Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 20. December, 1877Various
Science
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 20. December, 1877
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
The struggle between them, however, does not cease even with this triumph
of the weaker party. There is a contest now of love and strategem. They
both pay their addresses to the same young lady, making their visits to her
on alternate evenings. In the progress of the courtship Buh Rabbit learns
that his rival has spoken of him contemptuously, saying that he is very
dressy and foppish, it is true, but that he has no manliness; adding that
he (Buh Wolf) could eat him up at a mouthful. To this Buh Rabbit retorts
the next evening by assuring Miss Dinah that Buh Wolf was nothing but his
grandfather's old _riding horse_; adding, "I ride him, and whip him too,
whenever I choose, and he obeys me like a dog." The next afternoon Buh
Rabbit tempts his unsuspecting rival to join him in the play of riding
horse, which consists in each in turn mounting the other's back and riding
for a while. Buh Rabbit, who has thought out the whole case beforehand,
offers to give the first ride, and so times it that the ride ends at his
own door about the time for the usual visit to Miss Dinah. He runs into the
house and puts on his dandy clothes, pleading that he cannot enjoy a ride
unless he is in full dress; and pleading, moreover, that he cannot ride
without saddle and bridle and all that belongs to a horseman, he persuades
Mr. Fool Wolf to allow a strong, rough bit to be put into his mouth and a
close-fitting saddle to be girded to his back, upon which Buh Rabbit
mounts, holding in his hand a terrible whip and having his heels armed with
a pair of long sharp spurs. Thus accoutred, he prevails upon Buh Wolf to
take the road toward Miss Dinah's house, on approaching which he so
vigorously applies both whip and spur as to compel his resisting steed to
trot up to the door, where Buh Rabbit bows politely to his lady-love,
saying, "I told you so: now you see for yourself." Of course he wins the
bride.
There is a class of stories approaching somewhat in character those related
of our own Jack the Giant-killer, leaving out the giants. The one given
below seems to have a common origin with the Anglo-Saxon story of the
"Three Blue Pigs." This is entitled "Tiny Pig."
A family of seven pigs leave home to seek their fortunes, and settle in a
neighborhood harassed by a mischievous fox. Each of these pigs builds
himself a house of dirt, except Tiny Pig, who, though the runt of the
litter, is a sensible little fellow and the hero of the tale. He builds his
house of stone, with good strong doors and a substantial chimney. In due
course of time, Fox, being hungry, comes to the house of one of the
brothers, and asks to be admitted, but is refused. The request and refusal,
as told by the negroes, is couched in language which is intended to be
poetical, and is certainly not without some pretension to the picturesque.
Fox's request in each case is--
"Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig, oh let me in:
I'll go away soon, and not touch a thing."
And the refusal is--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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