Black Horse

Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby

In short: In Harris’s 1881 collection, the tar figure the fox leaves on a road becomes a trap as it refuses to answer Rabbit.

Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby · The sticky trap FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 49 Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby In Harris’s 1881 collection, the tar figure the fox leaves on a road becomes a trap as it refuses to answer Rabbit. Origin Georgia, USA · African American tradition Atlas record 1881 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF The sticky trap Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 1 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

Georgia, USA · African American tradition

Rabbit greets the figure on the road. When it says nothing, he takes the silence for rudeness and strikes it. The fox watches from the bushes as each move makes it harder for Rabbit to escape. In Mozambique’s Sticky Doll, a similar trap is set in a field to protect crops.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1881 · Georgia, USA · African American tradition
    Joel Chandler Harris · Uncle Remus · The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story

Country pages

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Origin
Black Horse. Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-rabbit-tar/