Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/121

 Tales of the Rabbit from Georgia Negroes. 109

Well, when the fodder done pulled, and all the crop done sold, and they go for to count the money, Mr. Wolf ax Brer Rabbit where the doctor's fees what he gvvine turn in. Brer Rabbit say they all such slow pay, he can't collect it. Then they fell out, and Mr. W T olf that mad, he say he gvvine eat Brer Rabbit right there, and make an end of he tricks. But Mr. Rabbit beg that they take the trouble up to the court-house to Judge Bar. So they loony off to the court-house, and the old judge say it were a jury case, and he send Sheriff Coon out to fetch the jurymans, and he say, " Don' you fotch no mans here, 'cepter they be more fool than the parties in the case." But Sheriff Coon 'low he don' know where he gwine find any man what 's more fool than Brer Wolf 's in dis yer case, but he take out down the county, and by and by he seed a man rolling a wheelbarrow what ain't got nothing in it round the house and round the house, and he ax him what he doing that for ? And he say, he trying to wheel some sunshine in the house. Sheriff Coon say, "You is the man I wants to come with me and sot on the jury."

They go 'long, and directly they see a man pulling a long rope up a tall tree that stand 'longside a house ; they ax him what he gwine do ? He say he gwine to haul a bull up on top of the house to eat the moss off the roof, and Sheriff Coon say, " I '11 be bound you is my man for the jury, and you must go long with we all to the court." So they take their way back to the court-house, then they have a great time taking evidence and argufying.

Ole Brer Wolf, he set up there, and 'sider every word of the evidence, but Ole Brer Rabbit he lean back and shut he eye, and work he brain on he own account. He settin' right close to the door ; when the lawyer done get everybody worked up so they take no noticement, Brer Rabbit just slip softly out the back door, and he creep 'round the side of the cabin back to where ole Judge Bar set wid de bag of money on the floor, and what you 'spect ? When they all talking, Ole Brer Rabbit just slide he hand in the crack, and softly slip out the bag of money, and take out home, and leave the case in the care of the court. That just like ole man Rabbit.

WHY THE PEOPLE TOTE BRER RABBIT FOOT IN THEIR POCKET.

Well, sah, that 's cause Ole Brer Rabbit done killed the last witch what ever live.

They tells how they done hang some of 'em, and burn some, till they get mighty scarce, but there was one ole witch what was risin' on five hundred years old, and 'cause she keep clear of all the folks what try to catch her, they done name her Ole Mammy Witch Wise.

Well, she do carry on to beat all them times, she 'witch all the

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