This story was first recorded by Joel Chandler Harris in his collection of American African fables, the Uncle Remus stories. Harris retold the fables in the dialect used by the African slaves. Later retellings, such as the version of the story given here, have been in standard English, which makes the tales easier to read but takes away the charm of the original.
One day Brer Fox and Brer Wolf, Brer Bear and Brer Possum, and all the other animals gathered together. 'We shall dig a well,' they declared.
So all the animals set to digging, and they dug and they dug and they dug. All except Brer Rabbit. He wasn't going to dig a well! He ran about and played in the bushes and had a good time.
'Brer Rabbit, if you aren't going to dig the well, what will you do when you need water?' said the other animals, watching him.
'Oh, I shall just go and get it and drink it,' said Brer Rabbit, and he ran about and played in the bushes some more.
After a while, when the well was dug, all the animals gathered together and said, 'We shall plough the field and plant some corn.'
So Brer Fox and Brer Wolf, Brer Bear and Brer Possum, and all the other animals began ploughing the field and planting corn. All except Brer Rabbit. He wasn't going to plough the field! He wasn't going to plant the corn! He ran about and played in the bushes and had a good time.
'Brer Rabbit, if you aren't going to plough the field and plant the corn, what will you do when you need corn?' said the other animals, watching him.
'Oh, I shall just go and get it and eat it,' said Brer Rabbit, and he ran about and played in the bushes some more.
And so, when Brer Fox and Brer Wolf and Brer Bear and Brer Possum had dug the well, Brer Rabbit came along and helped himself to the water. And when Brer Fox and Brer Wolf and Brer Bear and Brer Possum and all the rest had ploughed the field and planted the corn and cut it, Brer Rabbit came along and helped himself to it.
Then Brer Fox and Brer Wolf and Brer Bear and Brer Possum and all the other animals got together and made up their minds to catch Brer Rabbit so he could not steal their water and their corn any more. But Brer Rabbit was very clever, and nobody could catch him.
But Brer Wolf said, 'I have to catch him!' He took some straw and made it into a baby with a head, arms, legs, a body, and he covered it with sticky black tar till the tar baby looked just like a real human baby. Then he sat Tar Baby right next to the well and went away.
By and by, Brer Rabbit came along. He saw Tar Baby and stopped. He thought it was a real person sitting there. But he needed the water, so he said politely as he could, 'Good evening, sir. Fine weather we are having, sir!' But the Tar Baby made no reply.
Brer Rabbit came a little closer and still being as polite as polite, said, 'How is your mother, sir? And your grandmother? And your children? And all the rest of your family?' But still the Tar Baby made no reply.
Brer Rabbit came closer and still Tar Baby did nothing and said nothing. Then Brer Rabbit felt very brave, and dropping his party manners, said, 'You there! Get out of my way!' But still Tar Baby said nothing.
'You there!' said Brer rabbit again. 'If you don't move out of my way, I'll hit you with this paw!' And he held up his right paw. Tar Baby still said nothing, did nothing. So Brer Rabbit hit him a great big crack on the head, and Brer Rabbit's paw got stuck in the tar and he couldn't pull it loose!
Then Brer Rabbit began to shout, 'Let me go, let me go!' But Tar Baby wouldn't let him go. So Brer Rabbit hit him with his left paw, and with his right foot, and with his left foot - and they all got stuck in the tar! Now Brer Rabbit was really angry, and butted Tar Baby with his head - and his head got stuck tight in the tar!
Brer Rabbit shouted and yelled and pulled, but he couldn't get loose, and there he had to stay till the morning, when Brer Wolf came by to see what he had caught.
'Good morning, Brer Rabbit,' said Brer Wolf. 'How are you this morning? You seem to be a little stuck today!' And Brer Wolf laughed till his tummy hurt. Brer Rabbit said nothing because he knew what was coming.
Brer Wolf picked up Brer Rabbit and said, 'It seems you wanted water. So let me throw you into the well.'
'Yes Brer Wolf, throw me into the well, but please don't throw me into that briar patch!' cried Brer Rabbit.
Brer Wolf looked surprised. Brer Rabbit wanted to be thrown into the well?
'Well then, I will light a fire and roast you and eat you,' said Brer Wolf.
'Yes Brer Wolf. Light a fire and roast me and eat me, but please don't throw me into the briar patch!'
Brer Wolf looked thoughtful. 'Hmm,' he thought. 'Brer Rabbit doesn't mind the well, he doesn't mind the fire. But he minds the briar patch!' And Brer Wolf pulled Brer Rabbit loose from Tar Baby and threw him straight into the briar patch. 'There now! The briars will poke him and jab him and hurt him!' he said.
Brer Wolf waited for Brer Rabbit's howls, but instead he heard Brer Rabbit laughing. 'Thank you Brer Wolf, thank you for sending me back home,' cried Brer Rabbit. 'I and all my family grew up in this briar patch!'
And off ran Brer Rabbit through the brambles.
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