Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/123

 Tales of the Rabbit from Georgia Negroes. 1 1 1

"Skinnie, skinnie, don't you know me, skinnie?" But it bite more same than before, and while she fooling with it, sure 'nough the rooster done crow, and the ole woman just fall over in a fit. And in the morning Brer Rabbit notify the animals, and they gravel a place and burn her. And the colored people, they find out how Brer Rabbit get the best of the Mammy Witch Wise, and then they tell the white folks, and that why nigh 'bout all the rich white folks totes a rabbit foot in their pocket, 'cause it keeps off all the bad luck, and it do that, sure 's yo' born. 1

BRER RABBIT BORN TO LUCK.

You hear, sah, how Brer Rabbit's left foot fetch you luck when you tote it constant in your pocket. It most surely do that, sah, 'cause that Ole Brer Rabbit be just born to luck. Now this yer one time when the luck come to hisself.

Ole Miss Rabbit, she 'low she 'bliged to have a spring house; she say, Ole Miss Rabbit did, how Miss Fox and Miss Coon have the nice spring house, and she 'clare she plum broke down worritting herself trying to keep house, and no spring house.

Now Brer Rabbit, he promise and he promise, but Brer Rabbit don't have no honing to handle the mattocks, no sah, that he don't. Brer Rabbit is pow'ful dext'rous to work with he head, but Brer Rabbit ain't no half strainer to work with he hands.

But Ole Miss Rabbit, she kept worriting the old man constant ; she 'low how she 'bliged to have that spring house, and she 'bliged to have it to once.

Well, when she rear and charge on the old rrian, that powerful that he can't put her off no more, then Brer Rabbit, he just go off to hisself, and study what he gwine do 'bout that ornery old spring house, but he can't see he way, till it come to he mind 'bout Ole Mammy Witch Wise, her what were the old woman what save up a bag of gold. Then, the night 'fore she die, she bury the bag where the creeters can't find it. That night she pass by all the creeters' houses and shake the bag, and they hear the chink of the gold, and in the morning Ole Mammy Witch Wise was dead and the gold was gone.

Well, sah, Brer Rabbit he go and see all the creeters, and he let on how he done have a token what tell him where Ole Mammy Witch Wise bury the gold, and that Ole Brer Rabbit, he bodaciously 'low how the token point to the bed in the spring what run 'long side he garden, and he say, Brer Rabbit do, if they all turn in and

1 TJot only the colored people and poor whites, but a large number of the prosperous business men, in the cities of the South, are never without a rabbit's foot in their pockets.

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