Reading Notes: Brer Rabbit, Part A

I was excited to see Brer Rabbit as an option for the reading this week because I grew up with this tale! My parents used to read it to me all the time and I remember enjoying it very much as a child.  I was surprised however to see it under the "African Tales" origin.  I did not know that this story comes from African history. 

Part A consisted of 8 parts including Brer Rabbit and the Calamus Root, The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story, Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace, How Mr. Rabbit was too Sharp for Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox is "Outdone" by Mr. Buzzard, Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure, Mr. Fox Tackles Old Man Tarrypin, and finally The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf.

The tale that I could see myself retelling this week would be The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story.  I like this story because it one of the specific stories that I really remember as a child.  It turns out that is is also the most famous of the Brer Rabbit stories so that makes sense as to why its the one I remember the most. 

In the story, Mr. Fox creates a tar baby from "turkentime" a sticky substance resembling tar.  Mr. Fox then hides and waits for Brer Rabbit to come along.  Eventually, Brer rabbit comes along and tries to talk to the tar baby, and of course the tar baby doesn't respond because it is made of tar.  Brer Rabbit becomes frustrated and ends up punching the tar baby and getting stuck in the tar.  Mr. Fox comes out from the bushes and laughs and the story ends with the narrator saying some say that the Judge came and freed Brer Rabbit and others say he didn't.

I am excited about potentially retelling this story, as it brought up sweet memories from my childhood!

Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby. Web Source. 

Bibliography: The Wonderful Tar Baby from Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris.