Week 9 Story: Brer Rabbit Has Ham Hocks for Supper

Brer Rabbit had outdone himself this time: not content with taking carrots or corn from Mr. Man's garden, Brer Rabbit had stolen a pig. He then hurried on home, driving the pig in front of him. Finally, they reached the stream; Brer Rabbit's house was just on the other side. And that's where the trouble began, because the pig refused to cross that stream.

Brer Rabbit pleaded, and Brer Rabbit begged. He whipped that pig and kicked that pig, and it still refused to cross the stream.

Brer Dog came trotting along, and Brer Rabbit shouted, "Brer Dog Brer Dog! I need you to please bite this pig to make it cross over the stream. I want ham hocks for my supper tonight."

But Brer Dog remembered the time Brer Rabbit stole his shoes (oh, that bad rabbit!), so he said, "No."

Brer Rabbit glared at Brer Dog, and then he picked up a stick he found lying on the ground. "Brer Stick," he said, "please hit Brer Dog so he'll bite this pig to make it cross over the stream. I want ham hocks for my supper tonight."

But Brer Stick knew Brer Rabbit was a bad man for sure, so he said, "No."

Brer Rabbit frowned at the stick, and then he kindled a fire in some grass nearby. "Brer Fire," he said, "please burn Brer Stick so he'll hit Brer Dog so he'll bite this pig to make it cross over the stream. I want ham hocks for my supper tonight."

But Brer Fire held a grudge against Brer Rabbit for burning his friend Brer Gator (oh, that bad rabbit!), so he said, "No."

Brer Rabbit spit at the fire, and then he ran to the stream. "Brer Water," he said, "please douse Brer Fire so he'll burn Brer Stick so he'll hit Brer Dog so he'll bite this pig to make it cross over the stream. I want ham hocks for my supper tonight."

But Brer Water knew Brer Rabbit was always stirring up mud in all the ponds and streams, so he said, "No."

Brer Rabbit stuck his tongue out at the water, and then he saw Sis Cow nearby. "Sis Cow," he said, "please drink Brer Water so he'll douse Brer Fire so he'll burn Brer Stick so he'll hit Brer Dog so he'll bite this pig to make it cross over the stream. I want ham hocks for my supper tonight."

But Sis Cow had never forgiven Brer Rabbit for getting her stuck in the persimmon tree (oh, that bad rabbit!), so she said, "No."

Brer Rabbit gave Sis Cow the stink eye, and then he saw the butcher walking by. "Brer Butcher," he said, "please kill Sis Cow so she'll drink Brer Water so he'll douse Brer Fire so he'll burn Brer Stick so he'll hit Brer Dog so he'll bite this pig pig to make it cross over the stream. I want ham hocks for my supper tonight."

But Brer Butcher had been robbed by Brer Rabbit more than once (oh, that bad rabbit!), so he said, "No."

Brer Rabbit shook his fist at the butcher, and then he pulled a length of rope out of his pocket. "Brer Rope," he said, "please hang Brer Butcher so he'll kill Sis Cow so she'll drink Brer Water so he'll douse Brer Fire so he'll burn Brer Stick so he'll hit Brer Dog so he'll bite this pig pig to make it cross over the stream. I want ham hocks for my supper tonight."

But Brer Rope had nothing against Brer Butcher, so he said, "No."

Brer Rabbit threw the rope on the ground, and then he noticed Brer Mouse running by. "Brer Mouse," he said, "please chew Brer Rope so he'll hang Brer Butcher so he'll kill Sis Cow so she'll drink Brer Water so he'll douse Brer Fire so he'll burn Brer Stick so he'll hit Brer Dog so he'll bite this pig to make it cross over the stream. I want ham hocks for my supper tonight."

But Brer Mouse knew to steer clear of Brer Rabbit, so he said, "No."

At this point, Brer Rabbit groaned, and then he saw Sis Cat racing towards him.

"Brer Rabbit," she said, "have you seen Brer Mouse?

Brer Rabbit said, "Yes, Sis Cat, I have!" Brer Rabbit stomped his foot down on the mouse's tail to stop him from running away. "He's right here. And if you would be so kind, please claw Brer Mouse so he'll chew Brer Rope so he'll hang Brer Butcher so he'll kill Sis Cow so she'll drink Brer Water so he'll douse Brer Fire so he'll burn Brer Stick so he'll hit Brer Dog so he'll bite this pig to make it cross over the stream. I want ham hocks for my supper tonight."

Sis Cat said, "Of course I will, Brer Rabbit!"

Then Brer Mouse shouted, "Save me, Brer Rabbit! I'll chew Brer Rope!"

Then Brer Rope shouted, "Save me, Brer Rabbit! I'll hang Brer Butcher!"

Then Brer Butcher shouted, "Save me, Brer Rabbit! I'll kill Sis Cow!"

Then Sis Cow shouted, "Save me, Brer Rabbit! I'll drink Brer Water!"

Then Brer Water shouted, "Save me, Brer Rabbit! I'll douse Brer Fire!"

Then Brer Fire shouted, "Save me, Brer Rabbit! I'll burn Brer Stick!"

Then Brer Stick shouted, "Save me, Brer Rabbit! I'll hit Brer Dog!"

Then Brer Dog shouted, "Save me, Brer Rabbit! I'll bite that pig."

So Brer Dog bit the pig, who went running across the stream, and Brer Rabbit had ham hocks for his supper that night.

Author's Note. I retold an Anansi story from Jamaica with Brer Rabbit as the main character instead. This is an English folktale originally, The Old Woman and Her Pig (it's in one of the English folktale units for this class), and I thought it was so cool how the Jamaican storyteller adapted that English story, replacing the old woman with Anansi. In that Jamaican version, the storyteller emphasized how Anansi was being lazy by not carrying the pig himself and also selfish by not paying for help. In my version, I emphasized the way Brer Rabbit had had dealings with some of these characters before, and I linked to those other Brer Rabbit stories. I left out one element in the Jamaican chain: Anansi asks Grease to smear Rope, and then asks Mouse to chew. I went right from the Rope to the Mouse.

This is a cumulative type of chain tail. Chain tales are popular in Europe and in Africa too. I retold another cumulative Anansi chain tale in my last story assignment; that story features a chain of victims instead of a chain of helpers: Anansi and the Chain of Victims.

Bibliography. Anansi and the Pig Coming from Market, in Jamaica Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith (1924).

Images. Pig - Dog - Stick - Fire - Stream - Cow - Butcher - Rope - Mouse - Cat - Brer Rabbit