Another Story Mammy Told Me

LAWS amussy, honey, you wanter hear ’bout Mr. Rabbit foolin’ Mr. Alligator? Mammy b’lieve she mos’ done fergot dat tale, but lemme see.

You know, Mr. Rabbit he jes’ de mischeevousist critter in de woods. He wuz all de time tryin’ to play a trick on somebody an’ gittin’ hisse’f inter some kin’ er trouble. Well, one day he went down to de bayer [bayou] to see ef he could hab some fun wid dat slow-goin’ ol’ somebody, Mr. Alligator, but he could n’t see him nowhar; an’ w’en he tu’n eroun’ to go home he seed all de marsh wuz on fire, ’cause de folks had comed out to hunt Mr. Deer an’ done sot de grass on fire to run Mr. Deer out.

Well, sah, w’en Mr. Rabbit seed all dat fire he wuz mos’ skeert to def, so he holler, ‘Trouble, Brudder Alligator, trouble!’ — an’ he kep’ on hollerin’ de same thing twell at las’ Mr. Alligator comed out er his hole to see wot all de racket wuz erbout. Den Mr. Rabbit he say, ‘Brudder Alligator, ef you jes’ will take me on yo’ back an’ ca’y me down to de p’int so’s I kin git on home widout gittin’ bu’nt up in de fire, I’ll thank you long as I lib, an’ ma ol’ lady an’ de chillun’ll thank you too. An’ sumpin else, I promise I ain’t nebber gwine scratch no mo’ eggs out er Miz Alligator’s nes’.’

Mr. Alligator he jes’ look at Mr. Rabbit, an’ den he make answer, ‘ I don’t do nuttin’ like dat — swimmin’ folks ’cross de bayer on ma back widout pay.’

Mr. Rabbit he say dat’s all right; ef Mr. Alligator will ca’y him ’cross to de p’int, he gwine bring him he ol’ gran’ma fer breakfas’ nex’ mawnin’.

Mr. Alligator studied to hisse’f, ‘Dat’s mighty slim pickin’s fer a po’tly gemman like me,’ but he knowed w’en he git Mr. Rabbit out in de middle er de bayer he sho’ could make him ’gree to better pay dan dat. So he make Mr. Rabbit git on he back, an’ w’en he gits out in de middle er de bayer he starts gwine under.

Den Mr. Rabbit he holler, ‘Trouble, Brudder Alligator, trouble! Ma hin’ foots is gittin’ wet!’

Mr. Alligator he say, ‘Climb up onter ma neck.’

So Mr. Rabbit climb onter he neck, but Mr. Alligator jes’ keeps on a-gwine down.

Den Mr. Rabbit holler out ag’in, ‘Trouble, Brudder Alligator, trouble! Ma front foots is gittin’ wet!’

An’ Mr. Alligator make answer, ‘Climb up onter ma haid.’

So he climb onter Mr. Alligator’s haid, but by dat time Mr. Alligator wuz sinkin’ under so fas’ dat Mr. Rabbit holler out loud as he kin, ‘Brudder Alligator, ef you jes’ will ca’y me to de p’int, I’ll bring you ma gran’pa an’ ma gran’ma.’

But Mr. Alligator say dat ain’t enough.

Den Mr. Rabbit promise to bring him mos’ all his wife’s kinfolks fer him to eat, an’ Mr. Alligator he say dat’ll satisfy him; an’ wid dat he swimmed Mr. Rabbit safe to de p’int.

But bless yo’ heart, soon as Mr. Rabbit wuz on de lan’ he jes’ frisk hisse’f eroun’ an’ make a bow to Mr. Alligator, an’ he say, ‘Thank you, sah, Brudder Alligator. Much erbleeged to you fer gittin’ me ’cross de bayer. But you jes’ have to ’scuse me fum bringin’ all ma fambly down yere fer you to eat, ’cause dat’s sumpin I ain’t nebber gwine to do.’ An’ wid dat he lit out fer home back in de big brier patch.

An’ dat’s how come Mr. Alligator don’t like Mr. Rabbit no mo’, an’ ain’t make fren’s wid him to dis day.

SARA AVERY MCILHENNY