The little boy, eager to know more, asked Uncle Remus, “What happened to the animals after the barbecue? Did the dogs hurt any of them?” Uncle Remus closed his eyes and chuckled. “Well, now you’re asking something, honey. You see, Brer Rabbit was always quick on his feet and even quicker in his mind. He loved playing tricks on the other animals, and his pranks often left them in a mess, coming and going.
“The dogs did pretty well chasing the smaller animals like Brer Fox, Brer Coon, and Brer Wolf, but when they ran into old Brer Bear, they sure hit a snag. The most eager dog got too close, and Brer Bear gave him such a whack that he was split open from side to side. After the ruckus was over, the animals limped back home, trying to heal their cuts and bruises.
“When they finally felt better, they got together to come up with a plan to get back at Brer Rabbit. They argued and argued, just like your dad does when he’s in a bad mood. But after a while, they came up with a plan that seemed like it might work. They decided to pretend they were having a dance. They knew Brer Rabbit loved a good dance, so they’d invite him. And when he showed up, they’d ask him to play the fiddle. If he refused, they’d close in on him and teach him a lesson.
“Everything was going smoothly, but while they were making their plans, Brer Rabbit was hiding in the grass, listening to every word. When the time came, Brer Rabbit sprang into action. Before they knew it, here he came running down the road, fast as a horse that had broken through a fence. He called out, ‘Well, hello, friends! I haven’t seen you all since the last time! Where have you been? And how was the barbecue? If my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me, there’s old Brer Bear, the one I’ve been looking for! And there’s Brer Coon! I’m in big luck today. There’s going to be a big dance at Miss Meadows’ place, and she wants Brer Bear to show everyone the roasting-ear shuffle, and she’s counting on Brer Coon to do the jig they call rack-back-Davy.
“‘I’m supposed to play the fiddle—something I haven’t done since my oldest daughter had the mumps and the measles at the same time! So, this morning, I took down the fiddle, played a few notes, and when I opened my eyes, there was my whole family dancing around the room, even though breakfast still needed cooking!’
“With that, Brer Rabbit bowed and took off down the road like the dogs were after him.”
“But what happened next?” the little boy asked. Uncle Remus chuckled again. “Nothing at all,” he said. “The animals didn’t have any dance, and when they went to Miss Meadows’ house, she stuck her head out the window and told them if they didn’t leave, she’d call the law on them!”
