Kentucky Folktales: Revealing Stories, Truths, and Outright Lies

Rabbit and the Alligators

raBBit and tHe alligators A long time ago, a long, long, long time ago, way back, when rabbits had long, pretty tails like foxes, there lived a rabbit. One day Rabbit had been gone from home since early, early in the morning. All day long Rabbit had been working, working, and working. By the end of the day, Rabbit was tired, so very tired. He headed for home. Hop hop, rest. Hop hop, rest. Hop hop, rest. Ooooh, Rabbit was tired. By the time Rabbit reached the edge of the swamp near his house, he was so tired he couldn’t even take one more hop. Rabbit stood there looking out over the swamp. He could see his house. It stood on a little rise of dry land straight across the swamp. Rabbit thought, “I am too tired to hop all the way around this swamp to reach my house. I don’t know why this old swamp has to be between me and my house anyway. But I do know one thing: I cannot go hopping around this swamp today. I am way too tired. I could swim across. But those old alligators living in this swamp think anything swimming in the swamp is supposed to be their dinner. No, if I try to swim across, those alligators would just eat me up. What I need is a plan—a plan for moving myself from here straight across this swamp.” Rabbit started thinking. He twitched his long ears, and he thought. He pulled on that long, pretty tail of his, and he thought. He twitched, and he thought. He pulled, and he thought. Pretty soon ideas started flying around in his head. Rabbit twitched his ears, and he thought. He pulled his long pretty tail, and he thought. After awhile, with all that twitching and thinking and pulling and thinking, those ideas started arranging themselves into a plan—a fine plan for moving himself from where he was straight across the swamp to his house. Now, to work his plan Rabbit needed an alligator. Rabbit watched the swamp until he saw a big, old alligator swimming nearby, and then Rabbit began working his plan. He began singing a song—a song he was making up right on the spot: 158 BEYOND KENTUCKY FOLKTALES Oh, there are many, many, many, many rabbits in this world, and oh so very few alligators. Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits, rabbits everywhere. As for alligators, they just can’t compare with the many, many, many, many rabbits in this world, and oh so very few alligators. That big old alligator heard Rabbit’s song and swam over to listen. Rabbit pretended he didn’t see him, and kept right on singing: There are many, many, many, many rabbits in this world, and oh so very few alligators. Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits, everywhere under the sun. As for alligators, you can hardly find a one for the many, many, many, many rabbits in this world, and oh so very few alligators. Alligator swam closer, “Rabbit, hey Rabbit! What is that song you’re singing?” Rabbit lied, “Oh, Alligator, I didn’t see you out there! That song? Why, that’s just a song all us rabbits know. We learn it when we’re just little bitty baby rabbits. Our mamas teach it to us so we learn how many rabbits there are in the world and how few of you alligators there are. I can sing it for you, Alligator. There are many, many, many, many rabbits in this world and oh so very few alligators. Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits, rabbits everywhere— “Rabbit,” Alligator interrupted, “Stop the singing, Rabbit. I already heard the song. What do you mean there are more rabbits in this world than there are alligators? Rabbit, do you actually believe that song is true?” “Well, Alligator, I never really thought about whether or not the song is true. All rabbits sing it—we learn it when we’re just babies.” Rabbit pretended to consider Alligator’s question, and then he spoke. “I guess we do think it’s true. Don’t you think it’s true?” “No, Rabbit, I believe that song is nothing but a lie. I live out here Rabbit and the alligators 159 in the swamp, and I see alligators all the time. I hardly ever see a rabbit .” Alligator was upset. “Rabbit, that song your mama taught you is...