Rabbit, he stole out'n his house, and he lit right out fur dem
goobers; and by'mby he sees de tar man er stanin' dar, an' he hollers
out, 'Who's dat er stanin' dar an' er fixin' ter steal Brer Fox's
goobers?' Den he lis'en, and nobody nuver anser, and he 'gin ter git
mad, and he sez, sezee, 'Yer brack nigger you, yer better anser me wen
I speaks ter yer;' and wid dat he hault off, he did, and hit de tar
baby side de head, and his han' stuck fas' in de tar. Now yer better
turn me er loose,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee; I got er nuther han' lef','
and 'ker bum' he come wid his udder han', on de tar baby's tuther jaw,
an' dat han' stuck.

"'Look er hyear! who yer foolin' wid?' sez Brer Rabbit; 'I got er foot
yit.' Den he kick wid all his might, an' his foot stuck. Den he kick
wid his udder foot, an' dat stuck. Den Brer Rabbit he 'gun ter git
madder'n he wuz, an' sezee, 'Ef yer fool 'long o' me mun I'll butt de
life out'n yer," an' he hault off wid his head, an' butt de tar baby
right in de chis, an' his head stuck. Dar he wuz! an' dar he had ter
stay, till, by'mby, Brer Fox he come er long, an' he seed de Rabbit er
stickin' dar, an' he tuck him up, an' he cyard 'im long ter Brer
Coon's house, an' he sez, sezee,

"'Brer Coon, hyear's de man wat stole my goobers; now wat mus' I do
wid 'im?'

"Brer Coon tuck de Fox off one side, he did, an' he say, 'Le's give
'im his chice, wheder he'd er ruther be tho'd in de fire or de
brier-patch; an' ef he say de fire, den we'll fling 'im in de briers;
an' ef he say de briers, den we'll fling 'im in de fire.' So dey went
back ter de Rabbit, an' ax 'im wheder he'd er ruther be tho'd in de
fire or de briers.