^^ 



Liberia '^ 



delightful versions in Low German and Walloon French which 

 we know as " Reynard the Fox." 



In Africa, of course, the roles are played by animals different 

 from those of Europe, and also different from those which were 

 adopted by the transplanted Negroes in America as equivalent 

 symbols in the " Brer Rabbit " stories. In West Africa the part 

 of " Brer " ' Fox is generally taken by " Mr. Spider," who is the 

 emblem of more or less successful cunning and unscrupulous 

 rapacity. The wolf of European legends is represented by the 

 fierce leopard. Brer Rabbit in the American version is nothing 

 but the African hare. Throughout all the open lands of Africa 

 the hare is the emblem of cunning or wisdom, generally of a 

 genial type, and not always turned to wicked purposes, as are 

 the fox or spider. There is, however, no hare — or no hare that 

 is much noticed by the natives — in the densely forested regions. 

 Here this character in the story is assumed in some countries by 

 the Royal antelope {Neotragus pygmaus)^ or perhaps occasionally 

 by the water chevrotain {Dorcatherium), both of which animals 

 have been described in Chapter XXIII. The other parts in 

 these West African stories are played by the elephant (a most 

 important personage), the tortoise, the antelope (using a term to 

 describe all horned ruminants larger than the little Cephalophus), 

 the buffalo, manis (scaly ant-eater), monkey, chimpanzee, hya;na, 

 lion, python, bird (any small bird), eagle, and rat. The spider 

 being the emblem of wicked cunning ; and either the tiny, dainty 

 Royal antelope or the not much bigger water chevrotain the 

 representative of genial wisdom ; the part of the stupid person 



' It is scarcely necessary to explain that " I5rer " is merely an abbreviation of 

 Brother. Ihe Negro transplanted to America carried out tlie (jnaint practice of his 

 own country, in which most of these animals were mentioned with some preliminary 

 title, such as Father, Mother, Brother, or Mr. This tendency was further intensified 

 in America by the spread of Methodist Christianity, which introduced into common 

 parlance the terms of Brother and Sister 



' In Vai known as " sai^ " or " sando." 



•«', 1084 





