B’RER RABBIT AND OTHER TRICKSTER TALES
This assembly inspires self-reliance and creative problem solving on a humorous and magical journey with wily creatures who teach us folk wisdom, and life lessons in this collection of trickster tales from around the world.
Stories include:
Brer Rabbit, Brer Alligator and Trouble (Southern U.S.) features B’rer Rabbit and B’rer Alligator. In the story, B’rer Alligator says he has never known any trouble in his life and he is curious as to what it is. B’rer Rabbit brings trouble to him, and B’rer Alligator not only gets a new coat, but learns a valuable lesson: “Never trouble trouble unless trouble troubles you.”
Tio Conejo (Venezuela, bilingual) is the story of B’rer Rabbit’s Mexican cousin, Tio Conejo “Uncle Rabbit.” Although Tio Conejo is smarter than all the other animals, he also is smaller and often picked on by the other, larger animals. He does not like being smaller so appeals to the great maker in the sky to make him bigger. The great maker in the sky agrees to make Tio Conejo bigger if he can pass a test; he is to capture three ferocious animals in one day. Tio Conejo accomplishes the task and is rewarded by the great maker but does not quite receive the reward he had hoped he would receive.
Raven and the Man who Sits on the Tides (Pacific North West) In this comic tale Raven tries to convince the Man Who Sits on the Tide (the archetypal bureaucrat) to let the tide go out so everyone can get some food. But of course the man’s job is to sit on the tide and Raven has a heck of a time teaching an old dog new tricks. Raven is clever though and eventually wins the day.