Story: How Brer Fox Dream He Eat Brer Possum
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 Emma Backus. I’ve removed the eye-dialect removed, plus I’ve edited for paragraphing and punctuation.

When Fox and Rabbit Caught the Possum

In the old times Brer Possum he have a long, wide, bushy tail like Brer Fox. Well, one day Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox get a mighty honing to set a tooth in some fresh meat, and they both start off for to find some, and directly they find Brer Possum up a black gum-tree.

Now, in them times Brer Rabbit he can climb well as any other of the creatures, ’cause he has sharp claws like a cat, and he don’t sit down to nobody on climbing, Brer Rabbit don’t. So when they find Brer Possum way up in the top of the gum-tree, Brer Rabbit, he just climb up after Brer Possum, Brer Rabbit do, and just before he reach him, Brer Possum he wind his tail on the limb and hang with he head down, and swing hisself out.

Brer Rabbit, he standing on the limb, and he reach out, and he grab Brer Possum’s tail nigh the stump, Brer Rabbit do, and Brer Possum he swing hisself out, and try to reach another limb with he hand; and every time Brer Possum swing out, Brer Rabbit’s hand slip a little on Brer Possum’s tail, and next time Brer Possum swing and reach out, Brer Rabbit he hand slip a little more, till Brer Rabbit he done skin the whole of Brer Possum’s tail, and Brer Possum fall to the ground where Brer Fox done wait for him, and Brer Fox done catch him and kill him, but since that day Brer Possum he never have no hair on his tail.

Then Brer Rabbit he come down, Brer Rabbit did, and they study how’s the bestest and soonest way to cook Brer Possum, ’cause they both just are drooling for some fresh meat.

Brer Fox he say he take Brer Possum home and cook him, and he invite Brer Rabbit to come and dine with him. Brer Rabbit agrees to that, so Brer Fox, he takes Brer Possum home and he fly round to beat all, Brer Fox do, and he gets some nice fat bacon and yams, and he just cooks that Possum up fine and brown.

Then Brer Fox he get mighty tired, and he say, “I declare, I plumb too tired out to eat. I don’t know if I better eat that Possum now, and go to sleep and dream about him, or whether I better go to sleep and dream about him first, and then wake up and eat him.” And he lay down on the bed to study a minute, and first thing Brer Fox knowed he fast asleep.

Directly here come Brer Rabbit; he knock on the door, but he ain’t get no answer. But he smell that Possum, and the bacon and the yams, and the sage, and he most distracted to set he tooth in it. He crack the door softly, and he find Brer Fox fast asleep on the bed, and the nice dinner all smoking hot on the table.

Brer Rabbit, he just draw up and set to, Brer Rabbit do. He eat one hind-leg, and it so fine, he say to hisself he bound to try a fore leg, and then Brer Rabbit allow he bound to try the other hind-leg. Well, sir, that old man Rabbit he sat there and eat till the lastest mouthful of that Possum done gone.

Then he just turn to wondering, Brer Rabbit did, what Brer Fox going to say when he done wake up and find the bestest bits of that Possum gone. Brer Rabbit, he find hisself in a right delicate situation and was disturbed, Brer Rabbit was, but he say to hisself he gonna fool Brer Fox, and Brer Rabbit, he take all the bones, and he put them on the floor in a row round Brer Fox’s head, and he take the marrow-grease, and he rub it softly on the whiskers round Brer Fox’s mouth. Then he go out softly and close the door, and put he eye to the key-hole.

Directly Brer Fox he yawn and stretch hisself and wake up; and course his mind turn to that Possum, and he rise up, and surely he most powerful astonished when he see the dish empty, and the bones all about hisself on the floor.

Directly here come Brer Rabbit’s knock. Brer Fox say, “Come in!” and Brer Rabbit say, “Brer Fox, I come for my share of that Possum.”

Brer Fox say, “Before the Lord, Brer Rabbit, where that Possum gone?” and he fling he hand at the bones on the floor.

Brer Rabbit, he snap he eye, like he most mighty got a way with, and he say, “Brer Fox, I heard the creatures tell heap of powerful hard tales on yourself, but I declare, I never think you treat a friend this here way.”

Then Brer Fox he swear and kiss the book he ain’t set a tooth in that Possum.

Then Brer Rabbit he look most mighty puzzled, and at last he say, “Brer Fox, I tell you what you done done, you just eat the lastest mouthful of that Possum in your sleep.”

Brer Fox he rear and charge, and swear he ain’t even got the taste of Possum in he mouth.

Then Brer Rabbit he take Brer Fox to the glass, and make Brer Fox look at hisself; and he say, Brer Rabbit did, “Brer Fox, how come all that fresh marrow-grease on your whiskers?”

And Brer Fox he look mighty sat down on, and he say, “Well, all I allow that the most unsatisfying Possum I ever set a tooth in.”

Chesapeake Bay Program

Photo of fox from the Virginia Living Museum at Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/chesbayprogram/39640430823