to." Bleedzd to and other forms are also earlier researched in other stories here. This time, we find Harper's Round Table at page 667 (in Harper's Young People 1882), where the phrase is used so that the sense of "obliged to" makes sense -- I am obliged to do this or that. See Google book, Harper's Round Table, usage of "bleedzd to" (in sense of obliged to)

FN 4 Word given is "pater-rollers" - The word is also seen as paterrollers, bands of whites out looking for slaves out without a pass, see page 75 at Weevils In The Wheat: Interviews with Virginia Ex-Slaves by Thomas L. Purdue and Thomas E. Barden, 1976, fair use quote:

"I know something about the paterrollers. There were three sets of dem in slavery working like shifts -- 1 set go 'round 'bout six O'Clock 'til nine O'Clock. Nine O'Clock 'nother set travel, and the third ones, see, had to stay wid the horses when they left 'em, 'cause niggers would cripple 'em -- sometimes steal 'em -- so paterrollers was [s] (sic) keered to leave 'em in road by demselves. Paterrollers would whip you if they caught you dout a pass. Ef you had a pass, didn't whip you, jes' would git in touch wid your marster and tell him dat they had one of his niggers, den he'd let him go."

Read further about a beating by the paterrolers, and the Nat Turner insurrection; and if a slave were caught with a piece of paper with a letter on it, the slave would be beaten.

FN 5 "Wink his off eye" - the wink is an ancient signal of deceit, see http://bible.cc/proverbs/6-13.htm.

The "off eye" could mean the eye on the other side of a profile, that could not be seen by the other character at the time. Speculative, but common sense.

FN 6 Word given is "Inguns" - find a recipe for an omelette where the "inguns" appears to be onions, as the only ingredient otherwise not accounted for -- http://dailyburn.com/recipes/omelette_hang_and_cheese_with_inguns Inguns as onions also appears in http://www.freefictionbooks.org/books/l/24022-a-letter-of-credit-by-susan-warner?start=229; and affirmed at page 351 in the English Dialect Dictionary, by Joseph Wright 1903.

XIX. Translation. The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow

2011-06-16T16:32:00.003-04:00

XIX

THE FATE OF MR. JACK SPARROW *

“You’ll trample on that bark ‘til it won’t be fit for to fling away, let alone make horse-collars out of,” said Uncle Remus, as the little boy came running into his cabin out of the rain. All over the floor long strips of “wahoo” bark FN 1 were spread, and these the old man was weaving into horse-collars.

“I’ll sit down, Uncle Remus,” said the little boy.

“Well, then, you better, honey,” responded the old man, “ ‘cause I despises to have my wahoo trompled on. If it was shucks, now, it might be different, but I’m getting too old for to be projecting FN 2 longer shuck collars.”

For a few minutes the old man went on with his work, but with a solemn air altogether unusual. Once or twice he sighed deeply, and the sighs ended in a prolonged groan, that seemed to the little boy to be the result of the most unspeakable mental agony. He knew by experience that he had done something which failed to meet the approval of Uncle Remus, and he tried to remember what it was, so as to frame an excuse; but his memory failed him. He could think of nothing he had done calculated to stir Uncle Remus’ grief. He was not exactly seized with remorse, but he was very uneasy. Presently Uncle Remus looked at him in a sad and hopeless way, and asked:

“What’s that long rigmarole FN 3 you been telling Miss Sally about your little brother this morning?”

“Which, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy, blushing guiltily.

“That’s just what I asking of you now. I hear Miss Sally say she’s going to stripe his jacket, and then I knew you been telling on him.”

“Well, Uncle Remus, he was pulling up your onions, and then he went and flung a rock at me,” said the child, plaintively.

“Let me tell you this,” said the old man, laying down the section of horse-collar he had been plaiting FN 4, and looking hard at the little boy – “let me tell you this – there ain’t no way for to make tattlers and tale-bearers turn out good. No, there ain’t. I been mixing up with folks now going on eighty year, and I ain’t seen no tattler come to no good end. That I ain’t. And if old man Methuseleh FN 5 was living clean ‘til yet, he’d up and tell you the same. Sure as you are sitting there. You remember what come of the bird what went tattling around Brer Rabbit?”

The little boy didn’t remember, but he was very anxious to know, and he also wanted to know what kind of a bird it was that so disgraced itself.

“It was one of these here uppity little Jack Sparrows, I expect,” said the old man; "they was always bothering alone other folks’ business, and they keeps at it down to this day – pecking here, picking there, and scratching out yonder. One day, after he been fooled by old Brer Terrapin, Brer Rabbit was setting down in the woods studying how he was going to get even. He feel mighty lonesome, and he feel mighty mad, Brer Rabbit did. It ain’t put down in the tale, but I expect he cussed and reared around considerable. Leastways, he was setting out there by himself, and there he sat, and study and study, ‘til by and by he jump up and holler out:

“ ‘Well, dog-gone my cats if I can’t gallop around old Brer Fox, and I’m going to do it. I’ll show Miss Meadows and the gals that I’m the boss of Brer Fox,’ says he.

“Jack Sparrow up in the tree, he hear Brer Rabbit, he did and he sing out:

“ ‘I’m going tell Brer Fox! I’m going tell Brer Fox! Chick-a-biddy-wind-a-blowin’-acorns-fallin’! I’m going tell Brer Fox!”

Uncle Remus accompanied the speech of the bird with a peculiar whistling sound in his throat, that was a marvelous imitation of a sparrow’s chirp, and the little boy clapped his hands with delight, and insisted on a repetition.

“This kind of terrify Brer Rabbit, and he scarcely know what he going do; but by and by he study to himself that the man what see Brer Fox forst was bound to have the in turn (?), and then he go hopping off towards home. He didn’t get far when who should be meet but Brer Fox, and then Brer Rabbit, he open up:

“ ‘What this betwixt you and me, Brer Fox?” says Brer Rabbit, says he. ‘I hear tell you going to send me to destruction, and nab my family, and destroy my shanty,’ says he.

“ Then Brer Fox he get mighty mad.

“ ‘Who been telling you all this?’ says he.

“Brer Rabbit make like he didn’t want to tell, but Brer Fox he insist and insist, until at last Brer Rabit he up and tell Brer Fox that he hear Jack Sparrow say all this.

“ ‘Of course, ‘ says Brer Rabbit, says he, ‘when Brer Jack Sparrow tell me that I flew up, I did, and I use some language which I’m mighty glad there weren’t no ladies ‘round nowhere so they could hear me go on,’ says he.
.

“Brer Fox he sort of gape, he did, and say he expect he better be sauntering on. But bless your soul, honey, Brer Fox ain’t sauntered far, before Jack Sparrow flip down on a persimmon bush by the side of the road, and hollered out:

“ ‘Brer Fox! Oh, Brer Fox! – Brer Fox!”

“ Brer Fox he just sort of canter along, he did, and made like he don’t hear him. Then Jack Sparrow up and sing out again:

“ ‘Brer Fox! Oh, Brer Fox! Hold on, Brer Fox! I got some news for you. Wait Brer Fox! It’ll astonish you!”

“Brer Fox he make like he don’t see Jack Sparrow, nor neither do he hear him, but by and by he lay down by the road, and sort of stretch himself like he fixin’ for to nap. The tattling Jack Sparrow he flew along, and keep on calling Brer Fox, but Brer Fox, he ain’t saying nothing. Then little Jack Sparrow, he hop down on the ground and flutter around amongst the trash. This sort of attracted Brer Fox’s attention, and he look at the tattling bird, and the bird, he keep on calling.

“ ‘I got something for to tell you, Brer Fox.’

“ ‘Get on my tail, little Jack Sparrow,’ says Brer Fox, says he, ‘because I’m deaf in one ear, and I can’t hear out of the other. Get on my tail,’ says he.

“Then the little bird he up and hop on Brer Fox’s tail.

“ ‘Get on my back, little Jack Sparrow, because I’m deaf in one ear, and I can’t hear out of the other.’

“Then the little bird hop on his back.

“ ‘Hop on my head, little Jack Sparrow, because I’m deaf in both ears.”

“Up hop the little bird.

“ ‘Hop on my tooth, little Jack Sparrow, because I’m deaf in one ear and I can’t hear out of the other.’

“The tattling little bird hop on Brer Fox’s tooth, and then –“

Here Uncle Remus paused, opened wide his mouth and closed it again in a way that told the whole story.
.

“Did the Fox eat the bird all – all – up?” asked the little boy.

“Judge B’ar come along next day,” replied Uncle Remus, “and he find some feathers, and from that word went around that old man Screech Owl done caught another whatsisname.”

……………………………………………………………………………………

.
FN 1 “Wahoo” bark – Euonymous Atropurpureus, or burning bush, among other names. See http://www.hoag.org/health-library/alternative-medicine/wahoo-bark. Useful also as constipation remedy, but there can be unpleasant side effects.

.
FN 2 Projickin' - Projecting? Projickin’? in the sense of a project?

FN 3 Rigmarole. 1730’s, long rambling discourse. In the 1520’s, “Kentish colloquial” for ragman’s roll, or long list. Before that, in Middle English, usage as long roll of verses for characters used in a game called Rageman, could then also be Anglo-French from Rageman le Bon, Rageman the Good, one of the characters. See http://etymonline.com/?term=rigmarole

FN 4 Plaiting – 14^th Century and on, gathering into pleats, folding, intertwining, Anglo, French, Latin roots. Braiding. See http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=plait

FN 5. Methuseleh. Longest-lived man in history, says the Bible, see http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Methuselah
...................................................

* A footnote is given in the text, summary here: It says:
This is a middle Georgia version. Other variations of the story, as reported in Florida, substitute other animals, and a little boy as the rabbit, or a gosling telling tales on her mother, to the fox;

XVIII. Translation. Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match At Last

2011-06-16T15:39:00.002-04:00

XVIII.

MR. RABBIT FINDS HIS MATCH AT LAST

"Her look like to me, that I let on the other night that in them days when the creatures was sauntering around same like folks, none of them was brash enough for to catch up with Brer Rabbit," remarked Uncle Remus, reflectively.

"Yes," replied the little boy. "That's what you said."

"Well, then," continued the old man with unction, *"there's where my remembrances give out, 'cause Brer Rabbit did get caught up with, and it cool him off like pouring spring water on one of these here biggity little dogs. **

"How was that, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

"One day when Brer Rabbit was going lippity-clippiting down the road, he meet up with old Brer Terrepin, and after they pass the time of day with one another, Brer Rabbit, he allow that he was much obliged to Brer Terrepin for the hand he took in the rumpus that day down at Miss Meadows's."

"When he dropped off of the water-shelf on the Fox's head," suggested the little boy.

"That's the same time, honey. Then Brer Terrapin he allow that Brer Fox run mighty fast that day, but that if he'd have been after him instead of Brer Rabbit, he'd have caught him. Brer Rabbit say he could have caught him himself, but he didn't care about leaving the ladies/ They keep on talking, they did, until by and by they got to spouting about which was the swiftest. Brer Rabbit, he say he can outrun Brer Terrapin, and Brer Terrapin, he just vow that he can outrun Brer Rabbit. Up and down they had it, until first news you know Brer Terrapin say he got a fifty-dollar bill in the chink of the chimney at home, and that bill done told him that he could beat Brer Rabbit in a fair race. Then Brer Rabbit say he got a fifty-dollar hill what say that he can leave Brer Terrapin so far behind that he could sow barley as he went along and it'd be ripe enough for to cut by the time Brer Terrapin passed that way.

"Any how, they make the bet and put up the money, and ole Brer Turkey Buzzard, he was summoned for to be the judge, and the stakeholder; and it wasn't long before all the arrangements were made. The race was a five-mile heat, and the ground was measured off, and at the end of every mile a post was stuck up. Brer Rabbit was to run down the big road, and Brer Terrapin he say he'd gallop through the woods. Folks told him he could get along faster in the road, but old Brer Terrapin, he know what he doing. Miss Meadows and the gals and most all the neighbors got wind of the fun, and when the day was set, they determined for to be on hand. Brer Rabbit he train himself every day, and he skip over the ground just as gaily as a June cricket. Old Brer Terrapin, he lay low in the swamp. He had a wife and three children, old Brer Terrapin did, and they was all the very spit and image of the old man. Anybody what know one from the other got to take a spy-glass, and then they are liable for to get fooled.

"That's the way matters stand until the day of the race, and on that day, old Brer Terrapin, and his old woman, and his three children, they got up before sun-up, and went to the place. The old woman, she took her stand near the first mile-post, she did, and the children near the others, up to the last, and there old Brer Terrapin, he took his stand. By and by, here come the folks: Judge Buzzard, he com, and Miss Meadows and the gals, they come, and then here come Brer Rabbit with ribbons tied around his neck and streaming from his ears. The folks all went to the other end of the track for to see how they come out. When the time come Judge Buzzard strut around and pull out his watch, and holler out:

" 'Gents, is you ready?'

"Brer Rabbit, he say 'yes,' and old Miss Terrapin holler 'go' from the edge of the woods Brer Rabbit, he lit out on the race, and old Miss Terrapin, she put out for home. Judge Buzzard, he rose and skimmed along for to see that the race was run fair. When Brer Rabbit got to the first mile-post, one of the Terrapin children crawled out of the woods, he did, and made for the place. Brer Rabbit, he holler out:

" 'Where is you, Brer Terrapin?'

" 'Here I come a bulging,' says the Terrapin, says he.

"Brer Rabbit so glad he's ahead that he put out harder than ever, and the Terrapin, he make for home. When he come to the net post, another Terrapin crawled out of the woods,

" 'Where is you, Brer Terrapin,' says Brer Rabbit, says he.

" 'Here I come a boiling,' says the Terrapin, says he.

"Brer Rabbit, he lit out, he did, and come to the next post, and there was the Terrapin. Then he come to the next and there was the Terrapin. Then he had one more mile for to run,and he feel like he getting out of breath *** By and by, old Brer Terrapin look way off down the road and he see Judge Buzzard sailing along and he know it's time for him for to be up. So he scramble out of the woods, and roll across the ditch, and shuffle through the crowd of folks and get to the mile-post and crawl behind it. By and by, first news you know, here come Brer Rabbit. He look araound and he don't see Brer Terrapin, and then he squall out:

" 'Gimme the money, Brer Buzzard, Gimme the money!'

"Then Miss Meadows and the gals, they holler and laugh fit to kill themselves, and old Brer Terrapin, he raise up from behind the post and says, says he:

" 'If you'll give me time for to catch my breath, gents and ladies, one and all, I expect I'll finger that money myself,' says he, and sure enough, Brer Terrapin tie the purse around his neck and skaddle FN 1 off home.

"But, Uncle Remus," said the little boy, dolefully, "that was cheating."

"Of course, honey. The creatures began to cheat, and then folks took it up, and it keep on spreadin'. It's mighty catching, and you mind your eye, honey, that somebody don't cheat you before your hair get gray as the old nigger's."

.........................................

* Unction. In secular usage, said with exaggerated earnestness; an act that serves to soothe, heal, see ://www.thefreedictionary.com/unction

** "Fices" in the text -- Fices is dialect for "small dogs", see ://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fices. Also feist (feisty?), fyce. An obsolete usage for feist is "fisting hound," and fist there means breaking wind, c. 1770

*** "Bellust" in the text -- out of breath, see JSTOR research source that would make you pay to find out anything more than an inch, at ://www.jstor.org/pss/452637. This definition is from the search for "bellust" that led to the JSTOR.

....................................................

FN 1 Footnote in the text: That "skaddle" was usage among Virginia negroes, skaddle deriving from "scatter". Skedaddle came into use in the Civil War as a derivation from skaddle. There was some controversy during the Civil War as to the origin of the words.

XVII. Translation. Mr. Rabbit Nibbles Up the Butter

2010-08-06T12:48:00.004-04:00

XVII

MR. RABBIT NIBBLES UP THE BUTTER

“The animals and the creatures,” said Uncle Remus, shaking his coffee around in the bottom of his tin cup, in order to gather up all the sugar, “they kept on getting more and more familiar with one another, until by and by, it wasn’t long before Brer Rabbit, and Brer Fox, and Brer Possum got to sort of bunching their orovisions * together in the same shanty. After a while, the roof sort of began to leak, and one day, Brer Rabbit, and Brer Fox, and Brer Possum, assembled for to see if they can’t kind of patch her up. They had a big day’s work in front of them, and they fetched their dinner with them. They lump the vittles up in one pile, and the butter what Brer Fox brought, and they goes and puts in the spring-house for to keep cool, and then they went to work, and it wasn’t long before Brer Rabbit stomach began to sort of growl and pester him. That butter of Brer Fox sat heavy on his mind, and his mouth water every time he remember about it. Presently he say to himself that he bleedzd ** to have a nip at that butter, and then he lay his plans, he did. First news you know, while they was all working long, Brer Rabbit raise his head quick and fling his ears forward and holler out:
.

“ ‘Here I is. What you want with me?’ and off he put like something was after him.
.

“He sallied around, old Brer Rabbit did, and after he make sure that nobody ain’t following on him, into the spring-house he bounces, and there he stays until he gets a bite of butter. Then he saunter on back and go to work.
.

“ ‘Where you been?’ says Brer Fox, says he.
.

“ ‘I hear my children calling me,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he, ‘and I have to go see what they want. My old woman done gone and took mighty sick,’ says he.
.

“They work on until by and by the butter taste so good that old Brer Rabbit want some more. Then he raise up his head, he did, and holler out:
.

“ ‘Heyo! Hold on! I’m a-comin’!’ and off he put.
.

“This time he stay a right smart while, and when he got back, Brer Fox asked where he been.
.

“ “I been to see my old woman, and she’s a sinkin’,’ says he.
.

“Directly Brer Rabbit hear them calling him again and off he goes, and this time, bless your soul, he gets the butter out so clean that he can see himself in the bottom of the bucket. He scrape it clean and lick it dry, and then he go back to work looking most same than a nigger what the patter-rollers *** been had a hold of.
.

“ ‘How’s your old woman this time?’ says Brer Fox, says he.
.

“ ‘I’m obliged to you, Brer Fox, says Brer Rabbit, says he, ‘but I’m feared she’s done gone by now,’ and that sort of make Brer Fox and Brer Possum feel in moanin’ **** with Brer Rabbit.
.

“By and by, when dinner –time come, they all got out of vittles, but Brer Rabbit keep on lookin’ lonesome, and Brer Fox and Brer Possum they sort of rustle around for to see if they can’t make Brer Rabbit feel sort of splimmy.”
.

“What is that, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy.

“Sort of splimmy-splammy, honey – sort of like he in a crowd – sort of like his old woman ain’t dead as she mout ***** be. You know how folks does when they gets where people’s a-moanin’.” ****
.

The little boy didn’t know, fortunately for him, and Uncle Remus went on:
.

“Brer Fox and Brer Possum rustle around, they did, getting out the vittles, and by and by Brer Fox he say, says he:
.

“ ‘Brer Possum, you run down to the spring and fetch the butter, and I’ll sail around you and set the table,’ says he.
.

“Brer Possum, he lop off after the butter, and directly her he come lopin’ back with his ears a tremblin’ and his tongue a hangin’ out. Brer Fox, he holler out:
.

“ ‘What the matter now, Brer Possum? Says he.

“ ‘You all better run here, folks,’ says Brer Possum, says he. ‘The last drop of that butter done gone!’
.

“ ‘Where she gone?’ says Brer Fox, says he.
.

“ ‘Look like she dry up,’ says Brer Possum, says he.
.

“Then Brer Rabbit, he look sort of solemn, he did, and he up and say, says he.
.

“ ‘I expect that butter melt in somebody mouth,’ says he.
.

“Then they went down to the spring with Brer Possum, and sure enough the butter done gone. While they was disputin’ over the wonderment, Brer Rabbit say he see tracks all around there, and he point out that if they’ll all go to sleep, he can catch the chap what stole the butter. Then they all lie down and Brer Fox and Brer Possum they soone dropped off to sleep, but Brer Rabbit he stay awake, and when the time come he raise up easy and smear Brer Possum’s mouth with the butter on his paws, and then he run off and nibble up the best of the dinner what they left layin’ out, and then he come back and wake up Brer fox, and sho him the butter on Brer Possum’s mouth. Then they wake up Brer Possum, and tell him about it, but of course Brer Possum deny it o the last. Brer Fox, though, he’s a kind of lawyer, and he argue this way – that Brer Possum was the first one at the butter, and the first one for to miss it, and more than that, there hand the signs on his mouth. Brer Possum see that they got him jammed up on a corner, and then he up and say that the way for to catch the man what stole the butter is to build a big brush-heap and set her afire, and all hands try to jump over, and the one what fall in, then he the chap what stole the butter. Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox they both agree, they did, and they whirl in and build the brush-heap, and they build her high and they build her wide, and then they touch her off. When she got to blazin’ up good, Brer Rabbit, he took the first turn. He sort of step back, and look around and giggle, and over he went more samer than a bird flying. Then come Brer Fox. He got back a little further, and spit on his hands, and lit out and makd the jump, and he come so nigh getting in that that the end of his tail catch afire. Ain’t you never see no fox, honey? Inquired Uncle Remus, in a tone that implied both conciliation and information.
.

The little boy though probably he had, but he wouldn’t commit himself.
.

“Well, then,” continued the old man, "next time you see one of them, you look right close nd see if the end of his tail ain't white. It's just like I tell you. They b'ars are scared of that brush-heap to this day. They are marked -- that's what they is - they are marked."

"And what about Brother Possum?" asked the little boy.

"Old Brer Possum, he took a running start, he did, and he come lumberin' along, and hn he lit -- kerblam! --right in the middle of the fire, and that was the last of old Brer Possum."

"But, Uncle Remus, Brother Possum didn't steal the butter after all," said the little boy, who was not at all satisfied with such summary injustice.

"That's what make I say what I does, honey. In this world, lots of folks have got to suffer for other folks sins. Look like it's mighty on wrong; but it's just that way. Tribulation seem like she's a-waitin' 'round the corner for to catch one and all of us, honey."

………………………………………………………………..

* Bunching their perwishuns together – their provisions, food

** Bleedzd to - bleeds to – is very anxious to

*** pater-rollers – patrollers, whites who monitored the area, and the people on and off the roads of it, focusing on blacks being where the patrollers thought they should not.

**** feel in moanin’; a-moanin' – in mourning?

***** mout be – might be?

XVI. Translation. Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman

2010-08-06T12:33:00.006-04:00

XVI

OLD MR. RABBIT, HE’S A GOOD FISHERMAN

“Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox was like some children what I knows of,” said Uncle Remus, regarding the little boy, who had come to hear another story, with an affection of great solemnity. “Both of them was always after one another, a prankin’ and a pesterin’ around, but Brer Rabbit did have some peace, cause Brer Fox got skittish about puttin’ the clamps * on Brer Rabbit.
.

“One day, when Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox, and Brer Coon, and Brer B’ar, and a whole lot of them was clearin’ up a new ground for to plant a roasting ear patch **, the sun began to get sort of hot, and Brer Rabbit he got tired; but he didn’t let on, because he feared the balance of them would call him lazy, and he keep on toting off trash and piling up brush, until by and by he holler out that he got a briar in his hand and then he take and slip off, and hunt for cool place for to rest. After while he come across a well with a bucket hanging in it.
.

“ ‘That look cool,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he, ‘and cool I expect she is. I’ll just about get in there and take a nap,’ and with that in he jump, he did, and he ain’t no sooner fix himself than the bucket began to go down.
.

“Wasn’t the Rabbit scared, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy.
.

“Honey, there ain’t been no worser scared beast since the world began than this here same Brer Rabbit. He fairly had a ager. *** He know where he come from, but he don’t know where he going. Directly, he feel the bucket hit the water, and there she sat, but Brer Rabbit he keep mighty still, because he don’t know what minute going to be the next. He just lay there and shook and shiver.
.

“Brer Fox always got one eye on Brer Rabbit, and when he slip off from the new ground, Brer Fox he sneak after him. He know Brer Rabbit was after some project or another, and he took and crept off, he did, and watch him. Brer Fox see Brer Rabbit come to the well and stop, and then he see him jump in the bucket, and then, no and behold, he see him go down out of sight. Brer Fox was the most astonished Fox that you ever laid eyes on. He sat off there in the bushes and study and study but he don’t make no heads nor tails to this kind of business. Then he say to himself, says he:
.

“ ‘Well, if this don’t bang my times,’ says he, ‘then Joe's dead and Sal’s a widow. Right down there in that well Brer Rabbit keeps his money hid, and if it ain’t that then he done gone and discovered a gold mine, and if it ain’t that, then I’m a-gonna see what’s in there, ‘ says he.
.

“Brer Fox crept up a little nigher, he did, and listen, but he don’t hear no fuss, and he keep on gettin’ nigher, and yet he don’t hear nothing. Al this time Brer Rabbit mighty nigh scared out of his skin, and he feared for to move because the bucket might keel over and spill him out in the water. While he saying his prayers over like a train of cars runnin’, old Brer Fox holler out:
.

“ ‘Heyo, Brer Rabbit! Who you with sittin’ down there?’ says he.
.

“ ‘Who? Me? Oh, I’m just a fishin’, Brer Fox,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he. ‘I just say to myself that I’d sort of surprise you all with a mess of fishes for dinner, and so here I is, and there’s the fishes. I’m a fishin’ for suckers, Brer Fox,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he.
.

“ ‘Is there many of them down there, Brer Rabbit?’ says Brer Fox, says he.
.

“ ‘Lots of them, Brer Fox; scores and scores of them. The water is naturally alive with them. Come down and help me haul them in, Brer Fox,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he.
.

“ ‘How I going to get down, Brer Rabbit?’
.

“ ‘Jump into the bucket, Brer Fox. It’ll fetch you down all safe and sound.’
.

“Brer Rabbit talk so happy and talk so sweet that Brer Fox he jump in the bucket, he did, and he went down, because his weight pulled Brer Rabbit up. When they pass one another on the half-way ground, Brer Rabbit he sing out:
.

“ ‘Good-by, Brer Fox, take care your clothes,

For this is the way the world goes;

Some goes up and some goes down,

You’ll get to the bottom all safe and sound.’ ****

“When Brer Rabbit got out, he gallop off and told the folks what the well belong to that Brer Fox was down in there muddying up the drinkin’ water, and then he gallop back to the well, and holler down to Brer Fox:
.

“ ‘Here come a man with a great big gun –

When he haul you up, you jump and run.’ “
.

“What then, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy, as the old man paused.
.

“In just about half an hour, honey, both of them was back in the new ground, working just like they never heard of no well, except that every now and then Brer Rabbit would bust out in the laugh, and Old Brer Fox, he’d get a spell of the dry grins.”

…………………………………………………………

*Puttin’ the clamps on Brer Rabbit – Is this clamping a way of castrating. See the fate of this poor fellow on the wrong side of Judgment Day, a clamping fate inflicted by the gleeful imp, about third from the right. Bern Cathedral, Switzerland.

A Judgment Day clamping, imp and sinner, Bern Cathedral, Switzerland

** roasting corn; tougher than sweet eating corn

*** fairly had a ager – could be ague: illness with fever, shivers, paroxysms, see ://www.medterm.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10965; or agida, heartburn, eart palpitations, a fit of some kind. See etymology of ague at http://www.20kweb.com/etymology_dictionary_A/origin_of_the_word_ague.htm

**** Some goes up and some goes down, bottom safe and sound: There is a footnote to a single asterisk in the text here, and the footnote reads: “As a Northern friend suggests that this story may be somewhat obscure, it may be as well to state that the well is supposed to be supplied with a rope over a wheel, or pulley, with a basket at each end.”

XV. Translation. Mr. Fox Goes a-Hunting, but Mr. Rabbit Bags the Game

2010-06-07T13:43:00.003-04:00

MR. FOX GOES A-HUNTING, BUT MR. RABBIT BAGS THE GAME

“After Brer Fox hear about how Brer Rabbit done Brer Wolf,” said Uncle Remus, scratching his head with the point of his awl, “he allowed, he did, that he better not be so brash, and he sort of let Brer Rabbit alone. They was all the time seeing one another, and abundance of times Brer Fox could have nabbed Brer Rabbit, but every time he got the chance, his mind would sort of resume about Brer Wold, and he let Brer Rabbit alone. By and by, they begun to get kind of familiar with one another like they used to, and it got so Brer Fox’d call on Brer Rabbit, and they’d set up and smoke their pipes, they would, like no harsh feelings had ever rested betwixt them.

“At last, one day Brer Fox come alone all rigged out , and asked Brer Rabbit for to go hunting with him, but Brer Rabbit, he sort of feel lazy, and he tell Brer Fox that he got some other fish for to fry. Brer Fox feel mighty sorry, he did, but he say he believe he try his hand anyhow, and off he put. He was gone all day, and he had a monstrous streak of luck, Brer Fox did, and he bagged a sight of game. By and by, towards the shank of the evening, Brer Rabbit sort of stretched himself, he did, and allow it’s almost time for Brer Fox for to get along home. Then Brer Rabbit, he went and mounted a stump for to see if he could hear Brer Fox coming. He ain’s been there long, until sure enough, here come Brer Fox through the woods, singing like a nigger at a frolic. Brer Rabbit, he leaped down off of the stump, he did, and lay down in the road and make like he’s dead. Brer Fox he come along, he did, and see Brer Rabbit layin’ there. He turned him over, he did, and examined him, and say, says he:

“ ‘This here rabbit dead. He look like he been dead long time. He dead, but he mighty fat. He the fattest rabbit what I ever see, but he been dead too long. I feared to take him home,' says he.

“Brer Rabbit ain’t saying nothing. Brer Fox, he sort of lick his chops, but he went on and left Brer Rabbit laying in the road. Directly he was out of sight, Brer Rabbit, he jump up, he did , and run around through the woods and get before Brer Fox again. Brer Fox, he come up, and there lay Brer Rabbit, apparently cold and stiff. Brer Fox, he look at Brer Rabbit, and he sort of study. After while, he unslung his game-bag, and say go himself, says he:

“ ‘These here rabbits going to waste. I’ll just about leave my game here, and I’ll go back and get that other rabbit, and I’ll make folks believe that I’m old man Hunter from Huntsville,' says he.

“And with that he dropped his game and loped back up the road after the other rabbit, and when he got out of sight, old Brer Rabbit, he snatch up Brer Fox game and put out for home. Next time he see Brer Fox he holler out:

“ ‘What you kill the other day, Brer Fox,' says he.

“Then Brer Fox, he sort of comb his flank with his tongue, and holler back:

“ ‘I caught a handful of hard sense, Brer Rabbit,’ says he.

“Then old Brer Rabbit, he laugh, he did, and up and respond, says he:

“ ‘If I’d have known you was after that, Brer Fox, I’d have loaned you some of mine,’ says he.”

..............................

A Story of the War

2010-03-18T18:49:00.002-04:00

A STORY OF THE WAR

Translation where there is dialect

When Miss Theodosia Huntingdon *, of Burlington, Vermont, concluded to come South in 1870, she was moved by three considerations. In the first place, her brother, John Huntingdon, had become a citizen of Georgia -- having astonished his acquaintances by marrying a young lady, the male members of whose family had achieved considerable distinction in the Confederate army; in the second place, she was anxious to explore a region which she almost unconsciously pictured to herself as remove and semi-barbarous; and, in the third place, her friends had persuaded her that to some extent she was an invalid. It was in vain that she argued with herself as to the propriety of undertaking the journey alone and unprotected, and she finally put an end to inward and outward doubts by informing herself and her friends, including John Huntingdon, her brother, who was practicing law in Atlanta, that she decided to visit the South.

When, therefore, on the 12th of October, 1870 -- the date is duly recorded in one of Miss Theodosia's letters -- she alighted from the cars in Atlanta, in the midst of a great crowd, she fully expected to find her brother waiting to receive her. The bells of several locomotives were ringing, a number of trains went moving in and out, and the porters and baggage-men were screaming and bawling to such an extent that for several moments Miss Huntingdon was considerably confused; so much so that she paused in the hope that her brother would suddenly appear and rescue her from the smoke, and dust, and dirt. At that moment someone touched her on the arm, and she heard a strong, half-confident, half-apologetic voice exclaim:

"Ain't this here Miss Doshy?"

Turning, Miss Theodosia saw at her side a tall, gray-haired negro. Elaborating the incident afterward to her friends, she was pleased to say that the appearance of the old man was somewhat picturesque. He stood towering above her, his hat in one hand, a carriage-whip in the other, and an expectant smile lighting up his rugged face. She remembered a name her brother had often used in his letters, and, with a woman's tact, she held out her hand, and said:

"Is this Uncle Remus?"

"Lord, Miss Doshy! How you know the old nigger? I knew you by the favor *; but how you know me?" And then, without waiting for a reply: "Miss Sally, she sick in bed, and Master John, he bleeds to go * in the country, and they took and sent me. I knew you the minute I laid eyes on you . Time I saw you, I say to myself, 'I lay * there's Miss Doshy,' and sure enough, there you was. You haven't given up your checks, have you? 'Cause I'll get the trunk sent up by the express wagon."

The next moment Uncle Remus was elbowing his way unceremoniously through the crowd, and in a very short time, seated in the carriage driven by the old man, Miss Huntingdon was wheeling through the streets of Atlanta in the direction of her brother's home. She took advantage of the opportunity to study the old negro's face closely, her natural curiosity considerably sharpened by a knowledge of the fact that Uncle Remus had played an important part in her brother's history. The result of her observation must have been satisfactory, for presently she laughed, and said:

"Uncle Remus, you haven't told me how you knew me in that great crowd."

The old man chuckled, and gave the horses a gentle rap with the whip.

"Who? Me! I knew you by the favor. That boy of Master John's is the very spit and image of you. I'd have known you in New Orleans, let alone down there in the car-shed."

This was Miss Theodosia's introduction to Uncle Remus. One Sunday afternoon, a few weeks after her arrival, the family were assembled in the piazza enjoying the mild weather. Mr. Huntingdon was reading a newspaper; his wife was crooning softly as she rocked the baby to sleep; and the little boy was endeavoring to show his Aunt Dosia the outlines of Kenesaw Mountain through the puruple haze that hung like a wonderfully fashioned curtain in the sky and almost obliterated the horizon. While they were thus engaged, Uncle Remus came around the corner of the house, talking to himself.

"They are too lazy to work," he was saying, "and they expects honest folks for to stand up and support them. I'm going down to Putmon County * where Master James is -- that's what I'm a-going to do."

"What's the matter now, Uncle Remus?" inquired Mr. Huntingdon, folding up his newspaper.

"Nothing at all, Master John, exceptin' these your sunshine niggers. They begs my tobacco, and borrows my tools, and steals my vittles *, and it's come to that pass, that I got to pack up and go. I'm a-going down to Putmon, that's what.

Uncle Remus was accustomed to make this threat several times a day, but upon this oocasion it seemed to remind Mr. Huntingdon of somethig.

"Very well," he said, "I'll come around and help you pack up, but before you go I want you to tell Sister here how you went to war and fought for the Union -- Remus was a famous warrior," he continued, turning to Miss Theodosia; "he volunteered for one day and commanded an army of one. You know the story, but you have never heard Remus's version."

Uncle Remus shuffled around in an awkward, embarrassed way, scratched his head, and looked uncomfortable.

"Miss Doshy ain't got no time for to sit there and hear the old nigger run on."

"Oh, yes, I have, Uncle Remus!" exclaimed the young lady; "plenty of time."

The upshot of it was that, after many ridiculous protests, Uncle Remus sat down on the steps, and proceeded to tell his story of the war. Miss Theodosia listened with great interest, but throughout it all she observed -- and she was painfully conscious of the fact , as she after ward admitted -- that Uncle Remus spoke from the standpoint of a Southerner, and with the air of one who expected his hearers to thoroughly synpathize with him.

"Course," said Uncle Remus, addressing himself to Miss Theodosia, "you ain't been to Putmon, and you don't know where the Brad Slaughter place in Harmony Grove is, but Master John and Miss Sally, they been there a time or two, and they knows how the land lays. Well, then, it is right along in there where Master James lived, and where his lives ow. When the war come along, he was living there longer (than) Old Miss and Miss Sally. Old Miss was his ma, and Miss Sally there was his sister. The war come just like I tell you, and matters sort of rock along same like they always did. It didn't strike me that there was any war going on, and if I hadn't sort of miss the neighbors, and seen folks going out of the way for to ask the news, I have allowed to myself that the war was away off among some other country. But all this time the fus was going on, and Master James, he was just itchin' for to put in. Old Miss and Miss Sally,they took on so he didn't get off the first year, but by and by news come down that times was gettin' pretty hot, and Master James he got up, he did, and say he got to go, and go he did. He got a overseer for to look after the place, and he went and joined the army. And he was a fighter, to, man, Master James was. Many's and many's the time, " continued the old man, reflectively, "that I had to take and bresh * on account of his abusin' and beatin' them other boys. He went off there for to fight, and he fit. Old Miss used to call me up Sunday and read what the papers say 'bout Master James, and it hoped her up mightily. I can see her just like it was yesterday.

" 'Remus,' says she, 'this here's what the papers say about my baby,' and then she'd read out until she couldn't read for crying. It went on this way year in and year out, and them was lonesome times, sure's you're born, Miss Doshy -- lonesome times, sure. It got hotter and hotter in the war, and lonesomer and more lonesomer at home, and by and by along come the conscrip-man *, and he just everlastingly scoop up Master James' overseer *. When this come about, old Miss, she sent after me and say, says she:

" 'Remus, I ain't got nobody for to look after the place but you,' says she, and then I up and say, says I:

" 'Mistress, you can just depend on the old nigger.'

"I was old then, Miss Doshy -- let alone what I is now; and you better believe I bossed them hands. I had them niggers up in the field long before day, and the way they did work was a caution.l If they didn't earn their vittles that season then I ain't name Remus. But they was took care of. They had plenty of clothes and plenty of grub, and they was the fattest niggers in the settlement.

"By and by one day, Old Miss, she call me up and say the Yankees done gone and took Atlanta -- this here very town; then presently I hear they was a marchin' on down towards Putmon, and, lo and behold! one day, the first news I knew, Master James he rid up with a whole gang of men. He just stopped long enough for to change horses and snatch a mouthful of something to eat, but before he rid off, he call me up and say, says he:

" 'Daddy' -- all Old Miss's children call me daddy -- 'Daddy," he say, ' it appears like there 's going to be mighty rough times around here. The Yankees, they are done got to Madison * and Mounticellar *, and it won't be many days before they are down here. It ain't likely they'll pester mother nor sister; but daddy, if the worst come to the worst, I expect you to take care of them, says he.

"Then I say, says I" 'How long you been knowing me, Master James?" says I.

" 'Since I was a baby,' says he.

" 'Well, then, Master James,' says I, 'you know'd it wasn't no use for to ask me to take care of Old Miss and Miss Sally.'

"Then he took and squeezed my hand and jump on the filly I been saving for him, and rid off. One time he turn around and look like he want to say something, but he just wave his hand - so - and gallop on. I knowed then that trouble was brewing. Nigger that knows he's going to get thumped can sort of fix himself, and I took and fix up like the war was going to come right in at the front gate. I took all the cattle and horses together and drive them to the four-mile place, and I took all the corn and fodder en wheat, and put them in a crib out there in the woods; and I built me a pen in the swamp, and there I put the hogs. Then, when I fix all this, I put on my Sunday clothes and ground my axe. Two whole days I ground that axe. The grindstone was in sight of the gate and close to the big house, and there I took my stand.'

"By and by one day, here come the Yankees. Two of them came first, and then the whole face of the earth swarmed with them. The first glimpse I catch of them, I took my axe and march into Old Miss' sitting room. She done had the sideboard moved in there, and I wish I may drop if it wasn't fairly blazing with silver -- silver cups and silver saucers, silver places and silver dishes, silver mugs and silver pitchers. Look like to me they was fixin' for a weddin'. There sat Old Miss just as prim and as proud as if she owned the whole county. This kinder hope me up, 'cause I done seen Old Miss look that way once before when the overseer struck me in the face with a whip.l I sat down by the fire with my axe between my knees. There we sat, whiles the Yankees ransack the place. Miss Sally, there, she got sort of restless, but Old Miss didn't scarcely bat her eyes. By and by, we hear steps on the piazza, and here come a couple of young fellers with straps on their shoulders, and their swords dragging on the floor, and their spurs a-rattling. I won't say I was scared," said Uncle Remus, as though endeavoring to recall something he failed to remember, "I won't say I was scared, 'cause I wasn't; but I was taken with a mighty funny feeling in the neighborhood of the gizzard. They was mighty polite, them young chaps was; but Old Miss, she never turn her head, and Miss Sally, she look straight at the fire. By and by one of them see me, and he say, says he:

" 'Hello, old man, what you doing in here?' says he.

" 'Well, boss,' says I, 'I been cutting some wood for Old Miss, and I just stop for to warm my hand a little,' says I.

" 'It is cold, that's a fact,' says he.

"With that I got up and took my stand behind Old Miss and Miss Sally, ad the man what speak, he went up and warm his hands. First thing you know, he raise up sudden, and say, says he:

" 'What's that on your axe?'

" 'That 's the fire shining on it,' sayus I.

" 'It look like blood,' says he, and then he left.

"But bless your soul, that man wouldn't never left that day if he's knowed the workings of Remus' mind. But they didn't bother nobody nor touch nothing, and by and by they put out. Well, the Yankees, they kept passing all the morning and it look to me there was a string of them ten miles long. Then they commence getting thinner and thinner, and then after a while we hear skirmishing in the neigtborhood of Armer's ferry, and Old Miss allowed how that was Wheeler's men making pursuit. Master James was with them Wheeler fellers, and I knowed if they was that close I wasn't doing no good sitting 'round the house toasting my shins at the fire, so I just took Master James' rifle from behind the door and put out to look after my stock.

"Seem like I ain't never seen no raw day like that, neither before nor since. There wasn't no rain, but the wet just sifted down ; mighty raw day. The leaves on the ground was so wet they don't make no fuss, and I got in the woods, and whenever I hear the Yankees going by, I just stop in my tracks and let them pass. I was standing that way in the edge of the woods looking out across a clearing, when -- piff! -- out come a little bunch of blue smoke from the top of one of them big lonesome-looking pines, and then -- pow!

Says I to myself, says I" 'Honey, you're right on my route, and I'll just see what kind of burd you got roostin' in you, and while I was a lookin' out bus' (?) (past?) the smoke -- piff! -- and then -- bang! With that I just dropped back into the woods, and sort of skirted around so as to get the tree betwixt me and the road. I slid up pretty close, and what do you expect I see? Just as sure's you're settin' there listenin', they was a live Yankee up there in that tree, and he was a loadin' and a shootin' at the boys just as cool as a cucumber in the jaw, and he had his horse hitched out in the bushes, 'cause I hear the creature trompling around. He had a spy-glass up there, and whiles I was a watchin' on him, he raise her up and look through her, and then he lay her down and fix his gun for to shoot. I had good eyes in them days, if I ain't got them now, and 'way up the big road I see Master James a-comin'. It was too far to see his face, but I knew him by the filly what I raise for him, and she was a prancin' like a school-girl. I knew that man was going to shoot Master James if he could, and that was more than I could stand. Many and many the time that I nurse that boy, and held him in these arms, and toted him on this back, and when I see that Yankee lay that gun across a limb and take aim at Master James I up with my old rifle, and shut my eyes and let the man have all she had."

"Do you mean to say," exclaimed Miss Theodosia, indignantly, "that you shot the Union soldier, when you knew he was fighting for your freedom?"

" 'Course, I know all about that," responded Uncle Remus, "and it sort of made cold chills run up my back' but when I see that man take aim, and Master James going home to Old Miss and Miss Sally, I just disremembered all about freedom and lammed loose.l And then, after that, me and Miss Sally took and nursed the man right straight along. He lost one arm in that tree business, but me and Miss Sally we nursed him and we nursed him until he done got well. Just about that time I quit nursing him, but Miss Sally, she kept on. She kept on," continued Uncle Remus, pointing to Mr. Huntingdon, "and now there he is."

"But you cost him an arm," exclaimed Miss Theodosia.

"I gin * him them," said Uncle Remus, pointing to Mrs. Huntingdon, "and I gin him these" -- holding up his own brawny arms. "And if them ain't enough for any man, then I done lost the way."

...........................................

Mini-glossary

Bleedzd ter, or bleeds to, do something: want very much to do it? has to?

Conscrip-man: From conscription, the act of compulsory recruiting, signing up people for the military - the Draft.

In the South, the 1862 Conscription Act enacted by the Confederate Congress made men between 18 and 35 required to serve for three years. This was needed: compare manpower in terms of non-slaves North and South: North had 23 million people in 23 states. South had only 9 million people, and of those, 3.5 million were slaves, see http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USACWconscriptionC.htm, leaving an eligible population (from that we have to back out the right gender-age bracket not calculated out here) 5.5 million total non-slaves South, against 23 million total non-slaves North.

How many in each total population, North or South, were male and between 18-35, we do not know.

Bresh - refers to brush, or brushwood, so that to bresh would be to take some brushwood to someone, swat. See Webster's Gullah-English Thesaurus Dictionary (2008)

Gin - as in "I gin" -- Not completely clear, but possibly am going to, as in give, as in the future. See 'The word gine (as in "going to") is usually used to mark the future tense e.g. I gine and eat = "I am going to eat".' See dialects and creoles at http://wapedia.mobi/en/Bajan/ Scroll down with a "find" at that site for "gin" and you will see "going". The sense might be here that he gave the man in the tree his family and his arm, and did not take his life. Is that so?

Know someone "by the favor" - meaning the person favors or resembles another, in similar appearance, here Theodosia to the son of her brother, Master Huntingdon: the little boy.

I lay - I bet. A lay bet. See types of bets at http://www.online-betting-guide.co.uk/school/bet_types.php. The "lay bet", however, is a bet that the thing will not win. Not win. Lay bet = Lay a horse and if the horse loses, you win. Lay a horse and if the horse wins, you lose. See Online Betting Guide. Other bets: win, each-way, place, etc.

Madison and Mounticellar GA - Madison is a town about an hour away from Atlanta, that calls itself the town that Sherman refused to burn, see http://www.madisonga.org/ It has been the county seat since 1807. Mounticellar refers to Monticello GA, a town also nearby. See http://monticelloga.org/

Miss Theodosia Huntingdon - Sister of Master John, husband of Aunt Sally, see http://books.google.com/books?id=L3qQYDOzXn0C&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=Theodosia+Huntingdon&source=bl&ots=xLybUQlf31&sig=ifCMR3M0oCqJrVGcsrajd7on6Jw&hl=en&ei=gcmXS_PbG8KUtgeY18TkAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CCMQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Theodosia%20Huntingdon&f=false/

Overseer: One who directs the labor of others. See://www.thefreedictionary.com/overseer/. This was often a White supervisor, lower class than the owner, often with whip, managing slaves in the fields. See discussion of the role at Crafting the Overseer's Image at http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/lhr/26.2/br_11.html/

Putmon County - we see Putnam County, south of Atlanta, halfway or so to Tallahassee FL, but not Putmon. Putmon is a common last name, however.

Vittles - from 14th or 15th century words, "victuals", http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vittles; http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/victuals. Middle English vitaille, Anglo-French victuale; Late Latin victualia, Supplies of food, provisions.

His Songs: IX. Time Goes By Turns

2010-03-10T11:28:00.002-05:00

HIS SONGS

Translation

IX. TIME GOES BY TURNS

There's a powerful wrestle betwixt the Good and the Bad,

And the Bad's got the all-under-hold;

And when the worst comes, she come in iron-clad,

And you better hold your breath for the jolt.

But just towards the last, Good gets the knee-lock,

And they drop to the ground -- ker flop!

Good had the inturn (?), and he stand like a rock,

And he bleeds for to be on top.

The dry weather breaks with a big thunder-clap,

For theere ain't no drought what can last,

But the seasons what whoops up the cotton crop,

Likewise they freshens up the grass.

The rain fall so soft in the long dark night,

'Til you have to hold your hand for a sign,

But the drizzle what sets the potato-slips right

Is the making of the May-pop vine.

In the mellowest ground the clay root'll catch

And hold to the tongue * of the plow,

And a pine-pole gate at the garden-patch

Never'll keep out the old brindle cow.

One and all of us knows who's a-pullin' at the bits

Like the lead-mule that guides by the rein,

And yet, somehow or another, the best one of us gets

Mighty sick of the tuggin' at the chain.

Hump yourself to the load and forget the distress,

And them what stands by to scoff,

For the harder the pullin', the longer the rest,

And the bigger the feed in the trough.

........................................................................

Mini-glossary

* tongue - parts of a plow - We did not see the tongue, but see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plough/; then visit the towing tongue at a discussion of a chisel plow, at http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4106568.html/

Here is a walking plow, fair use thumbnail from http://ruralheritage.com

XIV. Translation: Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs

2010-03-10T10:52:00.003-05:00

XIV

MR. FOX AND THE DECEITFUL FROGS

When the little boy ran in to see Uncle Remus the night after he had told him of the awful fate of Brer Wolf, the only response to his greeting was:

"I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker!"

No explanation could convey an adequate idea of the intonation and pronunciation which Uncle Remus brought to bear upon this wonderful word. Those who can recall to mind the peculiar gurgling, jerking, liquid sound made by pouring water from a large jug, or the sound produced by throwing several stones in rapid succession into a pond of deep water, may be able to form a very faint idea of the sound, but it can not be reproduced in print. The little boy was astonished.

“What did you say, Uncle Remus?”

“I-doom-er-ker-kum mer-ker! I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker!”

“What is that?”

“That’s Terrapin * talk, that is. Bless your soul, honey,” continued the old man, brightening up, “when you get old as me – when you see what I sees, and hear what I hears – the creatures that you can’t talk with’ll be mighty scarce – they will that. Why, there’s there old gray rat what uses about here, and time after time he comes out when you all done gone to bed and sets up there in the corner and dozes, and me and him talks by the hour; and what that old rat don’t know ain’t down in the spelling book. Just now, when you run in and broke me up, I was fetching into my mind what Brother Terrapin say to Brer Fox when he turned him loose in the branch.”

“What did he say, Uncle Remus?”

“That what he said –I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! Brer Terrapin was at the bottom ofa the pond, and he talk back, he did, in bubbles – I-doomer-ker-kum-er-ker! Brer Fox, he ain’t saying nothing, but Brer Bull-Frog, sitting on the bank, he hear Brother Terrapin, he did, and he holler back:

“ ‘Jug-er-rum-kum-dum! Jug-er-rum-kum-dum!

“Then another Frog holler out:

“ ‘Knee-deep! Knee’deep!’

“Then old Brer Bull-Frog, he holler back:

“ ‘Don’t-you-believe-him! Don’t-you-believe-him!’

“Then the bubbles come up from Brer Terrapin:

“ ‘I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker!’

“Then another Frog sing out:

“ ‘ Wade in! Wade in!”

“Then old Brer Bull-frog talk through his hoarseness:

‘ ‘There-you’ll-find-your-brother! There-you’ll find-your-brother!’

“Sure enough, Brer Fox look over the bank, he did, and there was another Fox looking at him out of the water. Then he reached out for to shake hands, and in he went, heels over head, and Brer Terrapin bubble out:

“I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker!”

“Was the Fox drowned, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy.

“He weren’t exactly drowned, honey,” replied the old man, with an air of cautious reserve. “He did manage for to scramble out, but a little more and the Mud Turtle would have got him, and then he’d have been made hash and the world without him.’

..................................................
* Mini-Glossary

Terrapin - The malaclemus terrapin, or diamond-back; a kind of turtle living in brackish water, part salt, at coastal lowlands, swamps, in the US, at the east and south.

Fair use thumbnail of a terrapin from http://people.dot.wcsu.edu/

XIII. Translation: The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf

2010-03-10T10:36:00.003-05:00

XIII

THE AWFUL FATE OF MR. WOLF

Uncle Remus was half-soling * one of his shoes, and his Miss Sally’s little boy had been handling his awls *, his hammers, and his knives to such an extent that the old man was compelled to assume a threatening attitude; but peace reigned again, and the little boy perched himself on a chair, watching Uncle Remus driving in pegs.

“Folks what’s always pesterin’ people, and bothering too long with what ain’t done, don’t never come to no good end. There was Brer Wolf; instead of minding on his own business, he had to take and go in partnership with Brer Fox. And there wasn’t scarcely a minute in the day that he wasn’t after Brer Rabbit. And he kept on and kept on, until first news you knew, he got caught up with – and he got caught up with monstrous bad.”

“Goodness, Uncle Remus! I thought the Wolf let the Rabbit alone, after he tried to fool him about the Fox being dead.”

“Better let me tell this here my way. By and by, it’ll be your bed time, and Miss Sally’ll be hollerin’ after you, and you’ll be a whimpling around, and then Master John’ll fetch up the rear with that there strap what I made for him.”

The child laughed, and playfully shook his fist in the simple, serious face of the venerable old darkey, but said no more. Uncle Remus waited awhile to be sure there was to be no other demonstration, and then proceeded:

“Brer Rabbit ain’t see no peace whatsoever. He can’t leave home except Brer Wolf would make a raid and tote off some of the family. Brer Rabbit built him a straw house, and it was torn down; then he made a house out of pine-tops, and that went the same way; then he made him a bark house, and that was raided on, and every time he lost a house he lost one of his children. At last Brer Rabbit got mad, he did, and cussed *, and then he went off, he did, and got some carpenters, and they built him a plank house with rock foundations.

"After that he could have some peace and quietness. He could go out and pass the time of day with his neighbors, and come back and set by the fire, and smoke his pipe, and read the newspapers same like any man what got a family. He made a hole, he did, in the cellar where the little Rabbits could hide out when there was much of a racket in the neighborhood, and the latch of the front door caught on the inside.

"Brer Wolf, he see how the land lay, he did, and he lay low. The little Rabbits was mighty skittish, but it got so that cold chills ain’t run up Brer Rabbit’s back no more when he heard Brer Wolf go galloping by.

“By and by, one day when Brer Rabbit was fixing to call on Miss Coon *, he heard a monstrous fuss and clatter up the big road, and almost before he could fix his ears for to listen, Brer Wolf run in the door. The little Rabbits, they went into their hole in the cellar, they did, like blowing out a candle. Brer Wolf was fairly covered with mud, and mighty nigh out of wind.

“ ‘Oh, do pray save me, Brer Rabbit!’ says Brer Wolf, says he. ‘Do please, Brer Rabbit! the dogs is after me, and they’ll tear me up. Don’t you hear them comin? Oh, do please save me, Brer Rabbit! Hide me somewhere where the dogs won’t get me.’

“No quicker said than done.

“ ‘Jump in that big chest there, Brer Wolf,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he. ‘jump in there and make yourself at home.’

“In jump Brer Wolf, down came the lid, and into the hasp * went the hook, and there Mr. Wolf was. Then Brer Rabbit went to the looking-glass, he did, and winked at himself, and then he drew the rocking chair in front of the fire, he did, and took a big chaw * of tobacco.

“Tobacco, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy, incredulously.

“Rabbit tobacco, honey. You know this here life everlasting * what Miss Sally puts among the clothes in the trunk; well, that’s rabbit tobacco. Then Brer Rabbit sat there a long time, he did, turning his mind over and working his thinking machine. By and by he got up, and sort of stirred around. Then Brer Wolf opened up:

“ ‘Is the dogs all gone, Brer Rabbit?’

“ ‘Seems like I hear one of them smelling around the chimney corner just now.’ “

“Then Brer Rabbit got the kettle and filled it full of water, and put it on the fire.

“ ‘What you doing now, Brer Rabbit?’

“ ‘I’m fixing for to make you a nice cup of tea, Brer Wolf.’

“Then Brer Rabbit went to the cupboard and got the gimlet *, and commenced for to bore little holes in the chest-lid.

“ ‘What you doing now, Brer Rabbit?’

“ ‘I’m boring little holes so you can get breath, Brer Wolf.’

“Then Brer Rabbit went out and got some more wood, and fling it on the fire.

“ ‘What you doing now, Brer Rabbit?

“ ‘I’m a chunkin’ up the fire so you won’t get cold, Brer Wolf.’ “

“Then Brer Rabbit went down in the cellar and fetched out all his children.

“ ‘What you doin’ now, Brer Rabbit?’ “

“ ‘I’m telling my children what a nice man you is, Brer Wolf.’ “

“And the children, they had to put their hands on their mouths for to keep from laughing. Then Brer Rabbit he got the kettle and commenced for to pour the hot water on the chest-lid.

“ ‘What’s that I hear, Brer Rabbit?’ “

“’ ‘You hear the wind a blowin’, Brer Wolf.’

“Then the water began for to sift through.

“ ‘What’s that I feel, Brer Rabbit?’ “

“ ‘Turn over on the other side, Brer Wolf.’ “

“ ‘What’s that I feel now, Brer Rabbit?’ “

“ ‘Still you feels the fleas, Brer Wolf.’ “

“’ ‘They’re eating me up, Brer Rabbit,’ and them was the last words of Brer Wolf, cause the scalding water did the business.

“Then Brer Rabbit called in his neighbors, he did, and they held a regular jubilee; and if you go to Brer Rabbit’s house right now, I don’t know, but what you’ll find Brer Wolf’s hide hanging in the back porch, and all because he was so busy with other folks’ business.

The Awful Fate of Brer Wolf

.
...............................................................
Photo: See http://hatpinscollection.blogspot.com/2008/07/animals.html
..............................................................
* Mini-glossary:

Awl: a sharp, pointed tool, see varieties and uses at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-awl.htm/ A shoemaker's awl is curved, and is used as a big needle would be, to poke the holes and sew the soles to the uppers. Patron saint? St. Crispin, who was a shoemaker, and the awl is sometimes called 'St. Crispin's lance'

Chaw of tobacco: A chew of it, see http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_chaw_and_plug_of_tobacco/

Cuss: curse

Gimlet: A kind of hand drill, see http://www.wisegeek.com/s/gimlet/ See some simple ones at http://www.garrettwade.com/product.asp?pn=37J03.04&bhcd2=1266509115/

Half-sole: The part of the sole of a shoe from arch to toe (not the heel part)

Hasp: A fastening device, especially for a door or lid, where a flap fits over a protruding half-ring or staple sticking out, and then a spike fits through the half ring itself, holding down the flap. See http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hasp/ Here is a picture: http://www.merriam-webster.com/art/dict/hasp.htm

Life everlasting: a botanical, a flower used for cures, see http://www.starwest-botanicals.com/product/1-life-everlasting-flower.html/ But this site about a botanical book, A Modern Herbal, dating from the early 19th Century says it is also known as white plantain, and that the American variety was used by the "aborigines" in America, or Native Americans, and taught to the settlers, see http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/g/gnapha21.html

Miss Coon – is she part of Miss Meadows and the girls, an establishment referenced in Chapter VI, Mr. Rabbit Grossly Deceives Mr. Fox, in the neighborhood? Or an independent contractor?

XII. Translation: Mr. Fox Tackles Old Man Tarrypin

2009-12-18T18:38:00.002-05:00

XII.

MR. FOX TACKLES OLD MAN TARRYPIN *

"One day, said Uncle Remus, sharpening his knife on the palm of his hand -- "one day Brer Fox strike up with Brer Terrapin right in the middle of the big road. Brer Terrapin heard him coming, and he allowed to himself that he'd sort of keep one eye open; but Brer Fox was monstrous polite, and he opened up the confab he did, like he aint' see Brer Terrapin since the last freshit (flash flood). FN 1

" 'Heyo, Brer Terrapin, where you been this long come short?' says Brer Fox, says he.

" ' Lounging around, Brer Fox, lounging around," says Brer Terrapin.

" 'You don't look sprucy like you did, Brer Terrapin,' says Brer Fox, says he.

" 'Lounging around and suffering,' says Brer Terrapin, says he.

" 'Lord, Brer Fox, you don't know what trouble is. You ain't been lounging around and suffering,' says Brer Terrapin, says he.

" 'Both eyes red, and you look like you mighty weak, Brer Terrapin, says he.

" 'What ails you now, Brer Terrapin?' says Brer Fox, says he.

" 'Took a walk, the other day, and man come along and set the field afire. Lord, Brer Fox, you don't know what trouble is,' says Brer Terrapin, says he.

" 'How you get out off the fire, Brer Terrapin,' says he.

" 'Sort of took it, Brer Fox,' says Brer Terrapin, says he. 'Sort of took it, and the smoke sift in my eye, and the fire scorched my back,' says Brer Terrapin, says he.

" 'Likewise it burned your tail off,' says Brer Fox, says he.

" 'Oh no, there's the tail, Brer Fox,' says Brer Terrapin, says he, and with that he uncurled his tail from under the shell, and no sooner did he do that than Brer Fox grab it and holler out:

" 'Oh, yes, Brer Terrapin! Oh yes! And so you're the man what lam me on the head at Mis Meadows's (FN 2) is you? Well, I'm going to out you.'

"Brer Terrapin beg and beg, but it wasn't any use. Brer Fox had been fooled so much that he looked like he was determined to have Brer Terrapin haslett FN 2. Then Brer Terrapin begged Brer Fox not to drown him, but Brer Fox was making no promise, and then he begged Brer Fox to burn him, in case he was used to fire, but Brer Fox don't say nothing. By and by Brer Fox dragged Brer Terrapin off a little ways below the spring-house, and shoves him under the water. The Brer Terrapin begin to holler:

" 'Turn loose that stump root and catch hold of me -- turn loose that stump root and catch hold of me.'

"Brer Fox he holler back:

" 'I ain't got hold of no stump root, and I have got hold of you.'

"Brer Terrapin he kept on hollering:

" 'Catch hold of me -- I'm drowning -- I'm drowning -- turn loose the stump root and catch hold of me.'

"Sure enough, Brer Fox turned loose the tail, and Brer Terrapin, he want down to the bottom -- kerblunkity-blink!"

No typographical combination or description could do justice to the gutteral sonorousness -- the peculiar intonation -- which Uncle Remus imparted to this combination. It was so peculiar, indeed, that the little boy asked:

"How did he go to the bottom, Uncle Remus?"

"Kerblunkity-blink!"

"Was he drowned, Uncle Remus?"

"Who? Ole man Terrapin? Is you drowned when your ma tucks you in the bed?"

"Well, no," replied the little boy, dubiously.

"Ole man Terrapin was at home I tell you, honey. Kerblinkity-blunk!"

.................................................................

* Tarrypin - a terrapin, or kind of "Chelonian" -- of which there appear to be three kinds. One is a turtle (sea-farer), and another is a tortoise (land-lubber). A terrapin, however is different. It lives in or near brackish water, part salt; or fresh water; and its shell is in two parts, joined at the center. Horny mouths, no teeth. See more at http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/animals/animal-facts-terrapin.htm/

FN 1 Freshit. Perhaps a flood, a flash flood. See these references, fair use of tiny bits:

"Y-a-as -- y-a-as," drawled old Toler, "but you know's well as I do that ther great freshit of four year' ago turned that crick outen ther old bed an' it cut right out inter the path of that little brook of mine, ****"

from http://www.archive.org/stream/leftincharge00morrgoog/leftincharge00morrgoog_djvu.txt/.

And this one:
" 'Yes, pard,' he said, 'that's the real stuff an' no mistake. We've struck it now ! An' to think that
that there freshit what we thought was goin' to destroy all our work has jest done the hull thing fer us ! '***"

See http://www.archive.org/stream/outwestland12archrich/outwestland12archrich_djvu.txt/

FN 2. Mis Meadows' is the local ladies entertainment house. What was the event with Brer Tarrypin? Look back at Chapter X - Mr. Terrapin Appears Upon the Scene. Remember that Terrapin is Tarrypin.

FN 3. Haslett - Hash perhaps?? We find "beef haslett" as in this snippet, a gullah archive: When he open he jaw, he throat red like beef haslett or close to that -- in the Lion of Lewisburg section, D

W'en 'e op'n 'e jaw, 'e t'roat red
lukkuh beef haslett!

See http://www.archive.org/stream/blackbordergulla00gonz/blackbordergulla00gonz_djvu.txt

With that Gullah derivation, "have Brer Tarrypin haslett" - have Brer Tarrypin hash?

XI. Translation. Mr. Wolf Makes A Failure

2009-12-13T18:22:00.000-05:00

MR. WOLF MAKES A FAILURE

"I bet your ma got company," said Uncle Remus, as the little boy entered the old man's door with a huge piece of mince-pie in his hand. "And if she ain't got company, then she dropped the cupboard key somewhere where you run up with it."

"Well, I saw the pie lying there, Uncle Remus, and I just thought I'd fetch it out to you."

"To be sure, honey," replied the old man, regarding the child with admiration. "To be sure, honey, that changes matters. Christmas doings is out of date, and they ain't got no business laying around loose. Dish your pie," Uncle Remus continued, holding it up and measuring it with an experienced eye. "Give me strength to pursue after Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit and the other creatures that they roped in along with them."

Here the old man paused, and proceeded to demolish the pie -- a feat accomplished in a very short time. Then he wiped the crumbs from his beard and began:

"Brer Fox felt so bad, and he got so mad 'bout Brer Rabbit, that he didn't know what to do, and he looked mighty down-hearted. By and by, one day while he was going along the road, old Brer Wolf came up with them. When they done howdying and asking after one another's family connection, Brer Wolf, he allowed, he did, that there was something wrong with Brer Fox, and Brer Fox, he allowed there weren't, and he went on and laugh and make great to-do 'cause Brer Wolf looked like he suspected something. But Brer Wolf, he got a mighty long head (FN 1) and he sort of broached about Brer Rabbit's carryings on, because the way that Brer Rabbit deceived Brer Fox had got to be the talk of the neighborhood. Then Brer Fox and Brer Wolf they sort of palavered * on, they did, until by and by Brer Wolf he up and said that he had a plan fixed to trap Brer Rabbit. Then Brer Fox say how. Then Brer Wolf up and tell him that the way to get the drop on Brer Rabbit was to get him in Brer Fox House. Brer Fox knew Brer Rabbit had a hole, and he know that sort of game done wore him to a frazzle, but Brer Wolf, he talked mighty persuading.

" 'How you going to get him there?' says Brer Fox, says he.

" 'Fool him there,' says Brer Wolf, says he.

" 'Who going to do the fooling,' says Brer Fox, says he.

" 'I'll do the fooling,' says Brer Wolf, says he, 'if you'll do the gaming,' says he.

" 'How you going to do it?' says Brer Fox, says he.

" 'You run along home, and get on the bed, and make you're dead, and don't you say nothing until Brer Rabbit comes in and put his hands on to you,' says Brer Wolf, says he, 'and if we don't get him for supper, Joe's dead and Sal's a widow,' says he.

"This looked like a mighty nice game, and Brer Fox agreed. So then he ambled off home, and Brer Wolf, he marched off to Brer Rabbit's house. When he got there, it looked like nobody at home, but Brer Wolf he walk up and knock on the door' --blam! blam! Nobody came. Then he let loose and knock again -- blim! blim!

" 'Who's there?" says Brer Rabbit, says he.

" 'Friend,' says Brer wolf.

" 'Too many friends spoils the dinner,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, 'which one's this?' says he.

" 'I fetch bad news, Brer Rabbit,' says Brer Wolf, says he.

" 'Bad news is soon told,' says Brer Rabbit, says he.

"By this time, Brer Rabbit done come to the door, with his head tied up in a red handkerchief.

" 'Brer Fox died this morning,' says Brer Wolf, says he.

" 'Where's your mourning gown, Brer Wolf?' says Brer Rabbit, says he.

" 'Going after it now,' says Brer Wolf, says he. 'I just called by for to bring the news. I went down to Brer Fox house a little bit ago, and there I found him stiff,' says he.

"Then Brer Wolf loped off. Brer Rabbit sat down and scratched his head, he did, and by and by he say to himself that he believe he sort of drop around by Brer Fox house for to see how the land lay. No sooner said than done. Up he jumped, and out he went. When Brer Rabbit got close to Brer Fox house, all looked lonesome. Then he went up nigh. Nobody stirring. Then he looked in, and there lay Brer Fox stretched out on the bed just as big as life. Then Brer Rabbit made like he was talking to himself.

" 'Nobody around for to look after Brer Fox -- not even Brer Turkey Buzzard ain't come to the funeral,' says he. 'I hope Brer Fox ain't dead, but I expect he is,' says he. 'Even down to Brer Wolf done gone and left him. It's the busy season with me, but I'll set up with him. He seems like he dead, yet he may not be,' says Brer Rabbit, says hee. 'When a man goes to see dead folks, dead folks always raises up their behind leg and hollers, wahoo! says he.

" 'Brer Fox he stay still. Then Brer Rabbit he talk a little louder:

" 'Mighty funny. Brer Fox looks like he dead, yet he don't do like he's dead. Dead folks hoists their behind leg and hollers wahoo! when a man come to see him,' says Brer Rabbit, says he.

"Sure enough, Brer Fox lifted up his foot and holler wahoo! and Brer Rabbit he tear out of the house like the dogs was after him. Brer Wolf mighty smart, but next time you hear from him, honey, he'll be in trouble. You just hold your breath and wait."

---------------------------------------

* Palaver - a long discussion or "parley" between people of different culture levels or sophistication; beguiling or idle speech, see ://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/PALAVER/ From late Latin, "parable" to Portuguese "palavra" or word.

FN 1 - Dialect, idiom. Long head. A long face, or "sad"? Not necessarily at all.

Other uses: Abraham Lincoln, the lawyer, was said to have a long head for managing a case, in the views who wanted his services, "and he's honest and friendly to us...." See ://www.archive.org/stream/graysonsstoryofa00eggluoft/graysonsstoryofa00eggluoft_djvu.txt/ (do a search for "long head")

Here is means, perhaps, independence - "a long head of your own" - see http://www.archive.org/stream/nellyssilvermine00jackiala/nellyssilvermine00jackiala_djvu.txt/

Here it seems to mean courage - see ://infomotions.com/etexts/gutenberg/dirs/1/0/0/3/10038/10038.txt/

X. Translation. Mr. Terrapin Appears Upon The Scene

2008-11-02T10:32:00.000-05:00

X.

MR. TERRAPIN APPEARS UPON THE SCENE
.

“Miss Sally’s” little boy again occupying the anxious position of auditor, Uncle Remus took the shovel and put the noses of the hunks together, FN 1 as he expressed it, and then began:
.

“One day, after Sis Cow done run past her own shadow trying for to catch him. Brer Rabbit took and allowed that he was going to drop in and see Miss Meadows and the gals, and he got out his piece of looking glass and primped up, he did, and set out. Going cantering along the road, who should Brer Rabbit run up with but old Brer Terrapin – the same old one and sixpence. FN 2 Brer Rabbi stopped, he did, and rapped on the roof of Brer Terrapin’s house.
.

“On the roof of his house, Uncle Remus?” interrupted the little boy.
.

“ ‘Course honey, Brer Terrapin carries his house with him. Rain or shine, hot or cold, strike up with old Brer Terrapin when you will and while you may, and where you find him, there you’ll find his shanty. It’s just like I tell you. So then! Brer Rabbit he rapped on the roof of Brer Terrapin’s house, he did, and asked was he in, and Brer Terrapin allowed that he was, and then Brer Rabbit he asked him howdy, and ten Brer Terrapin he likewise respond howdy, and then Brer Rabbit he say where was Brer Terrapin gong, and Brer Terrapin, he say which he weren’t going nowhere scarcely. Then Brer Rabbit allow he was on his way for to see Miss Meadows and the gals, and he asked Brer Terrapin if he won’t join in and go along, and Brer Terrapin respond he don’t care if he do, and they they set out. They had plenty of time for confabbing along the way, but by and by they got there, and Miss Meadows and the gals they came to the door, the did, and asked them in, and in they went.
.

“When they got in, Brer Terrapin was so flat-footed that he was too low on the floor, and he weren’t high enough in a chair, but while they was all scrabbling around trying for to get Brer Terrapin a chair Brer Rabbit, he pick him up and put him on the shelf where the water bucket sat, and old Brer Terrapin, he lay back up there, he did, just as proud as a nigger with a cooked ‘possum.
.

“ Course the talk fell on Brer Fox, and Miss Meadows and the gals make a great admiration about what a gaily riding-horse Brer Fox was, and they make lots of fun, and laugh and giggle sake like gals does these days. Brer Rabbit, he set there in the chair smoking his cigar, and he sort of clear up his throat, and say, says he:
.

“ ‘I’d have rid him over this morning, ladies,’ says he, ‘but I rid him so hard yesterday that he went lame in the off fore leg, and I expect I’ll have to swop him off yet,’ says he.
.

“Then Brer Terrapin, he up and say, says he:
.

“ ‘Well, if you’re going to sell him, Brer Rabbit,’ says he, ‘ sell him somewhere out of this neighborhood, ‘cause he done been here too long now,’ says he. ‘No longer than a day before yesterday,’ says he, ‘Brer Fox passed me on the road, and what do you reckon he say?’ says he.
.

“ ‘Law, Brer Terrapin,’ says Miss Meadows, says she, ‘you don’t mean to say he cussed?’ says she, and then the gals held their fans up before their faces.
.

“ ‘Oh, no, ma’am,’ says Brer Terrapin, says he, ‘he didn’t cuss, but he holler out – “Heyo, Stinkin’ Jim!” ‘says he.
.

“ ‘Oh, my! You hear that, gals?” says Miss Meadows, says she; ‘Brer Fox call Brer Terrapin Stinkin’ Jim,’ says she, and then Miss Meadows and the gals make great wonderment how Brer Fox can talk that way about a nice man like Brer Terrapin.
.

“But bless gracious, honey! While all this going on, Brer Fox was standing at the back door with one ear at the cat-hole listening. Eavesdroppers don’t hear no good of themselves, and the way Brer Fox was abused that day was a caution.
.

“By and by Brer Fox stick his head in the door and holler out:
.

“ ‘Good evening, folks, I wish you mighty well,’ says he, and with that he makes a dash for Brer Rabbit, but Miss Meadows and the gals they holler and squall, they did, and Brer Terrapin he got to scrambling round up there on the shelf, and off he come, and blip he took Brer Fox on the back of the head. This sort of stunned Brer Fox, and when he gathered his remembrance the most he saw was a pot of greens turned over in the fireplace, and a broken chair. Brer Rabbit was gone, and Brer Terrapin was gone, and Miss Meadows and the gals, they run out in the yard.
.

“Brer Fox, he sort of look around and feel for the back of his head, where Brer Terrapin lit, but he don’t see no sign of Brer Rabbit. But the smoke and the ashes going up the chimney got the best of Brer Rabbit, and by and by he sneeze – huckychow!

“ ‘Aha!’ says Brer Fox, says he; ‘you are there, are you?’ says he. ‘Well, I’m going to smoke you out, if it takes a month. You’re mine this time,’ says he. Brer Rabbit ain’t saying nothing.
.

“ ‘Ain’t you coming down?’ says Brer Fox, says he. Brer Rabbit ain’t saying nothing. Then Brer fox, he went out after some wood, he did, and when he come back, he hear Brer Rabbit laughing.
.

“ ‘What you laughing at, Brer Rabbit?’ says Brer Fox, says he.
.

“ ‘Can’t tell you, Brer Fox,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he.
.

“ ‘It ain’t nothing but a box of money somebody gone and left up here in the chink of the chimney,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he.
.

“ ‘Don’t believe you,’ says Brer Fox, says he.
.

“ ‘Look up and see,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he, and when Brer Fox look up, Brer Rabbit spit his eyes full of tobacco juice, he did, and Brer Fox, he make a break for the branch, FN 3, and Brer Rabbit he come down and told the ladies good-by.
.

“ ‘How you get him off, Brer Rabbit?” says Miss Meadows, says she.
.

“And what became of the Terrapin?” asked the little boy.
.

“Oh, well then!” exclaimed the old man, “children can’t expect to know all about everything before they get some rest. Them eyelids of yours want to be propped with straws this minute.”

……………………

FN 1 Sounds like a reference to building a stone wall – nose of this chunk against the nose of that chunk
.

FN 2 – the same old one and sixpence?? Possible: London's Langham Hotel began serving afternoon tea in Victorian times for one schilling and a sixpence, and still does - see ://www.asiatraveltips.com/news08/135-AfternoonTea.shtml. Does the phrase then mean, same old, same old? Here's another: same old sixpence means "much the same as always" - example is given from a Civil War diary - 1863 soldier writes, "The same old seven and six. I am on camp guard duty today." See ://books.google.com/books?id=i33BWgxbvXgC&pg=PA719&lpg=PA719&dq=%22same+old+one+and+sixpence%22&source=web&ots=QvpR5YHtDY&sig=oNGQ7nZVaJ_SwIIhyKA6XrI7jbI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result
.

FN 3 – make a break for the branch? Short for branch water? Branch water means water from a stream, Southern US, says ://www.thefreedictionary.com/branch+water; or plain water as used with whiskey (same site). Perhaps a branch of a stream nearby

His Songs: VIII. The Big Bethel Church

2008-09-11T18:56:00.001-04:00

HIS SONGS

VIII

THE BIG BETHEL CHURCH

.
The Big Bethel church! The Big Bethel church!

Done put old Satan behind him.

If a sinner gets loose from any other church,

The Big Bethel church will find him!
.

It's good to be there, and it's sweet to be there,

With the sistering all around you --

A-shaking those shackles of mercy and love

Wherewith the Lord has bound you.
.

It's sweet to be there and listen to the hymns,

And hear those mourners a-shoutin' --

They done reached the place where there ain't no room

For any weepin' and doubtin'.
.

It's good to be there, when the sinners all join

With the brothering in there singin',

And it looks like Gabriel going to rack up and blow

And set them heaven bells to ringin'.
.

Oh, the Big Bethel church! the Big Bethel church,

Done put old Satan behind him.

If a sinner gets loose from any other church

The Big Bethel church will find him.

Transcriptions: A Plantation Serenade 2

2008-09-11T18:42:00.000-04:00

TRANSCRIPTIONS (by Joel Chandler Harris)

Translation

2. A PLANTATION SERENADE

The old bee makes the honeycomb,
The young bee makes the honey,
The niggers make the cotton and corn,
And the white folks gets the money.

The raccoon he a curious man,
He never walks 'til dark,
And nothing never disturbs his mind,
'Til he hears old Bringer bark.

The raccoon totes a bushy tail,
The 'possum totes no hair,
Mr. Rabbit, he comes skippin' by,
He ain't got none to spare./

Monday morning break of day.
White folks got me going,
But Saturday night, when the sun goes down,
That yellow gal's in my mind.

Fifteen pound of meat a week,
Whiskey for to sell,
Oh, how can a yound man stay at home,
Them gals they look so well?

Met a 'possum in the road -
Brother 'Possum, where you going?
I thank my stars, I bless my life
I'm a huntin' for the muscadine. FN 1

.......................................................

FN 1 - Muscadine. A species of grape, for winemaking, see ://www.muscadine.com/. The heritage includes a grape geneology with the "scuppernong" and the "passion fruit of the south" - see site for details. Here is the botanical scoop: ://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/muscadinegrape.html. If you live in a climate like the State of Georgia, and ok soil, here's how to get in business: ://www.smallfruits.org/Muscadines/production/MuscadineGro/toc.htm.

Transcriptions: VII. A Plantation Chant 1

2008-09-04T18:01:00.000-04:00

VII.

TRANSCRIPTIONS (by Joel Chandler Harris)*

Translation

1. A PLANTATION CHANT

It's eighteen hundred forty and four
Christ done open that Heavenly door

And I don't want to stay here no longer;

It's eighteen hundred forty and five,
Christ done made that dead man alive --

And I don't want to stay here no longer.

You ask me to run home,

Little children --

Run home, that sun done roll--

And I don't want to stay here no longer.

It's eighteen hundred forty and six,
Christ has got us a place done fix --
And I don't want to stay here no longer;

It's eighteen hundred forty and seven
Christ done set a table in Heaven --
And I don't want to stay here no longer.

You ask me to run home,
Little children --
Run home, that sun done roll --
And I don't want to stay here no longer.

It's eighteen hundred forty and eight,
Christ done make that crooked way straight --
And I don't want to stay here no longer.

It's eighteen hundred forty and nine,
Christ done turn that water into wine --
And I don't want to stay here no longer.

You ask me to run home,
Little children --
Run home, that sun done roll --
And I don't want to stay here no longer.

It's eighteen hundred forty and ten,
Christ is the mourner's onliest friend --
And I don't want to stay here no longer;

It eighteen hundred forty and eleven,
Christ will be at hte door when we all get to Heaven--
And I don't want to stay here no longer.

You ask me to run home,
Little children --
Run home, that sun done roll --
And I don't want to stay here no longer.

.................................................................

Joel Chandler Harris has this *asterisked comment - "If these are adaptations from songs the negroes have caught from the whites, their origin is very remote. I have transcribed them literally, and I regard them as in the highest degree characteristic".]

Informal translation from the idiom by Carol Widing. The indentations of the original are not feasible in this format.

His Songs: VI. Plantation Play-Song . It's Getting Mighty Late, When the Guinea Hens Squall

2008-08-22T18:44:00.000-04:00

HIS SONGS

VI. Plantation Play-Song

(Putnam County 1856) FN 1

It's getting mighty late, when the Guinea hens squall,
And you better dance now, if you're gonna dance at all,
For by this time tomorrow night you can't hardly crawl,
'Cause you'll have to take the hoe again and likewise the maul -- FN 2

Don't you hear that bay colt a-kickin' in his stall?
Stop your humpin' up your shoulders --
That'll never do!
Hop light, ladies,

Oh, Miss Loo!
It takes a heap of scrougin'
For to get you through --
Hop light, ladies,
Oh, Miss Loo!

If you niggers don't watch, you'll sing another chime,
For the sun'll rise and catch you if you don't be mighty soon;
And the stars is gettin' paler, and the old gray coon
Is a settin' in the grape-vine a watchin' for the moon.

When a feller comes a-knockin
Just holler --Oh, shoo!
Hop light, ladies,
Oh, Miss Loo!
Oh, swing that yellow gal!
Do, boys, do!
Hop light, ladies,
Oh, Miss Loo!

Oh, turn me loose! Let me alone! Go 'way, now!
What do you expect, I come a dancin' for if I don't know how?
These are the very kind of foots what kicks up a row;
Can't you jump into the middle and make your gal a bow?

Look at that mulatto man
A-followin' up Sue;
Hop light, ladies,
Oh, Miss Lou!
The boys ain't a-goin'
When you cry boo hoo --
Hop light, ladies,
Oh, Miss Lou!

.........................................

FN 1 - Putnam Counties are in Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Illinois - elsewhere?

FN 2 - Maul = ax-looking tool, also like a hammer, narrow blade head, for splitting wood, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splitting_maul

His Songs: V. Christmas Play-Song. Hi my rinktum! Black gal sweet.

2008-08-21T20:01:00.000-04:00

HIS SONGS

V. Christmas Play-Song

(Myrick Place, Putnam County - 1858) FN 1

Hi my rinktum! Black gal sweet. FN 2
Same like goodies that the white folks eat;
Ho my Riley! don't you take and tell her name,
And then if something happens you won't catch the blame;
Hi my rinktum! better take and hide your plum;
Joree don't holler every time he find a worm. FN 3

Then it's hi my rinktum!
Don't get no other man;
And it's ho my Riley!
Fetch out Miss Dilsey Ann!

Ho my Riley! Yellow gal fine;
She may be yours but she ought to be mine!
Hi my rinktum! Let me get by,
And see what she mean by the cut of that eye!
Ho my Riley! better shut the door --
The white folks'll believe we were tearin' up the floor.

Then its ho my Riley!
Come a siftin' up to me!
And it's hi my rinktum!
This the way to twist your knees!

Hi my rinktum! Ain't the east gettin' red?
The squinch owl shiver like he want to go to bed;
Ho my Riley! but the gals and the boys,
Just now gettin' so they can sort of make a noise.
Hi my rinktum! let the yellow gal alone;
Niggers don't hanker after sody in the pone. Fn 3

Then it's hi my rinktum!
Better try another plan;
And it's ho my Riley!
Trot out Miss Dilsey Ann!

Ho my Riley! In the happy Christmas time
The niggers shake their clothes a-huntin' for a dime.
Hi my rinktum! End then they shake their feet,
And grease themeselves with the good ham meat.
Ho my Riley! they eat and they cram,
And by and by old Miss'll be a-sendin' out the dram.

Then its ho my Riley!
You hear that, Sam?
And it's hi my rinktum!
Be a sendin' out the dram!

.............................

FN 1 - Myrick Place, Putnam County 1858. There is a Myrick Place as a subdivision near Baton Rouge LA - see ://www.eachtown.com/place.php/id/559103. There is a Putnam County in Georgia - see ://www.classmates.com/directory/school/Putnam%20County%20High%20School_2.jsp?org=10260. No other info.

FN 2 - Rinktum - a variety. A New England form of Welsh Rabbit (Rarebit?)- see http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/RINKTUM-DITTY-11705. Or Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch?) at ://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Rinktum%20ditty

This looks more like it - a role - in this song, "Rosy Rinktum Mary," (this lady does everything) at http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/1358/index.html

FN 3 - Joree - a kind of raillery or chaff, see "joree-jaw" in this Time article, about the "Black Ulysses," Howard W. Odum, at ://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,787135,00.html. Joree is also a name given to children baptized from Jordan water, from the Hebrew, see ://www.babynamer.com/Joree

.....................................

His Songs: IV. The Plough-Hands' Song - Nigger Mighty Happy When He Layin' By Corn

2008-08-21T18:28:00.000-04:00

HIS SONGS

IV. The Plough-Hands' Song
(Jasper County 1860)

(Original indenting is not easily copied here. Coding.
Jasper County - there is one in SC - see ://www.jaspercountysc.org/)

Nigger mighty happy when he layin' by corn --
That sun's a-slantin';
Nigger mighty happy when he hear the dinner-horn --
That sun's a-slantin';

And he's more happy still when the night draws on --
That sun's a-slantin';

That sun's a-slantin' just as sure as you are born!
And it's rise up, Primus! fetch another yell:
That old dun cow's just a shakin' up her bell,
And the frogs tunin' up for the dew done fell:

Good-night, Mr. Killdee! I wish you mighty well!
-- Mr. Killdee! I wish you mighty well!
-- I wish you mighty well! FN 1

The coon'll be ready against dumplin' day --
That sun's a-slantin';
But nigger gotter watch, and stick, and stay --
That sun's a-slantin';
Same as the bee-martin watching on the jay --
That sun's a-slantin';

That sun's a slantin' and a slippin' away!
Then it's rise up, Primus! and gin it "t'um" strong; FN 2
The cow's going home with her ding-dang-dong -
Sling in another "tetch" of the old time song;

Good night, Mr. Whippoorwill! don't stay long!
-- Mr. Whippoorwill! don't stay long!
---- Don't stay long! FN 3

..................................
FN 1 - Italics. These are original.

Mr. Kildee - a man, an overseer? Or the kildeer bird, a kind of plover, see ://www.audubon.org/bird/BoA/F35_G1c.html. With the second response clearly being a bird, this first one is more likely that as well, to us. Shore bird, but used to be widespread, much reduced in population from shooting. The kildeer is also called "kildee" because of its call. "Dee dee dee dee-ee killdee dee-ee" at ://www.birdsbybent.com/ch1-10/killdeer.html#Voice

FN 2 - "gin it t'um strong" - to gin or gin it up is possibly many things. To excite, or enliven, or drink. See ://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/ginned-up.html. Gin at the end of the day, gin it am strong? Perhaps to give it to him strong (the mule at the plow)? Or rev up the mule and plow, gin it up, to get finished. Or gin as a form of "give" in the south, or to "ginger up" or make things lively.

FN 3 - Salud. Just an aside here. We salute these songs and proverbs. Look at this one closely. Look at the form of the last "repeat" - like the end of the day, long thought, little shorter, now hardly there. Wonderful. We see this song as an enormous tribute to the worker who retains his reflectiveness, can see things to take pleasure in, even at the plow. "Nigger mighty happy" is no reductionist idea - it is power, to us. See the imagery, courtesy, the relationship with the living things around, the detail. If only we had melodies, even rise and fall indications.

His Songs: III. Corn-Shucking Song - Oh, The First News You Know The Day'll Be a-Breakin'

2008-08-21T18:26:00.000-04:00

HIS SONGS

III. Corn-Shucking Song

Oh, the first news you know the day'll be a breakin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango! FN 1

And the fire be a-burnin' and the ash-cake a bakin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

And the hen'll be a hollerin' and the boss'll be a wakin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Better get up, nigger, and give yourself a shakin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Oh, honey! when you see them ripe stars a-fallin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Oh, honey! when you hear the rain-crow a-callin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Oh, honey! when you hear that red calf a-bawlin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Then the day time's a-creepin' and a crawlin" --
Hi O Miss Sindy Ann!

For the lost ell and yard [FN 2] is a huntin' for the mornin',
Hi O! get along! go away!

And she'll catch up with us 'fore we ever get this corn in --
Oh, go 'way, Sindy Ann!

Oh, honey! when you hear that tin horn a tootin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Oh, honey! when you hear the squinch owl a-hootin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Oh, honey! when you hear them little pigs a-rootin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Right then she's a comin' a skippin' and a scootin' --
Hi O, Miss Sindy Ann!

Oh, honey, when you hear that roan mule whicker --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

When you see Mister Moon turnin pale and gettin' sicker --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Then it's time for to handle that corn a little quicker--
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

If you want to get a smell of old Master's jug of liquor --
Hi O, Miss Sindy Ann!

For the lost ell and yard is a-huntin' for the mornin'
Hi O! git along! go away!

And she'll catch up with us 'fore we ever get this corn in --
Oh, go away, Sindy Ann!

You niggers across there! you better stop your dancin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

No use for to come a flingin' and your "sha'n'ts" in --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

No use for to come a flingin' and your "can't's" in--
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

'Cause there ain't no time for your pattin' nor your prancin'!
Hi O, Miss Sindy Ann!

Mr. Rabbit see the Fox, and he sass him and jaws him --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

The Fox catch the Rabbit, and he scratch him and he claws him --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

And he ter off the hide, and he chaws him and he gnaws him --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Same like gal chawin' sweet gum and rosin [FN 3]--
Hi O, Miss Sindy Ann!

For the lost ell and yard is a-huntin' for the mornin' --
Hi O! get along! go away!

And she'll catch up with us 'fore we ever get this corn in --
Oh, go away, Sindy Ann!

Oh, work on, boys! give these shucks a mighty wringin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Before the boss come around a dangin' and a dingin' --
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Get up and move around! set them big hands to swingin'--
Hey O! Hi O! Up and down the Bango!

Get up and shout loud! let the white folks hear you singin'!
Hi O, Miss Sindy Ann!

For the lost ell and yard is a huntin' for the mornin'
Hi O! git along! go away!

And she'll catch up with us 'fore we ever get this corn in --
Oh, go away, Sindy Ann!

.........................................................................

FN 1 Bango. Note by Joel Chandler Harris, compiler: "So far as I know, "Bango" is a meaningless term, introduced on account of its sonorous ruggedness." P. 186

We find: Bango can mean various in different languages, see http://www.websters-dictionary-online.org/translation/Swahili/bango- a) "big pole barring entry" in the Venda language, a kind of Bantu, South Africa, culturally similar to the Zimbabwe. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venda_language (most slaves, however, came from West Africa, not South?); or, it can mean b) "husk" in Swahili - again, that is not West Africa, or c) "wide and thick" in Kerebe, and that would make sense for a cornstalk, pulling off the corn and shucking it, or for the corn itself - going up and down to shuck - but that also is East Africa. Can see no West African roots yet. Bango River is in India.

Checking African-American vernacular English at ://www.answers.com/topic/african-american-vernacular-english; and ebonics, at ://www.majorcox.com/columns/ebonics.htm.

Cannabis connection? Preparations for cannabis (marijuana) include "bhang", more from Middle East use, or [see current use of "bong"] and- this is interesting - "cannabis (hashis) rosin", see very rough entry at ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bango_(cannabis). See FN 3

FN 2 "Ell en yard": Orion constellation belt star(s). Toward morning, does one fade, or what? This is "oil" en yard at the uncleremus.com site - those versions are sometimes different from ours in the 1921.

Note by Joel Chandler Harris, compiler: "The sword(see below) and belt in the constellation of Orion." P. 187.

We find: yard and ell, names of two stars in the belt of Orion, a/k/a "Golden Yard," see ://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/yard+and+ell.

JSTOR has answers but won't let us look. Will try to find time to look up "De Los' Ell en Yard", Annie Weston Whitney, The Journal of American Folklore, vol 10 no. 39, Oct-Dec 1897, pp.293-298. Univ. of Ill. Press, American Folklore Society.

Here is another article - exhaustive - on the history and stories behind star names, in literature and mythology, including Orion - ://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Orion*.html.

Compare to this one (think "yard-arm" as part of it): The "ell and yard" does not include the sword here -- that the ell and yard is three stars, in a straight line, only 3 degrees in length, sometime called "The Three Kings." Hanging from the belt: the sword, comprised of a curved line of stars, see ://books.google.com/books?id=GSbAktdWt2wC&pg=PA55&lpg=PA55&dq=ell+and+yard+Orion&source=web&ots=5Le2WDa86t&sig=GER1NGzsyZAIYDb6An7w8dl1sAg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result

FN 3 - Rozzum - several choices. Rosin, we believe, or "resin," if FN 1's reference to possible translation for bango as a preparation of marijuana is on target. Rosin is listed at that very rough (read: needs work and verification) Wikipedia entry in connection with marijuana preparations. Marijuana in "herbal or resin" form can be used in cooking, see ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_brownie. The cooked result is psychoactive. Alice B. Toklas' version at http://www.subrosa.arbre.us/SubRosaBrownies.html: we thought it first came out in her recipes in 1933.

Rosin was also a medication, as was sweetgum and many other plants, see Folklore, at http://medinfo.ufl.edu/~medhum/FOLKLORE.htm.

Both together: The inclusion of "sweet gum" can mean the "resin" of that tree, obtained from scraping the bark, and enjoyed by native Americans and pioneers. ://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Sweetgum/sweetgum.htm. Nothing psychedelic mentioned there. Enough. Let's say people did both as they liked.

His Songs: II. Camp-Meeting Song - Oh, The World is Round and the World is Wide

2008-08-21T18:25:00.000-04:00

HIS SONGS

II. Camp-Meeting Song

Oh, the world is round, and the world is wide --
Lord! Remember these children in the mornin' --
It's a mighty long ways up the mountain side,
And there ain't no place for them sinners to hide,
And there ain't no place where sin can abide,
When the Lord shall come in the mornin'.

Look up and look around,
Fling your burden on the ground,
It's a gettin' mighty close on the mornin'!
Smooth away sin's frown --
Reach up and get the crown,
What the Lord will fetch in the mornin'!

The hand of redemption, it's held out to you --
Lord! Remember them sinners in the mornin'!
It's a mighty patient hand, but the days is but few,
When Satan, he'll come a-demandin' of his due,
And the stiff-neck sinners'll be smotin' all through --
Oh, you better get ready for the mornin'!

Look up and set your face
Towards the green hills of grace
Before the sun rises up in the mornin'--
Oh, you better change your base,
It's your soul's last race
For the glory that's a comin' in the mornin'!

The farmer gets ready when the land's all plowed
For to sow them seeds in the mornin'--
The spirit may be puny and the flesh may be proud,
But you better cut loose from the scoffin' crowd,
And join these Christians what's a cryin' out loud
For the Lord for to come in the mornin'!

Shout loud and shout long,
Let the echoes answer strong,
When the sun rises up in the mornin'!
Oh, you always will be wrong
'Til you choose to belong
To the Master what's a comin' in the mornin'!

His Songs: I. Revival Hymn. Oh, Where Shall We Go When the Great Day Comes

2008-08-21T18:22:00.000-04:00

His Songs

I. Revival Hymn

Oh, where shall we go when the great day comes,
With the blowin' of the trumpets and the bangin' of the drums?
How many poor sinners'll be catched out late
And find no latch for the golden gate?

No use for to wait 'til tomorrow!
The sun mustn't set on your sorrow,
Sin's as sharp as a bamboo-briar --
Oh, Lord! fetch the mourners up higher!

When the nations of the earth are a-standin' all around,
Who's gonna be chosen for to wear the glory crown?
Who's gonna stand stiff-knee'd and bold.
And answer to the name at the callin' of the roll?

You'd better come now if you're comin' --
Ol' Satan is loose and a-bummin' --
The wheels of distraction is a-hummin' --
Oh, come along, sinner, if you're comin'! 184

The song of salvation is a mighty sweet song,
And the Paradise wind blow far and blow strong,
And Abraham's bosom, it's soft and it's wide,
And right there's the place where the sinners ought to hide!

Oh, you needn't be a-stoppin' and a-lookin;
If you fool with old Satan you'll be took in;
You'll hang on the edge and get shook in,
If you keep on a-stoppin' and a-lookin'.

The time is right now, and this here's the place --
Let the sun of salvation shine square in your face;
Fight the battles of the Lord, fight soon and fight late,
And you'll always find a latch at the golden gate,

No use for to wait 'til tomorrow,
The sun mustn't set on your sorrow --
Sin's as sharp as a bamboo-briar,
Ask the Lord for to fetch you up higher!

Plantation Proverbs (a collection)

2008-08-21T18:18:00.000-04:00

Translation

Plantation Proverbs

Big possum climb little tree.

Those who eat can say grace.

Old man Know-All died last year.

Better the gravy than no grease at all.

Dram ain't good until you get it. FN 1

Lazy folks' stomachs don't get tired.

Rheumatism don't help at the log-rolling. 175

..............................................

Mole don't see what his neighbor doing.

Save the pacing march for Sunday.

It don't rain each time the pig squeals.

Crow and corn can't grow in the same field.

Tattling woman can't make the bread rise.

Rails split before breakfast will season the dinner.

Them what knows too much sleep under the ash-hopper.

If you want to see your own sins, clean up a new ground.

Hog don't know which part of him'll season the turnip salad.

It's a blessing the white sow don't shake the plum tree.

Winter grape sour, whether you can reach 'em or not.

Mighty poor bee that don't make more honey than he want.

Cushions on mule's foots, done gone out of fashion. FN 2

Pigs don't know what a pen's for.

Possum's tail as good as a paw.

Dogs don't bite at the front gate.

Colt in the barley-patch kick high.

Jay-bird don't rob his own nest.

Pullet can't roost too high for the owl.

Meat fried before day won't last 'til night.

Stump water won't cure the gripes.

Howlin' dog know what he sees. 179

......................................................

Blind horse don't fall when he follows the bit.

Hungry nigger won't wear his mind out.

Don't fling away the empty wallet.

Black-snake know the way to his nest.

Looks won't do to split rails with.

Setting hens don't hanker after fresh eggs.

Potato vine growing while you sleep.

It take two birds for to make a nest.

If you bleeds to eat dirt, eat clean dirt. FN 3

Terrapin walk fast enough to go visitin'.

Empty smoke-house make the pullet holler.

When coon take water, he fixin' for to fight.

Corn makes more at the mill than it does in the crib.

Good luck says, "Open your mouth and shut your eyes."

Nigger that gets hurt working ought to show the scars.

Fiddlin' nigger say its a long ways to the dance.

Rooster makes more racket than the hen that lay the egg.

Mellow mush melon hollers at you from over the fence. FN 4

Nigger with a pocket handkerchief better be looked after.

Rain-crow don't sing no tune, but you can depend on him.

One-eyed mule can't be handled on the blind side.

Moon may shine, but a lightered (?) knot's mighty handy. 177

............................................................

Liquor talks mighty loud when it gets loose from the jug.

The proudness of a man don't count when his head's cold.

Hungry rooster don't cackle when he find a worm.

Some niggers mighty smart, but they can't drive the pigeons to roost.

You may know the way, but better keep your eyes on the seven stairs. (seven sins, maybe?)

All the buzzards in the settlement will come to the gray mule's funeral.

You can hide the fire, but what you gonna do with the smoke?

Tomorrow may be the carriage-driver's day for plowing.

It's a mighty deaf nigger that don't hear the dinner horn.

It takes a bee for to get the sweetness out of the hoar-hound blossom.

Haunts don't bother longer honest folks, but you better go around the graveyard.

The pig that runs off with the ear of corn gets little more than the cob.

Sleeping in the fence-corner don't fetch Christmas in the kitchen. 178

.....................................................

The spring-house may freeze, but the niggers'll keep the shuck-pen warm.

Between the bug and the bee-martin ain't hard to tell which is going to get caught.

Don't sport with the screech-owl. Jam the shovel in the fire. FN 5

You'd see more of the mink if he knew where the yard dog sleeps.

Troubles is seasoning. Persimmons ain't good until they get frost-bit.

Watch out when you're getting all you want. Fattenin' hogs ain't in luck.

...............................................

FN 1 - Dram - could mean liquor, as in our later dram shop acts? see ://www.answers.com/topic/dram-shop-act-1

FN 2 - Kwishins - we think that is "cushions."

FN 3 - "Bleeds to" - We think that is close to the "Bleedz ter" as really wants to, anxious, see similar usages where this makes sense at ://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/valen.html; and ://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/phone.html

FN 4 - mush-million - a mush melon or kind of cantaloupe, sometimes pronounced musk melon, see http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/getstory.cfm?storyid=1162

FN 5 Squinch owl - screech owl, see ://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA01/Grand-Jean/Hurston/glossary.html [do look up this glossary of terms]

IX. TRANSLATION. Miss Cow Falls a Victim to Mr. Rabbit

2008-03-25T18:06:00.000-04:00

IX

MISS COW FALLS A VICTIM TO MR. RABBIT

“Uncle Remus,” said the little boy, “what became of the Rabbit after he fooled the Buzzard, and got out of the hollow tree?”

“Who? Brer Rabbit? Bless your soul, honey, Brer Rabbit went skippin’ along home, he did, just as sassy as a jay-bird at a sparrow’s nest. He went gallopin’ along, he did, but he feel mighty tired out, and stiff in his joints, and he was mighty nigh dead for something for to drink, and by and by, when he got almost home, he spied old Miss Cow feeding around in a field, he did, and he determined for to try his hand with her. Brer Rabbit know mighty well that Miss Cow won’t give him no milk, ‘cause she done refuse him more than once, and when his old woman was sick, at that. But never mind that Brer Rabbit sort of dance up along side of the fence, he did, and holler out:

“ ‘Howdy, Sis Cow,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he.

“ ‘Why, howdy, Brer Rabbit,’ says Miss Cow, says she.

“ ‘How you find yourself these days, Sis Cow?’ says Brer Rabbit, says he.

“ ‘I’m sort of tolerable, Brer Rabit; how you come on?’ says Miss Cow, says she.

“ ‘Oh, I’m just tolerable myself, Sis Cow; sort of lingerin’ between a balk and a break-down,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he.

“ ‘How your folks, Brer Rabbit?” says Miss Cow, says she.

“ ‘They are just middling, Sis Cow; how Brer Bull getting’ on?” says Brer Rabbit, says he.

“ ‘Sort of so-so,’ says Miss Cow, says she,

“ ‘There are some mighty nice persimmons up this tree, Sis Cow,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he, ‘and I’d like mighty well to have some of them,’ says he.

“ ‘How you going to get them, Brer Rabbit,’ says she.

“ ‘I allowed maybe that I might ask you for to butt against the tree, and shake some down, Sis Cow,’ says Brer Rabbit, says he.

“ ‘Course Miss Cow don’t want to disaccommodate Brer Rabbit, and she marched up to the persimmon tree, she did, and hit it a rap with her horns – blam! Now then," continued Uncle Remus tearing off the corner of a plug of tobacco and cramming it into his mouth – “now, then, them persimmons was green as grass, and never one would drop. Then Miss Cow backed off a little further,she did, and hoist her tail on her back, and come against the tree, kerblam! And she come so fast, and she come so hard, until one of her horns went spang through the tree, and there she was. She can't go forwards, she can't go backwards. This exactly what Brer Rabbit waiting for, and he no sooner saw old Miss Cow all fastened up than he jump up, he did, and cut the pidginwing. FN 1

" 'Come help me out, Brer Rabbit,; says Miss Cow, says she.

" 'I can't climb, Sis Cow,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, 'but I'll run and tell Brer Bull,' says he, and with that Brer Rabbit put out for home, and it wasn't long before he come back with his old woman and all his children, and the last one of the family was toting a pail. The big ones had big pails and the little ones had little pails. And they all surrounded old Miss Cow, they did, and you hear me, honey, they milked her dry. FN 2 The old ones milked and the young ones milked. and then when they done got enough, Brer Rabbit, he up and say, says he:

" 'I wish you mighty well, Sis Cow. I allowed being how that you'd have to sort of camp out all night that I'd better come and squeeze your bag,' says he.

"Do which, Uncle Remus?"asked the little boy.

"Go along, honey. Squeeze your bag. When cows don't get milked, their bag swells, and you can hear them a moanin' and a bellowin' just like they was getting hurted. That's what Brer Rabbit done. He assembled his family, he did, and he squeezed old Miss Cow's bag.

"Miss Cow, she stood there, she did, and she study and study, and strive for to break loose, but the horn done been jam in the tree so tight that it was way before day in the morning before she loose it. Anyhow it was during the night, and after she get loose, she sort of graze around, she did, for to justify her stomach she allowed, old Miss Cow did, that Brer Rabbit be hopping along that way for to see how she getting on, and she took and lay a trap for him; and just about sunrise, what did ole Miss Cow do but march up to the persimmon tree and stick her horn back in the hole? But bless your soul, honey, while she was cropping the grass she took one mouthful too many, 'cause when she hitch on to the persimmon tree again, Brer Rabbit was sitting in the fence corner a-watching her. Then Brer Rabbit he say to himself:

" 'Heyo,' says he, 'what this here going on now? Hold your horses, Sis Cow, until you hear me coming,' says he.

" 'And then he crept off down the fence, Brer Rabbit did, and by and by here he come -- lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity -- just a-sailing down the big road.

" 'Morning, Sis Cow,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, 'how you come on this morning?' says he.

" 'Poorly, Brer Rabbit, poorly,' says Miss Cow, says she. I ain't had no rest all night,' says she. 'I can't pull loose,' says she, 'but if you'll come and catch hold of my tail, Brer Rabbit,' says she, "I reckon maybe I can fetch my horn out,' says she. Then Brer Rabbit, he come up little closer, but he ain't getting too close.

" 'I expect I'm near enough, Sis Cow,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, "I'm a mighty puny man, and I might get trompled,' says he, 'You do the pulling, Sis Cow,' says he, 'and I'll do the grunting,' says he.

"Then Miss Cow, she pull out her horn, she did, and took after Brer Rabbit, and down the big road they had it, Brer Rabbit with his ears laid back, and Miss Cow with her head down, and her tail curled. Brer Rabbit kept on gaining, and by and by he dart in a briar-patch, and by the time Miss Cow come along he had his head sticking out, and his eyes look big as Miss Sally's china saucers.

" 'Heyo, Sis Cow! Where you going?' says Brer Rabbit, says he.

" 'Howdy Brer Rabbit Big-Eyes,' says Miss Cow, says she. 'Is you seen Brer Rabbit go by?'

" 'He just this minute pass,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, 'and he look mighty sick,' says he.

"And with that, Miss Cow took down he road like the dogs was after her, and Brer Rabbit, he just lay down there in the briar-patch and roll and laugh until his sides hurted him. He bleedzd (sic) FN 3 to laugh. Fox after him, Buzzard after him, and Cow after him, and they ain't catch him yet."

....................................................

FN 1 Pigeonwing - a fancy dance step, jump up and strike the legs together, "cut a pigeonwing" see ://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pigeonwing [is that hitting the heels together, to the side, as you jump up?] Relevance to the "buck and wing?" Apparently so- the pigeonwing was part of that Vaudeville - see://www.ehow.com/how_2105078_tap-dance-buck-wing.html.

FN 2 For comments on this group activity part of the story, see Hello, Fodder, Fodder in Literature, Brer Rabbit and Sis Cow. We hesitate to interrupt the enjoyment of the stories with issues of other relevance, so do visit there if you have an interest.

FN 3 "bleedzd" - first thought was a reference to tears, laugh until cry, for example; but looking it up, seems more like "forced to" [do a search for "bleedzd to"] in the sense of just had to laugh, or see "The Didactic Intention of Fables" at dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/; or "bleedzd to be dat away" - and many other contects, see www.chatham.edu/pti/2004%20units/Introduction%20to%20Folktales/Pearlman%20unit.pdf -fichero_articulo?codigo=2541618&orden=0 -

VIII. TRANSLATION. Mr. Fox is "Outdone" by Mr. Buzzard

2008-03-25T15:09:00.001-04:00

VIII

MR. FOX IS “OUTDONE” BY MR. BUZZARD

“If I don’t run into no mistakes,” remarked Uncle Remus, as the little boy came tripping in to see him after supper, “Mr. Turkey Buzzard was guarding the hollow where Brer Rabbit went in at, and which he came outen.”

The silence of the little boy verified the old man’s recollection.

“Well, Mr. Buzzard, he feel mighty lonesome, he did, but he done promised Brer Fox that he’d stay, and he determined for to sort of hang around and join in the joke. And he ain’t have to wait long, neither, ‘cause by and by here come Brer Fox galloping through the woods with his axe on his shoulder.

“ ‘How you expect Brer Rabbit getting’ on, Brer Buzzard’ says Brer Fox, says he. , ‘He mighty still, though, I expect he takin’ a nap,’ says he.

“ ‘Then I’m just in time for to wake him up,’ says Brer Fox, says he. And with that he fling off his coat, and spit in his hands, and grab the axe. Then he draw back and come down on the tree – pow! And every time he come down with the axe - pow! - Mr. Buzzard, he step high, he did, and holler out:

“ ‘Oh, he in there, Brer Fox. He in there, sure.’

“And every time a chip and fly off, Mr. Buzzard, he’d jump, and dodge, and hold his head sideways, he would, and holler:

“ ‘He in there, Brer Fox. I done heard him. He in there, sure.’

“And Brer Fox, he lamed away at that holler tree, he did, like a man mauling rails, til by and by, after he done got the tree most cut through, he stop for to catch his breath, and he saw Mr. Buzzard laughing behind his back, he did, and right then and there, without going any further, Brer Fox, he smelt a rat. Bur Mr. Buzzard, he kept on hollerin’:

“ ‘He in there, Brer Fox. He in there, sure. I done seen him.'

Then Brer Fox, he make like he peeping up the hollow, and he say, says he:

“ ‘Run here, Brer Buzzard, and look if this ain’t Brer Rabbit’s foot hanging down here.’

“And Mr. Buzzard, he come steppin’ up, he did, same as if he were treading on cockleburs, and he stick his head in the hole; and no sooner did he done that than Brer Fox grab him. Mr. Buzzard flapped his wings, and scramble ‘round right smartly, he did, but wasn’t no use. Brer Fox had the advantage of the grip, he did, and he held him right down to the ground. Then Mr. Buzzard squalled out, says he:

“ ‘Let me alone, Brer Fox. Turn me loose,’ says he; ‘Brer Rabbit will get out. You’re gettin’ close at him,’ says he, ‘and eleven more licks’ll fetch him,’ says he.

“ ‘I’m nearer to you, Brer Buzzard,’ says Brer Fox, says he, ‘than I’ll be to Brer Rabbit this day,’ says he. ‘What you fool me for?’ says he.

“ ‘Let me alone, Brer Fox,’ says Mr. Buzzard, says he; ‘my old woman waitin’ for me. Brer Rabbit is there,’ says he.

“ ‘There’s a bunch of his fur on that blackberry bush,’ says Brer Fox, says he, and that ain’t the way he come,’ says he.

“Then Mr. Buzzard up and tell Brer Fox how it was, and he allowed, Mr. Buzzard did, that Brer Rabbit was the lowdownest whatsisname what he ever run up with. Then Brer Fox, says he:

“ ‘That’s neither here nor there, Brer Buzzard,’ says he. ‘I left you for to watch this here hole, and I left Brer Rabbit in there. I comes back and I finds you at the hole and Brer Rabbit ain’t in there, says he. ‘I’m going to make you pay for it. I done been tampered with, until plumb down to the sap sucker will set on a log and sassy me. I’m going to fling you in a brush heap and burn you up, ‘ says he.

“ ‘If you fling me on the fire, Brer Fox, I’ll fly away,’ says Mr. Buzzard, says he,

“ ‘Well, then, I’ll settle your hash right now,’ says Brer Fox, says he, and with that he grab Mr. Buzzard by the tail, he did and made for to dash him against the ground’, but just about that time the tail feathers come out, and Mr. buzzard sail off like one of these here balloons, and as he rise, he holler back:

“ ‘You gimme good start, Brer Fox,’ says he, and Brer Fox sat there and watch him fly out of sight.”

“But what became of the Rabbit, Uncle Remus?” asked the little boy.

“Don’t you pester ‘longer Brer Rabbit, honey, and don’t you fret about him. You’ll hear where he went and how he come out. This here cold snap wrestles with my bones, now,” continued the old man, putting on his hat and picking up his walking-stick. “It wrestles with me monstrous, and I got to walk around and see if I can run up against some Christmas leavings.”

VII. TRANSLATION. Mr. Fox Is Again Victimized

2008-03-09T17:02:00.000-04:00

Please see first posts (archives now) for context, translation issues re the idiom, and cultural setting of the time - and the universality of Uncle Remus. Enjoy the original of this story at ://www.uncleremus.com/victimized.html. Our translation is from our 1928 "Uncle Remus."

VII.

MR. FOX IS AGAIN VICTIMIZED

When "Miss Sally's" little boy went to Uncle Remus the next night to hear the conclusion of the adventure in which the Rabbit made a riding-horse of the Fox to the great enjoyment and gratification of Miss Meadows and the girls, he found the old man in a bad humor.

"I ain't telliin' no tales ter bad chilluns," said Uncle Remus curtly.

"But, Uncle Remus, I ain't bad," said the little boy plaintively.

"Who dat chunkin' them chickens this morning? Who dat knockin' out folks' eyes with that Yellobammers sling just before dinner? Who dat siccin' that pointer puppy after my pig? Who dat scatterin' my ingun (sic) sets? FN 1. Who dat flingin' rocks on top of my house, which a little more than one of them would have dropped smack on my head?"

"Well, now, Uncle Remus, I didn't go to do it. I won't do so any more. Please, Uncle Remus, if you will tell me, I'll run to the house and bring you some tea-cakes.'

"Seein' 'em is better than hearing tell of 'em," replied the old man, the severity of his countenance relaxing somewhat; but the little boy darted out, and in a few minutes came running back with his pockets full and his hands full.

"I bet your mammy' will suspicion that the rats' stomachs is widening in this neighborhood when she come for to count up the cakes," said Uncle Remus, with a chuckle. 'These," he continued, dividing the cakes into two equal parts -- 'these I'll tackle now, and these I'll lay by for Sunday.

"Lemme see. I almost disremember whereabouts Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit was."

"The rabbit rode the fox to Miss Meadows's, and hitched him to the horse-rack," said the little boy.

"Why, course he did," said Uncle Remus. "Well, Brer Rabbit rode Brer Fox up, he did, and tied him to the rack, and then sat out in the piazza with the gals, smokin' his cigar with more proudness than what you most ever see. They talk, and they sing, and they play on the piano, the gals did, until by and by it come time for Brer Rabbit for to be gone, and he tell 'em all good-by, and strut out to the horse-rack same as if he was the king of the patrollers* FN 2 and then he mount Brer Fox and ride off.

"Brer Fox ain't saying nothing at all. He just rack off, he did, and keep his mouth shut, and Brer Rabbit knowed there was business cooking up for him, and he feel monstrous skittish. Brer Fox amble on until he get in the long lane, out of sight of Miss Meadows's house, and then he turn loose, he did. He rip and he rear, and he cuss, and he swear; he snort and he cavort. "

"What was he doing that for, Uncle Remus?" the little boy inquired.

"He was trying for to fling Brer Rabbit off of his back, bless your soul! But he just might as well have wrestled with his own shadow. Everytime he hump hisself, Brer Rabbit slap the spurs in him, and there they had it, up and down. Brer Fox fairly tore up the ground, he did, and he jump so high and he jump so quick that he mighty nigh snatch his own tail off. They kept on going on this way until by and by Brer Fox lay down and roll over, he did, and this sort of unsettled Brer Rabbit, but by the time Brer Fox got back on his footses again, Brer Rabbit was going through the underbrush more samer than a race-horse. Brer Fox he lit out after him, he did, and he push Brer Rabbit so close that it was about all he could do for to get in a hollow tree. Hole too little for Brer Fox to get in, and he had to lay down and rest and gather his mind together.

"While he was layin' there, Mr. Buzzard come floppin' along, and seeing Brer Fox stretch out on the ground, he lit in view of the premises. Then Mr. Buzzard sort of shake his wing, and put his head on one side, and say to hisself, says he:

" 'Brer Fox dead, and I so sorry,' says he.

" 'No, I ain't dead, neither,' says Brer Fox, says he. "I got old man Rabbit pent up in here,' says he, 'and I a-going to get him this time if it take until Christmas,' says he.

"Then, after some more palaver FN 3, Brer Fox made a bargain that Mr. Buzzard was to watch the hole, and keep Brer rabbie there, while Brer fox went after his axe. Then Brer Fox, he lope off, he did, and Mr. Buzzard, he took up his stand at the hole. By and by, when all get still, Brer Rabbit sort of scramble down close to the hole, he did, and holler out:

" 'Brer Fox! Oh! Brer Fox!'

"Brer Fox done gone, and nobody say nothing. Then Brer Rabbit squall out like he was mad; says he:

" 'You needn't talk less you want to,' says he; 'I knows you are there, and I ain't caring,' says he. 'I just want to tell you that I wish mighty bad Brer Turkey Buzzard was here,' says he.

"Then Mr. Buzzard try to talk like Brer Fox:

" 'What you want with Mr. Buzzard?' says he.

" 'Oh, nothing in particular, except there's the fattest gray squirrel in here that ever I see, ' says he, 'and if Brer Turkey Buzzard was around, he'd be mighty glad for to get him,' says he.

" 'How Mr. Buzzard going to get him?' says the Buzzard, says he.

" 'Well, there's a little hole round on the other side of the tree,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, 'and if Brer Turkey Buzzard was here so he could take up his stand there,' says he, I'd drive that squirrel out,' says he.

"Then Brer Rabbit kick up a racket, like her were driving something out, and Mr. Buzzard he rush around for to catch the squirrel, and Brer Rabbit, he dash out, he did, and he just fly for home."

At this point, Uncle Remus took one of the teacakes, held his head back, opened his mouth, dropped the cake in with a sudden motion, looked at the little boy with an expression of astonishment, and then closed his eyes, and begun to chew, mumbling as an accompaniment the plaintive tune of "Don't you Grieve atter Me." FN 4

The seance was over; but, before the little boy went into the "big house," Uncle Remus laid h8is rough hand tenderly on the child's shoulder, and remarked, in a confidential tone:

"Honey, you must get up soon Christmas morning and open the door, 'cause I'm going to bounce in on Master John and Miss Sally, and holler Christmas gift just like I used to during the farming days before the war, when old Miss was alive. I bound they don't forget the old n_____, neither. When you hear me callin' the pigs, honey, you just hop up and unfasten the door. I lay I'll give Master John one of these here surprise parties." FN 5

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FN 1. Ingun sets. Probably "Indian sets" for traps set by native Americans. These could be of twig and twine for smaller animals, see those and the larger arrangements at this Google Book, "Exploring the Outdoors with Indian Secrets," at ://books.google.com/books?id=efRiu1Wi-TAC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=indian+traps&source=web&ots=miArHe62yL&sig=p_nDxbSY9XfXHKNKEjjxxVtVzRY&hl=en#PPA29,M1
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FN 2, text provided: "* Patrols. In the country districts, order was kept on the plantations at night by the knowledge that they were liable to be visited at any moment by the patrols. Hence, a song current among the negroes, the chorus of which was: Run, n____, run; patter-roller ketch you --Run, n____, run; hit's almos'day."
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FN 3. Palaver. A long "parley" (probably French, parler, to speak) between persons of different culture or sophistication, idle or misleading or beguiling. From the Portuguese, "palavra," word; or late Latin "parabola," or parable. See ://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palaver. To flatter, cajole, see ://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/2004/04/05.html
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FN 4. In 1880's 1890's and thereafter, the Fisk Jubilee Singers (Fisk University,Nashville Tenn. Originated to foster black students) performed did this, apparently, as "Don't Grieve After Me," see ://www.ibiblio.org/keefer/d07.htm#Dongrafm. Look it up by title. See them at ://www.mtsu.edu/~baustin/jubilee.htmlThen see later incarnations by Woody Guthrie at "Sally Don't You Grieve," at http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/MALVINA/mr146.htm. The Fisk University Jubilee Singers are still in force. See ://www.fiskjubileesingers.org/

So, Uncle Remus, in knowing this song, was well aware that blacks were finally getting educational opportunities? he knew of Fisk? Can we deduce that?
................................................................................
FN 5. Uncle Remus here shows his "other" side - the assertive side. He is the one now egging the child on to mischief, after criticizing the child's own mischief in the beginning. Now, read carefully what Remus says he did when Miss Sally's mother was alive - and remember that this was when he was a slave. He says that he used to barge in the bedroom of Miss Sally's mother on Christmas Morning with a cheery "Christmas gift" hollered out [what gift?].

And he plans to do that now, using the little boy to open the house door, and with Miss Sally and her husband, Master John. Think about that. This is no obeisant "darky" - this person has chutzpa, and possibly even an ax to grind:

Uncle Remus says--"I bound they don't forget the old n_____, neither. When you hear me callin' the pigs, honey, you just hop up and unfasten the door. I lay I'll give Master John one of these here surprise parties."

He sure will. And it will be a surprise. Nobody can get him now, right? And why is "Miss Sally" in quotations in the first sentence? She would have been a child when Uncle Remus was making his Christmas "gifts" to old Miss Sally. What tone of voice is there in the quotations around "Miss Sally" now - that he knew her as a child, and only goes so far to acknowledge she is now in charge?

Does he like Master John?? Sounds not. You decide. We sense a power play, a come-uppance, and - again- the plantation tale and teller as subverting in their own way a social order that orders them about. Imagine Master John's face. Especially if he and Miss Sally were in the middle on early Christmas morning. What would Master John be thinking. What could he do. He's been had. Uncle Remus wins - outfoxes the Master Fox. And leaves for another day, free as a breeze.

Read these stories closely. There is a whole world of plantation culture in there.

VI. TRANSLATION. Mr. Rabbit Grossly Deceives Mr. Fox

2007-11-06T15:32:00.000-05:00

A continuation of our sporadic and recreational forays into Tales of Uncle Remus. Please see first posts for context, translation issues re the idiom, and cultural setting of the time - and the universality of Uncle Remus.

VI.

MR RABBIT GROSSLY DECEIVES MR. FOX

One evening when the little boy, whose nights with Uncle Remus were as entertaining as those Arabian ones of blessed memory (FN 1),* had finished supper and hurried out to sit with his venerable patron, he found the old man in great glee. Instead, Uncle Remus was talking and laughing to himself at such a rate that the little boy was afraid he had company. The truth is, Uncle Remus had heard the child coming, and, when the rosy-cheeked chap put his head in at the door, was engaged in a monologue, the burden of which seemed to be --

"Ole Molly H'ar FN 2
W'at you doin' dar,
Settin' in de corner
Smokin' yo' cigyar?"

As a matter of course this vague allusion reminded the little boy of the fact that the wicked fox was still in pursuit of the rabbit, and he immediately put his curiosity in the shape of a question.

"Uncle Remus, did the Rabbit have to go clean away when he got loose from the Tar-Baby?"

"Bless gracious, honey, that he didn't. Who? Him? You don't know nuthin' at all 'bout Brer Rabbit if that's the way you puttin' him down. What he goin' away for? He might have stayed sort of close until the pitch rub off'n his hair, but there weren't many days before he was loping up and down the neighborhood same as ever, and I don't know if he weren't more sassier than before.

"Seem like that the tale about how he got mixed up with the Tar-Baby got 'round amongst the neighbors. Leastways, Miss Meadows and the gals FN 3 got wind on it, and the next time Brer Rabbit paid them a visit tackled him about it, and the gals set up a monstrous gigglement. Brer Rabbit, he sat up just as cool as a cucumber, be did, and let them run on."

"Who was Miss Meadows, Uncle Remus?" inquired the little boy.

"Don't ask me, honey. She was in the tale, Miss Meadows and the gals was, in the tale I give you like it were given to me. Brer Rabbit, he sat there, he did, sort of lame like, and then by and by he cross his legs, he did, and wink his eye slow, and up and say, says he:

"' Ladies, Brer Fox was my daddy's ridin'-horse for thirty years, maybe more, but thirty years that I knows of,' says he; and then he paid them his respects, and tip his beaver, and march off, he did, just as stiff and an stuck up as a fire-stick.

"Nex' day, Brer Fox come a callin', and w'en he began for to laugh about Brer Rabbit, Miss Meadows and the gals, they ups and tells him about what Brer Rabbit say. Then Brer Fox grit his tooths, sure enough he did, and he looked mighty dumpy, but when he rise for to go, he up and say, says he:

" ' Ladies, I ain't disputin' what you say, but I'll make Brer Rabbig chew up his words and spit them out right here where you can see him,' says he, and with that off Brer Fox put.

"And when he got to the big road, he shook the dew off'n his tail, and made a straight shoot for Brer Rabbit's house. When he got there, Brer Rabbit was expecting on him, and the door was shut fast. Brer Fox knock. Nobody ain't answer. Brer Fox knock. Nobody answer. Then he knock again - blam! blam! Then Brer Rabbit holler out mighty weak:

"'Is that you, Brer Fox? I want you to run and fetch the doctor. That bait or parsley FN4 what I what I ate this morning is getting away with me. Do, please, Brer Fox, run quick," says Brer Rabbit, says he.

"' I come after you, Brer Rabbit,' says Brer Fox, says he. 'There's going to be a party up at Miss Meadows', ' says he. 'All the gals'll be there, and I promised that I'd fetch you. The gals, they allowed that it wouldn't be no party exceptin' I fetch you,' says Brer Fox, says he.

"Then Brer Rabbit say he was too sick, and Brer Fox say he wasn't, and there they had it up and down, disputin' and contendin'. Brer Rabbit say he can't walk. Brer Fox say he tote him. Brer Rabbit say how? Brer Fox say in his arms. Brer Rabbit say he drop him. Brer Fox allow he won't. By and by Brer Rabbit say he go if Brer Fox tote him on his back. Brer Fox say he would. Brer Rabbit say he can't ride without a saddle. Brer Fox say he get the saddle. Brer Rabbit say he can't set in saddle lest he have bridle for to hold by. Brer Fox say he get the bridle. Brer Rabbit say he can't ride without blind bridle, 'cause Brer Fox be shyin' at stumps along the road, and fling him off. Brer Fox say he get blind bridle. The Brer Rabbit say he to. Then Brer Fox say he ride Brer Rabbit most up to Miss Meadows's, and then he could get down and walk the balance of the way. Brer Rabbit agreed, and then Brer Fox leaped out after the saddle and the bridle.

"Course, Brer Rabbit know the game that Brer Fox was fixin' for to play, and he determined for to outdo him, and by the time he comb his hair and twist his mustache, and sort of rig up, here come Brer Fox, saddle and bridle on, and lookin' as pert as a circus pony. He trot up to the door and stand there pawin' the ground and chompin' the bit same like sure enough horse, and Brer Rabbit he mount, he did, and they amble off. Brer Fox can't see behind with the blind bridle on, but by and by he feel Brer Rabbit raise one of his foots.

"' What you doin' now, Brer Rabbit?' says he.

" 'Shortening the left stirrup, Brer Fox,' says he.

"By and by Brer Rabbit raise up the other foot.

"'W'at you doin' now, Brer Rabbit?' says he.

"' Pullin' down my pants, Brer Fox,' says he.

"All this time, bless gracious, honey, Brer Rabbit were puttin' on his spurs, and when they got close to Miss Meadows's, where Brer Rabbit was to get off, and Brer Fox made a motion for to stand still, Brer Rabbit slap the spurs into Brer Fox flanks, and you better believe he got over ground. When they got to the house, Miss Meadows and all the gals was settin' on the piazza, and instead of stoppin' at the gate, Brer Rabbit rode on by, he did, and then come gallopin' down the road and up to the horse-rack, which he hitch Brer Fox at, and then he saunter into the house, he did, and shake hands with the gals, and set there, smokin' his cigyar same as a town man. By and by he draw in a long puff, and then let it out in acloud, and squared himself back and holler out, he did:

"'Ladies, ain't I done tell you Brer Fox was the riding horse for our family? He's sort of losing his gait now, but I expect I can fetch him all right in a month or so,' says he.

"And then Brer Rabbit sort of grin, he did, and the gals giggle, and Miss Meadows, she appraise up the pony, and there was Brer Fox hitched fast to the rack, and couldn't help himself."

"Is that all," Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy as the old man paused.

"That ain't all, honey, but won't do for to give out too much cuff for to cut one pair pants," replied the old man sententiously.FN5
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FN1 "Arabian ones of blessed memory" - After looking up at random, this seems to be "The Thousand and One Nights" of Scheherezade. Scherezade, the new wife/ concubine (?) told the Sultan tales continuing every night without an ending, so he would not kill her, as was his custom with new favorites. He came back, night after night, in hopes of hearing an ending. She never ended her stories. Ultimately, he loved her. Is that right? Iraq, 10th Century, appears to be the earliest compilation, some Indian roots, some cultural redactions and changes since, see ://www.al-bab.com/arab/literature/nights.htm

FN 2 "H'ar,"as the word is written, elsewhere is in the context of "hair"

FN 3 "Miss Meadows and the gals" - just a regular part of the community, no more identity needed, implies Uncle Remus, and the little boy asks no more. For a discussion of cultural redactions, deleting references that offend later sensibilities, its impact on the depth of the original communication in many cases, and the great skill of equivocating around life lessons, see Joy of Equivocation: Remus and Life Education.

FN 4 Bait might be not just the fish on a hook, but also potato bait - a cut piece of potato put out to lure bugs damaging to the overall crop of something else. Search for "potato bait" and get to findarticles.com/p/articles/mi and from there click to get to it. URL too long. "Potato baits aid symphylans", Central Coast vegetable crops.

"Pusly" could be parsley, see ://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Petr_cri.html (look at the large, edible root there); or purslaine - a vegetable, see ://www.spoutwood.com/4b.html. See 17th Century English recipe for purslaine at //www.godecookery.com/engrec/engrec98.html. Invite us over.

FN5 Sententiously - in a pompous, moralizing way - see ://www.thefreedictionary.com/sententiously

V. TRANSLATION. The Story of the Deluge, and how it came about

2007-11-05T10:19:00.000-05:00

V.

THE STORY OF THE DELUGE AND HOW IT CAME ABOUT

"One time," said Uncle Remus - adjusting his spectacles so as to be able to see how to thread a large darning-needle with which he was patching his coat -- "one time, 'way back yonder, before you was borned, honey, and before Master John or Miss Sally was borned -- 'way back yonder before any of us was borned, the animals and the creatures sort of electioneered around among themselves, until at last they agreed for to have an assembly. In them days," continued the old man, observing a look of incredulity on the little boy's face, "in them days, creatures had lots more sense than they got now, let alone that, they had sense same like folks. It was touch and go with them, too, mon, and when they made up their minds what had to be done, 'twasn't more than mentioned before it was done. Well, they elected that they had to hold an assembly for to sort of straighten out matters and hear the complaints, and when the day come, they was on hand. The Lion, he was there, 'cause he was the king, and he had to be there. The Rhinocerous, he was there, and the Elephant, he ws there, and the Camels, and the Cows, and plumb down to the Crawfishes, they was there. They was all there. And when the Lion shook his mane, and tucked his seat in the big chair, then the session began for to commence."

"What did they do, Uncle Remus?" Asked the little boy.

"I can't scarcely call to mind exactly what they did do, but they spoke speeches, and hollered, and cussed, and flung their language around just like when your daddy was going to run for the legislature and got left. However, they arranged their affairs, and explained their business. By and by, while they was disputing longer one or another, the Elephant trompled on one of the Crawfishes. 'Course, when that creature put his foot down, whatsomever's under there was bound for to be squished, and there wasn't enough of that Crawfish left for to tell that he'd been there.

"This made the other Crawfishes mighty mad, and they sorter of swarmed together and drawed up a kind of preamble with some wherefores in it, and read her out in the assembly. But, bless gracious! such a racket was going on that nobody ain't heard it, excepting maybe the Mud Turtle, and the Spring Lizard, and their influence was powerful lacking.

"By and by, while the Unicorn was disputing with the Lion, and while the Hyena was laughing to himself, the Elephant squished another one of the Crawfishes, and a little more and he'd have ruined the Mud Turtle. Then the Crawfishes, what there was left of them, swarmed together and drew up another preamble with some more wherefores; but they might as well have sung Old Dan Tucker* to a hurricane. The other creatures was too busy with their fussing for to respond unto the Crawfishes. So there they was, the Crawfishes, and they didn't know what minute was going to be next; and they kept on getting madder and madder and scareder and scareder, until by and by they began to wink to the Mud Turtle and the Spring Lizard, and then they bored little holes in the ground and went down out of sight.

"Who did, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

"The Crawfishes, honey. They bored into the ground and kept on boring until they unloosed the fountains of the earth; and the waters squirt out, and rose higher and higher until the hills was covered, and the creatures were all drowned; and all because they let on among themselves that they was bigger than the Crawfishes."

Then the old man blew the ashes from a smoking yam, and proceeded to remove the peeling.

"Where was the ark, Uncle Remus?" the little boy inquired, presently.

"Which ark's that?" asked the old man, in a tone of well-feigned curiosity.

"Noah's ark," replied the child.

"Don't you pester with old man Noah, honey. I bound he took care of that ark. That's what he was there for, and that's what he done. Leastways, that's what they tells me. But don't you bother longer that ark, excepting your mammy fetches it up. There might have been two deluges, and then again there mightn't. If there was nay ark in this here what the Crawfishes brought on, I ain't hear tell on it, and when there ain't no arks around, I ain't got no time for to make them up and put them in there. ** It's gettin' your bedtime, honey."

.........................................................
* Ol' Dan Tucker: See lyrics at ://www.bluegrasslyrics.com/all_song.cfm-recordID=sp979.htm. This song was first published in sheet music in 1843, says Wikipedia, with no composer named. See ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Dan_TuckerSee a longer dialect version at //www.iath.virginia.edu/utc/minstrel/dantuckerfr.html.

You can also hear it by following the clicks at the virginia.edu site. Look up Bruce Springsteen and Pete Seeger also to hear it.
..................................................................
** General comment on the tale - Accepting ambiguity in theology. Not artificially filling in blanks. See Joy of Equivocating, Remus post. You were far ahead of your time. There is no ark here or any deity causing things or judging - and Remus has no problem with anyone's own story including whatever. He just keeps his own.

IV. TRANSLATION - How Mr. Rabbit Was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox

2007-11-04T12:10:00.000-05:00

This is the second part of the Tar-Baby story - the famous briar patch escape. The characters are, as the title says, only Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Fox.

IV.

HOW MR. RABBIT WAS TOO SHARP FOR MR. FOX

"Uncle Remus," said the little boy one evening, when he had found the old man with little or nothing to do, "did the fox kill and eat the rabbit when he caught him with the Tar-Baby?"

"Law, honey, ain't I tell you 'bout that??" replied the old darkey*, chuckling slyly. "I declare to gracious I ought to have told you that, but old man Nod was ridin' on my eyelids until a little mre and I'd have disremembered my own name, and then on to that here comes your mammy hollerin' after you.

"What I tell you when I first begin? I told you Brer Rabbit was a monstrous soon(?) creature: leastways that's what I laid out for to tell you. Well, then, honey, don't you go and make no other calculations, 'cause in them days Brer Rabbit and his family was at the head of the gang when any racket was on hand, and there they stayed. Before you begin for to wipe your eyes about Brer Rabbit you want and see whereabouts Brer Rabbit going to fetch up at. But that's neither here nor there.

"When Brer Fox find Brer Rabbit mixed up with the Tar-Baby, he feel mighty good, and he roll on the ground and laugh. By and by he up and say, says he:

"'Well, I expect I got you this time, Brer Rabbit, says he; 'maybe I ain't, but I expect I is. You been runnin' around here sassin' after me a mighty long time, but I expect you done come to the end of the row. You been cuttin' up yo' capers and bouncin' around in this neighborhood until you come to believe yourself the boss of the whole gang. End then you are always somewhere where you got no business,' sez brer Fox, says he. 'Who asked you for to come and strike up acquaintance with this here Tar-Baby? And who stuck you up there where you is? Nobody in the round world. You just took and jam yourslf on that Tar-Baby without waitin' for any invite,' says Brer Fox, says hee, 'and there you is, and there you'll stay til I fixes up a brush-pile and fires her up, 'cause I'm going to barbecue you this day, sure,' says Brer Fox, says he.

"Then Brer Rabbit talk mighty humble:

"'I don't care what you do with me, Brer Fox,' says he, 'so you don't fling me in that briar-patch,' says he.

"'It's so much trouble for to kinde a fire,' says Brer Fox, says he, 'that I expect I'll have to hang you,' says he.

"'Hang me just as high as you please, Brer Fox,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, 'but do for the Lord's sake, don't fling me in that briar-patch,' says he.

"' I ain't got no string,' says Brer Fox, says he, 'and now I expect I'll have to drown you,' says he.

"'Drown me just as deep as you please, Brer Fox,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, 'but don't fling me in that briar-patch,' says he.

"' There ain't no water nigh,' says Brer Fox, says he, ' and now I expect I'll have to skin you,' says he.

"'Skin me, Brer Fox,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, 'snatch out my eyeballs, tear out my ears by the roots, and cut off my legs,' says he, 'but do please, Brer Fox, don't fling e in that briar-patch,' says he.

"' 'Course Brer Fox want to hurt Brer Rabbit bad as he can, so he caught him by the behind legs and slung him in the middle of the briar-patch. There was a considerable flutter where Brer Rabbit struck the bushes, and Brer Fox sort of hang around for to see what was going to happen. By and by he hear somebody call him, and way up the hill he see Brer Rabbit settin'cross-legged on a chinkapin (?) log, combing the pitch out of his hair with a chip. Then Brer Fox know that he been swapped off mighty bad. Brer Rabbit was bleedzed (pleased?) for to fling back some of his sass, and he holler out:

"'Bred and born in a briar-patch, Brer Fox - bred and born in a briar-patch!' and with that, he skip out just as lively as a cricket in the embers."

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Read the original dialect at //xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/toosharp.html; and analysis at ://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/anasharp.html.

...............................................................................
* These translations leave in the vernacular, including negro and colored, when they appear, but leave out some others. No set criteria, but more a personalsense of what gets in the way as an obtrusive and now seen as total insult, and other phrases that seem more local and not so obtrusive.
----------------------------------------------
Read the original dialect at //xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/toosharp.html; and analysis at //xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/anasharp.html

III. TRANSLATION - Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace

2007-11-03T03:06:00.000-04:00

III
WHY MR. POSSUM LOVES PEACE

"One night," said Uncle Remus - taking Miss Sally's little boy on his knee, and stroking the child's hair thoughtfully and caressingly - "one night Brer Possum called by for Brer coon, according to en, and after gobblin' up a dish of fried greens and smokin' a cigar, they rambled forth for to see how the balance of the settlement was gettin' along. Brer Coon, he was one of these here natural pacers, and he racked along the same as Master John's bay pony, and Brer Possum he went in a han'-gallup (?); and they got over heap of ground, man.

Brer Possum, he got his belly full of persimmons, and Brer coon, he scooped up an abundance of frogs and tadpoles. They ambled along, they did, just as sociable as a basket of kittens, until by and by they hear Mr. Dog talkin' to himself way off in the woods.

"'Supposin' he runs up on us, Brer Possum, what're you goin' to do?' says Brer Coon, says he. Brer Possum sort of laughed around the corners of his mouth.

"'Oh, if he come, Brer coon, I'm goin' to stand by you,' says Brer Possum. 'What're you goin' to do?' says he.

"'Who? Me?' says Brer Coon. 'If he run up onto me, I lay I give 'im one twis',' says he.

"Did the dog come?" asked the little boy.

"Go 'way, honey!" responded the old man, in an impressive tone. "Go way! Mr. Dog, he come and he come a zoonin'. And he ain't wait for to say howdy, neither. He just sail into the two of 'em. The very first pass he made Brer Possum fetched a grin from ear to ear, and keel over like he was dead.

Then Mr. Dog, he sail into Brer Coon, and right there's where he dropped his money purse, 'cause Brer Coon was cut out for that kind of business, and he fairly wiped up the face of the yeth with him. You better believe that when Mr. Dog got a chance to make himself scarce he took it, and what there was left of him went skaddlin' through the woods like it was shot out of a musket. And Brer Coon, he sort of licked his clothes into shape and racked off, and Brer Possum, he lay there like he was dead, 'til by and by he raise up sort of careful like, and when he find the cost clear he scramble up and scamper off like something was after him."

Here Uncle Remus paused long enough to pick up a live coal in his fingers, transfer it to the palm of his hand, and thence to his clay pipe, which he had been filling - a proceeding that was viewed bythe little boy with undisguised admiration. The old man then proceeded:

"Next time Brer Possum met Brer Coon, Brer Coon refused to respond to his howdy, and this make Brer Possum feel mighty bad, seeing as how they used to make so many excursions together.

"'What make you hold your head so high, Brer Coon?' says Brer Possum, says he.

"'I ain't runnin' with cowards these days,' says Brer Coon. 'When I wants you I'll send for you,' says he.

"Then Brer Possum git mighty mad.

"'Who's any coward?' says he.

"'You is," says Brer Coon, 'that's who. I ain't associating with them what lays down on the ground and plays dead when there's a free fight goin' on,' says he.

"Then Brer Possum grin and laugh fit to kill hisself.

"'Lord, Brer Coon, you don't expect I done that 'cause I was 'feared, do you?' says he. 'Why, I wasn't any more 'feared than you is this minute. What was there for to be skeered of?' says he. I knew you'd get away with Mr. Dog if I didn't, and I just lay there watchin' you shake him, waitin' for to put in when the time come,' says he.

"Brer Coon turned up his nose.

"'That's a mighty likely tale,' says ne, 'when Mr. Dog ain't more than touch you before you keel over, and lay there stiff,' says he.

"'That's just what I was going to tell you about,' says Brer Possum, says he. 'I wasn't no more scared than you is right now, and I was fixin' for to give Mr. Dog a sample of my jaw,' says he, 'but I'm the most ticklish chap what you ever laid eyes on, and no sooner did Mr. Dog put his nose down here among my ribs than I got to laughin', and I laughed 'til I ain't had no use of my limbs,' says he, ' and it s mercy unto Mr. Dog that I was ticklish, 'cause a little more and I'd e't him up,' says he. 'I don't mind fightin', Brer Coon, no more than you does*, ' says he, 'but I declare to gracious if I can stand ticklin'. Get me in a row where there ain't no ticklin' allowed, and I'm your man,' says he.

"And down to this day" - continued Uncle Remus, watching the smoke from his pipe curl upward over the little boy's head - "down to this day, Brer Possum's bound to surrender when you touch him in the short ribs, and he'll laugh if he knows he's going to be smashed for it."

.................................

* The Propagandist: Self-serving spins of words and webs of meaning. Somebody does something that sure looks suspiciously in his interest, and against what he said he was going to do. But watch that person then spin words and webs of meaning in and endless barrage of verbiage until his action becomes noble and altruistic and the other guy is jes' left scratchin' his haid.

II. TRANSLATION - The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story

2007-11-02T03:05:00.000-04:00

Just try to force an issue, and make somebody respond the way you would like, and follow it up with a cuff to the haid to make your point, without first checking out what might happen, given the givens, and watch how you get totally stuck. A story of getting taken in.

II.

THE WONDERFUL TAR-BABY

"Didn't the fox ever catch the rabbit, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy the next evening.

"He came mighty near it, honey, sure as you're born - Brer Fox did. One day after Brer Rabbit fooled him with that calamus root, Brer Fox went to work and got him some tar, and mixed it with some turpentine, and fixed up a contraption that he called a Tar-Baby, and he took this here Tar-Baby and he set her in the big road, and then he lay off in the bushes to see what the news was goin' to be. And he didn't have to wait long, neither, 'cause by and by here come Brer Rabbit pacin' down the road - lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity - just as sassy as a jay-bird. Brer Fox, he lay low. Brer Rabbit came prancin' along until he spied the Tar-Baby, and then he fetched up on his behind legs like he was astonished. The Tar-Baby, she sat there, she did, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

"'Mawnin'!" says Brer Rabbit says he - 'nice weather this mawnin'," says he.

"Tar-Baby ain't sayin' nothin', and Brer Fox, he lay low.

"'How do your symptoms seem to segashuate*?" says Brer Rabbit, says he.

"Brer Fox, he wink his eye slow, and lay low, and the Tar-Baby, she ain't sayin' nothin'.

"'How you come on, then? Is you deaf?' says Brer Rabbit, says he. 'Cause if you is, I can holler louder,' says he.

"Tar-Baby stay still, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

"'You're stuck up, that's what you is,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, 'and I'm going to kill you, that's what I'm going to do,' says he.

"Brer Fox, he sort of chuckled in his stomach, he did, but Tar-Baby ain't sayin' nothin.'

""I'm going to teach you how to talk to respectable folks if it's the last act,' says Brer Rabbit, says he. 'If you don't take off that hat and tell me howdy, I'm going to bust you wide open,' says he.

"Tar-Baby stay still, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

"Brer Rabbit kept on askin' him, and the Tar-Baby, she kept on sayin' nothin', until presently Brer Rabbit drew back with his fist, he did and blip he tucked her side of her head. Right there's where he broke his molasses jug. His fist stuck, and he can't pull loose. The tar held him. But Tar-Baby she stay still, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

"'If you don't let me loose, I'll knock you again,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, and with that he fetched her a wipe with the other hand, and that stuck. Tar-Baby, she ain't sayin' nothin', and Brer Fox, he lay low.

"'Turn me loose, before I kick the natural stuffing out of you,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, but the Tar-Baby, she ain't sayin' nothin.' She just held on, and then Brer Rabbit lost the use of his feet in the same way. Brer Fox he lay low. Then Brer Rabbit squalled out that if the Tar-Baby don't turn him loose he'll butt her cranksided. And then he butted, and his head got stuck. Then Brer Fox, he sauntered forth, lookin' just as innocent as one of your nanny's** mockin' birds.

"'Howdy, Brer Rabbit,' says Brer Fox, says he. 'You look sort of stuck up this mawnin'," says he, and then he rolled on the ground, and laughed and laughed 'til he couldn't laugh no more. 'I expect you'll take dinner with me this time, Brer Rabbit. I laid in some calamus root, and I ain't going to take no excuse,' says Brer Fox, says he."

Here Uncle Remus paused, and drew a two-pound yam out of the ashes.

"Did the fox eat the rabbit?" asked the little boy to whom the story had been told.

"That's all the far the tale goes," replied the old man. "He might, and then again he mightn't. Some say Judge Bar came along and loosed him - some say he didn't. I hear Miss Sally calling. You better run along."

[note there is no briar patch conclusion here, and that is true to the book - stay in suspense please, just like the little boy] [also note there is no Brer B'ar in this story - Walt Disney fakes things]
----------------------------------
* segashuate - ? "exaggerate"?
** please put back in the real word

Look up the film clip of Walt Disney's 1946 "Song of the South." See the Tar-Baby section bit at at //www.uncleremus.com/tarbaby.html, about 15 minutes long from the Walt Disney film.
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Read the original dialect at //xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/tar-baby.html; and analysis there at ://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/anatar.html

I. TRANSLATION - Uncle Remus Initiates the Little Boy

2007-11-02T02:39:00.001-04:00

[What Miss Sally heard when she found her son in Uncle Remus' cabin, listening to stories][p.4ff]

UNCLE REMUS INITIATES THE LITTLE BOY

"By and by, one day, after Brer Fox been doin' all that he could for to catch Brer Rabbit, and Brer Rabbit been doin' all he could for to keep him from it, Brer Fox say to himself that he'd put up a game on Brer Rabbit, and he ain't more than got the words out of his mouth 'til Brer Rabbit come a lopin' up the big road, lookin' just as plump, and as fat, and as sassy as a Morgan Horse FN 1 in a barley-patch.

"'Hold on there, Brer Rabbit,' says Brer Fox, says he.

"'I ain't got the time, Brer Fox,' says Brer Rabbit, says he, sort of mendin' his licks.

"'I want to have some confab with you, Brer Rabbit,' says Brer Fox, says he.

"'All right, Brer Fox, but you better holler from where you stand. I'm monstrous full of fleas this morning,' says Brer Rabbit, says he.

"I saw Brer B'ar (Bear) yesterday,' says Brer Fox, says he,' and he sort of rake me over the coals 'cause you and me ain't make friends and live neighborly, and I told him that I'd see you.'

"Then Brer Rabbit scratch one ear with his off hind-foot sort of dubiously, and then he ups and says, says he:

"'All a settin', Brer Fox. Supposing you drop around tomorrow and take dinner with me. We ain't got no great doin's at our house, but I expect the old woman and the children can sort of scramble around and get up something for to stay your stomach.'

"'I'm agreeable, Brer Rabbit,' says Brer Fox, says he.

"'Then I'll depend on you,' says Brer Rabbit, says he.

"Next day, Mr. Rabbit and Miss Rabbit got up soon, before day, and raided on a garden like Miss Sally's out there, and got some cabbages and some roasting ears, and some asparagus, and they fix up a smashin' dinner. By and by one of the little Rabbits, playin' out in the backyard, come runnin' in hollerin', 'Oh, ma! oh, ma! I saw Mr. Fox comin'!' And then Brer Rabbit he took the children by their ears and make them sit down, and then he and Miss Rabbit sort of dally around, waitin' for Brer Fox. And they keep on waitin', but no Brer Fox ain't come. After a while, Brer Rabbit goes to the door, easy like, and peep out, and there, sticking from behind the corn there, was the tip end of Brer Fox's tail. Then Brer Rabbit shut the door and sat down, and put his paws behind his ears and begin for to sing:

"'The place whereabouts you spill the grease,

Right there you're bound to slide,

And where you find a bunch of hair,

You'll surely find the hide.'

"Next day, Brer Fox sent word by Mr. Mink, and excused himself 'cause he was too sick for to come, and he asks Brer Rabbit for to come and take dinner with him, and Brer Rabbit say he was agreeable.

"By and by, when the shadows was at their shortest, Brer Rabbit he sort of brush up and then saunter down to Brer Fox's house, and when he got there, he hear somebody groanin', and he look in the door and ther he see Brer Fox settin' up in a rockin' chair, all wrapped up with flannel and he look mighty weak. Brer Rabbit look all around, he did, but he ain't see no dinner. The dishpan was settin' on the dable, and close by was a carvin' knife.

"'Look like you goin' to have chicken for dinner, Brer fox,' says Brer Rabbit, says he.

"'Then Brer Rabbit sort of pull his mustache, and say: 'You ain't got no calamus root, FN 2 have you, Brer Fox? I done got so now that I can't eat no chicken except she's seasoned up with calamus root.' And with that, Brer Rabbit leaped out of the door and dodge among the bushes, and sat there watching for Brer Fox; and he ain't watch long, neither, 'cause Brer Fox flung off the flannel and crept out of the house and got where he could close in on Brer Rabbit, and by and by Brer Rabbit holler out: 'Oh, Brer Fox! I'll just put your calamus root out here on this here stump. Better come get it while it's fresh,' and with that Brer Rabbit gallop off home. And Brer Fox ain't never catch him yet, and what's more, honey, he ain't goin' to."

.............................................................................

FN 1 Morgan Horse. A breed of recehorse, known for versatility, elegance and strength, see http://www.morganhorse.com/about_the_morgan/

FN 2 Calamus root, or bittersweet, has a venerable history in itself, or not, depending on your perspective. The calamus root has been a source of folk medicine for digestive ills and other medical problems,and also is said to make you feel very good. Look up why it was declared "unsafe." See Uncle Remus Tales, calamus root post. See note at Uncle Remus, Calamus Root Post

Bittersweet: (another name for calamus) A woody vine, with berries that ripen and drop the shell to reveal a red-orange berry, often used for decorating. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bittersweetSee

--------------------------------------------

General comment on the tale - Pretend friendship, while plotting behind all the while, and watch the other guy find out and get the better of you anyway. Read original text at http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/initiate.html; and an analysis there at http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/aninit.html

Uncle Remus: Undercurrents of the Stockholm Syndrome, and inverting unequal power

2007-10-24T21:37:00.000-04:00

The culture of Uncle Remus, in which those who survived deferred, can well be seen as genius - the development and implementation of linguistic and behavioral codes by which to stay alive.

A slave culture had to do that. Uncle Remus' tradition can be seen as an example of the Stockholm syndrome. Get past the silly URL here and read about Stockholm Syndrome at //www.sniggle.net/stock.php.

The syndrome involves captives trying to please their captors, and very soon upon realizing they cannot escape, are isolated, threatened with death, yet the captors show some acts of kindness. That concept, the universal human one where the relationship is powerless vs. powerful, takes the relationship of Remus with Aunt Sally and others from the plantation into a different realm.

This purpose, using deference to defuse, is suggested on the blurb on the back cover, the 1982 Penguin Classics edition of "Uncle Remus, His Tales and Sayings" ties Uncle Remus' characters with history and human need:

1. Uncle Remus is described as "the docile and grandfatherly ex-slave storyteller," the "literary creation" of Joel Chandler Harris that "reassured white readers during the tense and tentative reconstruction."

2. Brer Rabbit is seen as a "mainstay of black folklore long before Joel Chandler Harris heard of him," "whose cunning and revolutionary antics symbolically inverted the master-slave relationship and satisfied the deep human needs of a captive people." Robert Hemenway wrote a fine introduction to that edition, see ://books.google.com/books

How people act in when one must defer, or possibly die, is discussed in "Unequal Power Relationships." See //serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro04/web1/kkrasnec.html. It has been connected to slavery, abusive spousal or other interpersonal relationships, prisoners of war. Many captives soon seek to please the captor when the captor offers little kindnesses, and that syndrome recognized as a universal survival technique for the captive.

In Stockholm, people were held for 5 days in a Swedish bank heist - interesting study. The syndrome presented after only a few days of the captivity. Imagine the effect when it goes on for centuries. Schools, teach Remus with dignity and history in mind. The submissive behavior seen in Uncle Remus is not inferiority but brilliant modes of survival.

Here is an additional site on it, from a counseling perspective this time - at //counsellingresource.com/quizzes/stockholm/index.html. Other sites: //www.nurturingpotential.net/Issue13/Stockholm.htm; narrative race-relations personal blog-type article at //hometown.aol.com/jemiltd/myhomepage/index.html.

Sources of Tales Worldwide - Remus and Roman de Reynard

2007-10-24T18:51:00.000-04:00

Sources of heritage. Often elsewhere.

Some information and research topics are available only to some institutions or other entities that require subscriptions, payments, all that. Still, some of those do relax a little and make bits open to the rest of us who are tight-fisted.

Roman de Renard or Roman de Renart.

Here is a scholarly source that traces Uncle Remus tales and themes back to France's 11th century Roman de Renard, the Story of the Fox - at JSTOR's ://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0030-8129(1892)7%3Cxxxix%3ATTOURT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-2. It even (for once) offers a free teaser as to content - actual pages from an early work from 1892. There was no "France" then, but the area is there.

This is not a critique or summary of that research, because that takes full access to this JSTOR - the point is only that human beings find certain themes to be of interest, develop tales about them, repeat them and they go miles and miles and miles.

Other sources trace the stories to Africa - the theory holds. Human beings find certain themes to be of interest, develop tales about them, repeat them, and they go miles and miles and miles.

THE FRANCE CONNECTION. The Roman de Renart dates from 12th or 13th Century France, a collection of tales, often rowdy, or bawdy, with a trickster at the focal point. If you were in college, we would find this source for a summary - at //www.enotes.com/classical-medieval-criticism/roman-de-renart; then party on and spit it back on an exam as though we figured it out ourselves. Life.

Tricksters. In any culture. Find more medieval French ones at ://www.utm.edu/staff/globeg/narrat.shtml. Click on the Fox.

Sometime we will get on Aesop and what role the fox plays in the fables. This is great stuff. We think we are all so different, but we ain't. From ancient Greece to reconstruction South. People, just getting along against the strong. Find a 1930's film on the Fox at ://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021309/.

The trickster. Everybody watch out.

Redacting, diluting in the Retelling. Miss Meadows and the Gals, and More.

2007-10-24T16:01:00.000-04:00

Equivocation, and the weapon of those who have an agenda: The redaction pen.

When matters get complicated, ignore some things. Cross it out. Pretend it was never there. Redact. Obscure or remove. See ://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redact.

Look at Uncle Remus. And Miss Meadows and the Gals.

Are there parts of the Uncle Remus Tales and Stories that could possibly offend. Just look at all these branches. And even if so, why impose a literary pruning just because someone's worldview later is different from what was life's components before. Is not variety and spontaneity to be valued over forced shapes; and much can be presented as history, the period. To add to understanding.

"This means that??" You decide.

Uncle Remus. Read Uncle Remus' tales closely. A starting point could be our translations, done for recreational purposes and not scholarly, at see Uncle Remus Tales - Translations. Focusing on each image as the story proceeds leads to areas just under the surface that speak loudly, but only once noticed.

Here, look at the tale, Brer Rabbit Grossly Deceives Brer Fox - at Translation and notes: "Brer Rabbit Grossly Deceives Brer Fox". There are several images - described in footnotes at that site, here as translated -

The Arabian Nights -"One evening when the little boy, whose nights with Uncle Remus were as entertaining as those Arabian ones of blessed memory...." That opens the story. This site, at //www.al-bab.com/arab/literature/nights.htm, says that some parts of the 1001 Nights are not suitable for children because of X content, and points out the reaction of later cultures - redaction, and change of the original to meet later sensibilities.
A little song-ditty about "Ole Milly H'ar Wat you doin' dar, Settin' in de corner Smokin' yo' cigyar?"
Miss Meadows and the gals - who was she? asks the little boy. Oh, don't ask me, says Remus. She and the gals were just in the story as it was given to me. Note that Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox pay them visits; and Miss Meadows and the gals have parties.
When Brer Rabbit manipulates Brer Fox into letting him ride Brer Fox to Miss Meadows's party, he first adjusts the stirrup, and the action continues. Then, what you doin' now, asks Brer Fox who can't see because he has on a blind bridle. Brer Rabbit: "Pullin' down my pants, Brer Fox," says he.
Tell me more, says the little boy when the story winds down. Wouldn't do, says Uncle Remus, to "give out too much cuff for to cut one pair pants."

Put them together. The thought process can go like this, if you like: All deniable. The mind-pictures grow slowly. Remus: it was the narrator speaking about the 1001 Nights, but if we add adult imagery from the Arabian Nights, that sets the stage in the very first sentences, to "Ole Molly" who comes soon after, then a whole other angle emerges more strongly for Miss Meadows and the gals, and Brer Rabbit doing what he does while riding Brer Fox, and the last allusion to the cuffs. Let your mind wander. What stage was set. What happened next. What is being told here about the community, its residence, the culture.

This post suggests that there is a value to talking around ideas, and the original equivocations should stand without forcing anything further. The non-frontal approach. Let those with ears hear, and eyes see, etc. When done skillfully, a story can speak on many levels, and all is eminently deniable if somebody else sees it differently, because of the splendid equivocation in the first place. The value is also that the idea can get across without being lopped off immediately. Equivocation at its finest. Equivocation = safety, until discovered or interpreted by a Lopper.

Redactions. The lopping off. Happens all the time. Later generations of the earliest versions of fairy tales and fantasy tales often zap out explicit or violent acts incompatible with a current culture's ideas of what is proper. That kills the history and the original culture, but is done anyway if a perceived anathema is revealed - see ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anathema. Equivocation and its rainbow and layers of meaning - room for all. Admit anyone's interpretation - that's what it's for. Why not let the discussion, the era, the untrimmed tale waft on.

We know the Walt Disney approach - make money off everything in sight and shape the culture. Prune out all that does not fit the desired message, which may well be far removed from the actual. See post 10/22/07 here. Joy of Equivocating - Uncle Remus, Toxic Disney.

The real community here. Uncle Remus. Later vaudeville and other caricatures of former slaves show them as persons to be ridiculed. See ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface. Uncle Remus here, an individual clearly respected for and trusted in his role at Aunt Sally's, is instead a full, real person. Remus may even know the "Arabian ones of blessed memory;" they are part of a large oral tradition of stories, seeping around the globe.

Here is the irony. We do not. Who can get back to those original texts for us, long redacted by later retentive cultures interested in imposing agendas. What did you know, Uncle Remus? More than we. What if we want to put some parts back in?

Aunt Sally and the rest of the whitewashed culture in post-reconstruction South further whitewashing their culture. Who here is deceived about the depth of the humanity of Uncle Remus.

Who wears the blind bridle after all? Aunt Sally.

The little boy. He's fine. He picks up enough about the adult world and his community as he can handle at the time, no need to deny, no need to lie or elaborately steer away, just let it pass, equivocate the issue away, and he asks no questions at all about what Brer Rabbit is doing, or why Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox go visitin'.

Now to look up if later collections in the children's section have Brer Rabbit just adjusting stirrups on the way to Miss Meadows's.

Redaction and today's readers. Should children or adults be steered away from Uncle Remus because there are these kinds of references once in a while, to life as it was in that era, and who the people were, and the roles? Should that sentence about Brer Rabbit and the pants be redacted out. Why? This is a period piece - a slice of life in the post-reconstruction South. History, culture.

Redaction gets difficult. Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" appears to be banned in some places for supposedly presenting racial stereotypes. Read closer. Jim there as a character shows himself to Huck and others as no part of that stereotype. The individual rises above.

At some point here, we will have to deal with the n word if we go into the plantation stories - on what grounds does anyone redact, edit material out, see ://www.thefreedictionary.com/redactions.

Is not redaction itself then a lie. Do we really think kids don't know, and if our parents and grandparents could handle Uncle Remus as is, why not now. Put in the context, but is that enough to meet the needs of the redactors.

Here are the Uncle Remus Tales if the equivocation, ambiguity, and the multiple unfathomable truths they convey, are subjected further to the Loppers - the redactors, Walt Disney and his impositions, adders and changers.

Is this what also happened to the original messages of the religious greats, the classical thinkers, the Founders, after attacked and coopted by "institutions."

We love the wild trees, the understories of stories. However, there is a danger that pointing something out in them will guide the Loppers, who then will seek to redact. Like a bad movie. The tightrope. Discussion of meanings in that light can endanger the integrity of the story, or even shape how later readers interpret it.

Text Redactors. Text Changers. Text Adders. Run, tales, run.

No answer. But we have an awareness and concern for any "interpreting" possibilities. Some fear of the consequence of exploration here, so far offset by the joy of exploring equivocating.

Ethical Issues - even in The World of Uncle Remus. Miss Cow.

2007-10-24T15:27:00.000-04:00

Remus' stories and ethical, dignitarian issues. Here, "Miss Cow Falls a Victim to Mr. Rabbit."

The tales are more complex than a surface, or recreational read in dialect, suggests. Too much gets passed over because of the difficulty in understanding the dialect. Or, because the drive for entertainment leads to editing out serious thoughts.

It takes translating for yourself, each word, before the realization hits. For example, look what is happening with Uncle Remus. His world is like ours after all.

Read: "Miss Cow Falls a Victim to Mr. Rabbit," see Uncle Remus Tales, Miss Cow. Read it there. Not perfect, but you got an amateur here.

Some ethical issues in the story. The Plot. Rabbit and his family are hungry. He sees Miss Cow. He wants some milk, is not optimistic about his chances. He polites her up, gets her to butt the persimmon tree so he can get some persimmons, knowing she will get stuck with her horn in the tree; and she does, and it does, and he won't help her out.

He said he would get Brer Bull to help pry her loose.

Instead, he brings back his family with pails and they - ha ha - milk her dry and leave her there. No asking, no permission. All night she moos there. She finally gets loose, mad, and hatches a plan to get back at Brer Rabbit, by sticking her horn back in the hole so she can slide it out easy when and if he comes to help.

He sees her do it, won't get close - says he can help by doing the grunting while she does the work of getting loose. She pulls out that horn and takes off after him - he ducks in the briar patch, pretends he is another rabbit entirely, tells here where Brer Rabbit ran off to, and she heads on, not seeing that he is there.

Issues. Why does that sound like a gang assault (put in fear, in some jurisdictions) or battery (unwanted touching in some jurisdictions) or both. Yet, there are other angles - the nature of milking as necessary after all, and the use of young 'uns, worse - see ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape#Gang_rape.

Who owes what to whom. Still, see it from Sis Cow's view. She would have had choices, except that Brer Rabbit cut them off. What were Sis Cow's choices? Can her rights be valorized, a value put on it? Brer Bull could have helped gouge out the hole in the tree so she could get loose, and Brer Rabbit did say he was going to get him (never did). Unstuck, she would have gone back to the barn.

Brer Rabbit perhaps himself could have helped her get loose because he could see what was going on,, but instead he took advantage. But, here is the twist. As Uncle Remus knows, and tells the little boy, if Brer Rabbit had not milked Sis Cow, she would have been in great discomfort. It benefited her to get milked.

A cow + full udder = pain, etc.

But that is not enough to assess Brer Rabbit. None of this is intended to take away the enjoyment of an old folk tale with a trickster, that common character among cultures globally, but it is worth discussing.

Rights or not.

1. Does Sis Cow have a right to her bodily integrity: has she not the right to decide when and how a necessary milking will take place? Or to take the pain and defer it, until she is treated right.
Sis Cow Returns! Here she is, with reinforcements, to take her revenge.

2. Did Brer Rabbit, once he caused her to change her position and butt the tree, have an obligation to follow through, get help, as he said he was doing (before he just came back with his family and he pails), and to ask if he could have the milk? Knowing she needed to be milked and was stuck in the tree trunk, she may well have agreed.

3. This story is a mess from the view of Sis Cow and others of her gender persuasion, who can imagine what it was like for her, stuck in the tree, betrayed when Brer Rabbit doesn't go for help, but instead Brer Rabbit and his folks are all over her. What is the role of the ask. Do time, place and manner determine ethics.*

And if that is so, that there is a Bovine Liberation Front (the BLF) out there (we will head it up), how do we see milking factories. Just a thought.Are there any?

Ethical issues in old trickster stories. See tricksters around the world at //128.32.250.47:8080/folkartandlit/stories/storyReader$27. Foxes and rabbits and ravens and Squirrel Nutkin. He's at://wiredforbooks.org/kids/beatrix/sn1.htm. Fodder - the receiving end of the trickster - in lit.

Uncle Remus' tales. There we are, laughing at Brer Rabbit as trickster, how the so-called underdog, the weakest critter in the neighborhood, a rabbit, prey, manages to do to get his way against the mighty and the supposedly wily. The subversive message of the slave besting the owner.

Then move from the funny images to see why we also get uncomfortable. The human condition in the mirror, mean delight in taking advantage, and can we ever rise above.
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* More on Ethics. Permissions. Choice. Time, Place, Manner.

Many acts seem ethical or not depending on the time, place and manner of execution. Is that so?

Does it matter when, where and how we do things. Or can we run roughshod over people, on grounds that we "can" and by pointing out some other benefit to them - while, on the other hand, we continue to benefit at their expense.

Not easy. Issues of dignitarianism arise, see the somebodies and nobodies, and the idea of "all rise" at ://www.humiliationstudies.org/news-old/archives/001256 and related searches for "dignitarianism" or rankism. Can we "valorize" ourselves or is it hopeless. Is there a right to autonomy, that we get to give permission before things are done to us, even if someone else thinks it is necessary.

Can we choose time, place and manner, even in extremis. For that, see //www.bartelby.org/61/42/I0124200.

Tar-Baby story issue: The blackness of the added bear. The dangers of Gratuitous Changes - Walt Disney and Brer B'ar

2007-10-24T12:28:00.001-04:00

Today we look at bears. This fellow from our yard, sunning after sunflower.

First, look at "The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story." Two characters: Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit, in their eternal dance of who gets the better of whom - and the rabbit usually wins, even if after a time.

The story ends equivocally - Brer Rabbit all tarred up, Brer Fox celebrating about him. The little boy asks Uncle Remus what happens - and Uncle Remus says that is as far as the story goes, he says he hears Aunt Sally calling,now run along.

Then there is a second story entirely, "Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace," and then the little boy persists in wanting to know what happened to the tarred Brer Rabbit. Another Tar-Baby installment begins: "How Brer Rabbit Was Too Sharp for Brer Fox" -

The great briar patch escape.

1. There is no Brer B'ar. Anywhere. In either tale.

2. Now look at the 1946 Walt Disney film based loosely on Uncle Remus' tales -Disney adds another character to the story, and then distorts who that character is in the community.

He adds another participant, Brer B'ar, who appears in several of the tales, but Disney turns this community member into a caricature, an oaf, a outsized figure of Vaudeville. Brer B'ar also is apparently an Appalachian or American Black Bear, and has the white blaze on his belly that is often seen: see www.fieldtripearth.org/article.xml?id=789&ordinal=2 .

The size range of black bears - from 50-75 inches long, 130-660 pounds in weight. See fieldtripearth.

Do an Images search for Uncle Remus and see for yourself, or look up the film clips on the Internet. Black and dumbdumbdumbdumb. "I'm gonna blow his haid clean off!" and everybody, most everybody, jes' laffs en laffs.

Overt racial overtones? Of course not. Black bears are black. The point is that Disney doesn't let the black character be a regular member of the community. This is the one he makes the doofus. A hopelessly slow-minded fool in a raggedy hat, a figure with mental retardation and a rural uneducated accent to boot, an ungainly clod, the better to amuse you, and reinforce your own feelings of your own superiority. No other figure in the tales fits that role.

These are racial overtones nonetheless. Not part of the tales.

His addition and then rendition of Uncle Remus tales in the 1946 "Song of the South" is humorous, to those who have been taught to laugh at the status of others, and not just their predicaments.

Please airbrush it out. Add it, if you have to, in a trailer at the end, the way people can watch out-takes as they leave the theater. Uncle Remus would never laugh at a character because of who he was- just the situation.

Find the commentators and websites promoting release of the film. Are they even aware of the changes Disney made, and the teaching effect they can have? Maybe some promoters of the uncut film intend to promote Disney's full film as a way of promoting not-so-subtle racial stereotypes indirectly. They could not be anti-race directly. Do they want to continue the viral idea that some people by nature are dumb and inferior? Go ahead. Sell it and see if anyone minds. Sales people are clever. You don't even know Disney put this element in, until you look at original story sources and see the change. Clever. Polluting, viral, subtle, good salesmanship.

For an overview of Disney's powerful cultural-educational influence: see this college syllabus overview at //www.mediaed.org/videos/CommercialismPoliticsAndMedia/MickeyMouseMonopoly/studyguide/html.

Notes on The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story. Later Toxic Additives

2007-10-24T11:38:00.000-04:00

The Tar-Baby Story is well known, from generations of children's retellings, and Hollywood's film including the story, in "Song of the South." The result is that we know the version that appeared on film, and the kiddie books, better than the original. We accept all those as "Uncle Remus" but many of them are not. The film version, for example, by act and omission raises many racial issues, stereotypes, adds characters and blackens them bigly for more racial effect, and all that just gets absorbed.

Please see a more complete discussion at Joy of Equivocating: Benign and Malignant Walt Disney. or that is retold with many changes that raise racial issues.

See also the discussion on why we fill in blanks - discomfort with uncertainty - as seen in Walt Disney's treatment of the Tar-Baby and Briar Patch stories, in Joy of Equivocating: Where Fear of Uncertainty Leads Us.

Notes on "Brer Rabbit Grossly Deceives Mr. Fox"

2007-10-24T11:24:00.000-04:00

If we add our own commentary as a reader is reading, it may be a distraction. And, our interests may not coincide with a reader's - especially if issues are raised that are uncomfortable for some. To us, all is good and wonderful because it is the world that Uncle Remus is portraying, and we want to learn about it.

For example, "Brer Rabbit Grossly Deceives Mr. Fox." Read it closely and find that Brer Rabbit has harnessed Mr. Fox and they are off to the house of the ladies to party. On the way, Brer Rabbit gets ready. The little boy asks who the ladies are, and Uncle Remus dodges. See the commentary on ths bit of local color at Joy of Equivocating, Uncle Remus and Life Education.

Notes on ethical issues raised: "Miss Cow Falls A Victim to Mr. Rabbit"

2007-10-24T11:14:00.000-04:00

Ethical, dignitarian issues raised in Uncle Remus.

Some topics raised by the stories can be distracting if raised at first reading of the story. And the purpose of this recreational effort is to increase enjoyment of Uncle Remus, while offering commentary on the side, and not imposing on the reader.

In that vein, please see the comments on Miss Cow's situation - the forced milking - at this other site - Hello, Fodder: Ethical and Dignitarian Issues in Uncle Remus.

And read the entire story, in our translation, at IX. Miss Cow Falls A Victim to Mr. Rabbit.

Original Uncle Remus and Child Fare

2007-10-24T01:43:00.000-04:00

Should you buy an original edition as a gift for a child? If done with care and paying attention to the unintended lessons a child might learn from it.

The book is indeed a treasure as to the tales; and as to presenting rural southern life with its social stratifications stemming from slavery. However, that slavery-culture made liberal use of the N word, even though "negro" itself is also used; and the C word for "colored," and all the rest in the further stories and proverbs, part of the oppression-subservience of the plantation, as well as gradations that people use about each other in any group or town life. America.

Choice: You can teach your children about that, or you can avoid their seeing the words at all. In favor of the words is that they make so clear how gradations and labels affect how people see themselves, what the life was like, and Joel Chandler Harris presents it so well. Can children understand that context? Or will this exposure just reinforce Jim Crow. Find more about Jim Crow at //www.jimcrowhistory.org/.

Probably in later editions, like contemporary now, those now-offensive terms are redacted - and that in itself is a shame in a different way, because redacting essential parts of a narrative alters our understanding of what life was like in Remus' time. The characters lived and died under the burden of those terms, used by themselves as to each other, and by the other groups in the society as to them.

Online Sites for reading Uncle Remus

2007-10-24T00:26:00.001-04:00

1. Complete, I think Try this site for each story in dialect. Go to://www.fullbooks.com/Uncle-Remus.html

See all the other free books available. No connection here, just glad to see it.

2. Modern compilation. "Complete Tales of Uncle Remus." 2002. Compiled by Richard Chase. Not all pages provided. See www.books.google.com/books? Copyrighted.

3. Also looks complete. See www.uncleremus.com. Click on the menu at the top right for the 35 complete stories, and other material provide. They can be downloaded as a Project Gutenberg eBook, with the provisos given at the eBook site.

4. Portions of the 1880 edition, Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings The Folk-Lore of the Old Plantation, illustrations by Frederick S. Church and James H. Moser (cover is reproduced): at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/railton/enam481c/harris.html

5. No illustrations but full version at http://www.fullbooks.com/Uncle-Remus1.html

Social context: Reconstruction South; then the 1940's

2007-10-23T17:29:00.000-04:00

What was the context of these stories, that enabled them to spread so widely so fast in the Reconstruction South.

The stories challenged racism. University sources point out the ongoing and changing struggle for dominance between the races, an enhanced instability that came upon the culture with abolition of slavery. A social issue was what to do when social lines could not be enforced by slavery any more. See "Remus Tales: Selected Text," virginia.edu. Is that the University of Virginia.

Blacks told the stories, and had for years, because in them the weak overcame the strong. That was a subversive idea - good did not necessarily prevail, but wits did. Whites were interested because they were grappling with what to do with this newly freed group. Control, let be, and control did not always work.

The issue never went away. World War II saw continuing segregation, even in the army. Enter Walt Disney in post-war 1946. In a sense, he reverses the lessons of the stories, that the weak can overcome the strong, by reinstating the race issue in a new and more insidious way.

Disney's changes to support ongoing racism: Disney looks at the animal community in Uncle Remus, and suddenly has to interject stereotypes that were not there.

He spontaneously makes Brer B'ar the biggest oaf of all, the biggest and blackest and dumbest character of all, he can't even think in dialect as the others can - all the doofus can say is, "I'm gonna blow his haid clean off," or some such; and plunking him where he has no business - in the Tar-Baby story and its briar-patch sequel, in "How Mr. Rabbit Too Sharp for Mr. Fox."

Brer B'ar is there just to be laughed at for being dumb. How can he defend himself? Remus would never do that. He does not ridicule people for their status, he laughs at their situations and how they cope. Disney - shallow and a seller cheap.

Be careful watching Disneyed tales of any kind. Disney had an agenda, whether in depicting fairy tales, or cultural tales.

Cross-cultural connections. Remus trickster tales and medieval lore

2007-10-22T19:12:00.000-04:00

The stories in Uncle Remus cross several cultures - the element of the trickster does not depend on any ethnic group for enjoyment, no particular color of skin or animals taking the place of humans.

1. Those who trace tales take them back to the middle ages, and even long before. See
//www.1911encyclopedia.org/Reynard_The_Fox; and the Google digitized book, "Fairy Tales from Before," at http://books.google.com/books?id=jDgdupF3VWcC&pg=PA150&lpg=PA150&dq=uncle+remus+roman+de+renard&source=web&ots=mSRMrJMG0l&sig=u1kFuOOe2ZKAAcGm0p36INiFXsk.

2. For an overview, see "Fables and Trickster Tales Around the World," a lesson plan for cross-cultural learning from the National Endowment of the Humanities - excellent. See the roots there in Aesop's Fables (Greece area), and the Anansi tales from Ghana, that the article identifies as the basis for the Remus tales.

3. See a discussion by author G.K. Chesterton, see //www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/index.html, as to the similarities between Aesop, a Greek slave, much beloved and a teller of fables; and Uncle Remus, an African-heritage slave, by then freed, and still much beloved, and a teller of fables, at "Aesop's Fables: the Difference Between Fables and Fairy-Tales," online at //query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A04E2DE1E3AE633A25754C1A9679D946396D6CF
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With these deep roots, we continue to have a concern with Walt Disney changing cultural essential tales, fairy tales, fables, far more than entertainment requires. He has his own message. He Ralters character. Adds pollutants. The original flavor falls away so that something more box-office can take its place. If it will sell, put it in along with all the music. And the value system of Disney takes over the value system of the culture of the story, to the loss of all of us.

Proposal: Where the Walt Disney film, "Song of the South," 1946, violates the integrity of the traditional stories in ways that alter the meaning, take them out. Put them in an informative trailer at the end if you have to. See the concern with infecting cultural material for purposes of sales, inculcation and profit motives, as happened with the Joel Chandler Harris tales from the Uncle Remus tradition at Joy of Equivocating, Additives to Remus.See FN 1.
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Next research: Those who love fairy tales (me), and examine their cultural sources and their spread, may well say that any tale-teller or transcriber puts a differing imprint and change on the material, to suit their own dramatic purposes. FN 2
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FN 1. Background. Walt Disney, in "Song of the South," adds a cultural overlay in ways that take away from the essence. People seeing his film instead of reading the original would have no idea where the differences are.

The vote here on the areas found so far:

1) return to the original equivocal ending to The Wonderful Tar Baby story; and make us wait for the next episode, after "Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace" before continuing with the Tar-Baby conclusion, about the briar patch in "How Mr. Rabbit was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox."

2) return to the original one-on-one trickster theme in Tar Baby, leaving out the added laughingstock Brer B'ar. Let it remain Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox and keep Brer B'ar to his own stories, and as he is in the book - a respected member of the community who gets targeted by Brer Rabbit like everybody else.

If the outcry is so great at going back to the original, then put that clip in a trailer, with information about 1946, the Jim Crow laws, stereotypes and Vaudeville caricatures, showing people as buffoons, and laughing at them. One problem is that we will continue to imitate Brer B'ar anyway.

emus would not laugh at anyone. He would have us laugh, or be horrified, at the predicament, but laugh at someone? Never. Laughing at people and putting them down is the Walt Disney approach to entertainment, not the Joel Chandler Harris.

If we find that JCH did put those elements in editions we have not yet checked, of course we will let you know. We have checked the 1895 and 1921 editions - no dim-witted (if lovable, as he surely is - and that is the insidious part of the stereotype - he is such a dear) B'ar in Tar Baby.

Aha - Here, however, is a reference to a new addition - a "first Remus volume" in 1881 edition - at //edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=237. Is Brer B'ar as an oaf in there? Our 1921 lists copyrights only for 1880, 1895, 1908, 1921

FN 2. Someone else take up this issue: Whether cultures (or individuals) have a need, as part of perpetuating their own identity, to designate some religious, political, social or gender group(s) that they can target, deprive if possible, and denigrate as different, and unworthy.

And if one group rises above the designation, is there pressure to keep them back down there, or to fast identify another to take its place so that somebody is always significantly down. What a satisfaction for those who are up. Self-reward for behavior. Works every time. Think of immigrants, Gypsies, or Roma, other ethnic groups, or those with mental retardation, or women, or blondes - for example. Nicknames for everyone and every light bulb joke in the place serves a purpose. Fill in the blank.

We don't need Disney, or talking heads, or columnists, to add to it.

Uncle Remus' dialect: Translating from inland rural slave-heritage

2007-10-22T16:00:00.000-04:00

A. Translation issues:

1. Difficulty, risk.

Any translation is difficult and risky, because it is impossible to catch every nuance of one language form in another. Shades of meaning are lost. Translating is always difficult and even controversial, because, in most cultures, the body language is integral to the meaning of a communication, especially in the telling. Gestures accompanying words can even stand alone as communications. Look at tv feeds from the United Nations, for example, with some delegates leaning back, silently stroking their chins, over and over, during an entire speech. Showing derision? We sense a communication without the words.

2. Controversy.

Translation is also controversial because it offers somebody the chance to substitute a personal view and agenda for the original, by word selection, additions, uses of words, inclusions and exclusions, and even through inadvertent errors. See the discussion of this particular 1995 translation of the Book of Luke into Gullah - this focuses on all those issues. See
://www.adoremus.org/997-Gullah.html: "De Good Nyews Bout Jedus Christ Wa Luke Write."

3. Necessity, in order for content to be transmitted.

Translations are needed where the original language is so unfamiliar that a reader bogs down and goes to a movie about the story instead, with all the distortions of film by the promoters for its profit-entertainment purposes.

4. Alternative to third party translations.

Proposal - be proactive. Do your own translation, or read one already available; then go immediately back to the original and read it in dialect with the plot meaning already in your head.

B. The Nature of the Dialect in Uncle Remus

1. Gullah. The Uncle Remus dialect: So far, the dialect of Uncle Remus seems not to be "Gullah." Gullah appears to be a specific kind of blended language characteristic now of the coastal islands and coast areas of the south, a mix of many cultural traditions of slaves from different parts of Africa, see //www.coastalguide.com/gullah/.

Uncle Remus is not a coastal island set of tales, however - few water images - and there are many slave-heritage dialect roots in the plantation area context. This site refers to the Virginia, the Sea Islands, the Louisiana, and the Inland -- that seems to be the area of the Uncle Remus dialect. See www.bartleby.com/226/2011.html

The dialect of Uncle Remus in some sources is still often described as "Gullah," see for example //homepage.ntlworld.com/matt_kane/uncle%20remus%20tales.htm, but this may be a shorthand for all the kinds of dialects there really are.

2. Enriching the dialect.

Many people came ashore in the Virginias and Carolinas, see Gypsies, Roma: Melungeons, Racial, Ethnic Mixes. Among these are Portuguese sailors, and see in Uncle Remus the Portuguese word, "palaver", at Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure. See the footnote, the asterisk at the end there.

See some of the issues in this Gullah translation of the Book of Luke, at http://www.adoremus.org/997-Gullah.html

Copyright

2007-10-21T17:39:00.000-04:00

Does anyone understand copyright? We are using a 1921 edition Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings (the Uncle Remus Legends of the old Plantation), and have enjoyed reproducing the wonderful illustrations in past translation efforts as in the public domain. We believe they are, by now, public domain. Is that right? We may or may not continue- or put in a more occasional illustration, in hopes the earlier ones encourage people to look them up. - 70 years long gone. Why should We The People be deprived of our heritage after that?

Initiates the little boy story issue: "Calamus Root" - Brer Rabbit a user. Uncle Remus Initiates A Little Boy

2007-10-20T17:15:00.000-04:00

Read the story at Uncl Remus Tales, Uncle Remus Initiates the Little Boy. Meet the calamus root.

But don't tell the feds where Brer Rabbit is. Could they arrest him? Is calamus merely declared "unsafe," see 1968 status at //www.viable-herbal.com/singles/herbs/s741.htm; or does that decision about "unsafe" make its sale or use illegal. Not sure. The calamus root has a long history as a remedy for many ailments, and an enhancer for other matters, see this Natural Herb sales catalogue describing what has been alleged, at ://dotcrawler.com/natural-herbs.html/ It was even found in the tomb of Tutankhamen, so they say.

Native Americans used it to communicate with spirits. The North American variety, one of four worldwide, seems to be the safest - others have carcinogenic qualities (on people or just rats, like the sassafras?)

Headache, toothache, fatigue, hangover, cough,gas, diabetes, asthma, on and on. Promote real testing anyone, or since it can't be patented, do the drug companies not touch it? No profit?

How does calamus figure in Uncle Remus?

Here, Brer Rabbit outsmarted Brer Fox, shown wrapped up in the flannel in the rocker, in the first tale of the Uncle Remus cluster, "Uncle Remus Initiates the Little Boy," see Uncle Remus Initiates the Little Boy: Calamus Root story, and Brer Rabbit ducked out fast when he saw he might be the dinner to which he had been invited-- and said he just had to get a "calamus root" to eat with supper. Fast escape.

And Brer Fox got back at him in Tar-Baby - "I done laid in some calamus root...," sez Brer Fox, sezzee. Brer Rabbit loved it. Tricked with it.

Look it up. You will find all this about a calamus root: health and recreation.

The viable-herbal site, above, starts with calamus being used for centuries as an expectorant and anesthetic. It has been used to focus the mind and stop smoking, increase endurance, stamina. It is also a "uterine stimulant," so pregnant or nursing women should not use it (does uterine stimulant mean abortifacient? how to find out?)

Other names; and its uses. It is also known as bittersweet, or Sweet Flag, for herbal use to stimulate digestion, can be chewed or made as an infusion, helps with anorexia (says this site) by stimulating appetite and mind; has anti-anxiety effect; and treats motion sickness. See //www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=8800.

"Acorus calamus" is also a plant sacred to the Cree Indians. There are many other names for it, specific to different and other tribes. See //users.lycaeum.org/~iamklaus/acorus.htm. Some of the effects are hallucinations, euphoria, stimulation.

The Dakota Indians use it to treat diabetes (will someone please follow that up??). See Lycaeum.org site. It was also psychoactive and known as one of the "witches' flying ointments." Same site. Then see Exodus 30:22-25 - calamus root was one of the ingredients of a "holy anointing oil," says same site. Its "ketoret" component is an ingredient in certain incense, Exodus 3:34-38, says //www.alchemy-works.com/herb_calamus.html - also used in snuff.
(have we found Biblical support for mild hallucinagens). sites look at the same words and say no. See .freeanointing.org/Calamus_is_a_lie. So, the debate goes on, and that is why we try to get back to original sources and people who actually know a language, not just the later interpreters with agendas one way or another. Keep looking.

Walt Whitman, poet, wrote about calamus in his "Leaves of Grass." See //findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3708/is_200407/ai_n9452864. That site also notes that calamus was known to blacks in the rural south.

Enter the government governing. The FDA gave (or did others do it for them?) massive doses to rats over a long time and the rats got cancer. So, after 1950, the FDA declared it unsafe for human consumption. I understand that the FDA cannot regulate food, and surely a natural plant is a food, but they called it a food "additive" instead and they can regulate additives.

However, the FDA's studies show that only the variety in India has the beta-aserone, the carcinogen in it, the North American variety only has aserone, but aserone can be made into other things that site readers probably know about. Same site: //users.lycaeum.org/~iamklaus/acorus.htm.

So, the FDA is regulating a food ingestible, something that is not addictive, not harmful when used as directed, as any herb, and apparently just because it can be used as an alternative to liquor for recreation? Could it be that people, real people at the FDA benefit by its relationship to the liquor lobby. Is that true? Go check. Also look into some of the other issues raised by this initially simple look into what is a calamus root anyway:

Food additive: formal definition

Quote

(s) The term "food additive" means any substance the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result, directly or indirectly, in its becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of any food (including any substance intended for use in producing, manufacturing, packing, processing, preparing, treating, packaging, transporting, or holding food; and including any source of radiation intended for any such use), if such substance is not generally recognized, among experts qualified by scientific training and experience to evaluate its safety, as having been adequately shown through scientific procedures (or, in the case of a substance used in food prior to January 1, 1958, through either scientific procedures or experience based on common use in food) to be safe under the conditions of its intended use; except that such term does not include—

(1) a pesticide chemical residue in or on a raw agricultural commodity or processed food; or

(2) a pesticide chemical; or

(3) a color additive; or

(4) any substance used in accordance with a sanction or approval granted prior to the enactment of this paragraph 4 pursuant to this Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 and the following) or the Meat Inspection Act of March 4, 1907 (34 Stat. 1260), as amended and extended (21 U.S.C. 71 and the following);

(5) a new animal drug; or

(6) an ingredient described in paragraph (ff) in, or intended for use in, a dietary supplement.

Unquote. From//www.fda.gov/opacom/laws/fdcact/fdcact1.htm.
.....................................................................................

Calamus is also listed in that same site as one of the "carminative" herbs (this means that it relieves gas or cleanses bowels, see //www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=24293)

Quote

Minor carminative herbs
Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
Caraway (Carum carvi)
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum, C. vulgare, C. microcarpum)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Calamus (Acorus calamus)
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Unquote.

From ://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/ds-econ4.html
...........................................................................
With more important things to do, including tending to its apparent failures to protect in ways the law requires, do your own search for FDA fail as a start on that, is a ban on Brer Rabbit's beloved calamus really necessary?

Then look up why on earth is simple sassafras also banned. Once started a silly site about the historical uses of sassafras, at Sassafras, Centuries of Uses, then never got back to tidy it up. There was a similar testing of rats, I understand, but the massive testing on rats backfires because rodents are naturally "allelopathic" to sassafras - naturally averse - a protection developed by the sassafras plant to keep from being totally eaten by beavers, say, near waterways. Look that up, too.

The alchemy-works site above does say that calamus grows in water, or near it. If it developed protections against rodent ingestion, no wonder the critters got sick from it. Come on, FDA. Think. Think. If the ban is because it can be converted into a drug chemically similar to mescaline www.erowid.org/chemicals/tma2/. Mescaline is from cactus, or peyote, see www.drugeducation.net/mescaline.htm. Those are issues not related to the 1950's cancer finding. Read also about caffeine, aspirin, alcohol and tobacco at the drugeducation site. Some things get singled out, some don't.

....................................................................
After centuries of uses, however, the FDA said in 1958 (?) we should not use it at all - see reasons here, and question it as you will. Still, the calamus root figures prominently in parts of Uncle Remus, Legends of the Old Plantation, the first section of "Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings," by Joel Chandler Harris 1890, 1895, 1908, 1921, Grosset & Dunlap. This is from the 1921 edition.

Online sites for lessons, analysis

2007-10-20T13:42:00.000-04:00

"Remus Tales: Selected Texts" at//xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/selections.html.

Uncle Remus and Dialect; Rhetoric, Ambiguity Technique

2007-10-20T11:53:00.000-04:00

Before starting in on Remus tales translations, you might want to see the songs, proverbs and the tales in dialect at Uncle Remus (tales, sayings, songs).

This site may or may not include the songs, proverbs, or sayings, though. Those are for adult analysis and were not part of my growing up. This site focuses on the tales - see the 1946 film at "Song of the South" at /www.imdb.com/title/tt0038969/", and //www.songofthesouth.net/.

Before dismissing Uncle Remus as stereotypical and therefore to be hidden, read the background of Uncle Remus, and the inland rural slave-heritage dialect (see //www.bartleby.com/226/2011.html) in which the stories are presented,. Go to the introduction in the original (now on the net, a Google book) and see discussion on The Joy of Equivocating, earlier post on Uncle Remus.

Translations - be careful, but they can be useful. Use them to get at the plot, then go back to the originals - immediatlely. These stories are difficult to skim in the dialect, unless the dialect is yours. Be prepared to focus on endings. When does Uncle Remus state a firm conclusion, and when does he leave it open, tantalizing, and only coming to a resolution a story or two later. True to life. Why do later translations and movies have to move the resolution up. Wrap ups are premature that way. False to Uncle Remus.

Many issues in the Uncle Remus' era tales are laid out at Joy of Equivocating, Remus sites. That site explores uses of the unclear, and how positive that element can be in literature, for storytelling (like Uncle Remus), for entertainment and life's lessons; and how negative lack of clarity can be, in selling political ideas or in commerce with intent to deceive, where the sellee has little means of testing out truth from his or her own experience.

Political correctness. I believe that focusing on dialogue fits political correctness, if anyone disputes. The behaviors and speech patterns of Uncle Remus in the context of a slave-origin culture, brought survival - and should be respected a such. Take pride in the flexibility and genius of it.

A child's braided hair: This illustration from the inside cover of Harris' "Uncle Remus" 1928 reminds me of the styles in Nigeria when I was there in the 1960's - the carefully patterned and sectioned hair on adult women and children, then twisted neatly with coiled black thread, like carpet thread in strength. Cool, neat under a head wrap, shampooing was easy - multiple immersions, and rinses.

There is a fine line, though, and well recognized here, between any representation of an actual hair style and its use in "Jim Crow" issues. See Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, Ferris University . Spend thoughtful time at that site. I believe the effort here, however, to broaden interest and appreciation in the tradition of Uncle Remus' times and thought, is consistent with respect: recognizing the joy and wisdom that lived on in an oppressed race, in spite of the context. Not an easy area. Recognized.

Note also who is in the chair, and who is on the floor. Discuss that as well.

Uncle Remus is not one historically identifiable individual, to my knowledge. Like Robin Hood, stories from many sources may coalesce around a single figure as traditions are passed on. You can look at the logs in Nottingham, for example - all the nameless petty thieves brought in to the sheriff for this or that were called Robin Hood. There are many of them, over several hundred years, as I recall. See England Road Ways, Nottingham and Robin Hood.

Joy of translating. What's in and what's out. I do take the liberty not to translate or keep in actual words designating skin color, race, or terms now pejorative. You can find those at the originals, Uncle Remus (tales, sayings, songs), but I find them distracting to the purpose here - common humanity.

Further background on Remus: Joy of Equivocating, Uncle Remus posts; Joy of Equivocating, Uncle Remus' Rhetoric, Ambiguity, Dialect. For an absurd book review, see www.conservativebookservice.com/products/BookPage.asp?prod_cd=c6987. Simplistic, off base, and clearly the reviewer had not read beyond the charming first half of the book tales of animals, to the second half of the book and the caricaturish behaviors required of the people there, in interacting with whites. Read it yourself - the entire book, and see what had to be coped with. Point: trust no reviewer. Read the original yourself.

Translations: Not to update, but to make later dialect reading smoother

2007-10-20T11:49:00.000-04:00

For anyone unfamiliar with the everyday cadence of dialect, it is difficult to follow the story line. Every sentence needs a stop and think, for the word's meaning somewhere.

The translations here are not intended to update Uncle Remus.

Instead, they are intended to set a firmer foundation for anyone then going back to the original dialect, as should be the next step.

Only the dialect conveys the context, the idiom, who these folk really are in their daily lives. Do read the original

A look at illustrations - Arthur Bennett Frost and Uncle Remus 1921

2007-10-20T11:39:00.000-04:00

Unsung heroes and heroines - those who illustrate. See the contrast between a Disney cartoon two-dimensional set of characters, and simple, black and white sketches. There is a dignity to these characters presented this way - they are not caricatures, but representations of a universal human condition, in human predicaments.

Links

2007-09-25T09:28:00.000-04:00

http://uncleremustales/blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default