Gullah Folktales from the Georgia Coast

XLVI. Buh Rabbit an Buh Wolf Funeral

XLVL BUH RABBIT AN BUH WOLF FUNERAL. Buh Rabbit fool Buh Wolf so many time, an een sich diffrunt fashion, dat eh outdone wid um. Ebry time eh try fuh ketch um fuh lick um, Buh Rabbit somehow er narruh slip tru eh ban an git way. Buh Wolf, him hire edder people fuh wuk plan fuh git de better er Buh Rabbit an pit um een eh power, but, bless you soul! dem fail too, an Buh Rabbit, him go clear. De ting mose worry Buh Wolf life outer um. Eh fret so bout um tel eh biggin fuh tun rale po. At lenk Buh Wolf gie out say him berry sick. Leely wile arter dat, de news come dat Buh Wolf dead. Eh wife eenwite all eh fren ter de funeral. Buh Wolf mek sho say eh gwine ketch Buh Rabbit now. Buh Bear, him bin der de passon. Dog come. Roccoon come. Squirle come. Possum come. Cow come. Alligatur an Cooter, dem come. Deer, him bin day too. Buh Wolf, him bin er lay out on er bench een de middle er him house, kibber ober wid er wite clorte, an eh wife an eh chillun duh tan roun um duh cry. Buh Owl, him fetch 127 er spade fuh dig de grabe, an bud bin day too fuh sing er hyme. Wen dem all bin gedder, Buh Rabbit enter dist es careful, an tek eh stan jes by de do. Dem wait leely wile fuh Buh Fox, but him sen wud say him wife hab feber an him couldnt leff um. Den Buh Bear, him tek eh book an eh read um, an eh preach er sarmint. Arter dat de Mockinbud raise er chune, an dem all sing. All dis time Buh Wolf bin er leddown, tretch out ter eh full lenk, and stiff lucker eh bin dead fuh true. Eh hole eh bref so tight, nobody could yeddy um breave. Wen de preachin an de singin done ober, dem all gone up fuh tek dem las look at Buh Wolf befo dem tote um out fuh bury um. Dem raise up de clorte wuh bin ober eh face, an eh look dist es natrul; an dem tell um goodbye one by one. Buh Rabbit him walk up las, an eh yent gone berry close needer. Buh Rabbit always tote eh good sense bout um, an eh nebber will run no resk. Es eh come fuh look topper Buh Wolf, Buh Wolf bin spec say eh woulder tan so close dat eh coulder graff um. But wen eh fine Buh Rabbit sorter skittish, an eh duh ease ehself off, eh tek de chance, an, all ob er 128 sutten, eh trow ehself offer de bench an eh mek arter Buh Rabbit. Buh Rabbit, him bin hab eh yeye on Buh Wolf all de time, an befo Buh Wolf could mek eh way tru de crowd an come up long um, Buh Rabbit slip out de back do an trow ehself een de brier patch, way Buh Wolf couldnt foller um. De people all stonish, an wen dem fine out de trute er de ting, dem berry bex; an, befo dem leff, dem bemean Buh Wolf sich er fashion eh bin shame fuh show ehself een de settlement fuh many er days. Dat bin er dutty trick wuh Buh Wolf play on eh fren and on Buh Rabbit, but Buh Rabbit, him outdo um. 129 ...