WHY TURTLE HAS RED EYES
Turtle and old Hare were both courting Fox's daughter. At last Fox measured off a race course and said that Turtle and Old Hare must run a race, and whoever came out first could have his daughter.
Old Hare thought he'd surely win the race.
Now Turtle knew that Old Hare was very fond of music, so old Turtle took his bugle, put it in his pocket, and went off where the race was to begin.
Time came, the word was given for Old Hare and Turtle to run, and Old Hare ran ahead of Turtle a half mile or so, way out of sight. After Turtle found Old Hare was way out of sight, he took his bugle out of his pocket and began to blow, "Too too tuda tuda tuda! Too too tuda too!"
When Old Hare heard that he jumped up and came back to where Turtle was, and said, "Pray, Mr. Turtle, can you tell me where all that pretty music is?"
Old Turtle said, "Only two miles down the road below," and sent the hare back two miles, while he was pushing on all the time.
After awhile Old Hare couldn't find the music, so he came back and said, "Well, Mr. Turtle, goodbye," and passed him on his journey, hopping along.
So after he had gone a mile or two up the road, Turtle took out his bugle again and blew again, "Too too tuda tuda tuda! Too too tuda too!"
When Old Hare heard that he came back and said, "Pray, Mr. Turtle, can you tell me where all that pretty music is?" and the Turtle said, "Only about three miles down the road." So Old Hare went back down the road, and Turtle went dragging along. When Old Hare couldn't find the music he came back and passed Turtle on the road very near the goal.
Old Hare pushed on by the Turtle, and there was a curve in the road so that he couldn't see the Turtle take out his bugle. So Turtle took out his bugle and played a beautiful tune, and set the old hare crazy. Old Hare came back to him just leaping and jumping, and said "Pray, Mr. Turtle, tell me where all that beautiful music comes from?" Turtle didn't seem to pay much attention, but he said, "Oh, it's only five miles back, down below."
And this time while the Old Hare was gone back the five miles, Turtle pulled over the goal line. Of course Miss Fox was awarded to the Turtle, and he had her for his wife.
When the Old Hare came back, he was very angry with the Turtle, and told him he would get even with him some way.
The Turtle took warning. He took his wife and locked her up in his house, and put his keys in his coat pocket.
He went out to the wood pile to cut some wood, and when he got warm he took off his coat and threw it down on a log that was on the wood pile, with his keys in the pocket, and when he became fatigued from the exertion of cutting wood, he would take a stroll to rest and cool off.
While he was gone, the Old Hare crept to the wood pile, took up the coat, took the key from the pocket, unlocked the door, went into the house where Mrs. Fox Turtle was, and killed her. He skinned her and hung her body to the ceiling. Then he went out doors and got some good hickory chips, and made some strong smoke and smoked her. Then the Old Hare locked the door and took the keys and put them back in Turtle 's pocket.
When Turtle came back, he took the keys out of his pocket, unlocked the door, and started in. He walked into the house and looked up at the ceiling, and his eyes became so full of water and smoke that they have been red ever since.
Story Title: Why the Terrapin Has Red Eyes
Book Title: Strange ways and sweet dreams: Afro-American folklore from the Hampton Institute
Author: Waters, Donald J.
Published: 1983
Rights: CC0 Public Domain
Online Source: Hathi Trust
Prior Source: Southern Workman 26, no. 3 (March 1897)
Process: Light editing for paragraphing and punctuation. I changed "Tarrypin" to "Turtle."
Additional Notes: This is the first example if have found of the rabbit and turtle racing where the turtle plays a bugle.
