The Mythology & Folklore Database
There was a time when Brer Lion was sort of playing overseer with the other creatures. It seems like he got the idea that all of them had to pay him a toll, because he was the strongest and the most ferocious. He claimed one out of every family: one sheep from the sheep, one goat from the goats, and one from all the kinds.
By and by, after a long time, he sent word to Brer Rabbit that his turn had come, and Brer Rabbit sent back word that everything was all right. Of course this made old Mrs. Rabbit and the children feel mighty bad. The children sat around whimpering and sniffling, and old Mrs. Rabbit went about crying and wiping her eyes on her apron. But Brer Rabbit, he sat up and smoked his cigar and told them to quit worrying and to learn how to not be afraid.
He said, "Old woman, if I'm not back by suppertime, just set my vittles down there on the hearth so they'll keep sort of warm."
Old Mrs. Rabbit said that instead of wanting vittles, he'd be vittles himself, and then she sniffled worse and worse.
But Brer Rabbit just hooted at her, and then he took down his walking cane and set out to see Brer Lion.
The little rabbits hollered out, "Good-bye, daddy!" and Brer Rabbit hollered back, "So long!"
Old Mrs. Rabbit looked after him, she did, and then she flung her apron over her head and just boo-hooed.
But Brer Rabbit marched down the road as happy if he were going to a frolic. He marched on, he did, and just before he got to the place where old Brer Lion stayed, he hid his walking cane in the fence corner, rumpled up his hair, and drew himself in until he looked like he wasn't any bigger than a pound of soap after a hard day's washing.
Then he went where there was a big, deep spring a little piece away from the road, and he looked at himself in the water. He sort of pulled back his ears and made himself look topsy-turvy, and then he closed one eye and shook his fist at his reflection in the water.
He went back to the big road, he did, and crept along like he was ailing -- limping first on one foot and then on the other one, and by and by he came to the place where old Brer Lion was staying.
Brer Rabbit sort of dragged himself along and made a bow. Brer Lion looked at him sideways and asked him where he was going. Brer Rabbit said he was all the more willing to come, became it was his turn, and he had been feeling poorly for a long time. He talked mighty weak and trembly.
Brer Lion looked at him closely and said, "You won't make a mouthful. It's time that I eat you. I'm just getting good and hungry."
Brer Rabbit said, "Yes, sir. I know I'm not fat, and I suspect I have lots of fleas on me, but I'm mighty willing. I've got a bad cough, and I'm tired of being sick. I'm just about as fat as the mule the man had, and he had to tie a knot in its tail to keep it from slipping through the collar."
Brer Lion looked at him and thought that Brer Rabbit was so scared he was talking weaker and weaker.
Brer Rabbit said, "While I was coming along just now I saw a creature that was almost as big and fat as you are, and I said to myself that I wished to goodness that I was as fat as he was, so Brer Lion could have a good dinner."
Brer Lion said, "Who was he?"
Brer Rabbit said, "I didn't ask him his name. He refused to respond to my howdy, and he looked so ferocious that I got out of there."
Brer Lion said, "Come, show me where he is."
Brer Rabbit said, "I'd do it in a minute, Brer Lion, but I'm afraid he'll hurt you."
Brer Lion sort of bristled up at that. He said, "Hurt whom? Come on and go with me to where he is, and I'll show you who'll get hurt, and that in short order!"
Brer Rabbit shook his head. He said, "You'd better eat me, Brer Lion. I'm not much, but I'm something, and that other creature that I saw will surely hurt you. He's got claws and he's got teeth, because I saw them. Don't go where he is, Brer Lion, if you have any friendly feelings for your family. That creature will surely cripple you!"
This made Brer Lion mighty mad. He said, "Get right into the road and show me where he is!"
Brer Rabbit said, "Well, if I need to go, Brer Lion, I'll go. I told you so, and that's all I can do."
They went on, they did, and Brer Rabbit took Brer Lion to the spring.
When they got there, Brer Rabbit looked around and said, "He was right around here somewhere, and he's not so mighty far off now, because I feel it in my bones."
Then he crept up, he did, and looked into the spring. As he did this, he let out a yell and jumped back. "Ouch, Brer Lion! He's in there! Let's run! He'll get us for sure!"
Brer Lion walked up to the spring and looked in. Sure enough, there was a big creature looking back at him.
Brer Lion hollered at him. The creature in the spring didn't say anything. Brer Lion shook his head. The creature shook his. Brer Lion showed his teeth. The creature grinned at him. They kept on this way until by and by Brer Lion got so mad that he jumped into the spring head foremost.
When he was in there, he couldn't get out again, and so there he was, strangled with water and drowned for the want of sense and breath.
Brer Rabbit capered around there some little time, and then he put out for home, and when he got there, he took his children on his knee and told them a mighty tale about how he made out with old Brer Lion.