Week 7 Story: Brer Rabbit Catches the Big One

Brer Rabbit HATED working, especially when Brer Fox was presented. He knew that the fields had to be tended if he and his family were to have food, but Brer Rabbit was tired, and just wanted to take a nap instead. Brer Fox would not stop talking, and Brer Rabbit just had to get away. If he was careful, he knew he could sneak away from the crop without Brer Bear and the others noticing. So, Brer Rabbit bided his time, and when a moment of distraction came, he bounded off into the forest.
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An idyllic well, but is it good for naps?

Brer Rabbit had not been gone long when he came upon a clearing in the forest with a small well in the middle. Admiring the well bucket, Mr. Rabbit thought it might be an excellent and cozy place for a snooze. Surely Brer Fox could not find him there. He hopped right in, and to his dismay, was lowered directly into the water below. Suddenly trapped, Brer Rabbit started to PANIC.
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Brer Fox was ASTONISHED. He had snuck away behind the Rabbit, determined that this would the best opportunity since the Tar Baby to embarrass Brer Rabbit. Leave it to that vermin to weasel his way out of work, and probably only to go fishing. But without warning, Brer Rabbit had disappeared from the Fox's sight.

At that time, Brer Fox heard a SPLASH. He peaked his head over the edge of the well, only to find Brer Rabbit sitting in the bucket at the bottom. Immediately, Brer Fox began to wonder what Brer Rabbit could possible be up to at the bottom of a well. Could he be hiding treasure of some sort? Or was this another trick intended to make a monkey of Brer Fox?
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"Hello, Mr. Fox!" called Brer Rabbit. "Fancy meeting you here!"

"Brer Rabbit," retorted the Fox, "what are you hiding down there? Gold and riches?!"

"Of course not, silly Fox. I've skipped out on work to go fishing."

How stupid did the Rabbit think Brer Fox was? Of course he knew there weren't fish at the bottom of a drinking well. But, he decided to play Brer Rabbit's game, if only to learn where it led.

"I'm sure the fishing in the well is EXCEPTIONAL," said Brer Fox, heavily laying on the sarcasm.

"It sure is. I've found catfish bigger than me, and am working on a catch large enough for lunch for our crew as they finish today's job. Why don't you come down and help, Brer Fox? You'd be the hero of the day, discovering a new fishing hole and feeding everyone from it."

That foolish Rabbit must find the Fox so gullible. But still, the Brer Fox could not resist the opportunity to show up Brer Rabbit. He would go down into the well and find out what the Rabbit was truly doing.

"Okay, Brer Rabbit, how do I get down?"

"Climb into the bucket, Brer Fox," said the Rabbit, innocently.
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As Brer Fox fell into the well, Brer Rabbit was drawn UP, UP, UP. As he passed the Fox, he laughed, knowing he had succeeded in his trickery and captured a very big fish indeed.

"Goodbye, Brer Fox! Don't get too wet!"

Author's Note: "Brer Rabbit Catches the Big One" is a retelling of Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman. The original story proceeds in much the same way, with Brer Rabbit skipping work to take a nap, and landing himself at the bottom of a well. In this version, however, I worked to make his rivalry with Brer Fox more apparent. I also rewrote the ending. This time, Brer Rabbit leaves Brer Fox trapped, instead of sending humans to retrieve him. Ultimately, I think my ending better depicts the relationship between the Fox and the Rabbit.

Reading Notes: Brer Rabbit, Part B

This week, I am continuing to read from the Myth and Folklore unit on Africa, and have chosen to explore Joel Chandler Harris's Brer Rabbit.  In these stories, Brer Rabbit and other creatures like Brer Fox and Brer Bear cause mischief in the American South.

Brer Rabbit

In today's readings, two stories stuck out to me for their humor. The first, Brer Rabbit: Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman, is an ironic account of how Brer Rabbit found himself at the bottom of a well. In the second, Brer Rabbit: Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match Again, Brer Rabbit's schemes result in no good crops, and a laughable fear of heights.

Brer Rabbit: Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman
In this tale, Brer Rabbit is trying to avoid working a field when he decides to take a nap in a well bucket. Of course, when Mr. Rabbit jumps into the bucket, his weight carries him to the bottom of a well. Alone, cold, and terrified of falling into the water, Brer Rabbit has a stroke of good fortune. Mr. Fox had followed him to the well, and was convinced that Brer Rabbit went into the well to hide his riches. Brer Rabbit tricks the fox into jumping into the other well bucket, at which point Mr. Rabbit is lifted to the top, and freed. He then leaves Brer Fox alone at the bottom, after telling him that the angry owners of the well are on their way.

Like I said above, I love this story for its irony and humor. I think the dialogue between Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit could become even funnier if given a modern update, especially if Brer Rabbit further tricked Brer Fox into believing that there were, in fact, treasures at the bottom of the well.

Brer Rabbit: Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match Again
Brer Rabbit and Brer Buzzard decide to work a crop together, and divide everything they grow. It turns out, however, that they grow nothing. Thus, they devise a plan to cross the river and find a gold mine. Brer Rabbit is concerned with how he will cross the river, when Mr. Buzzard assures him that he may ride across on the Buzzard's wings. Halfway across the river, the alight on a high tree branch, and Brer Rabbit begins to panic. He assures Brer Buzzard that he knows of a gold mine on their side of the river, and relieved, they return home.

Once again, I would love to build on this story via updated dialogue. I would also enjoy exploring what could happen if Brer Rabbit slipped from the Buzzard's back, and found himself in the river. Perhaps he would not go seeking gold again...

Reading Notes: Brer Rabbit, Part A

For the current unit, my Myth and Folklore class had the option to choose between Asian and African units for our reading. This week, I have chose to focus on the African unit, specifically African Tales in the Americas: Brer Rabbit. Brer Rabbit, a series of folktales, recounts the stories of Brer Rabbit and other anthropomorphic animals in the American South. Written in the original dialect, our reading is taken from Joel Chandler Harris's book Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings. 

Joel Chandler Harris's book

From today's readings, I liked one story in particular. In the classic Brer Rabbit: The Wonderful Tar Baby, Brer Rabbit is tricked by Brer Fox, with a unique device of the fox's own creation. 

Brer Rabbit: The Wonderful Tar Baby

In this story, Brer Fox devises a plan to trap Brer Rabbit. Mr. Fox's motivations for trapping Brer Rabbit are never explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit are casual enemies. Brer Fox forms a baby out of tar, and places the tar baby at the edge of the road. Brer Rabbit stumbles upon the tar baby while Brer Fox watches from nearby. Mr. Rabbit begins to argue with the baby, frustrated that it did not return his greeting. Ultimately, Brer Rabbit strikes the tar baby, becoming terribly stuck. Eventually, Brer Fox reveals himself as the baby's creator. However, the story does not end with a clear resolution or explanation of how Brer Rabbit became unstuck. 

If I were to create a new iteration of the story, I would better explain why Brer Fox was conspiring against Brer Rabbit, and the results of his plan. What is the nature of the feud between Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit? Is it natural to their species, or do they have troubled pasts? What happened after Brer Fox revealed himself? 

I would also like to explore the idea of the tar baby's becoming animated, and serving as its own character in the story. How might the baby feel about being a tool for revenge? Do his or her sympathies lie with Brer Rabbit, or with Brer Fox?