Gullah Folktales from the Georgia Coast

XXIV. Buh Wolf, Buh Rabbit, an de Butter

XXIV, BUH WOLF, BUH RABBIT, AN DB BUTTER. Buh Wolf, him hire Buh Rabbit fuh help um wuk eh crap. Eh crap, eh day een de grass, an Buh Wolf faid eh gwine loss um. Befo dem state der fiel, Buh Rabbit notus say Buh Wolf hab een him house er nice pan er fresh butter. Eh mout water fuh git some, but eh shame fuh bague Buh Wolf. Buh Rabbit, him berry lub fuh tief, an eh mek eh plan fuh git some er dat butter. Buh Wolf an Buh Rabbit done gone der fiel an tun een fuh wuk. De sun hot, an befo long Buh Rabbit biggin fuh drap behine . Den all ob er sutten eh trow down eh hoe,an eh look way off, an eh cock up eh yez, an eh holler out: "Me yeddy you. Me duh comin." Buh Wolf, him tun roun, an eh say: "Buh Rabbit, wuh you duh do? You mus be der tun fool. Nobody duh call you." Buh Rabbit, him mek answer: "Somebody yiz bin er call me, an me know who dem yiz, an wuffer dem duh call me. Enty you sabe me duh preacher? Well, me prommus fuh bactize er chile dis berry hour, an me mus go fuh keep me pintment." "Berry well'/' answer Buh Wolf, "dont you loss no time, fuh dis crap want wuk berry bad." 59 Buh Rabbit hop off luk eh bin gwine in anarruh direction from dat wuh lead to Buh Wolf house. Wen eh git een de wood, eh slip roun onbeknowinst ter Buh Wolf, an gone een him house an eat hebby outer de pan er butter. Eh wipe eh mouf, an eh sukkle back tell eh git ter de place een de fiel way eh bin leff eh hoe. Eh seem berry merry, an wen Buh Wolf ax um ef he done bactize de chile, eh say yes. Den Buh Wolf ax um wuh dem bin name de chile, an Buh Rabbit tell um say dem bin call um Fus Biginnin. Buh Wolf an Buh Rabbit wuk on. Dem binner hoe tetter. De butter sweeten Buh Rabbit. Him couldnt stop from tink topper um. Eh biggin fuh want mo. De mo eh study bout um de slower eh wuk. Buh Wolf call ter um an tell um fuh hurry. Buh Rabbit mek answer an say eh yiz duh hurry. Bless you soul! een a little while Buh Rabbit, him drap eh hoe an eh holler out: "You right; me bin mose furgit; me comin right off/' Buh Wolf, him stonish, an eh say: "Buh Rabbit, you must be loss you sense; who you duh holler teh? Nobody duh call you." Buh Rabbit mek answer: "Somebody yiz bin a call me. Enty you 60 yeddy um?" Buh Wolf say: "No, me no yeddy." Den Buh Rabbit up an tell um say eh hab gagement fur bactize nurrur chile at dis berry hour, an eh mose bin furgit bout um tell eh murrer an eh farruh holler ter um outer de wood an member um. Buh Wolf mek jection gainst Buh Rabbit gwine, but wen Buh Rabbit tell um de chile gwine loss ef eh no git bactize, Buh Wolf lem go. Buh Rabbit do dist iz eh bin done befo. Eh gone een Buh Wolf house, eh tek down de pan gen, an eh eat mona half de butter. Wen eh ketch de fiel, Buh Wolf ax um ef eh done bactize tarruh chile, an eh answer eh yiz. Buh Wolf say: "Duh him duh gal er boy?" Buh Rabbit mek answer say: "Him duh gal." "Wuh eh name?" questun Buh Wolf. "Half-way" answer Buh Rabbit. Dem wuk on tel de sun biggin fuh lean een de wes. Buh Rabbit still duh study bout dat butter. Eh yent willin fuh go ter eh home an leff any behine. So een de tree hour eh pit eh han up ter eh yez an eh listne. Den eh holler out de turd time, an eh say: "Go on, me duh comin." Buh Wolf ax um. "Way you duh gwine now? Enty you done bactize chillun?" Buh Rab61 bit tell um eh hab one mo fuh bactize befo sun down, but eh wunt tek um long becase eh lib close by. Den Buh Rabbit slip roun ter Buh Wolf house an clean up de las er de butter. Eh...