WHY BRER DOG RUNS BRER RABBIT
Well, then, old Brer Rabbit go on down the big road till he come to the place where some folks been camp out the night before, and he sat down by the fire, he did, for to warm his foots, 'cause them mornings was sort of cold. He sat there and look at his toes, and he feel mighty sorry for hisself.
Well, then, he sat there, he did, and it weren't long 'fore he hear something or other trotting down the road, and he took and look up and here come Mr. Dog a-smelling and a-snuffing 'round for to see if the folks left any scraps by their camp-fire. Mr. Dog was all dress up in his Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes, and more than that, he had on a pair of brand new shoes.
Well, then, when Brer Rabbit see them there shoes he feel mighty bad, but he ain't let on. He bow to Mr. Dog mighty polite, and Mr. Dog bow back, he did, and they pass the time of day, 'cause they was old acquaintances.
Brer Rabbit, he say, "Mr. Dog, where you going all fix up like this?"
"I going to town, Brer Rabbit; where you going?"
"I thought I go to town myself for to get me new pair shoes, 'cause my old ones done wore out and they hurts my foots so bad I can't wear 'em. Them mighty nice shoes what you got on, Mr. Dog; where you get 'em?"
"Down in town, Brer Rabbit, down in town."
"They fits you mighty slick, Mr. Dog, and I wish you be so good as to lemme try one of 'em on."
Brer Rabbit talk so mighty sweet that Mr. Dog sat right flat on the ground and took off one of the behind shoes, and loaned it to Brer Rabbit. Brer Rabbit, he lope off down the road and then he come back. He tell Mr. Dog that the shoe fit mighty nice, but with just one of 'em on, it make him trot crank-sided.
Well, then, Mr. Dog, he pull off the other behind shoe, and Brer Rabbit trot off and try it. He come back, he did, and he say, "They mighty nice, Mr. Dog, but they sort of rears me up behind, and I don't know exactly how they feels."
This make Mr. Dog feel like he want to be polite, and he take off the before shoes, and Brer Rabbit put 'em on and stomp his foots, and allow, "Now that sort of feel like shoes," and he rack off down the road, and when he get where he ought to turn 'round, he just lay back he ears and keep on going, and it weren't long 'fore he get out of sight.
Mr. Dog, he holler, and tell him for to come back, but Brer Rabbit keep on going; Mr. Dog, he holler, Mr. Rabbit, he keep on going.
And down to this day, Mr. Dog been a-running Brer Rabbit, and if you'll just go out in the woods with any Dog on this place, just time he smell the Rabbit track he'll holler and tell him for to come back.
Story Title: Why Mr. Dog Runs Brother Rabbit
Book Title: Nights with Uncle Remus
Author: Joel Chandler Harris
Published: 1883
Rights: CC0 Public Domain
Online Source: Project Gutenberg
Illustrations: James Affleck Shepherd [1907 edition]
Process: I have removed the frame material and the eye-dialect, along with light editing for paragraphing and punctuation.
Additional Notes: Florence Baer, in Sources and Analogues of the Uncle Remus Tales, concludes that this is most probably an African folktale. For additional notes, see my Brer Rabbit blog: Chase 95.
