Gullah Folktales from the Georgia Coast

XXXVII. Buh Rabbit an Buh Elephunt

XXXVII. BUH RABBIT AN BUH ELEPHUNT. You ebber notus say Buh Elephunt yez all de time duh heng down, an eh cant cock um up luk de tarruh creetuh? Eh hinge to eh yez look luk eh broke. You know wuh mek so? Ef you yent know, lemme tell you. Buh Rabbit an Buh Elephunt, dem blan ramble tru de same wood. Buh Rabbit, him lib offer de noung grass, an Buh Elephunt, him eat de tree limb. Dem bin quaintun wid one anurrur; an, weneber dem meet, dem nusen fuh pass de time er day. Buh Rabbit, him too leetle fuh Buh Elephunt fuh keep compny long, Een de spring er de year Buh Rabbit bin mek eh nes onder one bush, an eh line um an eh kibber um ober complete long sofe dry grass. Eh hab tree leely chillun een dat nes. One day Buh Elephunt bin er hunt eh bittle, an eh gone miss an mash topper Buh Rabbit nes, an kill eh chillun. Buh Rabbit no bin day at de time, an wen eh git back eh fine eh nes done broke up, an all tree eh chillun squash flat. Eh see by de track say Buh Elephunt bin do dat. Eh 102 gone right off an eh tackle Buh Elephunt bout um. Buh Elephunt mek answer an say him yent do um; him yent know nuttne bout um. Wen Buh Rabbit fine eh cant git no saterfaction outer Buh Elephant, eh cut down, an eh berry bex, an eh mek plan fuh git eeben wid Buh Elephunt fuh de big damage wuh him bin done ter um an eh fambly. Eh quaintun wid de place way Buh Elephunt blan leddown fuh tek eh res; so eh watch um, an wen eh donegone der bed, Buh Rabbit, him slip back an eh call eh wife, and dem gedder dry leaf an dead grass, an dem tote um ter de spot way Buh Elephunt duh sleep, an dem full all two Buh Elephunt yez long de leaf an grass. Den dem trike fire an clap um ter de dry grass an leaf wuh dem bin pit een Buh Elephunt yez. Eh blaze up. Buh Elephunt wake. Eh couldnt mek out wuh happne. De ting biggin fuh bun um bad. Eh holler fuh somebody fuh help um. Eh roll ober an try fuh out de fire een eh yez. Eh tek eh trunk an try fuh lick um out, but befo de fire done out, eh bun de hinge er all two eh yez, so eh couldnt liff um up no mo. 103 Dat de way Buh Rabbit tek eh rewenge on Buh Elephunt case eh mash eh chillun, an dat de reason huccum Buh Elephunt hab flop yez tel ter-day. 104 ...