Story: When Brer Rabbit Save the Pig
Book: Tales of the Rabbit from Georgia Negroes, in Journal of American Folklore, v. 12
Author(s): Emma Backus
Published: 1899
Internet Archive link.

Notes: Eye-dialect removed, plus editing for paragraphing and punctuation.

Brer Rabbit Saves His Hog

One winter, about a week to Christmas, Brer Rabbit he have a pen full of powerful fat hogs, just honing for the smoke-house.

Now you mightn’t think it, sir, but Brer Rabbit was a mighty frolicsome chap when he was a young man, attending on the gals nigh about every night.

Now Brer Bar and Brer Wolf have they mind on them hogs constant, but they feared Brer Rabbit got some trap set unbeknownst to theyselves.

One night Brer Rabbit, he go up to pay he addresses to Mr. Wolf’s daughter. Now this here Miss Wolf was a mighty prideful gal, and she keep Brer Rabbit waiting on the porch a powerful long time, while she get on her meeting clothes.

Well, whiles Brer Rabbit was a-waiting, all to once he hear he name round the corner the porch, and he cock up he ear, and sure ‘nough there he hear Brer Bar and Brer Wolf in cahoots for to steal he bestest pig. Brer Rabbit he listen, and they lay out they plans, how they going dress off the pig, and leave it underneath the black gum-tree whilst they go for the cart, ’cause they suspicious if they stop for to cut it up, Brer Rabbit gonna catch up with ’em.

Well, Brer Rabbit, he shake hisself and go in, and pay he respects to Miss Wolf, but right soon he say he obliged to say good-night, and he clip it off to the blackgum tree, and he hide hisself in the bushes. And sure ‘nough, directly here come Brer Wolf and Brer Bar, with the pig done dressed for the smoke-house. They lay it down and cover it with brush, and strike out for the cart.

Then that bodacious Brer Rabbit, he go softly through the brush, and just creep inside that pig and lay hisself down, and he lay out to keep he eye open and watch out for the cart, but ‘fore he know hisself he fall asleep.

The firstest Brer Rabbit know, Brer Wolf and Brer Bear, they done lift the pig in the cart, and that were Brer Rabbit on the inside the pig. Then Brer Rabbit, he grow faint-like, and then he just turn in and groan harder and harder, and Brer Wolf and Brer Bar, they make sure it am Old Satan hisself in the pig, and they just strike out the cart and burn the wind for home, and Brer Rabbit, he drive the cart home and hang the pig in the smoke-house.

Pig by Ro Irving at Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/92522311@N00/148145255