Story: Bro’ Rabbit and the Watermelons
Book: “Negro Tales from Georgia,” in Journal of American Folklore v. 25
Author(s): Emma Backus and Ethel Leitner
Published: 1912
Internet Archive link.

Notes: This is one of the stories recorded by Ethel Leitner. I’ve removed the eye-dialect removed, plus I’ve edited for paragraphing and punctuation.

Bro’ Rabbit and the Watermelons

Bro’ Rabbit and Bro’ Coon they go into cohoot for to plant they crop together and for to stand by one another if trouble come along.

One day they was working in they watermelon patch, and they both see Colonel Tiger come a-creeping roun’ the fence, looking hungry enough for to eat them both. Bro’ Coon he goes back on Bro’ Rabbit, and climb up a tree, and leave he friend for to face trouble by heself.

Bro’ Rabbit can’t climb, and he so scared that he teeth rattle; but he grab he spade and make haste and dig two holes, and bury two of he biggest watermelons in them, and cover ’em with earth, and pat them smooth with he spade: he work so hard that by the time Colonel Tiger get to the gate, he is done got another hole dug most deep enough for one more.

Colonel Tiger stand there — in he fine stripe suit — watching him, and he mighty curious, Colonel Tiger am: when he see them two graves there, and Bro’ Rabbit a-making one more, he don’t know what to think. So finely he talk out, and ask him. “Bro’ Rabbit,” he ask, “what’s that you is doing there?”

Bro’ Rabbit he mighty scared, but he hold he heart bold, and he make answer out loud and brash like he was mad. “I’se burying the folks what I is done killed,” he say, slapping the graves with he spade. “That Bro’ Lion, that Bro’ Bear; and I’se got a Coon treed there what I’se done conjured, but I ain’t killed him yet. Who is you asking me questions, anyhow? I ain’t got time to turn roun’ to look at you; but you is so brash, if you’ll wait till I gets through, I’ll come out there and conjure you and kill you too, ’cause I wants three more fools for to finish out this row.”

Colonel Tiger was that scared, he just burn the wind, getting away from that dangerous-talking man.

After he gone, Bro’ Coon he come down he tree, and make a great admiration over Bro’ Rabbit; but Bro’ Rabbit he say, “I don’t want none of your talk; you ain’t no true friend, and don’t keep to the agreement, so I’se going to divide the crop and break up.”

Bro’ Coon he say, “How you going to divide?”

And Bro’ Rabbit he make answer, and say, “You is the biggest, Bro’ Coon, so you can take all that you kin tote away. I is the littlest, so I’se got to take what is left behind.”

Bro’ Coon can just lift one little watermelon with a rotten end; and with that he have to go — ’cause Bro’ Rabbit talk so big, he was scared of him, anyhow, and glad for to get away.

Watermelon patch at Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/watermelon-ripening-on-lush-green-field-5187233/