Rabbit Admires Rooster’s Head

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Story: Fatal Imitation
Book: “Folk Tales Collected at Miami, Florida,” in The Journal of American Folklore, volume 30
Author(s): Elsie Clews Parsons
Storyteller: Scott Payne
Published: 1917
Internet Archive link.

Notes: Lightly edited; I removed the eye-dialect. About the storyteller, Parsons reports: “Scott Payne. He was born in 1863 at Tallahassee, Fla., and came to Miami in 1896.”

Rabbit Admires Rooster’s Head

The Rooster was outside one day with his head tucked under his wing.

The Rabbit met the Rooster, and he says, “Look here, Bruh Rooster! I met you the other day, and your head was off.” He say, “How was that?

“Oh,” Rooster say, “I had the old lady chop my head. I just lay it aside so I can sun it.”

And the Rabbit, he thought he could play the same trick, so he went home and told his old lady to chop his head off. So that was the last of Rabbit’s head.

The Rooster was smarter than the Rabbit.