ened Brother Rabbit looked now!

"Oh, Gray Wolf," he begged, "burn me; cut off my head. Do anything else
with me, but please don't throw me in the brier patch."

The more he begged, the faster Gray Wolf hurried to the brier patch. The
other animals followed close behind. They were all talking about the
tricks Brother Rabbit had played on them and how they had never before
been able to get even with him.

When they came to the edge of the brier patch, Brother Rabbit begged
harder than ever.

"Good Wolf," he cried, "do anything else with me, but don't throw me in
the brier patch!"

Gray Wolf laughed and threw Brother Rabbit far into the patch.

Brother Rabbit landed on his feet, and off he ran through the briers. He
called back, "Thank you, good Wolf! You threw me right on my trail! I
was born and bred in the brier patch. I was born and bred in the brier
patch!"

He was running so fast that by the time he said this, he was out of
sight.

--THE INDIAN TAR-BABY STORY.

THE RABBIT AND THE WOLF

The rabbit liked to play tricks on the other animals. Best of all, he
liked to play tricks on the wolf. At last the wolf grew angry and said
that he was going to get even with the rabbit.

One day he caught the rabbit coming through a field.

"Now," said the wolf, "I am going to pay you for all the tricks you have
played on me. I will cut off your ears and use them for spoons to stir
my hominy pot. As soon as I sharpen this stone, off your ears go!"

While the wolf sharpened the stone, he sang in his harsh voice a song
somewhat like this:

"Watch me sharpen,
Watch me sharpen;
Soon I am going to cut off your ears.
Sicum, sicum, sicum, sicum,
Sicum, se mi su!"

When he sang,

"Sicum, sicum, sicum, sicum,
Sicum, se mi su!"

the rabbit could almost feel the sharp stone cutting his ears. But he
was a brave little rabbit and said nothing.

At last the wolf stopped singing for a moment.

Then the rabbit said, "Brother Wolf, I know a new dance. Don't you wish
me to teach it to you?"

"Yes, when I have cut off your ears," said the wolf.

Then he went on singing,

"Sicum, sicum, sicum, sicum,
Sicum, se mi su!"

"After my ears are cut off," said the rabbit, "I can never dance any
more."

Now the wolf knew that the rabbit could sing and dance better than any
other animal, and he wished very much to learn the new dance. He went on
sharpening the stone, but he did not sing while he work