by Donna Ingham
Br’er Coon had no idea what Br’er Rabbit was up to, but he was desperate so he did what Br’er Rabbit told him to do. Br’er Coon walked down toward the river, headed for the sandbar.
As Br’er Coon approached, the big old bullfrog saw him and croaked to all the little frogs in his deep bullfrog voice, “Better watch out! Better watch out!”
And all the little frogs echoed in their high little frog voices, “Better watch out! Better watch out!” Then all the frogs, large and small, dived under the water in the river.
Br’er Coon paid them no mind. He just walked out on the sandbar, collapsed on his side, rolled over on his back with all four feet up in the air, and played like he was d-e-a-d. That’s when Br’er Rabbit, who had been hiding behind some bushes, came sauntering down to the river and out on the sandbar.
“Oh my,” he said, when he reached Br’er Coon’s side. “Oh my, my, my, my, my! I do believe old Br’er Coon has up and died. Yes sir, he’s just up and died, sure as the world.”
The frogs began to pop their heads up out of the water and look over to where Br’er Coon and Br’er Rabbit were. The more they heard Br’er Rabbit talking about Br’er Coon being dead, the closer they got to see for themselves. Finally, they were all out of the water and sitting in a big circle around Br’er Coon on the sandbar.
Br’er Rabbit said, “I don’t know what you plan to do here, but I believe, if I was you, I’d just bury Br’er Coon. I’d bury him deep. Yes sir, that’s what I’d do all right.”
That sounded like a good idea to the frogs, too, so they got their little front frog feet going, and they were digging, digging, digging. They were digging in under Br’er Coon, and he was going down, down, down. But he didn’t move a muscle because he was playing like he was d-e-a-d.
Pretty soon, though, the frogs got tired. I mean their long old frog tongues were a-hangin’ out, and the big bullfrog looked up and said, “Deeper ’nough. Deeper ’nough. Deeper ’nough.”
And all the little frogs repeated, “Deeper ’nough. Deeper ’nough. Deeper ’nough.”
Well, Br’er Rabbit had been napping under the shade of a live oak tree, but when he heard the frogs, he hollered, “Can you jump out?”
The big old bullfrog looked up and answered, “Yes, I can. Yes, I can. Yes, I can.”
And all the little frogs said, “Yes, I can. Yes, I can. Yes, I can.”
So Br’er Rabbit hollered back, “Why don’t you dig it just a little deeper?”
Rested up some by now, the frogs decided to keep digging. They got their front frog feet going again and got to digging, digging, digging. They were digging in under Br’er Coon, and he was going down, down, down. But he still wasn’t moving a muscle because he was playing like he was d-e-a-d.
Once again the frogs began to tire out. Beads of perspiration were popping out on their frog foreheads, and the big old bullfrog said, “Deeper ’nough. Deeper ’nough. Deeper ’nough.”
And all the little frogs said, “Deeper ’nough. Deeper ’nough. Deeper ’nough.”
Still lying in the shade there, Br’er Rabbit sang out again, “Can you jump out?”
The big old bullfrog looked up to the top of the hole and said, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”
And the little frogs said, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”
Br’er Rabbit said, “I believe I’d dig it just a little deeper.”
The frogs had rested enough to have one more go at it, so they got their front frog feet going and they were digging, digging, digging. They were digging under old Br’er Coon, and he was going down, down, down. But he didn’t move a muscle because he was playing like he was d-e-a-d.
This time the frogs got so tired they were panting, and their frog eyes were about to pop out of their heads. “Deeper ’nough,” said the big old bullfrog. “Deeper ’nough. Deeper ’nough.”
The little frogs agreed, “Deeper ’nough. Deeper ’nough. Deeper ’nough.”
By this time Br’er Rabbit was on his feet and walking over to the hole the frogs had dug. He looked down, and oh my, it was deep. “Can you jump out?” he asked the frogs.
The bullfrog looked up and said, “No, I can’t. No, I can’t. No, I can’t.”
And all the little frogs said the same, “No, I can’t. No, I can’t. No, I can’t.”
So Br’er Rabbit said to Br’er Coon in the bottom of that hole, “Rise and shine, Br’er Coon, rise and shine. And if you don’t have meat on the table for supper tonight, it’s your own fault!”
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About the Author
Donna Ingham is an award-winning tale teller and author from Spicewood, Texas. She has written six books and produced five CDs and performs as a professional storyteller all over the country. A recipient of the 2007 John Henry Faulk Award selected by the Tejas Storytelling Association and the 2015 National Storytelling Network ORACLE Regional Excellence Award for the South Central Region, she also has the dubious distinction of having been named the Biggest Liar in Austin seven times and the Biggest Liar in Texas three times. She is on the Touring Artists Roster of the Texas Commission on the Arts. For more information, visit donnaingham.com.
