Not many of the animals liked water, except maybe Brer Coon’s daughter. Brer Bear, Brer Fox, and old Brer Rabbit all agreed—they couldn’t stand wading through creeks or swimming in rivers. Whenever they had to cross water, they’d run for cover! They noticed that when people came to a river, they’d ride a horse across.
Brer Fox said he wished he had a horse. Among all the other animals, he’d be the happiest if he could get one. He’d buy a bridle and a brand-new saddle and ride that horse all around. He said, “Once I start trottin’, I’ll be the fastest around!” Brer Rabbit smiled a big smile and said, “I can’t ride myself because I’ve got a boil, but I think I know where you can find a horse. He’s way back yonder where two roads meet. I’ll meet you there tomorrow morning, just as the sun starts to rise.”
Brer Fox replied, “I hear you, and if I’m not sick, I’ll be there for sure!” Brer Rabbit tipped his hat and said, “So long, friend. We’ll get that horse, you can count on it.”
Long before the sun came up, Brer Rabbit was already up and moving, chuckling to himself like a cat purring. The horse was stretched out, sleeping in the pasture. Brer Rabbit crept up as close as he dared to see if the horse was really alive. The horse flicked his tail. “This time, we’ll catch him for sure!” Brer Rabbit said to himself. Then he saw Brer Fox coming and thought, “Here’s another fine fellow about to get himself into trouble!”
Out loud, Brer Rabbit said, “Good luck has brought the horse right where you want him! If you tie yourself to his tail, you can hold him, and more than that, you can trip him and roll him over!” So, Brer Fox did just that, getting close to where trouble was waiting.
Brer Rabbit shouted, “Hold him down! Hold him down! Keep him right there on the ground!”
The horse woke up with a snort and a whinny, showing he was quite the kicker! Right then, Brer Rabbit started to snicker, saying, “Hold on, Brer Fox! Don’t let go! If you make him stay still, you’ll ride him sooner!” But the horse reared up and kicked up a huge cloud of dust. And before you knew it, Brer Rabbit heard a loud crash!
“I hope you’re not too hurt, Brer Fox,” Brer Rabbit called out, “but your wife’s going to be mad—you’ve gone and torn your shirt!”
