Grandpa Ken Reads

The Wonderful Tar Baby Story

Joel Chandler Harris

Old Books
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The Wonderful Tar Baby Story

Joel Chandler Harris
Narration Gavid Kirkwood

Kenamar Corp.

Produced Kenneth Kunz

I didnt write this story,

but I like it so much Ill tell it to you, if you wish.

 The story was written down by Joel Chandler Harris, over a hundred years Or maybe ago, they made it up themselves. but the real story is much older. He got it from the Southern Plantation folks who probably heard it from the Indians, or their ancestors back in Africa. They were really good story tellers. Who knows? Anyway it wasnt me.

This a story of a fox trying to catch a rabbit for his dinner. Well one day, Brer Fox (or brother fox, we would say today) was in need of some lunch, and thought a young rabbit would do nicely.

He had seen Brer Rabbit earlier and he looked mighty tasty. But rabbits are hard to catch. Brer Fox was sly and thought of himself as very smart. Smarter than a rabbit, at least.
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 So he went and got himself some tar. Tar is the thick black stuff they used for making the roof waterproof. Then you dont get wet when it rains. Then he got some turpentine which is like our paint thinner or gasoline.

He mixed them together and made a sticky goop. Then he made a ball out of sticks and straw, and shaped it up in the form of a baby. And covered it with the sticky tar.
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He pushed his Tar-Baby Brer Fox said to himself out in the middle of the country road. This is a fine TarBrer Fox backed up Baby and hid in the bushes, Whoever touches it and waited to see will stick fast, what would happen. and be trapped! He was getting more and more hungry.

And he didnt have long to wait. Here comes Brer Rabbit hopping down the road. Lippity-clippity, cliffity-lippity Just as happy as a jaybird! Brer Fox he just lay low.

Brer Rabbit come prancing along until he saw the TarBaby, right in the middle of the road all alone. Well, he set upon his hind legs quite astonished. The Tar Baby just sat there! Brer Fox just lay low.
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Good Morning to you, said Brer Rabbit, very proper. Nice weather this morning. The Tar-Baby didnt say anything. Brer Fox just lay low in the bushes.

"My, but you seem to have some powerful symptoms," says Brer Rabbit. The Tar-Baby did look pretty sick.

Brer Fox, he winked his eyes slow, and continued to lay low. And the Tar-Baby, she is still totally quiet. "Come on now, say something!

Are you deaf?" continues Brer Rabbit, getting upset. "Because, if you are, I can speak louder." The Tar-Baby just stays still, and Brer Fox, he just lay low.
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Youre stuck up, that's what you are," says Brer Rabbit. "I'm going to punch you, that's what I'm going to do!" Brer Fox, he sort of chuckles in his stomach, but still he lay low.

But Tar-Baby still doesn't move or say anything. "I'm going to teach you to speak when spoken to by respectable folks," says Brer Rabbit,

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And if you don't take off that hat and tell me howdy!" Tar-Baby, she stays still, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

Brer Rabbit keeps on asking, and the Tar-Baby keeps on saying nothing. Well, presently Brer Rabbit draws back with his fist, he did. And Blip! he struck her on the side of her head, he did.
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His fist stuck, and he couldn't pull it loose. The gooey Tar-Baby held him fast! But Tar-Baby, she just stayed still, and Brer Fox, he lay low.

"If you don't let me loose, I'll knock you again!" says Brer Rabbit. And with that, he fetched her a swipe with the other paw. And that stuck, too.
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But Tar-Baby, she still stayed still, and Brer Fox, he still lay low. "Turn me loose or I'll knock the stuffing out of you! says Brer Rabbit. But Tar-Baby, she still was saying nothing.

She is hit and kicked, and kicked and hit, some more. And Brer Rabbit soon looses the use of his front paws and back feet. But Tar-Baby, she still says nothing, and Brer Fox, he lay low.
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 Brer Rabbit yells out, that if she doesn't let him loose, he would butt her with his head, he would. And then, after this warning, he did butt her with his head, and HARD, he did.

You guessed it, his head got stuck, too. Then Brer Fox, he quit laying low.

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He just strolled up to the stuck rabbit, acting as innocent as a mocking bird. "Howdy, Brer Rabbit," says he. "You look sort of stuck up this morning.

And the then he lolled on the ground and laughed and laughed, and laughed till he could laugh no more.

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I expect you'll take dinner with me this time, Brer Rabbit, and I don't take any excuses. and he drug off the rabbit by the tail, which was about the only part not covered with tar. The Tar-Baby sure didnt look like a baby anymore. Well, did the fox eat the rabbit, you ask?

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 I don't know. It's just a story. It can have any ending you want. I like to think the rabbit got away, which would be good for Brer Rabbit. And not too bad for Brer Fox either, because dinner flavored with turpentine tastes terrible!

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