| Br'er Fox | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Real Name |
Br'er Fox or Brer Fox |
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First Appearance |
Uncle Remus folktales |
Origin[]
Br'er Fox (Brother Fox) is a fictional character from African-American oral traditions popular in the Southern United States. The character has been recorded by many different folklorists, but the most well-known are from the folktales adapted and compiled by Joel Chandler Harris, featuring his character Uncle Remus. One example of such a folk tale would be Br'er Rabbit Earns a Dollar a Minute.
In the story, Br'er Rabbit is sneaking into Br'er Fox's garden to steal goober peas (peanuts) when he gets caught in a snare trap laid by Br'er Fox. Suspended awkwardly in mid-air, unable to free himself, he worries what will happen when Br'er Fox finds him caught in his trap. He then sees the notoriously slow-witted Br'er Bear approaching and quickly thinks of a way to trick Br'er Bear into freeing him.
Feigning a cheerful complacency, he tells Br'er Bear that he is hanging there because Br'er Fox has been paying him "a dollar a minute" to act as a scarecrow for the garden. He offers to let Br'er Bear take over the "job". Excited by the promise of quick wealth, Br'er Bear gladly helps free Br'er Rabbit and takes his place in the trap. Br'er Rabbit laughs and scampers away before Br'er Bear realizes that he has been tricked.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Uncle Remus, by Joel Chandler Harris (1881)
- Nights with Uncle Remus, by Joel Chandler Harris (1883)
- Daddy Jake, the Runaway and Short Stories Told After Dark, by Joel Chandler Harris (1889)
- Uncle Remus and His Friends, by Joel Chandler Harris (1892)
- “A New Way to Pay Old Debts,” by Henry Rowan Lemly, Harper’s Monthly Magazine (Oct. 1901)
- Told by Uncle Remus, by Joel Chandler Harris (1905)
- Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit, by Joel Chandler Harris (1907)
- Uncle Remus and the Little Boy, by Joel Chandler Harris (1910)
- Uncle Remus Returns, by Joel Chandler Harris (1918)
Public Domain Comics Appearances[]
- “Ole Br’er Rabbit,” The North American (1902)
- Br’er Rabbit newspaper strip (June–Oct. 1906)