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

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."

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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

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

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?
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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.