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Negro myths from the Georgia coast, told in the vernacular cover

Negro myths from the Georgia coast, told in the vernacular

Chapter 18: VIII.
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About This Book

This collection assembles short folktales and tall tales drawn from the coastal rice- and swamp-region oral tradition, rendered in local vernacular speech. The pieces range from animal trickster episodes—featuring a clever rabbit, alligator, wolf, turkey, and other creatures—to human-centered anecdotes about conjuring, superstition, plantation life, and humorous misadventures. Arranged as many brief numbered stories, the volume preserves regional expressions, rhythm, and humor while alternating fables, jokes, and supernatural accounts. Recurrent themes include cunning over brute strength, community memory, survival in marshland settings, and the interplay of practical wit and folkloric belief.

VIII.

BUH PATTRIDGE AN BUH RABBIT.

Buh Pattridge and Buh Rabbit jine compny fuh kill cow. Wen dey done kill um, dey share de meat equel. Buh Pattridge tek one half; Buh Rabbit, him tek tarruh half. Buh Pattridge tote him share home, an cook some, an gen um to him chillun. Buh Rabbit, him tay buhhine an watch him share. Wen Buh Pattridge an him chillun done eat dem belly full, Buh Pattridge gone back to de place way de cow bin kill. Eh meet Buh Rabbit duh siddown day duh wait fuh hire somebody fuh cahr him meat ter him house. Buh Pattridge, him want mo meat. Eh up an tell Buh Rabbit: “Dat cow meat no good. Me cook some an gen to me chillun, an eh kill two er um.” Buh Rabbit say: “Eh yent.” Buh Pattridge say: “Me tell you eh yiz. Me bin eat some too, an eh mek me feel berry bad. Rattlesnake must a bin trike dat cow an pizen um.” Den Buh Pattridge fall on de groun, an flutter, flutter, flutter, dis like eh bin guine fuh dead. Buh Rabbit tink say de pizen meat been a wuk in um, an eh hop off, an eh fetch water, an eh trow um in Buh Pattridge face. Wen Buh Pattridge sorter vive, Buh Rabbit tell um eh no want de meat, dat eh guine leff um. Den Buh Rabbit wish Buh Pattridge de time er day, an gone teh him house. Soon as Buh Rabbit git outer yearin, Buh Pattridge whistle fuh him chillun. De gang all bin in de bush duh watch. Den dey all run up an cahr de meat to dem house, an cook um an eat um.

De meat bin good, an Buh Pattridge only do dat fuh fool Buh Rabbit an git him share too.