Brer Rabbit go dancin' down de road, lippity-clippity, sassy as a jaybird.
"Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee..." he sing.
But den, a rope done pick him up an a bell do ring.
First news he knows... dare he dangle twixt de heavens an de earf. First, he skeered he gon' fall, den he skeered he ain't gon' fall.
He yank an' he pull an' he heave an' he haul, but tweren't no use.
He knew somebody caught 'im alright, an' he sorta 'spects he knows who dat somebody is.
An' sho nuff, up on Chick-a-Pin Hill where he live, who should hear de ruckus, but ol' Brer Fox.
An' wen dat ol' scamp see he caught Brer Rabbit, he holla out, "I got 'im! I got dat ol' rabbit! I sho has got 'im! I got dat ol' rabbit diss time fo sure!"
An' wit dat, he grab up his ax an' make ready to settle ol' Brer Rabbit's hash right now.
Now, Brer Rabbit, bein' little an' wit'out much strength, he s'posed ter use his head 'stead o' his foots.
An' dat's 'zactly wut he started ter do when he hear ol' Brer Bear cum amblin' down de road.
"Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay... zip-da-da-da-da, wonderful day" sing Brer Bear.
As he come walkin' by, Brer Rabbit, he speak up. "Howdy, Brer Bear. How DO you do?"
Brer Bear, he hear de voice an' look for where it come from.
"How ye come on?" say Brer Rabbit.
Brer Bear look up an' see Brer Rabbit hangin' from de rope on de post.
"What you doin' up dare?" says Brer Bear, sezee.
"Oh, keepin' de crows out de co'nfield. I's makin' a dolla a minnit" answer Brer Rabbit.
"Dah, dolla a minnit?" say Brer Bear.
"Deed I is! Would you like ter make a dolla a minnit, Brother Bear?" says Brer Rabbit, sezee. "Y'know, you'd make a mighty fine scarecrow, Brother Bear."
"Uh... thanks" say Brer Bear blushin'.
"How'd you like ter have this job?" say Brer Rabbit.
"Uh, yeah. Duh, no. Duh... I, I couldn't take yo job" Brer Bear stammer.
"No no no, that's alright" say Brer Rabbit.
Den he start ter freak out as Brer Fox come racin' down de paff holdin' his newly sharpened ax.
"B-b-b-b-but I have made enuff money. I got all I wants! You needs money, yeah. You take my job. You is welkum, you is mo' den welkum" Brer Rabbit beg.
Brer Bear he release de rabbit an' tie hisself up.
"Thank you, Brer Rabbit. I'll never fo'get diss. I jus' don't know how ter thank you enuff" say Brer Bear.
He shake hands with Brer Rabbit an' he get away jus' as Brer Fox arrive.
"Oh no!" Brer Fox moan when he see de bear in his trap.
"Howdy, Brer Fox" say Brer Bear.
"What you doin' up dare! What you... get outta my trap!" Brer Fox shout.
Den he chop de trap down an' Brer Bear, he fall on top o' him.
YOU ARE READING
Song of the South (1946)
FanfictionJohnny learns how to deal with trouble from Uncle Remus's "Brer Rabbit" stories.
