Brer Rabbit and the Rope Pulling Contest

by Nancy I. Sanders

Of all the animals around, Brer Rabbit thought he was the trickiest, the outwittingest, the never-you-mind bossiest of them all. But there was one critter who even Brer Rabbit couldn’t outsmart, no matter how hard he tried!

It seems like every time Brer Rabbit was determined to show everyone how he was the best, Brer Turtle turned around and one upped him. Just thinking about Brer Turtle made Brer Rabbit so upset he’d forget to laugh in his laughing place!

One day, the neighbors joined together at a candy-pulling party. Brer Bear toted in wood for the fire. Brer Fox stirred the molasses in the pot. Brer Rabbit smeared butter on the plates to keep the candy from sticking. Brer Turtle set himself down in a rocking chair to watch that the candy didn’t boil over while it cooked.

Brer Rabbit kept his eye on Brer Turtle, rocking in that rocking chair. He remembered the race he’d been in with old slowpoke. Why, there was no way that turtle could have won the race fair and square!

“I don’t care who won that race,” Brer Rabbit said. “I know I’m the fastest animal in these parts.”

“You may think you’re the fastest,” Brer Fox said, giving the candy a stir. “But I’m the smartest!”

Brer Bear lifted an armload of wood. “Uh, don’t forget me.” he said. “I’m the strongest.”

The animals looked over at Brer Turtle who rock, rock, rocked in his rocking chair. Brer Rabbit got suspicious at his silence. What was old slowpoke planning now?

Finally, Brer Turtle said with a drawl, “If Brer Rabbit’s the fastest, that’s news to me.” Brer Turtle rock, rock, rocked in his rocking chair. “And if Brer Bear’s the strongest, that’s more news yet. I showed Brer Rabbit I’m the fastest animal, and I can show Brer Bear I’m the strongest.”

All the animals burst out laughing! Brer Turtle stronger than Brer Bear! My word! What was he thinking? Brer Rabbit held his stomach, it hurt so much to laugh.

When Brer Rabbit finished guffawing, he wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. He knew Brer Turtle was up to no good. He wasn’t going to let Brer Turtle outsmart him this time. Brer Turtle might trick the other animals again, but not him! Brer Rabbit determined to keep an eye on him.

“Let’s have a rope pulling contest,” Brer Fox suggested. “Yessiree. That will prove who’s stronger than who.”

“Down by the creek is a mighty fine hill,” Brer Turtle drawled as he rock, rock, rocked in his rocking chair.

“Yes!” Brer Rabbit agreed. “That hill would be the perfect place for the contest. It’s a mighty high hill!”

“And I’m mighty strong!” Brer Bear insisted.

With that, everyone took off and headed for the creek.

When they got to the creek, Brer Turtle grabbed hold of his end of the rope. “Brer Rabbit is in charge of this here contest,” he said. “He’ll make sure for certain that everything is fair and square.”

Brer Rabbit puffed out his chest. He liked this idea. It suited him just fine.

Brer Turtle explained the rules. “I’ll hold my end down here by the creek.” He pointed up the hill and toward the woods. “Brer Bear will take his end up the hill. When I holler, then Brer Bear should pull on the rope. We’ll see who’s the strongest.”

Brer Bear and the other animals headed up the hill, carrying the rope. Everything looked fair and square by the creek, so Brer Rabbit followed after them lippety lip.

“I’ll be back shortly to keep an eye on you,” he warned Brer Turtle as he called back over his shoulder.

As soon as the animals were gone, Brer Turtle took his end of the rope and jumped into the creek! He swam down, down, down to the bottom and tied it to an old tree root. Then, up, up, up he surfaced. Blowing the bubbles out of his mouth, he hollered, “PULL!”

Brer Bear pulled, but nothing happened. Brer Rabbit was just about to go back and check on Brer Turtle’s end when Brer Bear pulled again. That rope didn’t budge! Brer Fox helped and together they p-u-l-l-e-d. Nothing.

Just then they heard Brer Turtle holler, “Are you pulling yet, Brer Bear?”

With that bit of interesting news, Brer Rabbit decided to hop in and help.

“One. Two. Three. PULL!” shouted Brer Bear.

With a mighty tug, they all leaned into the contest and P-U-L-L-E-D! But that rope still didn’t budge!

Brer Rabbit huffed and wheezed for breath. “I’ll just go down there,” he puffed, “and see if it’s all fair and square at the other end.”

“’Bout time you did something useful!” Brer Bear growled, wiping the sweat off his brow.

Brer Turtle dove into the creek, untied the rope, and brought his end back up on the bank. By the time Brer Rabbit arrived with the other animals, Brer Turtle was sitting on the edge of the creek looking rather weak-like.

“I allow,” Brer Turtle said with a sigh. “That last pull about did me in!”

The animals just stared. Brer Rabbit stared the hardest. Things sure looked fair and square, but he smelled something fishy going on! Trouble was, he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Brer Rabbit was so upset with the outcome of the rope pulling contest, he clean forgot about the candy-pulling party. He hippety hop hopped straight on home to his briar patch, scratching his ears and wondering, “How did Brer Turtle DO that?”