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Story of the Day: Why the Rabbit's Eyes Are Big

Here is today's story: Why the Rabbit's Eyes Are Big. This is a story from the Sea Islands of South Carolina, as told by Maria Middleton and collected by Elsie Clews Parsons. Here are more stories from the Sea Islands, and also more books of stories collected by Elsie Clews Parsons.



WHY THE RABBIT'S EYES ARE BIG

Ber Rabbit he went and complained to God that his eyes is too small. He did not satisfy with his eyes. So God sent him back, and told him to bring him six blackbird, but not six mocking-bird.

So he went and build a cage. He took his cage upon his shoulder, and went on and commence to kick up the dust and fog, and sing out and make a great crimination. "My cage can hold six blackbird, but not six mocking-bird." So six blackbird went in. He took that and carry the cage to God.

And God send him back and tell him to bring rattlesnake teeth (we call um the tooth of the rattlesnake), rattlesnake two tooth, I think.

So he gone back to Ber Rattlesnake hole. He get a string (just as I say to him [indicating her husband], "You ain't long so," and he say, "I is long so").

So the rattlesnake said, "Who is that?"

"That's me, Ber Rattlesnake." So this man said, "You ain't long as this string."

So Ber Rattlesnake come up out his hole.

And said to him, "Can I measure this about you neck?"

Rattlesnake said, "Yes."

So Ber Rabbit took the string and put it about his neck. Ber Rabbit draw the string and draw his mouth wide open, choke the rattlesnake to death. Knock out his teeth and carry them to God. So God said Ber Rabbit stay there until he returned. And when he returned, he catch Ber Rabbit hind-feet, and lick his head against the house, and his eyes stretch big. So God said he crowd the hound dog behind him.

So Ber Rabbit take wood until today, and his eyes large, wide open.



Story Title: Rabbit Seeks Endowments: Why the Rabbit's Eyes Are Big
Storyteller: Maria Middleton
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): This tale has a peculiarly large circulation in the Islands. Compare Sea Islands (Christensen, 36-41); Georgia (Jones, XL, XLVIII; Harris 2: XXXIV, XXXV; JAFL 32:404-405); Natchez, Hitchiti, Creek (JAFL 26: No. 4); Sierra Leone (Cronise and Ward, 40-49); Gold Coast (Barker and Sinclair, 29-31).