THE WONDERFUL TAR-BABY BY JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS "Did the fox never catch the rabbit, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy. "He came very near it, honey, did Brer Fox," said the old man. "One day, after Brer Rabbit had played a trick upon him, Brer Fox went to work with some tar and turpentine. "He made with it what he called a Tar-Baby, and this Tar-Baby he put in the middle of the road. Then Brer Fox lay in the bushes, and watched Tar-Baby; and he had a twinkle in his eye. "He hadn't waited long before Brer Rabbit came tripping along the road-lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity—as saucy as a jay bird. Brer Fox lay low. "So Brer Rabbit came prancing along until he saw Tar-Baby, and then he pulled up short. "Good morning,' says Brer Rabbit. weather this morning.' 'Nice "Tar-Baby said nothing, and Brer Fox, he lay low. "How is your health this fine morning?' says Brer Rabbit. "Brer Fox, behind the bushes, winked slowly, and Tar-Baby said nothing. then? Are "How are you, then? Are you deaf?' says Brer Rabbit. 'Because if you are, I can call out louder than this.' "Tar-Baby sat still, and Brer Fox still lay low. "I'll tell you what you are,' says Brer Rabbit; 'you're stuck-up, and I am going to cure you before you're much older.' "Brer Fox chuckled deep down, but Tar-Baby still said nothing. "I'm going to teach you how to talk,' says Brer Rabbit. 'If you don't take off your hat and say how do you do to me, I'll hit you,' says he. But Tar-Baby sat still, and Brer Fox lay low. "Brer Rabbit kept on speaking to Tar-Baby, and Tar-Baby kept still, saying nothing. Brer Rabbit grew so angry that he drew back his fist, and, blip, he hit her on the side of the head. "His fist stuck fast, and he could not pull it loose. The tar held him. But Tar-Baby sat quite still, and Brer Fox lay low. 66. If you don't let me loose, I'll knock you again,' says Brer Rabbit. Then he punched TarBaby with the other hand, and that stuck, too. Tar-Baby sat still, and old Brer Fox lay low. "Let me loose, or I'll kick you,' says Brer Rabbit. "But Tar-Baby still said nothing. She held Brer Rabbit fast. Then Brer Rabbit lost the use of his feet in the same way. "Then Brer Rabbit calls out that if Tar-Baby doesn't let him loose, he will butt her. He butted and his head stuck. Then Brer Fox walks out, looking as innocent as one of your mother's mocking-birds. "How do you do, Brer Rabbit?' says Brer Fox. 'You look somewhat stuck-up this morning,' and he rolled on the ground and laughed until he could laugh no more. 666 "I think you will eat some dinner with me this time,' he says to Brer Rabbit. 'I can't take any excuse."" Here Uncle Remus paused and drew a sweet potato out of the ashes. 66 That is as far as the tale goes," said the old man. "May be or may be not. Some say that Judge Bear came along and set Brer Rabbit free; some say he didn't. I hear Miss Sally calling. You had better run along." When Brer Fox finds Brer Rabbit still mixed up with the Tar-Baby," said Uncle Remus the next evening, "he feels very happy. He rolls on the ground and laughs. "He gets up, by-and-by, and says 666 Well, I think I have got you this time, Brer Rabbit. Maybe I haven't, but I think I have. You've been running round here with your head too high of late, Brer Rabbit. I think you have come to the end of the row. And you are always where you've no business to be,' says Brer Fox. "Who asked you to talk to the Tar-Baby? And who stuck you where you are now? 666 Nobody in the round world stuck you there. You just forced yourself on Tar-Baby without waiting for an invitation,' says Brer Fox. There you are, Brer Rabbit, and there you'll stay, until |