| Summary: | Folder contains 44 pages of Alabama folklore compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s., •
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7/ /37.
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Peunted Houses Kear Tuscumbia •
SUsan Russell
". One half mil e to the left of Jackson HighwaY,which connects
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Sheffield and Tuscumbia,three ivy-covered towers mark the Andrew
Jackson House,wbich is invested with many tales about ghoets. Some
of these wraiths celebrate anniversaries,especially the eve of the Battle
of New Orleans. Spectral visitsnts ,reports saY,flit with ligcted
candles from window to window,and ghosts of officere and privates of
General Jackson's day have been seen on the grounds.
stsirways halls and rooms creek and groan with age,but no explanation
has been given for sounds of the footfalls of unseen visitors
although automobile lights on the highway may cause the "candles". Those
who live in the old house now,do not believe in ghoets,and dismiss the
matter by saying:"If ghosts are here,they are friendly ones and are
welcome to stay".
At rome distance from the Jackson House,stsnds the old - nston
home ,formerly a magnificent structure with elegant furnishings,but
now in a state of decay. ear the house is the old family burying
ground,the scene,tbe story goes,of many "ghost walks".
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Over the grounds on dark nights,wbite clad figures are said
to flit,and someti~es rise and float through the air. On the handsome
old stsir1ghostlY ladies trip up and down,visible for a moment,only to
disappear. Hair raising tales are told in the old Negro quarters,of
TUscumbia,and no Tuscumbia Ecegro will willingly venture near the apot -- t night alone •
An old house on Broad street,near East 3rd,in Tuscumbia,although
today a disreput~ble wreck,still holds its place in the sun because of
ghosts that are supp~sed to inhabit it •
Lnce it was the scene of nya brillinat assemblage,tbe young
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JOHN MURRELL, TERROR OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE
The wilderness had its own gangsters, noteably the old
Natchez Trace. The last and most dangerous .ot these land pirates,
was JOHN MURRELL, taught by his mother to steal betore he was 12
years ot age. Over the Trsoe, with a price on his head, he successtully
travelled, incognito as an itinerant preacher, according to
old records.
In the last days ot his operat10ns, the Murrell Gang led
a conspiracy to arouse the negroes to open rebel110n, tor the pur-pose
ot plunder. Uur-ell was apprehended and imprisoned. Asked
about his operat10ns, he replied: "On that Natchec Trace I robbed
only 11 men, but I preached some d tine sermons and I had converts
too. That should count tor someth~ng -- the good as well as
the bad in me."
Wh1le 1n prison he became an imbecile, dying in a short
while. With h 1s passing ended the day ot robber gangs and the terror
they 1btlicted upon the old trail.
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Chiet 00 Liska, ot the Chickasaws.
It was rare tor the Chickasaws to make a pale tace an
honorary chiet, but this title was conferred on William Cooper, by
the Indians, who called him 00 Lilka, meaning "Double Eyes,' because
he wore glasees. He was also appointed the1r "Counsel Man" (lawyer)
1n 1832.
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A character of his day, Cooper lived in a large and comfortable
home at East Third and High Streets, which today is in a
splendid state of preserfation and occupied by the Carl Rands. Mrs.
Rand tells a story she declares to be »rue that happened in a room
on the second floor, reserved by William Cooper for himself.
A very ~arge man, weighing almost 200 pounds, he had premonition
his ooffin was going to be too small, and he wanted a comfortable
fit, "for I've got to stay in it so long." Cooper ordered
a coffin of mahogany, from Huntsville, taking the dlllensions himself.
When it arrived, he decided to "fit it on.' It proved too small, so
he sent it back, this t1me ordering a black walnut coffin, made according
to the dimensions taken by a tailor. This time the coffin was satisfactory.
It was filced with apples, and thus used as a place of
storage until the time came when the coffin was used to serve its intended
purpose.
The Inns and houses of entertainment in Tuscumbia, in 1824
were scenes of many unexplatnable events. One of them began on Christmas
Day in 1823 when there appeared at a log house Inn a tall strang8r,
dressed the part of a gentleman. He was unaccompanied by a servant,
and carried a small bag, which he oarefully guarded. The man engaged
two rooms, a most unusual occurrences for a lone traveler.
Two days later, on the northbound stage, a second stranger
coridally welcomed by the first, arrived and was given the extra room.
The 1Iro seemed to be inseperable companions.
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New Year's morning the W:~ invited the landlord and a few of
his friends to accompany tlEm for pistol practice. This frequently
happened for diversions were few. The party went to the lowlands where
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the waters of Spring Creek and Big Creek converged. There they
stopped short. The first strsnger announcedl "Gentlemen, this is
an affair of honor. I want one of you to act as my secon4, and one
as the referee.' The second stranger mad a similar request .
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The referee cal:&l: 'Ready' and the duelists took their
places. 'Aim,' and the weapons were raised with steady hands. "Fire.'
TWomports Bounded as one - and both men fell dead.
The witnesses searched the bodies for some identification
but found only a note in the coat pocket of each man addressed to tke
landlord of the hotel requesting that in case of death, the body be
buried where the duelist fell. Spectators compiled with the request.
In 1930, laborers excavating at this pOint, unearthed thetwo
skeletons, and in each coffin was a pistol.
Georgemd Levi Colbert, Chickasaw Chiefs for whom Colbert
County was named, were h~t full blooded Indians yet their decisions
were final word in matters affecting their tribe.
Logan Colbert, the1r father, a Scotch youth lived in the
Carolinas, Joined the English tradsrs and in 1740,atopped at Muscle
~ Shoals. He married a Chickas~w Princess. William was the first son,
and left the nation for awhile. George, the second, and Levi, the
third, remained with the~ibe, as did James, the younger, who became
the ar*hUect and historian of the Chickasaws.
George Colbert's home was at Buzzard's Roost Springs, near
what is now Cherokee, 20 miles below Tuscumbia on Federal Highway ~.
Three years€o it *ss burned, but still standing is the cooks cabin
bUilt of huge yellow poplar logs, three of them comprising one side of
the house.
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Levi Colbert's plantatton wae not far distant, and a
marker t a the brothers has been lI'ected by patriotic wOllen of Colbert
County on theold Natchez Trace, near the former home of Ge&rge.
While the Colbert's family acquired extensive land hold-ings,
built large homes, bought slaves, and tried to settle down to
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a quat life, it was not easy for the Indians to abandon their cus-tomary
life. The lame George Simpson, of Florence, ofteh told the
story of Mrs. Colbert. When she went visiting she sent her hand-some
carriage and fashionable clothes ahead with the coachman. She
followed on her faworite pony, barefoot and dressed in typical Indian
fashion. She changed to the fashionable garments before reaching her
destination but replaoed them with her preferred Indian olothing while
enroute home.
The Colbert boys attended sohool in Florence and Tuscumbia,
but Jumped into the Tennessee river and swam home, when they were re-
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primanded for the f1rst 11me.
r George Colbert wante d his ohildren to marry into the white
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raoe nd old papers in possession of Tuscumbians, record the offered
one of his four barrels of silver to any white man who would msrry
one of his daughters. In the Alsobrook family of Colbert County, is
a silver medal valued beoause it was given as a token of esteem, when
one of the girls, believing the proposal rec~ved w~s due to strategy
of her father, refused to oonsider it. The medal was presented Chlef
Colbert by Preeident Jefferson, in 1801, for services rendered the
white settlers.
Before ~e finally left for his new home in the west, George
presented valuabl. gifts to his white friends. The Pride family of
Tuscumbia, poesess a richly woven beaded sash reoeived from the, Id
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1'0lItlore •
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Alabsma
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J'OLKLOBE
The Law of the Hills.
Sue Russell •
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The first quilting bee of the season was being held
at Aunt Martha Byrd's. and whilethe "wedding ring" was nearing
• completion, tongues were busier than needles. It was the first
chance the hill women had had to gossip among themselves since
the early spring, and they were making the most of it.
Quilting bee subjects of conversation were confined
to local happenings and this time most of it centered about Luce
VcCall, who lived alone in her home, unnoticed by the hill women.
"Aunt Vartha, tell us why Luce VcCall nevah Va'hied,"
asked her niece, one of the rising generation, and "hard to bridle".
"Wall, "said Aunt Vartha, "Luce was suah as likely a
gal as evah stepped in shoe leathah. Her Pappy, he jes' wo'shipped
her, and her Vammy when she wuz a-dyin' wuz a-talkin of Luce. I
al'ays thunk that somethin' wen' outer Luce. somethin' nat'ual,
when her Mammy died. and hit Devah kem back agin!
"When she growed up thar wuz lots of courtin' days. and
many wantin' tsr spark her. but Luce, wal' she never tuck to none
of 'em. 'ceptin "oe Vatthews. an' not so much ter him. The day
her Mammy wuz fo' years gone, her Pappy he ma'hied agin. an' the
nex' day but one arterwa'ds, Luce sot her min' on livin' alone.
She kem ovah heah to her Grandmarnro;y's ols house, beyant the Ridge
whar her Pappy live, -- yo' knowed the )llace, Vollie. her Gran'mammy
lef hit ter Luce? Wall, she fixed hit ~ ontil you'd hardly aknowed
hit fer the same place.
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wuz bu'nin'. Hit wuz 'er man wantin' ter etay the night. Luce
told him her place wuz all filled up, yit he didn' want ter leave.
Re eaid any sort of er baid would do, but she told him she didn'
have even a ehakedown lef'. Sho'tly he lef, but Luce never even
tuck her clothes off thet night, an' I dunno fer how many nighte
arterwards.
"Then. one day Zeke, he druv Luce to her Pappy's an'
they kem back the same night, with a pile 0' parcele. Hit tu'ned
out they kivered two coate and tow old hats of her Pappy's. Zeke
thought hit wuz eomethin' Luce was aimin' ter do with the houeer
She hanged the coats and old hats on pegs in the hallway whar they
could be eeed frum the winder, so furrinere would think ehs had men
folks 'round. It sho looked like hit, fa' ehe even put a pipe and
sum terbaccy on the table by the winder.
"'Fo' long the word passsd roun' that Luce was a-havin j
men thar. The Ladies Aid heerd tell of hit, and being for right
livin' they sot their min'e on a-going ter see fer theirselves, an'
one mawning' they come. Luce was so ekeered when she saw 'em comin'
up the path, she plum fergot to take down her "men folks", and the
fust thing they seed when they kern in, wuz the men's hats and coats,
and the pipe and terbaccy.
~) "They all begin to aek questione at onct. 'Ie yo' takin'
bot~dahs?' eez one. 'I never knowed yo had eo many men relashuns', sez
another 'un. "and 'Whar be yo' frien's ter day'?
"But Luce held 'em off, a-losin' groun' ev'y minute. She
never had a rabbit's chanst from the fust. They lef' but not tell
they e't the sweetin's Luce set befo' 'em.
"The nex' day, when Luce met some of 'em in the eto',
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they tu'ned thar haids away. Thet was the beginnin' of one
of the wuet stonin'e any woman ever got in these heah hills,
and she hadn't done a single ungodly act. i Jes ' 'bout this
time Joe Katthews, gone fer fo' yeahs, kem back. He wuz suah
a-carin' fer Luce, and she had a-likin' fer him. Hobuddy
knows what parted 'em when he lef', but when he kem back, he
foun' out whar Luce wuz, and went out thar. On the porch, he
looked th'u the winder, seed the coats and hats, the pipe and
terbaccy, and tu'ned pintedly roun' and went back to the sto'
whar he heerd the hull tale of the Ladies Aid. He lef', but
he writ Luce a note fu'st.
"The day foll'in thet, the parson kem to tell Luce she
had ter quite back-slidin' or git outa his chu'ch. The mo'nah's
bench' , un let her hev a las' chance. When he quit talkin',
Luce give him an invite ter stay ter eat, but 'lowed he's a sanct'
fied man, and 'twouldn't do fer him ter be seen eatin' with a
sinnah like her-- a-set tin' hisse'f up above Gawd. But he tole
her the cake looked mighty good ter him, an' when he lef' he took
mor'n half of the sinnah's cake tew.
" , Bout this time Luce Pappy ovah the Ridge h'eerd what was
a-goin' on, and he kem p'intedly heah, with fiah in his eyes.
Seein' the old coats and hats a-hangin' thar on the pegs, he laffed
ontil he cried. 'Yo' pore chile', he sez, 'you hang up yo' Pappy's
ole coats and hats so's yo won't be skeered, and yo'e the mos'
picked on woman critter in these heah hills. Yo' ole Pappy's Jes'
got ter lick the hide offen a few of 'em to shet thar mouthe, but
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Levi D. Shelby Jr.
ll.l ITS COTTOIl ICn
• Jo.l ttea.,
Oaoe brother rabl>it pye a ootton ploldUC and illY1ted all
ot hi. trienu. Brother boar. brot.•er tox. brother oooa, brother
po.oua. broth.r .quirr.l and bro er .lephant wore pr•••nt. Ey.r"
bod,y that 0 e had to bri1l8 .011. ooolde. and pealll&t butter.
Brother rabbit ... a wi.e little t.llo.... and ... la~. He had
.ome ootton to b. piok.d and he didn't ..nt to piok it hi..elt.
So he thouabt ot ho... to S.t • ootton piok.d with out world1l8
hi_alt. Y.r,r bo~ ... soi1l8 to the tield and piok ootton unt.l
the ootton al1 piok.d and then the7 wore 00.1118 baok to the
"- u.. and ha y. lunah.
Broth.r rabbit sot the oro...d topther and ent to the tield
to piok ootton. Brother rab it hUII8 around and hUII8 around. .till
h. hadn't pioked a~ ootton. atter while broth.r rabbit looked
up toward the hou.. and hollered. .Yo 0--0--0 H--o--o--o. alrisht
I'. 00a1118. roth.r .l.phant a.ked brother rabbit what the trouble
_ •• Brother rabbit ..id. oh: nothi1l8. the oook Ju.t ~t. •• to
o e and tix the tiro. So brother rabbit ran ott p to the
(.)u.e. Brother rabbit .~ed a good whil•• o one had real17
oalled brother rabbit. He Jud thou t ot the ooolde. and the
pean~t butt.r and thought ot that 140a to C.t a~ tro. the
oro...d 0 h. oould sot hi. till ot the ooold.. and p.anut b~tter.
Broth r rabbit , at. d ate ~ntil he oould hold no more and th.n
he wont baok to the tield. Brother rabbit .tlloT.d In the tillld
until the ooolde. and poanut butter had dise.t.d a ltttle then
he holl.red again. ·Y-o-o-o Ho-o-o·, It. ooa1118. Broth.r .l.phant
• ld &gaIn to broth.r rabbit .0. one 0ll.d you asaint
Broth.r rabbit O&1d. ye. the oook ..nto .. to tix tho fire asatn
.
00 he trotted ott. ~roth.r .l.phant kn.... that broth.r rabl>lt ...
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a. triok7 a. he oould be. 1'1uallT brother rabbi t o..e baok.
Brother elephant a.ked brother rabbit it he fixed the !ire good
thi. U.e. Brother rabbit .aid. I think .0. I think it will
la.t ,for a good while thi. ti.e. Again no one had oalled brother
rabbi t. He Ju"t went ban to the hou.e to ea' .oae 1Il0re
peanut butter and oookie.. Brother rabbit had eaten quite a bit
ot the peanit butter and oookie.. but .till he ...n't .ati.tied.
~or the third ti.e brother rabbit looked up and .aid. ·Y-o-o-o
Ho-o-o· I'. oolll1ng. Brother elephant had got .u.pioiou. ot brother
rabbit. .0 he .aid. brother rabbit you .hould tix the fire good
thi. tillle. You haven't pioked a bit at ootton and e are alao.t
(- through. Brother rabbit lIaid. the oook _. almollt thtough thll la.t
ti.e I sa. at the hou.1I and 1'. lIure that IIhe will get through
wi th the tixing ot thi. tire. Brother rabbit trotted ott to the
hou.1I tor thll third tilllll to eat .oae peanut butter and cookie•• ,
Brother rabbit had almo.t lIate. allot the oookie. and peanut
buttllr, there ...n't but a little llltt. not even enough to ••rTe
.TerT one onoll.
iuallT the ootton _. all pioked and eTerT bod;r _. lookI""
. ing tOlward to a nioe lunch. TheT o..e to thll hou.. and preparll4
to eat. The oook brought the little peanut butter and oookie.
that _. lett and .et it betore the h).t ot triende. TheT begin
to look at one another TerT a.toni.hed. FiD&l~ brtther elephant
.aid, b othllr rabbit do you know who ate the p~anut butter and
oookie. up' Brother rabbit .aid. no, I lett here
with the oook .hll IIhould be ablll to aooount tor it.
lI:TerT bod;r _. a.klld it hll ate the peanut butter and oookill.
and no one owned up to it. Brother bear lIaid. well. I'll tell
you what we'll do. we'll build a great bil tire and eTarT bod7
will la7 around it and go to aleep, an4 the one that ate the
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peanut butter and cookie. will aweat and there will be a .pot
of grea.e there. ETer" bOdT ccnae~ed to the augge.tion. The
fire _a builded and all gathered around to Bleep. Brother
phant _a alreadT auapiciou. of brother rabbit. .0 he l&1d
by br.ther rabbit. :ITer" bOdT had gone to Bleep but brother
rabbi t, who had alreadT begun to aweat. Brother rabbit thought,
now if they .ee me lying in this greaay .pot they will know
that I ate the peanut butter and oookiea. what will I do'
Brother rabbit remeabared that brother elephant _. auspicious oA
hi. .0 he intended to get eTen wi th hi.. He rolled brother
elephant OTer in hia place and he took brother elephante place.
brother rabbit waited for aome one to wake up but no one
waked lP. °He thought that he ~d better wake them up before
brother elephant woke up. He went around and ehook each cne,
he aaid, wake up and .ee who ate the peanut butter and cookie••
They all woke up but brother elephad. While they were trying to
decide what they were going to do with brother elephant. they
got to talking loud and wcke hi. up. Brother elephant noticed
that he _.n't la,-ing where he 1'1rat laid down. He .&1d who
.0Ted .e. I _. lyi ng bet Il brother po.e_ and brother rabbi t
when I went tc aleep, now I find myaelf lying in bdth••
rabbit. place. Brother elephant a&1d. I now what I _ doing
in thie place. Brother rabbit .hifted plaa.. wi th .e to make you
all think that I ate the peanut butter ana cookie•• Brcther ra-bbit
began to .neak off and they all got after hi••
They ran hi. until they all gaTe out then they put brother fox
after brother rabbit becau.e he _. .wift. rother fox almo.t
oaught brother rabbit, but brother rabbit had co.e to a black
berr" thicket and went in where brother fox couldn't get b.1••
He ahouted out at brother fox I thank you all for picking
cctton
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Len D. Shelb1, Jr.,
TU.cuab1a, Alab••••
Luther Clark, Ed1tor•
COURTING Tm: WITCH'S I».UGHTERB.
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Once upon a t1ae there wae a yery ugly and aean old w1tch Who
had three very beautl~ul daughter.. In. town not yery tar .w.y 11yea
an old aan who had three hand.oae .one. Theee eon. had leen the n tchI I
daughter. and had tallin 1n love nth them. They'declded to c.ll on
the glrll but by her _glc the old wltch learned ot their plan and told
thea eh. would k111 them lt ehe caught thea coain« to eee her daughtere.
Th1. only sade the boy. acre deteralned•
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One day the witch had to go on • Journey, .0 ehe c.utioned the
glrle not to let the.e boye come to the houee wh1le .he w.e aw.y.
The bo1. had tound out when the n tch _e golng .w.y, and •• eoon
ae .he lett they got ready to go to eee the glrle. Ae they le~t they
told the1r el.ter; "Put a tub ot water on the etoYe, and when 1t turne
red turn the doge looee."
These three dogs were very smart, and thelr namss were, Bll11-
Bow, ~'s-so-8mart and Kldeo-Youngo.
The old witch had a .et ot watching teeth which .he alw.1. pl.ced
- tell her who had been ln the house while ehe wae gone.
Boon atter the old witcn lett the three boys arr1yed and the
glrl. lnvlted them ln, because they were ln love nth the bOYI •
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above the door when she went .way. When ehe returned the teeth would
The glrl. took a tub ot water and put lt on the stoYe, telllng
the boys: "When thie water beglns to turn blue, m••ma le on the way
nome and you wlll have to go. She told ue not to let you come here
wh11e ehe 1e a_y."
Then the boy. and girls .tarted loveaall:lng and were havlng a
wonderful tlme when the youngest glrl chanced to notlce the water 1n
the tub on the etove. It wal Just beglnning to turn blue. The glrl
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aaid, " Look, -amma ia on the way home." Then the boya lett in a burry
to keep the old witoh tram catoh1ng thea.
When the witch came home ahe aaked the girle: "Haa anyone been
here since I lett'"
"No," anawered all the girla together.
The witch did not believe the girla. She went to her watChing
teeth and aeked: "Teeth, haa anyone been here aince I have been gone'"
The teeth cUcked out, '"Ileat certainly havel Moat certainly
have: •
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"Who waa here while I waa away'" She aaked then.
"Three boya. Three boya," clicked the teeth.
"COUld I catch them it 1 try'"
"Too tar ,«one. Too tar «one.
There was nothing the witch could do about it at the time but
ahe made up her aind that ahe would catch the boye when they came again.
The girle had told the boys that the mother would be away again
the next week. Impatiently the boys waited tor the time to arrive, so
that they could go to see the girls a«ain. They knew they were taking
a desperate chance, becauae the old witCh would kill them it ahe caught
( them.
It was night When they went to call this tiae. And again, be-tore
they lett hOme, they had their sister put the tub at water on the
stove. When the water turned red it would mean that they were in danger
and she was to turn the doga looae so they could go to help their
..sters.
When the boys reached the home at the girla they were welcomed
warmly. They invited the boys in, aet the tub at water on the stove to
warn thea at their aother' a return, and then devoted theaeelves ao tully
to lovemaking that they tor«ot to watch the tub. The boye stayed and
tiae went on, and time went on and the boys atayed. tbey tor«ot tiae
Alaballa - :l -
oompletely.
There wae a etrange eound outB1d. and the youn!eet girl thought
of her 1I0ther. Sne ran to the kettle and looked in. The water wae a
....ry d.ep blue• v
Very IlUch alarmed, eh. ori.d out: "Look, the water is dark blu••
Wother is allloet hOIl.l lou boye had b.tter run ae faet as you oan, b.-
oaue. ehe ie v.ry near! I
The bOyB left, running as fast as they oould. But the paoe was
too fast. Soon the oldest boy said, "You go on: 1 oan't go any fartherl"
He etopped beside a tr.e, caught his brsath and clillbed to the limbs.
'rhe others ran on and on. Soon the next brother said to the
youngest, "You go ahead: I oan't go any farther. I have !iven out." He
too climbed a tree with fast beating heart.
Tn. youngeet brother ran on. He had almoet reaohed home when he
became too tired to go any farther. So he also olillbed a tree. As soon
ae he oould do so he began oalling the dogs: "Billy Bow, Billy Bow!
He'. '0 Saart, He'e So Smert! Hideo Youngo, Hideo Youngo:"
At home his eister had been sitting by the stove, watching the tub
of water. 1fben it began turning red she ran out and turned the doge
looee.
eentime the witoh oame hOlle and went straight to the teeth•
ITeeth, who's been here since • I ve
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been gone?"
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Again the teeth answered? "Three boye, three boye:"
"Can I catch theee boye?"
"Ays, aye, if you will hurry."
She took the teeth, wound them up and threw tnea into the air,
orying: "Catch the raeoals, catch the rascals!" Away fl.w the teeth
with the old witch flyfng behind thell.
The teeth flew to the tree Where the first boy wae, and fell to the
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ground. In a few minutee the old witch fell to the ground behind the
teettl.
·Cut it down, cut it down." ehe told ttle teettl.
~ teeth began cutting and quickly cut the tree down. Then the
old witch eeized the boy. blew her breath on her hande and wiped thea
acroee the boy'e face. Wtlen ehe did thie he fell dead•
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Then the teeth and the WitCh flew after ttle other boye. When they
reactled the tree where the eecond boy wae the teettl cut the tree down.
ttle witctl eeized the boy. blew her breath on her hande, wiped thea acroe.
~8 face and made hi. fall dead.
Again ttle teeth and the witch flew away. after the youngeet boy.
When the teeth fell to ttle ~ound the three emert doge were there. They
caught ttle teettl and broke the. all to piecee. Then the old witch fell
behind the teettl and the doge caught and killed her.
Ttle youngeet boy cl1abed down from tne tree. blew hie breattl in
the palm of hi8 hande and wiped them acreee the old witch'e face. Then
tle went back to find hi8 brottlere.
When he came to be next brotner he wiped hie hande acroee the
dead boy'e face. and the boy came back to life. Ttlen they went on to
• find the oldest brottler.
When they came to ttle oldeet brottler. the youngest brother wiped
hie hande acroee the dead face. and the oldest brother came back to
life.
"Ttle old witwh ie dead." eaid ttle youngeet brother, "so we oan go
to eee the girle whenever we feel like it."
~.t·e go back now." eaid the oldest brottler.
Wash. Copy.
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7/29/37.
L. H.
Levi D. Shelby "r.
~ROnKR RA: ITS! OO'l'1'OH PIOJrIHG.· J •
0_ brothor rabbit .JTO a ootton pioldllC anI. illTite4 all
of hi. frieD40. Brothor b.4r. brothor foz. brothor 000110 brothor
po.o_. brothor -oqll1rrol anI.' brothor olophant woro pro.ont. ETOl'7
bo47 that oamo had to brins .0.0 oookio. and poanut battor.
Brothor rabbit waG a wi.o littlo fellow. and waG la.,. Ho had
.0.0 ootton to be pioke4 and he didn't want to piok it hi..elf.
So ho thought of how to sot o ootton pioked wi th oat worldne
hi..olf. ~TOl'7 bOdT waG soine to tho field and piok ootton antil
ootton waG all piokod and thon th07 wero 00 baok to tho
Brother rabbit sot the orowd tocother and wont to tho fiold
to piok ootton. Brother rabbit hans around and huns around, .Ull
ho hadn't pioked a~ ootton. Wa7 aftor whilo broth.r rabbit lookod
up toward the houoo and hollered••~ 0--0--0 H--o--o--o, alright
I'. ooains. Brother elephent a.ked brother rabbit what the trouble
wa•• :Brother rabbit .aid, oh: nO thins, the oook ju.t ~t. .0 to
o..e and tiz the firo. So brother rabbi t ran off up to the
ou.o. Brother rabbit .t~ed a good while. Ho ono had real17
oallod brother rabbit. Ho ju.t thou t of the oooldo. and the
poaDLIt butter and thought of that id.a to get aW&1' fro. tho
orowd 80 ho oould got hi. fill of tho oooldo. and poanut b~ttor.
Brother rabbit ate nad ate ntil ho oould hold no moro and then
ho wont baok to the field. Brother rabbit ot~ed in tho fi.ld
until the cookio. and peanat butter hal. dige.ted a 1~ttl0 thon
ho hollered again, ·Y-o-o-o HO-o-o·. I'. ooains. Brothor elophant
.aid again to brother rabbit .ome ono oalled 70u agaiD!
Brothor rabbit oaid, 7e. tho dook want. .e to fiz the ffro again
.0 he trottod off. rothor elophant know that brothor rabbit waG
a. triok7 .. he 001.114 be. 1"1aall,. brother rabbit o_e baok.
Brother elop nt a.lee4 brother rabbit it he rixe4 tho tire sood
uu. tille. Brothor raboit .&1d. I 00. I think it will
la.t tor a so04 10 thi. ti.e. Again no ODe had oalled brotb-er
ra ,it. He juat went to the hou.o to ._ ._e lION
peanut butter and oookie.. Brother rabbit had oaten uite a bi t
at the pe t buttor and oookioo. but .till he wa.n't eatiotio"
For the third till8 orothor rabbit looked up nd 0&14. 'Y-o-e-o
HO-o-o' I'. 0 ng. Brother elophant ha4 got u.pibiou. at brother
rabbit. 00 he o&1d. brother rabbit you .hould fix tho tire good
thi. ti... You haven't pioke4 a bi t at ootton and are lJaoot
,-",hrough. Brother rabbit oaid. the oook _. aaod thl'Ough the la.t
ti.. I waG at the hou.e and I'. oure that .he will set through
with t e tlxing at t • tire. rather r bbit trotted ott to the
hoaoe tor the third tille to eat oOlle peanut butter and oookie••
Bra or rabbit had alllo.t eate. allot the oookio. and pean,1t
butter. there _.n't but a llttle lett. not even enough to OOTTe
ove17 one onae.
nall,. tho ootton _. all ploke4 and en17 bod.>" _. looking
to.oard to a nioe 1 nah. The,. 0&110 to the hou.e and prep r
to eat. The ooole brought tho little peanut buttor and oookle.
that waG lett and oet it botore the h.t at triendo. The,. begln
to loole at one anothor '9'017 a.toni.hed. nall,. brtther elop nt
o&1d. bother rabblt do YO,1 know who ate the pe n,1t ttor and
oookie. up' rot er raboit .aid. no. I lett e'9'817 t.inc here
wi th the oook .ho .hould be a Ie to aooo nt tor it•
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Eve17 bJd,y _0 a.ked it he ate the peanut butter and oookie.
and no one ownod p to it. ~rother bear oaid. well. I'll tell
you 1Ibat we'll do. w'll build a eat biS tire and e"17 b d,y
will la,. around it and go to aleop. and the one that ate the
p.anut butt.r and 0001c1.. will ._t and th.re will b. a .pot
or gr.... th.re. E'ft1'7 bollT oon.....d to tho .ua••UOIl" '!'h.
rift _. bl.l1ld.d and all sath.r.d around to 81••p. llroth.r olephant
_. alreallT .u.pio1ou. or broth.r rabbit. .0 h. lai4 down
by brith.r rabbit. .1'7 bollT had one to 81••p bllt broth.r
roth.r rabbit thoucht.
no... ir th.y •• .. lyine in thi. gr.a.y .pot th.y will ltIIo...
that I at. t. p.anut butt.r and ooolci.o. what will I ..,
Broth.r ra bit re b.red that broth.r .l.phant _. ou01'ioiouo oa
hi. 00 h. int.nded to lOt .'ftn with hi.. Uo roll.d roth.r
.l.phant oftr in hi. pi... and ho took brother 010 nt. pl ••
broth.r rab it ~t.d ror OOIDO one to ~. up b.1t no on.
~od .1p. n. thought t t h. ~d b.tt.r t.. up ror.
broth.r .lephant woke up. IIo went around and ohook ~h one.
ho o&1d. ~o up and ••• who at. tho p.anut buttor nd 0001c1.0.
Thoy all ....k. up but broth.r .l.phant. WhU. th.,. 'wor. t1'7ine to
dooid. what th.y ....r. goine to do with broth.r .l.pha.t. th.,.
got to ta1lc1ne loud and wok. hi. up. Broth.r d.lIhaat noUo.d
that h. _oa't l&7ine whore h. rirot laid down. U. o&1d who
.o....d .0. I -0 17111C a brOthor 1I0.oua and roth.r raboit
wh.n I ....at to ol••p. IIOW I rind "'0011' 17111C ia brtthn
rabbi to pi.... Broth.r .l.phant o&1d. I leaow what I _ 40illC
ia tll1. plaoo. Broth.r rabbit ohin.d 111..0. with .. to ~. ,.ou
all thiDlc that I ate tho poanut b ttor nd 0001c1.0. Broth.r 1&0-
bbi t bogan to an.aIe 01'1' and th.y all sot &rtor hi••
Th.y ran hi. untU th.y all sa.... out th.n th.y lIut broth.r roz
a1't.r broth.r raobit beoa a. h. _a owirt. roth.r rox almoat
oaught brothor rabbit. but brothor rabbit had 00.0 to a bl k
b.rl'7 thiole.t and ....at in wh.ro brothor roz couldD,'t go' ..
o ahoutod out at broth.r toz I thaDlc you all tor piolc1l1C .,.
ootton
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