Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit

Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit is a book written by Joel Chandler Harris and first published in 1907.

The book is a collection of folk tales starring Brer Rabbit and his friends Brer Fox, Brer Bear or Brer Wolf among others. The tales come from the African-American oral tradition and were told to Joel Chandler Harris by the old black man who worked for his father.

Brer Rabbit is a prankster and a trickster and often gets others into trouble so he can get rid of them. Simple and ideal for children, each story ends with a moral or lesson.

Some of the stories are criticized today for stereotyping the black community and idealizing slavery. However, their importance is vital because they are among the few historical records of animal tales pertaining to African-American folklore.

"Once ’pon a time,” said Uncle Remus to the little boy—“But when was once upon a time?” the child interrupted to ask. The old man smiled. “I speck ’twuz one time er two times, er maybe a time an’ a half. You know when Johnny Ashcake ’gun ter bake? Well, ’twuz ’long in dem days. Once ’pon a time,” he resumed, “Mr. Man had a gyarden so fine dat all de neighbors come ter see it."