Reading Notes: Brer Rabbit, Part A

(Found on Pixabay, represents Brer Possum)

 "Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace" in Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881). 

In this story out of the Brer Rabbit unit, it uses animals to tell a sweet story that is also very impactful. We are introduced to three characters: Brer Possum, Brer Coon, and Mr. Dog. Each of these characters are very different and play very different roles in the story.

One night, Brer Possum and Brer Coon are hanging out and having dinner together, when they hear Mr. Dog running amok in the woods around them. Coon asked Possum what he would do if they saw Mr. Dog, and Possum thought it was comical. He wasn't intimidated by Dog at all, and found the situation entertaining. Coon and Possum went out to see what was going on, and as they looked for Mr. Dog, that's when they got knocked over by him. Possum lay on the ground playing dead, as Coon stood up and cleaned himself off as to not look messy or dirty. Possum lay on the ground for a while, and Coon left him there.

Later, Coon and Possum ran into each other again, but Coon was upset with Possum for how he acted that night they were ran over by Mr. Dog. He thought Possum was a coward for playing dead towards Mr. Dog and felt that he couldn't associate with anyone who acted like that. Possum thought this was hysterical, as he couldn't take what Coon was saying seriously.

Possum had only acted dead in that situation because of his extreme tickling tendency. If he were to be touched anywhere near his short ribs, he would burst into laughter and make a scene of himself. He had no problem standing up for himself or fighting if necessary, but in this situation, he knew it would be best to lay low - literally. 

I liked this story best because it had a very childlike aspect to it. It started out serious, but ended in a very comical, unexpected way. I think this type of storytelling is one of my favorites because it reminds me of stories my mom would read to me as a kid. They're simple and fun while also telling a great story. In this case, the message I get is to not take life too seriously. There are some situations that require extreme attention, but often times, we can be relaxed and at peace with our circumstances.