WHY RABBIT'S TAIL IS SHORT
One day Ber Rabbit went to the Lord for give him some wisdom.
So the Lord told Ber Rabbit that he give him the wisdom if he bring him alligator-tooth.
So Ber Rabbit get out a guitar and went out in the pond and begin to play, "Some thing good and some thing bad, and some thing enough to make me mad."
So Ber Rabbit told Ber Gator must come out for dance. And Ber Gator come out. And Ber Rabbit knock Ber Gator in the temple, and he kill Ber Gator, and took his tooth to the Lord.
So God told him if he go and bring him a bag full of blackbird, he give him wisdom.
So Rabbit told Blackbird, "I bet you all you can't full up this bag!" And the blackbird fly down in the bag and full it up. And Ber Rabbit take the bag and carry it to God.
Told Ber Rabbit, say he want but one more thing, that Ber Rattlesnake tooth.
So Ber Rabbit went the rattlesnake and said, "Man, we had a bet of you last night. Some of the boys say you ain't longer than this stick."
And so the rattlesnake said, "Yes, man! I'm longer than that stick."
And so Ber Rattlesnake measure hisself with the stick. And so Ber Rabbit tie the rattlesnake down to the stick, and take his tooth to God.
So God give Ber Rabbit a bag, and told him must not open till he get in open field.
And Ber Rabbit so hurry, he open the bag before he get in the field. And the two hound-dogs jump out the bag. And they bite off Ber Rabbit tail.
And that make Ber Rabbit have short tail till today.
Story Title: Rabbit Seeks Endowments (version 5)
Storyteller: Edward Singleton
Book Title: Folklore of the Sea Islands, South Carolina
Author: Elsie Clews Parsons
Published: 1923
Rights: CC0 Public Domain
Online Source: Hathi Trust
Process: Eye dialect removed, light editing for punctuation and paragraphs.
Story Notes from Author (Parsons): Variant: Once upon a time Ber Rabbit went to a king and ask him for his daughter. So the king told him to go and see if he could get some blackbird. (Edding's Point, St. Helena.)
Additional Notes: The first time refers to God giving Rabbit a "box" and the second time it is a "bag," so I have made it a "bag" in both instances. See also notes to the version told by Maria Middleton. This story appears as a Story of the Day.
