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| (Image Information: Brer Rabbit; Web Source Wikimedia) |
In the Tales of Brer Rabbit I, there are many stories that include Brer Rabbit, but there are almost as many that do not have Brer Rabbit. Something that is present in each and every story, is the motif of intelligence. In each story, the smartest animal will be the one who comes out triumphant. There are several times where the smartest animal in one story is not the smartest in the next (e.g. “Mr. Fox in The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story” and Brer Rabbit in “How Mr. Rabbit was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox”). However, most of the time it is Brer Rabbit coming out on top, and Mr. Fox falling short.
One of the most interesting stories, “Old Mr. Rabbit, He’s a Good Fisherman,” many of the animals are working together, but Brer Rabbit is tired and so he finds an excuse to take a break. He finds a bucket, but ends up trapped at the bottom of the well. When Brer Fox sees him at the bottom of the well, Brer Rabbit says he is “fishing for suckers,” alluding to Brer Fox, and Brer Rabbit dupes Brer Fox into getting into the other empty bucket, causing him to fall to the bottom while Brer Rabbit rises to the top and escapes.
Another story worth mentioning is “Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Bear”. In this story, Brer Rabbit eats food from Brer Fox’s garden, but Brer Fox cannot prove it is the rabbit’s doing, so Brer Fox sets a trap, which works on Brer Rabbit the next day. While hanging in the trap, Brer Rabbit is approached by a curious Brer Bear. Brer Rabbit deceives Brer Bear and says he is making a dollar a day by being a scarecrow in Brer Fox’s garden. Brer Bear, eager to make some money, willingly takes Brer Rabbit’s place in the trap. Again, Brer Rabbit makes a clean getaway.
The wits in the Tales of Brer Rabbit keep me very interested in these stories. They make you really eager to see what is going to happen next.
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