Nights with Uncle Remus

Part 1

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NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS

+-------------------------------------------+ | BOOKS BY JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS. | | ______ | | | |LITTLE MR. THIMBLEFINGER AND HIS QUEER | |COUNTRY. Illustrated by OLIVER HERFORD. | | | |MR. RABBIT AT HOME. A Sequel to Little Mr. | |Thimblefinger and His Queer Country. | |Illustrated by OLIVER HERFORD. | | | |THE STORY OF AARON (SO-NAMED) THE SON OF | |BEN ALI. Told by his Friends and | |Acquaintances. Illustrated by OLIVER | |HERFORD. | | | |AARON IN THE WILDWOODS. Illustrated by | |OLIVER HERFORD. | | | |PLANTATION PAGEANTS. Illustrated by E. BOYD| |SMITH. | | | |NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS. Illustrated. | | | |UNCLE REMUS AND HIS FRIENDS. Illustrated. | | | |MINGO, AND OTHER SKETCHES IN BLACK AND | |WHITE. | | | |BALAAM AND HIS MASTER, AND OTHER SKETCHES. | | | |SISTER JANE, HER FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES.| |A Narrative of Certain Events and Episodes | |transcribed from the Papers of the late | |William Wornum. | | | |TALES OF THE HOME FOLKS IN PEACE AND WAR. | |Illustrated. | | | | HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY | | BOSTON AND NEW YORK | +-------------------------------------------+

NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS

MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE OLD PLANTATION

JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS

AUTHOR OF "UNCLE REMUS: HIS SONGS AND SAYINGS," "AT TEAGUE POTEET'S," ETC.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS

BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

The Riverside Press Cambridge

COPYRIGHT, 1883, BY JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY ESTHER LA ROSE HARRIS

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. MR. FOX AND MISS GOOSE 3

II. BROTHER FOX CATCHES MR. HORSE 8

III. BROTHER RABBIT AND THE LITTLE GIRL 12

IV. HOW BROTHER FOX WAS TOO SMART 17

V. BROTHER RABBIT'S ASTONISHING PRANK 21

VI. BROTHER RABBIT SECURES A MANSION 26

VII. MR. LION HUNTS FOR MR. MAN 33

VIII. THE STORY OF THE PIGS 38

IX. MR. BENJAMIN RAM AND HIS WONDERFUL FIDDLE 44

X. BROTHER RABBIT'S RIDDLE 51

XI. HOW MR. ROOSTER LOST HIS DINNER 56

XII. BROTHER RABBIT BREAKS UP A PARTY 61

XIII. BROTHER FOX, BROTHER RABBIT, AND KING DEER'S DAUGHTER 68

XIV. BROTHER TERRAPIN DECEIVES BROTHER BUZZARD 74

Part 2

XV. BROTHER FOX COVETS THE QUILLS 79

XVI. HOW BROTHER FOX FAILED TO GET HIS GRAPES 83

XVII. MR. FOX FIGURES AS AN INCENDIARY 90

XVIII. A DREAM AND A STORY 95

XIX. THE MOON IN THE MILL-POND 100

XX. BROTHER RABBIT TAKES SOME EXERCISE 108

XXI. WHY BROTHER BEAR HAS NO TAIL 113

XXII. HOW BROTHER RABBIT FRIGHTENED HIS NEIGHBOURS 118

XXIII. MR. MAN HAS SOME MEAT 123

XXIV. HOW BROTHER RABBIT GOT THE MEAT 128

XXV. AFRICAN JACK 132

XXVI. WHY THE ALLIGATOR'S BACK IS ROUGH 141

XXVII. BROTHER WOLF SAYS GRACE 146

XXVIII. SPIRITS, SEEN AND UNSEEN 154

XXIX. A GHOST STORY 161

XXX. BROTHER RABBIT AND HIS FAMOUS FOOT 166

XXXI. "IN SOME LADY'S GARDEN" 177

XXXII. BROTHER 'POSSUM GETS IN TROUBLE 185

XXXIII. WHY THE GUINEA-FOWLS ARE SPECKLED 193

XXXIV. BROTHER RABBIT'S LOVE-CHARM 198

XXXV. BROTHER RABBIT SUBMITS TO A TEST 203

XXXVI. BROTHER WOLF FALLS A VICTIM 208

XXXVII. BROTHER RABBIT AND THE MOSQUITOES 214

XXXVIII. THE PIMMERLY PLUM 223

XXXIX. BROTHER RABBIT GETS THE PROVISIONS 230

XL. "CUTTA CORD-LA!" 236

XLI. AUNT TEMPY'S STORY 241

XLII. THE FIRE-TEST 248

Part 3

XLIII. THE CUNNING SNAKE 255

XLIV. HOW BROTHER FOX WAS TOO SMART 260

XLV. BROTHER WOLF GETS IN A WARM PLACE 268

XLVI. BROTHER WOLF STILL IN TROUBLE 274

XLVII. BROTHER RABBIT LAYS IN HIS BEEF SUPPLY 280

XLVIII. BROTHER RABBIT AND MR. WILDCAT 286

XLIX. MR. BENJAMIN RAM DEFENDS HIMSELF 291

L. BROTHER RABBIT PRETENDS TO BE POISONED 297

LI. MORE TROUBLE FOR BROTHER WOLF 302

LII. BROTHER RABBIT OUTDOES MR. MAN 306

LIII. BROTHER RABBIT TAKES A WALK 311

LIV. OLD GRINNY-GRANNY WOLF 314

LV. HOW WATTLE WEASEL WAS CAUGHT 319

LVI. BROTHER RABBIT TIES MR. LION 325

LVII. MR. LION'S SAD PREDICAMENT 330

LVIII. THE ORIGIN OF THE OCEAN 334

LIX. BROTHER RABBIT GETS BROTHER FOX'S DINNER 339

LX. HOW THE BEAR NURSED THE LITTLE ALLIGATOR 344

LXI. WHY MR. DOG RUNS BROTHER RABBIT 349

LXII. BROTHER WOLF AND THE HORNED CATTLE 353

LXIII. BROTHER FOX AND THE WHITE MUSCADINES 357

LXIV. MR. HAWK AND BROTHER BUZZARD 362

LXV. MR. HAWK AND BROTHER RABBIT 366

LXVI. THE WISE BIRD AND THE FOOLISH BIRD 370

LXVII. OLD BROTHER TERRAPIN GETS SOME FISH 373

LXVIII. BROTHER FOX MAKES A NARROW ESCAPE 377

LXIX. BROTHER FOX'S FISH-TRAP 381

LXX. BROTHER RABBIT RESCUES BROTHER TERRAPIN 386

Part 4

LXXI. THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS 396

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACE PAGE

MISS MEADOWS AND BROTHER RABBIT Frontispiece

MR. FOX AND MISS GOOSE 4

BROTHER RABBIT AND THE LITTLE GIRL 14

BROTHER RABBIT'S ASTONISHING PRANK 24

MR. BENJAMIN RAM AND HIS WONDERFUL FIDDLE 46

BROTHER FOX, BROTHER RABBIT, AND KING DEER'S DAUGHTER 70

BROTHER FOX COVETS THE QUILLS 82

A DREAM AND A STORY 96

BROTHER RABBIT TAKES SOME EXERCISE 110

WHY BROTHER BEAR HAS NO TAIL 116

WHY THE ALLIGATOR'S BACK IS ROUGH 144

BROTHER WOLF SAYS GRACE 152

WHY THE GUINEA FOWLS ARE SPECKLED 196

BROTHER RABBIT AND THE MOSQUITOES 216

THE PIMMERLY PLUM 228

BROTHER RABBIT GETS THE PROVISIONS 234

BROTHER WOLF STILL IN TROUBLE 278

BROTHER RABBIT AND MR. WILDCAT 288

BROTHER RABBIT TIES MR. LION 328

HOW THE BEAR NURSED THE LITTLE ALLIGATOR 344

GOOD-NIGHT 404

INTRODUCTION

The volume[i_1] containing an instalment of thirty-four negro legends, which was given to the public three years ago, was accompanied by an apology for both the matter and the manner. Perhaps such an apology is more necessary now than it was then; but the warm reception given to the book on all sides--by literary critics, as well as by ethnologists and students of folk-lore, in this country and in Europe--has led the author to believe that a volume embodying everything, or nearly everything, of importance in the oral literature of the negroes of the Southern States, would be as heartily welcomed.

The thirty-four legends in the first volume were merely selections from the large body of plantation folk-lore familiar to the author from his childhood, and these selections were made less with an eye to their ethnological importance than with a view to presenting certain quaint and curious race characteristics, of which the world at large had had either vague or greatly exaggerated notions.

The first book, therefore, must be the excuse and apology for the present volume. Indeed, the first book made the second a necessity; for, immediately upon its appearance, letters and correspondence began to pour in upon the author from all parts of the South. Much of this correspondence was very valuable, for it embodied legends that had escaped the author's memory, and contained hints and suggestions that led to some very interesting discoveries. The result is, that the present volume is about as complete as it could be made under the circumstances, though there is no doubt of the existence of legends and myths, especially upon the rice plantations, and Sea Islands of the Georgia and Carolina seacoast, which, owing to the difficulties that stand in the way of those who attempt to gather them, are not included in this collection.

Part 5

It is safe to say, however, that the best and most characteristic of the legends current on the rice plantations and Sea Islands, are also current on the cotton plantations. Indeed, this has been abundantly verified in the correspondence of those who kindly consented to aid the author in his efforts to secure stories told by the negroes on the seacoast. The great majority of legends and stories collected and forwarded by these generous collaborators had already been collected among the negroes on the cotton plantations and uplands of Georgia and other Southern States. This will account for the comparatively meagre contribution which Daddy Jack, the old African of the rice plantations, makes towards the entertainment of the little boy.

The difficulty of verifying the legends which came to hand from various sources has been almost as great as the attempt to procure them at first hand. It is a difficulty hard to describe. It is sometimes amusing, and sometimes irritating, but finally comes to be recognized as the result of a very serious and impressive combination of negro characteristics. The late Professor Charles F. Hartt, of Cornell University, in his admirable monograph[i_2] on the folk-lore of the Amazon regions of Brazil, found the same difficulty among the Amazonian Indians. Exploring the Amazonian valley, Professor Hartt discovered that a great body of myths and legends had its existence among the Indians of that region. Being aware of the great value of these myths, he set himself to work to collect them; but for a long time he found the task an impossible one, for the whites were unacquainted with the Indian folk-lore, and neither by coaxing nor by offers of money could an Indian be persuaded to relate a myth. In most instances, Professor Hartt was met with statements to the effect that some old woman of the neighborhood was the story-teller, who could make him laugh with tales of the animals; but he never could find this old woman.

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