Gullah Folktales from the Georgia Coast

XXXIX. Buh Rabbit, Buh Wolf, an de Holler Tree

XXXIX. BUH RABBIT, BUM WOLF, AN DE HOLLER TREE. Arter Buh Rabbit bin fool Buh Wolf bout dem Cooler agg, an slip way from Buh Possum, eh faid fuh meet Buh Wolf, an eh walk berry skittish ebry time eh lef eh house. Buh Wolf bin on de keen look-out fuh um. One day dem meet. Buh Wolf, him say: "Haw! Budder, me got you now. You dodge me long time. Ebry man fuh isself." Wid dat eh tek arter Buh Rabbit. Buh Rabbit, him bin quaintun wid all de holler tree een de wood, an wen Buh Wolf push um close, eh jump een one er dem. Buh Wolf run up an eh say: "Me got you now. Come out an tek you lick, er me gwine bun you up een dis tree." Eh no bin know say narrur holler bin on tarruh side er de tree, an dat Buh Rabbit done run clean tru an gone. Wen eh couldnt yeddy nuttne from Buh Rabbit, Buh Wolf gedder fat pine tick, an eh poke um een de holler an eh pit fire ter um. De fire roll, an Buh Wolf feed um tell de tree bun down. Eh saterfy say Buh Rabbit done bun up, an eh gone home, an eh mek brag ter him fambly say him bin stroy Buh Rabbit. 108 Eh yent bin tree day arter dat wen lo an behole! Buh Wolf meet Buh Rabbit duh seddown een de big road, dist es content es ef nuttne bin happne, duh leek isself. Buh Wolf hail urn an eh say: "Buh Rabbit , dat duh you? Enty me bin bun you up tarruh day? Why you duh do duh leek youself so happy an content?" Buh Rabbit , him mek answer: "Budder, dat holler way you bin try fuh bun me een, gone ter de top er de tree, an eh bin full er honey. De fire melt de honey, an eh run down an kibber me all ober. Me yent done git um all offer me tel now. You come tase me an see how sweet me yiz." Buh Wolf so lub honey eh furgit eh spite gainst Buh Rabbit, an eh come up an eh taste um, an eh fine out say honey bin all ober Buh Rabbit. Den eh ax Buh Rabbit fuh show um one holler way him kin git some honey. Buh Rabbit gree fuh do so ef Buh Wolf would mek fren wid um. Dem shake ban, and den Buh Rabbit tell Buh Wolf fuh foller um. Eh tek um ter one tree wuh hab holler on one side, but wuh shet up on tarruh side, an eh tell Buh Wolf say dat tree full er honey, an eh mus git een an crawl up nigh de top es eh could go. Buh Wolf trus Buh Rabbit, an eh gone een 109 de holler. Soon es eh git een, Buh Rabbit tek one lightwood knot an eh chink up de hole so Buh Wolf couldnt come out. Den eh gedder some fat pine, an eh mek fire an eh bun Buh Wolf up een de holler. While eh duh bun, Buh Wolf bague an pray Buh Rabbit fuh leh um come out, but Buh Rabbit wouldnt yeddy um. Buh Rabbit leetle fuh true an eh yent strong, but eh berry scheemy an eh hab er bad heart. no ...