A briar patch – a big thorn bush
A story about Br’er Rabbit
So Br’er Fox had caught Br’er Rabbit and this time Br’er Fox said he was going to cook Br’er Rabbit and eat him up for good! Br’er Rabbit was mighty scared. He begged, “Oh, Br’er Fox, I don’t care what you do with me, so long as you just don’t throw me in that briar patch over there. Go on and barbecue me up, Br’er Fox, but please don’t throw me in that briar patch.”
Who is Br’er Rabbit?
Br’er Rabbit and the Tar Baby
More American literature
All our American history articles
Br’er Fox can’t roast him
Br’er Fox said he was going to roast him anyhow, but when he went to hang Br’er Rabbit up over the fire, he found he didn’t have any string to tie him up with. “Well, I guess I can’t roast you,” Br’er Fox said. “I guess I’ll have to drown you instead.” Br’er Rabbit pleaded, “Oh, Br’er Fox, go ahead and drown me then, just so long as you don’t throw me into that briar patch!”
Br’er Fox can’t drown him
“Well,” said Br’er Fox, “it looks like there’s no water around here to drown you in. I guess I’ll skin you instead.” “Okay, Br’er Fox, no problem,” chattered Br’er Rabbit, “Go ahead and skin me, cut out my eyes, cut off my legs, just don’t throw me into that briar patch!”
An older version: Rustem and the Devil
What about the briar patch?
By this time, Br’er Fox had gotten the idea that Br’er Rabbit really, really didn’t want to get anywhere near that briar patch. Br’er Fox wanted to hurt Br’er Rabbit as bad as he could, so he took Br’er Rabbit by the legs and threw him right smack into the middle of that briar patch. He heard a lot of rustling and crackling when Br’er Rabbit landed, and he waited around to see what terrible thing was going to happen.
End of the story!
Br’er Fox and the Briar Patch
But a few minutes later, he hears somebody calling, “Oh, yoo-hoo, Br’er Fox! Over here!” and he looks – and he sees Br’er Rabbit, sitting on a rock, combing the tar out of his fur with a stick. “Didn’t you know, Br’er Fox,” called Br’er Rabbit. “I was bred and born in the briar patch! Bred and born!” And he hopped away.
Find out what happens next
Compare this story to a much older Iranian story of Rustem and the Devil
Bibliography and further reading about Br’er Rabbit stories:
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she … failed to cite the author or publication of which she quotes…
(I took out the mean parts of this post)
There’s a bibliography at the end of the article where you can find appropriate sources for this story.
[…] But if he is the infernally crafty strategist of The Art of the Deal, liberated from scruples and cheerful about collateral damage, as many friends and some enemies believe, then perhaps he really does want to get thrown into that particular briar patch. […]
[…] Clever. Looks like Trump’s traded in his wall for a briar patch. […]
Br’er Trump says to Br’er Democrat – “Whatever you do, please don’t impeach me!” But they do. And Br’er Trump’s favorability goes up and he gets re-elected in a landslide.
Sadly, you may be right that Trump will be re-elected. But I don’t think he is as happy as Br’er Rabbit was about being impeached. In any case, it doesn’t matter what he wants; impeachment is an important way of standing up for our own right to choose our President democratically; to have everyone’s vote count.
[…] the story further, br’er rabbit survives because as was said in the original story, he “was bred and born in the briar patch“. After reading the Syl Anagist sections of The Stone Sky my perception towards the […]