Brer Rabbit
Source: Wikimedia
It was a hot typical Louisiana summer day. Hopper, Fox, and Coon had been working since dawn on their garden, but Hopper was ready to throw in the towel.
"Maybe I can just sneak off somewhere for a quick nap. It's too dang hot out here. And besides, I planted last years garden all by myself. It's these two goons' turns to slave away in the heat." Hopper thought to himself. "There's got to be somewhere I can rest out of site. If these guys see me napping, I'll never hear the end of it."
Hopper caught a glance of a well off in the woods to his right. "Ahh yes, the well! That would be perfect, but I have to think of a way to get away for a second."
"Ooooooooooouch!!" Hopper yelped. "Oww oww oww."
"What in the world are you crying over there for?" Coon asked Hopper.
"I cut my finger on the weasel." Hopper tried to choke up some fake tears.
"Oh, you big baby! You're always hurting yourself. Quit being so clumsy. Let me see it." Fox snapped out Hopper. He knew Hopper was up to something. He was always trying to get out of working. Lazy rabbit.
"Oh no, I don't want to gross you out. It's a pretty nasty cut. I'm going to go clean it up. I'll be back out to help when I'm done. See ya!" Hopper hopped off towards the well. When he got there, he noticed a bucket on a rope that was dangling above the well.
"Perfect. I can get in this bucket and take my nap. No one will every find me in here!" Just as Hopper climbed into the bucket, it descended so quickly he didn't have time to think. "Dang it! Now what? I'm stuck down here. I'm going to die down here." Little did Hopper know that Fox, who always knew Hopper was up to no good, watched Hopper as he snuck off to the well.
"Whatcha doing down there, Hopper?" Hopper was startled. He looked up to see his buddy Fox peeking over the edge of the well.
"If I can get Fox to jump into the other bucket, his weight will carry me back up to the top, and I can get out of this stinkin' well." Hopper thought to himself.
"Oh, you know. Just fishing. I thought I would make us some dinner tonight." Hopper shouted from the bottom of the well.
"There's fish down there?" Fox questioned.
"Yeah lots of them. Come see for yourself!"
"How do I get down there?"
"Just hop in that other bucket like I did. It's easy!"
"Okay, here I come!"
What Fox didn't realize was once he got down to the bottom, Hopper would be at the top. Of course, Hopper couldn't let this situation go to waste. He had to pick on Fox just a little bit.
"See ya later friend!" Hopper chuckled as he walked back to Coon to tell him the story. Poor Fox stayed in the well until dinner time when his friends finally rescued him. Until this day, they never let him forget.
Author's Note:
This story is a retelling of the original story Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman . I kept the story pretty much the same except that the original story is told by Uncle Remus to his nephew. Also, the original story is in dialect, which makes it a little harder to read. I decided not to tell this story in dialect and write it in a way that is easier to understand.
"Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman" by Joel Chandler Harris. Website: Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings
Marissa,
ReplyDeleteI thought you did an awesome job retelling this story. I really liked your use of dialogue to keep the story moving. It gave it a very whimsical feeling that animals were talking and having full life stories behind their characters. Overall, I think it was a great story and I really enjoyed reading it!
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ReplyDeleteThe way you constructed this story was excellent, and you reached your goal because it was very easy to understand. I can say that I was actually concerned for Hopper when he first went down into the well, and I was happy that the fox had seen him hop off. I'm also glad that the fox's friends came back for him in the end as well. Great job this week!
ReplyDeleteMarissa, fantastic storytelling for this week! I love the Fox character so much because he is so suspicious of Mr. Hopper and ends up being the fool that gets tricked. Mr. Hopper is such a trickster and reminds me of some of my own friends! I think the way you wrote this story instead of in dialect makes it easier to relate to and keep up with, because I really enjoyed this third person perspective from Mr. Hopper. Good job!
ReplyDeleteMarissa,
ReplyDeleteThis is such a cute story! I think you did a really good job of retelling it, and making it easier to read and understand. The image you used is so dapper, unlike the characters which I think makes it even funnier. I think we can all relate to Hopper wanting to get out of work so we just act like we're sick or hurt. Great job!
Hi Marissa,
ReplyDeleteI have previously commented on your introduction, so I decided to read another one of your stories! Your retelling of Old Mr. Rabbit, He’s a Good Fisherman is so adorable! I really liked how mischievous Hopper was. I also thought it was very fitting that Coon and Fox were always onto him and his cunning ways! It reminds me of my friends and myself, great story!