Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit : An Animal Story

Let us enjoy reading this story of Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit .

One day Brer Fox got hold of some tar and made a Tar Baby. He put a hat on it and set it in the middle of the road. Then he hid behind a bush to see what would happen.

Presently, along came Brer Rabbit. He politely wished the Tar Baby good morning.

When it did not respond he wished it again and then yet again. Finally, thinking the tar baby was being deliberately rude, he punched it in the face and of course, his hand got stuck in the tar. He punched it with the other hand and that hand too got stuck. When he tried kicking it, his legs got stuck.

Fox came out of his hiding place and rolled on the ground with laughter.

Then he said he would roast Brer Rabbit for dinner.

"Roast me if you want, Fox," said Brer Rabbit, "but please don't throw me into that briar patch."

"I'll hang you before roasting you," said Fox.

"Do that," said Brer Rabbit, "but for heaven's sake, don't throw me into that briar patch."

"I'll drown you," said Fox, but Brer Rabbit didn't seem afraid of that either.

"...Only don't throw me into that briar patch," he begged.

This made Fox think the briar patch was a dangerous place and plucking out Brer Rabbit from the Tar Baby, flung him into the patch of thorny bushes.

He waited expectantly for the cry of pain, but heard nothing. Instead, after some time he saw Brer Rabbit sitting cross-legged way up on a nearby hill and grinning at him.

"I was born and bred in a briar patch, Fox!" he shouted. "Born and bred in a briar patch!"

Adapted from a story by Joel Chandler Harris

Go to The Animal Stories Index