C005 The Tar Baby My mother um, read a story to me, when I think, I think I was five years old. Pretty sure I was ah, five years old or less. And ahh, It was a story form the, ah US south, southern stats, about um the tar baby, and ah it was about a fox and, that ah that was very incensed with the rabbit, because the rabbit was continually being rude and playing tricks on him. And he was quite intent ah on ending this , ah this this ah this arrangement by ah killing the rabbit, a pretty serious story. But ah, of course its its not real. Talking rabbits and talking foxes. But um, what the fox said he would do one day is he would make a trap, he couldnft catch the rabbit so he would have to lure the rabbit to the trap.So ah, he made a, ah ,a little baby an image that looked like a doll make out of tar and turpentine and he put a little hat on it and it was quite cute. And he placed it on the ah middle of the road and, ah, course then he went than he went hid hid in the bushes than of course the rabbit approached shortly afterwards and immediately noticed the tar baby and he said hallo to the tar baby he said good morning to the tar baby. And the tar baby didnft respond. The ah, the rabbit said something else to him and the tar baby and the tar baby didnft say anything the tar rabbit was wondering if the tar baby was deff and he ah so he shouted at the tar baby, still there was no response. Than he got angry. The the rabbit got angry. Than he decided to um he would, if the tar baby wouldnft answer him he would strike the the tar baby. Well the tar baby is made out of tar so he didnft say anything, oh SHE didnft say anything. And he ah he raised his paw and hit the tar baby. Well he got one paw stuck on the tar baby now. And he threat the tar baby that if the tar baby didnft release his paw he would hit him again with the other paw. And he hit him with the other paw. Now hefs got both paws stuck. Both front paws stuck. Now hefs getting pretty angry now and he threatens if he didnft let go, the tar baby didnft let him go he was gonna kick the stuffing out of him. And he kicked him with both hind legs, and now he had all his paws stuck to the tar baby. The only threat he had left was, let, to let him go or he would strike him with his head. So the rabbit struck the tar baby with his head, now he had his head all pa all four paws stuck to the tar baby the wolf, of the fox I should say is in the, hiding in the ditch and trying to contain his laughter, his trap had worked perfectly, and he now has the rabbet, where he wants him. So now he could the wolf or the fox I should say can show himself and he comes out and hef laughing and, he he the rabbit knows that his time is short if he canft find a way out of this. Ahh the fox is thinking and saying what he is going to do to the rabbit. Hefs gonna cook him hefs gonna hang him hefs gonna stab him hefs gonna hang do every thing burn him even. And the ah the rabbit says to him well you go ahead and do any of those things. Just donft through me in to the brier patch. And he continues with his banter about what a the fox is going to do these horrible things to him. And the mf rabbit says once again, donft what ever you do you can do all those thing what ever you do though donft though me in the brier patch. So the fox thinks to himself, oh really he doesnft want to be though in to the brier patch, well thats what exactly what Im gonna do. Ifm gonna though you in to the brier patch. So he picks him up and flings the rabbit in to the brier patch and waits to hear his death throws and and some noise from the brier patch. This is exactly what the rabbit wanted because this is where he was born, and he knows how to extricate himself from the ah tar baby and the next thing the wolf or the fox I wanna call him the wolf. The next thing the fox hears somebody calling him and he turns around and there is the rabbit free up at the top of the hill and hefs just removing the tar from his fur and and the fox says has has been outwitted by the rabbit. So thats was the tar baby story.