Clever Trickster Tales of Brother Rabbit: Folklore from South Carolina's Sea Islands

In the Sea Islands of South Carolina, folktales such as "The Tale of the Fox, the Rabbit, and the Hunting Dogs" and "The Tale of the Biscuit Bargain" showcase the clever antics of Brother Rabbit, a trickster who outsmarts his rivals, including Brother Fox and Brother Wolf. In the first tale, Brother Fox employs a real dog for a deer hunt, while Brother Rabbit uses a dog-head, claiming it’s just as effective. When Brother Rabbit seizes the opportunity to take credit for the deer, Brother Fox is left fuming. In "The Biscuit Bargain," Brother Rabbit's scheming nature leads him to diminish his biscuits while purchasing a dog-head, ultimately trying to claim a deer caught by Brother Wolf's actual dog. Similarly, when Brother Rabbit teams up with Brother Bullfrog, he resorts to trickery once more, leading to empty-handedness when a landowner intervenes. These tales illustrate the clever mischief of Brother Rabbit, often ending with humorous lessons about wisdom and deception in a richly woven narrative tradition.