How The Bear Got His Tail-Stump Poem by Aarushi Chatterjee

Listen, all ye folks
The tale I have to tell
Is all about the merry days when
Brer Rabbit lived in the dell
A perfect little scamp was he
His bobtail wagged about
As long and hard as his tongue did
Uncountable rules did he flout
Tricks thousands of them he played
On every creature under the sun
Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, Brer Bear and all
Of them, every single one!

So one sunny day, when our tale begins
Brer Rabbit needed some fun
His lawns were clipped, his bobtail flipped
His gardening was done
So off he goes, on a merry trot
To Brer Terrapin's, his best friend
Oh! All those pranks they played and planned up
Their skiving tricks just had no end
Brer Terrapin, Brer Rabbit found
Lazed not on his usual lazing ground
Not in his shell, nor in the dell!
‘Maybe, ' thought Brer Rabbit, ‘he's out catching mackerel.'
So off he scampered, his bobtail swishing up and down
Sure enough, by the pond he found
Brer Terrapin going- splish! Splash!
Darting up and down a stone, like a flash
Sliding down the slippery rock
Hitting the water with a merry -thock!
‘Howdy, Brer Terrapin, ' Brer Rabbit called.
‘Oh, howdy, Brer Rabbit, ' the turtle bawled.
‘Come and have a try, ' and back down he went
Then scrambled onto the bank, his energy spent.
It's a nice game indeed, ' Brer Rabbit said
‘But I'd rather just sit and watch you instead! '
‘It's lovely, ' said Terrapin, and again he went
Sliding down the rock, and like a vent
The water came frothing up, with a splash
As Brer Terrapin made a merry dash.
‘Wonderful, ' cried Brer Rabbit, clapping his hands.
‘Do it once more, ' but then, squinting through the sands
‘Hey, it's Brer Bear! Now, how do you do?
Would you like to play at our game too? '
‘Humph! ' snorted Brer Bear, his long tail knocking down a passing wren
(You mustn't forget, Bears had long tails then!)
‘That's a mighty good game, now, to be sure! '
‘You can join in if you like. We don't mind more! '
Said Brer Rabbit, as polite as could be
Though his naughty brain buzzed like a bumblebee.
‘Humph! ' snorted Brer Bear again
‘What are you doing then? You're not playing the game.'
‘Oh, Brer Bear! I've had my share,
‘If I did it all, it wouldn't be fair,
I'm sitting out here for my clothes to dry,
Meanwhile, why don't you have a try? "
‘Join in? ' Brer Bear stocattoed.
‘Why, yes, you must! ' Brer Terrapin echoed.
Brer Bear he looked at the water frothing below
Then heaved himself up on the rock, mighty slow
But he wasn't very sure if he wanted to go
But Brer Rabbit, old rascal, a mighty tease
He howled, ‘Brer Bear's afraid of the water -bees,
‘He's afraid his fur will get wet, what a shame! '
‘Yes sir! ' echoed Terrapin, ‘he won't play the game.'
‘Of COURSE I'm not scared, ' growled Brer Bear
Bristling all over his bristly hair.
‘Off I go now, ' and down he went
Brer Rabbit laughed till his tears all spent
First the going was slow, Brer Bear grinned like he should
Brer Rabbit and Brer Terrapin, they cheered, ‘Mighty good! '
Then he went a little faster, his grin faded a bit
But the two rascals shouted, ‘Terrific! A splendid hit! '
Then he slid down mighty fast, for he'd come to the slippery part
He groaned, went green, felt for his heart
And then- with a mighty-plunk! Plunk! Plunk!
He splashed into the water, sprayed and sunk.
‘Enjoyed, Brer Bear? ' said Brer Rabbit as Brer Bear scrambled out.
‘You know, I did give you the benefit of doubt.
You look rather green. Are you sick and pale?
‘Ahoy! Come and look! At Brer Bear's tail! '
Brer Bear, he saw everyone looking at him mighty queer
He felt around for his tail- heavens! His poor
Long, long tail had fallen off clean
The moment he had gone off-splash! -into the stream
Poor Brer Bear. He gave a mighty sob
For where his tail used to be, there was only a DOB.
And so, my friends, from that day in the dell
Where began the story I had to tell
Bears have had no tails, only little stumps
Of fur, that stick like bristly bumps
To their backsides. And Brer Rabbit? He lived, and stayed
In the woody green dell, where mighty fine tricks he played!