This is a list of fictional characters in the book The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus . Uncle Remus himself, and a couple of boys to whom he tells the tales, appear as framing devices and narrators in all the stories. The stories of Uncle Remus' visitor Daddy Jack often also include unnamed stock roles such as a daughter, a foolish bird, a man, a mother, a snake, a wise bird, and a witch.
In the collection The Tales From Daddy Jake, the Runaway, & Short Stories Told After Dark, Uncle Remus also uses unnamed stock roles including a miller, his wife, and a preacher (in "How a Witch Was Caught"); a man and his wife (in "The Foolish Woman"); and a slave and master (in "Death & the Negro Man").
In the collection The Tales From Uncle Remus & His Friends, Remus uses an unnamed king (in "The King That Talked Biggity"); two unnamed men, one who fools the other (in both "According to How the Drop Falls" and in "The Man & His Boots"); and an unnamed protagonist who acts foolishly but grows rich anyhow (in "A Fool for Luck").
In the collection Told By Uncle Remus, an unnamed man, wife, and magical dinner pot appear in the story "The Hard-Headed Woman".
In the collection Seven Tales of Uncle Remus, an unnamed woman squares off against a witch baby in "The Baby & the Punkins".
Name | Character | Stories in which the character plays a role |
---|---|---|
Brer Rabbit | a trickster who succeeds by his speed and wits rather than by brawn | Uncle Remus Initiates the Little Boy/ The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story/ How Mr. Rabbit Was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox/ Mr. Rabbit Grossly Deceivrennetes Mr. Fox/ Mr. Fox Is Again Victimized/ Miss Cow Falls a Victim to Mr. Rabbit/ Mr. Terrapin Appears upon the Scene/ Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure/ The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf/ Mr. Fox Goes a-Hunting, but Mr. Rabbit Bags the Game/ Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman/ Mr. Rabbit Nibbles Up the Butter/ Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match at Last/ The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow/ How Mr. Rabbit Saved His Meat/ Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match Again/ A Story About the Little Rabbits/ Mr. Rabbit & Mr. Bear/ How Mr. Rabbit Lost His Fine Bushy Tail/ Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength/ The End of Mr. Bear/ Mr. Fox Gets Into Serious Business/ How Mr. Rabbit Succeeded in Raising a Dust/ The Sad Fate of Mr. Fox/ Mr. Fox & Miss Goose/ Brother Fox Catches Mr. Horse/ Brother Rabbit & the Little Girl/ Brother Rabbit's Astonishing Prank/ Brother Rabbit Secures a Mansion/ Brother Rabbit's Riddle/ Brother Rabbit Breaks Up a Party/ Brother Fox, Brother Rabbit, & King Deer's Daughter/ How Brother Fox Failed to Get His Grapes/ The Moon in the Mill-Pond/ Brother Rabbit Takes Some Exercise/ Why Brother Bear Has No Tail/ How Brother Rabbit Frightened His Neighbors/ Mr. Man Has Some Meat/ How Brother Rabbit Got the Meat/ Why the Alligator's Back Is Rough/ Brother Wolf Says Grace/ Brother Rabbit & His Famous Foot/ In Some Lady's Garden/ Brother 'Possum Gets in Trouble/ Brother Rabbit's Love Charm/ Brother Rabbit Submits to a Test/ Brother Wolf Falls a Victim/ Brother Rabbit & the Mosquitoes/ The Pimmerly Plum/ Brother Rabbit Gets the Provisions/ Cutta Cord-La!/ Aunt Tempy's Story/ The Fire-Test/ How Brother Fox Was Too Smart/ Brother Wolf Gets in a Warm Place/ Brother Wolf Still in Trouble/ Brother Rabbit Lays In His Beef Supply/ Brother Rabbit & Mr. Wildcat/ Brother Rabbit Pretends to Be Poisoned/ More Trouble for Brother Wolf/ Brother Rabbit Outdoes Mr. Man/ Brother Rabbit Takes a Walk/ Old Grinny Granny Wolf/ How Wattle Weasel Was Caught/ Brother Rabbit Ties Mr. Lion/ Mr. Lion's Sad Predicament/ The Origin of the Ocean/ Brother Rabbit Gets Brother Fox's Dinner/ Why Mr. Dog Runs Brother Rabbit/ Brother Wolf & the Horned Cattle/ Brother Fox & the White Muscadines/ Mr. Hawk & Brother Rabbit/ Brother Fox Makes a Narrow Escape/ Brother Fox's Fish-Trap/ Brother Rabbit Rescues Brother Terrapin/ Crazy Sue's Story/ How Black Snake Caught the Wolf/ How the Terrapin Was Taught to Fly/ Brother Rabbit & the Gingercakes/ Brother Rabbit's Courtship/ Brother Bear & the Honey Orchard/ Brother Rabbit Has Fun at the Ferry/ Why Brother Wolf Didn't Eat the Little Rabbits/ Mrs. Partridge Has a Fit/ Brother Fox "Smells Smoke"/ Brother Fox Still in Trouble/ Why Brother Fox's Legs Are Black/ Brother Rabbit Frightens Brother Tiger/ Brother Rabbit's Money Mint/ Brother Rabbit Conquers Brother Lion/ Heyo, House!/ How Wiley Wolf Rode in the Bag/ Brother Rabbit's Laughing Place/ Brother Rabbit & the Chickens/ Little Mister Cricket & the Other Creatures/ When Brother Rabbit Was King/ How Old Craney-Crow Lost His Head/ Brother Fox Follows the Fashion/ Why the Turkey Buzzard is Bald-Headed/ Brother Deer & King Sun's Daughter/ Brother Rabbit's Cradle/ Brother Rabbit & Brother Bull-Frog/ Brother Rabbit & the Gizzard-Eater/ Brother Rabbit & Miss Nancy/ The Creeturs Go to the Barbecue/ Brer Rabbit's Frolic/ Brer Rabbit Treats the Creeturs to a Race/ Brer Rabbit & the Gold Mine/ How Mr. Lion Lost His Wool/ The Story of the Doodang/ Brer Rabbit Has Trouble with the Moon/ Brer Rabbit Causes Brer Fox to Lose His Hide/ How Brer Rabbit Saved Brer B'ar's Life/ The Story of Teenchy-Tiny Duck/ The Story of Brer Fox & Little Mr. Cricket/ Brother Rabbit's Bear Hunt/ Taily-po/ Brother Rabbit, Brother Fox, & Two Fat Pullets/ How Brother Rabbit Brought Family Trouble on Brother Fox/ Brother Rabbit's Barbecue/ How Brother Bear Exposed Brother Rabbit at the Barbecue/ Brother Rabbit Doesn't Go to See Aunt Nancy |
Br'er Fox | Brer Rabbit's most common nemesis; considers himself the smartest animal despite being duped continuously | Uncle Remus Initiates the Little Boy/ The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story/ How Mr. Rabbit Was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox/ Mr. Rabbit Grossly Deceives Mr. Fox/ Mr. Fox Is Again Victimized/ Mr. Fox Is "Outdone" by Mr. Buzzard/ Mr. Terrapin Appears upon the Scene/ Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure/ Mr. Fox Tackles Old Man Tarrypin/ Mr. Fox & the Deceitful Frogs/ Mr. Fox Goes a-Hunting, but Mr. Rabbit Bags the Game/ Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman/ Mr. Rabbit Nibbles Up the Butter/ The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow/ A Story About the Little Rabbits/ How Mr. Rabbit Lost His Fine Bushy Tail/ Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength/ Mr. Fox Gets Into Serious Business/ The Sad Fate of Mr. Fox/ Mr. Fox & Miss Goose/ Brother Fox Catches Mr. Horse/ How Brother Fox Was Too Smart/ Brother Rabbit's Astonishing Prank/ Brother Rabbit's Riddle/ Brother Rabbit Breaks Up a Party/ Brother Fox, Brother Rabbit, & King Deer's Daughter/ Brother Fox Covets the Quills/ How Brother Fox Failed to Get His Grapes/ Mr. Fox Figures As an Incendiary/ A Dream & a Story/ The Moon in the Mill-Pond/ Brother Rabbit Takes Some Exercise/ How Brother Rabbit Frightened His Neighbors/ Mr. Man Has Some Meat/ How Brother Rabbit Got the Meat/ In Some Lady's Garden/ The Pimmerly Plum/ Aunt Tempy's Story/ How Brother Fox Was Too Smart/ Brother Rabbit Lays In His Beef Supply/ Mr. Benjamin Ram Defends Himself/ Brother Rabbit Gets Brother Fox's Dinner/ Brother Fox & the White Muscadines/ Brother Fox Makes a Narrow Escape/ Brother Fox's Fish-Trap/ Brother Rabbit Rescues Brother Terrapin/ Why the Guineas Stay Awake/ Why Brother Wolf Didn't Eat the Little Rabbits/ Brother Fox "Smells Smoke"/ Brother Fox Still in Trouble/ Why Brother Fox's Legs Are Black/ Brother Rabbit's Money Mint/ Brother Mud Turtle's Trickery/ Brother Rabbit's Laughing Place/ Brother Rabbit & the Chickens/ Brother Fox Follows the Fashion/ Brer Rabbit Treats the Creeturs to a Race/ Brer Rabbit Causes Brer Fox to Lose His Hide/ The Story of Brer Fox & Little Mr. Cricket/ Brother Rabbit's Bear Hunt/ Brother Rabbit, Brother Fox, & Two Fat Pullets/ How Brother Rabbit Brought Family Trouble on Brother Fox |
Br'er Wolf, known as Dock Wolf in one story | Brer Rabbit's second-most common antagonist; considers himself the most vicious of the animals | Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure/ The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf/ How Mr. Rabbit Saved His Meat/ Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength/ Brother Rabbit's Astonishing Prank/ The Story of the Pigs/ Mr. Benjamin Ram & His Wonderful Fiddle/ A Dream & a Story/ The Moon in the Mill-Pond/ Brother Rabbit Takes Some Exercise/ How Brother Rabbit Frightened His Neighbors/ Brother Wolf Says Grace/ Brother Rabbit & His Famous Foot/ Brother Wolf Falls a Victim/ Brother Rabbit & the Mosquitoes/ Brother Rabbit Gets the Provisions/ Cutta Cord-La!/ The Fire-Test/ Brother Wolf Gets in a Warm Place/ Brother Wolf Still in Trouble/ Mr. Benjamin Ram Defends Himself/ Brother Rabbit Pretends to Be Poisoned/ More Trouble for Brother Wolf/ Old Grinny Granny Wolf/ Brother Wolf & the Horned Cattle/ Brother Fox Makes a Narrow Escape/ How Black Snake Caught the Wolf/ The Creature with No Claws/ Why Brother Wolf Didn't Eat the Little Rabbits/ Brother Billy Goat Eats His Dinner/ Heyo, House!/ How Wiley Wolf Rode in the Bag/ How Old Craney-Crow Lost His Head/ Brother Rabbit's Cradle/ Why Mr. Dog is Tame/ Brer Rabbit Treats the Creeturs to a Race/ Brer Rabbit & the Gold Mine/ Brother Rabbit's Bear Hunt/ Mr. Goat's Short Tail |
Brer Tarrypin | a friend of Brer Rabbit who joins him in his mischief and even outdoes him at times | Mr. Terrapin Appears upon the Scene/ Mr. Fox Tackles Old Man Tarrypin/ Mr. Fox & the Deceitful Frogs/ Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match at Last/ Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength/ Brother Terrapin Deceives Brother Buzzard/ Brother Fox Covets the Quills/ Mr. Fox Figures As an Incendiary/ The Moon in the Mill-Pond/ Why Brother Bear Has No Tail/ The Pimmerly Plum/ The Fire-Test/ Brother Wolf Gets in a Warm Place/ Brother Wolf Still in Trouble/ Old Brother Terrapin Gets Some Fish/ Brother Rabbit Rescues Brother Terrapin/ How the Terrapin Was Taught to Fly |
Br'er Bear, often referred to as Jedge Bear | considers himself the strongest of the animals; frequently duped by smaller creatures, but at least once called upon to serve as a judge | Mr. Rabbit & Mr. Bear/ Mr. Bear Catches Old Mr. Bull-Frog/ Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength/ Why Mr. Possum Has No Hair on His Tail/ The End of Mr. Bear/ Brother Rabbit's Astonishing Prank/ Brother Rabbit's Riddle/ Brother Rabbit Breaks Up a Party/ The Moon in the Mill-Pond/ Brother Rabbit Takes Some Exercise/ Why Brother Bear Has No Tail/ How Brother Rabbit Frightened His Neighbors/ Brother Rabbit Takes a Walk/ Brother Bear & the Honey Orchard/ Brother Rabbit Has Fun at the Ferry/ Brother Bear's Big House/ Brer Rabbit Treats the Creeturs to a Race/ How Brer Rabbit Saved Brer B'ar's Life/ Brother Rabbit's Bear Hunt/ How Brother Bear Exposed Brother Rabbit at the Barbecue/ Brother Bear Learns to Comb His Head/ Why the Bear is a Wrestler |
Aunt Tempy, referred to by Uncle Remus as Sis Tempy | a mammy housekeeper of equal authority with Uncle Remus who is elected to accompany the boy on his visits to Uncle Remus when the boy's mother worries about the influence of the visiting Daddy Jack; Aunt Tempy is proud and brusque but good-humored at heart, and is later thrilled to be included as a storyteller in Remus' cabin | Brother Wolf Says Grace/ Spirits, Seen & Unseen/ A Ghost Story/ In Some Lady's Garden/ Brother Rabbit's Love Charm/ Brother Rabbit Gets the Provisions/ Aunt Tempy's Story/ The Cunning Snake/ Brother Rabbit Pretends to Be Poisoned/ More Trouble for Brother Wolf/ Old Grinny Granny Wolf/ Why Mr. Dog Runs Brother Rabbit/ Brother Wolf & the Horned Cattle/ Mr. Hawk & Brother Buzzard/ The Night Before Christmas |
Mr. Buzzard | an opportunist who would happily eat any of the other animals but is admired for his ability to fly | Mr. Fox Is Again Victimized/ Mr. Fox Is "Outdone" by Mr. Buzzard/ Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match at Last/ Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match Again/ Brother Terrapin Deceives Brother Buzzard/ A Dream & a Story/ Brother Rabbit Lays In His Beef Supply/ Mr. Hawk & Brother Buzzard/ How the Terrapin Was Taught to Fly/ The Story of the Doodang/ Mr. Crow & Brother Buzzard |
Mister Man, referred to by Daddy Jack as Buckra Man (i.e. white man) | a human antagonist of all the animals except Mr. Dog | The Sad Fate of Mr. Fox/ Brother Rabbit & the Little Girl/ How Brother Fox Was Too Smart/ Mr. Lion Hunts for Mr. Man/ Mr. Man Has Some Meat/ How Brother Rabbit Got the Meat/ In Some Lady's Garden/ Brother 'Possum Gets in Trouble/ Brother Rabbit Outdoes Mr. Man/ Mr. Lion's Sad Predicament/ Brother Rabbit & the Chickens/ Brother Rabbit's Cradle/ Why Mr. Dog is Tame/ Brother Rabbit & Miss Nancy/ The Creeturs Go to the Barbecue/ How Mr. Lion Lost His Wool/ Brer Rabbit Has Trouble with the Moon/ Taily-po |
Tildy | a flighty maid who joins in listening to Uncle Remus' tales despite his animosity toward her; Tildy eventually endears herself and is even allowed to tell tales of her own | How Mr. Rooster Lost His Dinner/ Brother Rabbit Breaks Up a Party/ Brother Fox, Brother Rabbit, & King Deer's Daughter/ Brother Terrapin Deceives Brother Buzzard/ African Jack/ Why the Alligator's Back Is Rough/ A Ghost Story/ Brother Rabbit's Love Charm/ Brother Rabbit Pretends to Be Poisoned/ Brother Wolf & the Horned Cattle/ Mr. Hawk & Brother Buzzard/ Mr. Hawk & Brother Rabbit/ The Night Before Christmas |
Brer Bull-Frog | convinces other animals to fall into the pond by promising things like "Knee-deep! Knee-deep!" in his croaking cadence; dresses exquisitely in a soldier's hat with green and white speckles, a long green coat, satin breeches, a white silk waistcoat, shoes with silver buckles, & a green umbrella | Mr. Fox & the Deceitful Frogs/ Mr. Bear Catches Old Mr. Bull-Frog/ Brother Rabbit & Brother Bull-Frog |
Mr. Lion, sometimes referred to as King Lion | ruler of the other creatures although he is killed by Miss Cow in one story and fooled by Brer Rabbit & Mr. Cricket more than once | Mr. Lion Hunts for Mr. Man/ Why the Guinea-Fowls Are Speckled/ Brother Rabbit Ties Mr. Lion/ Mr. Lion's Sad Predicament/ The Origin of the Ocean/ Brother Rabbit Conquers Brother Lion/ Little Mister Cricket & the Other Creatures/ When Brother Rabbit Was King/ How Mr. Lion Lost His Wool/ Brer Rabbit Causes Brer Fox to Lose His Hide |
Daddy Jack | a very old man who was born in Africa and is considered by some to be a sorcerer; a friend of Uncle Remus and a suitor of Tildy | African Jack/ Why the Alligator's Back Is Rough/ Spirits, Seen & Unseen/ A Ghost Story/ In Some Lady's Garden/ Brother 'Possum Gets in Trouble/ Brother Rabbit's Love Charm/ Cutta Cord-La!/ The Cunning Snake/ Old Grinny Granny Wolf/ Mr. Lion's Sad Predicament/ The Wise Bird & the Foolish Bird/ The Night Before Christmas |
Miss Meadows | leading figure of a group of human women who admire Brer Rabbit's tricks on the other animals | Mr. Rabbit Grossly Deceives Mr. Fox/ Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength/ How Mr. Rabbit Succeeded in Raising a Dust/ Mr. Benjamin Ram & His Wonderful Fiddle/ How Brother Fox Failed to Get His Grapes/ The Moon in the Mill-Pond/ Brother Rabbit's Courtship/ Brer Rabbit's Frolic |
Br'er Possum | often a scapegoat for Brer Rabbit's misdeeds | Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace/ Mr. Rabbit Nibbles Up the Butter/ Why Mr. Possum Has No Hair on His Tail/ Brother 'Possum Gets in Trouble/ Brer Rabbit Treats the Creeturs to a Race |
Br'er Coon | a fighter who looks down on Brer Possum for playing dead; he is assisted by Brer Rabbit in killing some frogs | Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace/ Brother Rabbit Takes Some Exercise/ Crazy Sue's Story/ Brother Rabbit & the Gingercakes/ Brer Rabbit Treats the Creeturs to a Race |
Mr. Dog | becomes domesticated, getting him fed regularly but putting him at enmity with the other animals | Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace/ Mr. Fox & Miss Goose/ Why Mr. Dog Runs Brother Rabbit/ When Brother Rabbit Was King/ Why Mr. Dog is Tame/ Mr. Goat's Short Tail |
Miss Fox | Br'er Fox's wife; falls prey to some of Brer Rabbit's most disgusting tricks, usually involving her unknowing cannibalism or murder of her husband | The Sad Fate of Mr. Fox/ Brother Fox Covets the Quills/ Aunt Tempy's Story/ Brother Fox Follows the Fashion/ Brother Rabbit, Brother Fox, & Two Fat Pullets |
Kubs & Klibs, known as Simon & Sue in a later story | Miss B'ar's children | Brother Rabbit's Astonishing Prank/ Brother Bear's Big House/ a pair of sibling bears also appear in Daddy Jack's tale How The Bear Nursed the Little Alligator, although they are unnamed |
Cousin Wildcat | one of the most deadly creatures; Brer Rabbit tricks an unwitting Brer Fox to attack Cousin Wildcat and later avoids revenge from Cousin Wildcat | How Brother Fox Was Too Smart/ Brother Rabbit & Mr. Wildcat/ The Creature with No Claws |
Brer Elephen | considers himself the strongest of the creatures- not aggressive, but can be dangerous due to his size | The Story of the Deluge, & How it Came About/ Brother Rabbit Frightens Brother Tiger/ Little Mister Cricket & the Other Creatures |
Miss Cow | an imposing matriarch who can only be unsettled by the antics of Brer Rabbit | Miss Cow Falls a Victim to Mr. Rabbit/ Brother Rabbit's Astonishing Prank/ Why the Guinea-Fowls Are Speckled |
Miss Tarrypin | Brer Tarrypin's wife who helps him fool Brer Rabbit in a race | Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match at Last |
Miss Wolf | Br'er Wolf's wife and accomplice; has a daughter which Brer Rabbit aims to marry in one story | Mr. Benjamin Ram & His Wonderful Fiddle/ Brother Rabbit & His Famous Foot/ Brother Rabbit & the Mosquitoes |
Mr. Rooster | an avian snob who considers himself above the food of other birds | How Mr. Rooster Lost His Dinner/ Why the Hawk Catches Chickens |
King Deer | a wealthy landowner with an attractive heiress and a herd of goats | Brother Fox, Brother Rabbit, & King Deer's Daughter |
Br'er Alligater, referred to as Br'er Gater by Daddy Jack | an enemy of Brer Rabbit, who made B'er 'Gater's skin rough and thick by tricking him into a fiery field | Why the Alligator's Back Is Rough/ Brother Rabbit & the Gizzard-Eater |
Mr. Mud Turkle | a friend and accomplice of Brer Rabbit whose exploits, like those of Brer Tarrypin, often involve his shell | Why Brother Bear Has No Tail/ Brother Mud Turtle's Trickery |
Aunt Mammy-Bammy Big-Money | Brer Rabbit's mother, a Rabbit-Witch who gives him supernatural help | Brother Rabbit & His Famous Foot/ Brother Rabbit Submits to a Test/ Brother Wolf Falls a Victim/ Taily-po |
Missy 'Gator | loses her children to a hungry bear cub which she employs to watch over them | How the Bear Nursed the Little Alligator |
Mr. Bull | oversees a convention of horned cattle which Brer Wolf attempts to infiltrate; later transforms himself into a human to attempt to marry a woman | Brother Wolf & the Horned Cattle/ Why Brother Bull Growls & Grumbles |
Mr. Hawk | a bird of prey who is fooled by Brer Rabbit and eventually eaten by Brer Buzzard when the Hawk impales himself on a fencepost by mistake | Mr. Hawk & Brother Buzzard/ Mr. Hawk & Brother Rabbit/ Why the Hawk Catches Chickens |
Mr. Black Snake | stores food in a magical burrow to last him through a famine | How Black Snake Caught the Wolf |
Br'er Polecat | a bossy and imperious character who tries to take things that aren't his | The Rattlesnake & the Polecat/ Brother Rabbit & the Gingercakes/ Brother Bear's Big House |
Br'er Rattlesnake | locks out Brer Polecat when the Polecat attempts to invade his house | The Rattlesnake & the Polecat |
Br'er Tiger | considers himself the prettiest and most vicious of the creatures | Brother Rabbit Frightens Brother Tiger/ Little Mister Cricket & the Other Creatures |
Br'er Billy Goat | lies his way out of a dangerous situation, much the same as Brer Rabbit or Brer Tarrypin | Brother Billy Goat Eats His Dinner |
Sis Swamp Owl | said to create hurricanes by flapping her wings deep in a swamp | Where the Harrycane Comes From/ The Most Beautiful Bird in the World |
Grandaddy Cricket, also known as Mr. Cricket | a fife player who becomes disfigured when his playing drives a human to attack him but later becomes a trickster like Brer Rabbit | Why Mr. Cricket Has Elbows on His Legs/ / Little Mister Cricket & the Other Creatures/ The Story of Brer Fox & Little Mr. Cricket |
Wiley Wolf | one of Br'er Wolf's heirs, boiled to death when his protector gets him mixed up with Riley Rab | How Wiley Wolf Rode in the Bag |
Craney-Crow | is killed trying to follow the fashions when a hurricane blows him to a new home | How Old Craney-Crow Lost His Head |
Miss Buzzard | a filthy housekeeper who attempts to starve Br'er Rabbit to death in order to feed him to her children | Why the Turkey Buzzard Is Bald-Headed/ The Most Beautiful Bird in the World |
Jacky-My-Lantern | a blacksmith who fooled the Devil but was denied heaven so now lingers as a ghost after death | Jacky-My-Lantern |
the Pig siblings: Big, Little, Speckle, & Runt | are outwitted and eaten by Br'er Wolf, except the smallest and cleverest, Runt | The Story of the Pigs |
Minnyminny Morack & Follerlinsko | two magical dogs who save their owner | The Little Boy & His Dogs/ The Man & the Wild Cattle |
the Moon | a gender-changing character which stars in stories explaining its appearance or cycles | Why the Moon's Face Is Smutty/ Br'er Rabbit Has Trouble with the Moon |
Tinktum Tidy | a brave but foolish man who lies his way through various animal possessions in his quest to find soldiers for his king | How the King Recruited His Army |
Miss Sally | wife of the plantation's owner, frequently mentioned by Uncle Remus but rarely appearing as a character herself | How the Birds Talk/ The Reason Why |
Mars John | owner of the plantation, frequently mentioned by Uncle Remus but rarely appearing as a character himself | How the Birds Talk |
Jack Sparrer | killed for being a tattletale | The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow |
de Ole Boy, also referred to as De Bad Man or Impty-Umpty | the Devil, who attempts to reap souls to Hell | Jacky-My-Lantern/ Impty-Umpty & the Blacksmith |
Tobe | Miss Fox's son | The Sad Fate of Mr. Fox/ Brother Fox Covets the Quills |
Miss Goose | saved from Brer Fox by Brer Rabbit | Mr. Fox & Miss Goose |
Janey the Little Gal | tricked into freeing Brer Rabbit from Mister Man | Brother Rabbit & the Little Girl/ In Some Lady's Garden |
Miss B'ar | Brer B'ar's wife | Brother Rabbit's Astonishing Prank/ Brother Bear's Big House |
Benjermun Ram | a celebrated fiddler | Mr. Benjamin Ram & His Wonderful Fiddle/ Mr. Benjamin Ram Defends Himself |
Gran'sir' Gray Fox | Brer Fox's ancestral patriarch | Brother Rabbit's Riddle |
Miss Rabbit | Brer Rabbit's wife | How Brother Rabbit Frightened His Neighbors/ Brother Wolf Gets in a Warm Place |
Granny Rabbit | Brer Rabbit's grandmother, who lives in a tree to escape Brer Wolf | Cutta Cord-La! |
Brer Gibley Gobbler | works with Brer Rabbit to save him from the Wildcat | Brother Rabbit & Mr. Wildcat |
Granny Wolf | grandmother of Brer Wolf, boiled alive by Brer Rabbit and fed by him to Brer Wolf | Old Grinny Granny Wolf |
Wattle Weasel | steals butter from the other creatures until captured by Brer Rabbit | How Wattle Weasel Was Caught |
Brer Mink | loses his fish to Brer Tarrypin when he is outwitted | Old Brother Terrapin Gets Some Fish |
Witch-Wolf | attempts to get a man to marry her by transforming herself into a woman | Uncle Remus' Wonder Story |
Jedge Rabbit | an old rabbit who helps a man escape a witch | Uncle Remus' Wonder Story |
Simon | a young man who steals a woman away from her witch protector | The Adventures of Simon and Susanna |
Susanna | a woman who escapes her witch protector to marry the man she loves | The Adventures of Simon and Susanna |
Miss Pa'tridge | saves her eggs from Brer Rabbit by convincing him they're snake eggs | Mrs. Partridge Has a Fit |
Simmy-Sam | saves his mother from marrying a bull transformed into a human | Why Brother Bull Growls & Grumbles |
Riley Rab | one of Brer Rabbit's heirs, saved from being eaten by his protector | How Wiley Wolf Rode in the Bag |
Brer Deer | a besotted deer helped by Brer Rabbit and Spring Lizzard to achieve his prize | Brother Deer & King Sun's Daughter |
Spring Lizzard | helps Brer Deer to achieve his prize | Brother Deer & King Sun's Daughter |
King Sun | exchanges his heiress for a bag of gold | Brother Deer & King Sun's Daughter |
Nancy | an heiress of Mister Man who is driven off after Brer Rabbit's trickery | Brother Rabbit & Miss Nancy |
the Doodang | a strange creature resembling a mix of an alligator, rhinoceros, & elephant | The Story of the Doodang |
King-Bird | ruler of the birds | The Story of the Doodang |
Teenchy-Tiny Duck | a duck who recovers a bag of money with the help of several magical friends | The Story of Teenchy-Tiny Duck |
Miss Coo-Coo Bird | a retiring bird who is convinced to join a beauty contest | The Most Beautiful Bird in the World |
Mr. Crow | uses his family relations to win a bet against Brer Buzzard | Mr. Crow & Brother Buzzard |
Mr. Goat | saved from Brer Wolf by a magical dog | Mr. Goat's Short Tail |
Aunt Nancy | Brer Rabbit's great grandmother, a half-spider sorceress based on Anansi | Brother Rabbit Doesn't Go to See Aunt Nancy |
Joel Chandler Harris was an American journalist and folklorist best known for his collection of Uncle Remus stories. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, where he served as an apprentice on a plantation during his teenage years, Harris spent most of his adult life in Atlanta working as an associate editor at The Atlanta Constitution.
Song of the South is a 1946 American live-action/animated musical drama film directed by Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson; produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It is based on the Uncle Remus stories as adapted by Joel Chandler Harris, and stars James Baskett as Uncle Remus in his final film role. The film takes place in the U.S. state of Georgia during the Reconstruction era, a period of American history after the end of the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery. The story follows seven-year-old Johnny who is visiting his grandmother's plantation for an extended stay. Johnny befriends Uncle Remus, an elderly worker on the plantation, and takes joy in hearing his tales about the adventures of Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear. Johnny learns from the stories how to cope with the challenges he is experiencing while living on the plantation.
Uncle Remus is the fictional title character and narrator of a collection of African American folktales compiled and adapted by Joel Chandler Harris and published in book form in 1881. Harris was a journalist in post–Reconstruction era Atlanta, and he produced seven Uncle Remus books. He did so by introducing tales that he had heard and framing them in the plantation context. He wrote his stories in a dialect which was his interpretation of the Deep South African-American language of the time. For these framing and stylistic choices, Harris's collection has garnered controversy since its publication. Many of these stories are believed to have Creek Indian influence too.
Tituba was a Native American slave woman who was one of the first to be accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials of 1692–1693.
The Tar-Baby is the second of the Uncle Remus stories published in 1881; it is about a doll made of tar and turpentine used by the villainous Br'er Fox to entrap Br'er Rabbit. The more that Br'er Rabbit fights the Tar-Baby, the more entangled he becomes.
Arthur Burdett Frost, usually cited as A. B. Frost, was an American illustrator, graphic artist, painter and comics writer. He is best known for his illustrations of Brer Rabbit and other characters in the Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus books.
"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" is the beginning of the second sentence of one of the most famous soliloquies in William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth. It takes place in the beginning of the fifth scene of Act 5, during the time when the Scottish troops, led by Malcolm and Macduff, are approaching Macbeth's castle to besiege it. Macbeth, the play's protagonist, is confident that he can withstand any siege from Malcolm's forces. He hears the cry of a woman and reflects that there was a time when his hair would have stood on end if he had heard such a cry, but he is now so full of horrors and slaughterous thoughts that it can no longer startle him.
Aunt Phillis's Cabin; or, Southern Life as It Is by Mary Henderson Eastman is a plantation fiction novel, and is perhaps the most read anti-Tom novel in American literature. It was published by Lippincott, Grambo & Co. of Philadelphia in 1852 as a response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, published earlier that year. The novel sold 20,000–30,000 copies, far fewer than Stowe's novel, but still a strong commercial success and bestseller. Based on her growing up in Warrenton, Virginia, of an elite planter family, Eastman portrays plantation owners and slaves as mutually respectful, kind, and happy beings.
A lawn jockey is a statue depicting a man in jockey clothes, intended to be placed in front yards as hitching posts, similar to those of footmen bearing lanterns near entrances and gnomes in gardens. The lawn ornament, popular in certain parts of the United States and Canada in years past, was a cast replica, usually about half-scale or smaller, generally of a man dressed in jockey's clothing and holding up one hand as though taking the reins of a horse. The hand sometimes carries a metal ring and, in some cases, a lantern, which may or may not be operational.
African-American folktales are the storytelling and oral history of enslaved African Americans during the 1700s-1900s. Prevalent themes in African-American folktales include tricksters, life lessons, heartwarming tales, and slavery. African Americans created folktales that spoke about the hardships of slavery and told stories of folk spirits that could outwit their slaveholders and defeat their enemies. These folk stories gave hope to enslaved people that folk spirits would liberate them from slavery. One of these heroes that they looked up to was the charming High John the Conqueror, who was a cunning trickster against his slave masters. He often empowered newly freed slaves, saying that if they needed him, his spirit would be in a local root. Other common figures in African-American folktales include Anansi, Brer Rabbit, and Uncle Monday. Many folktales are unique to African-American culture, while others are influenced by African, European, and Native American tales.
Br'er Rabbit is a central figure in an oral tradition passed down by African-Americans of the Southern United States and African descendants in the Caribbean, notably Afro-Bahamians and Turks and Caicos Islanders. He is a trickster who succeeds by his wits rather than by brawn, provoking authority figures and bending social mores as he sees fit. Popular adaptations of the character, originally recorded by Joel Chandler Harris in the 19th century, include Walt Disney Productions' Song of the South in 1946.
In folklore, a simpleton is a person whose foolish actions are the subject of often-repeated stories. Simpletons are also known as noodles, fools, and gothamites. Folklore often holds, with no basis in fact, that certain towns or countries are thought to be home to large numbers of simpletons. The ancient Greeks told tales of stupid populations in Abdera and other cities; in Germany, men of Schilda are conspicuous in these stories; in Spain hundreds of jokes exist about the supposed foolishness of the people from Lepe; and in England, the village of Gotham in Nottinghamshire is reputed to be populated by simpletons. In Sri Lanka whole districts in the central, southern, and western provinces are credited with being the abode of foolish people.
Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear are fictional characters from African-American oral traditions popular in the Southern United States. These characters have been recorded by many different folklorists, but are most well-known from the folktales adapted and compiled by Joel Chandler Harris, featuring his character Uncle Remus.
The Bear and the Gardener is a fable originating in the ancient Indian text Panchatantra that warns against making foolish friendships. There are several variant versions, both literary and oral, across the world and its folk elements are classed as Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 1586. The La Fontaine version has been taken as demonstrating various philosophical lessons.
The Conjure Woman is a collection of short stories by African-American fiction writer, essayist, and activist Charles W. Chesnutt. First published in 1899, The Conjure Woman is considered a seminal work of African-American literature composed of seven short stories, set in Patesville, North Carolina. A film adaptation, The Conjure Woman (film) was made by Oscar Micheaux.
Martha Strudwick Young was an American regionalist writer known for her recounting of Southern folk tales, fables, and songs of black life in the plantation era. She was admired by other writers for her skill with dialect. Young was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1986.
J. M. Condé was an early 20th century "golden age" book illustrator and comic strip artist best known for his ink and watercolor illustrations for books by Joel Chandler Harris and Albert Bigelow Paine. He also worked on at least two comic strips, one of which was derived from Harris's "Br'er Rabbit" stories.
The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit is a 1987 Children's book by Julius Lester and illustrator Jerry Pinkney. It is a retelling of the American Br'er Rabbit tales.
John Mason Brewer was an American folklorist, scholar, and writer noted for his work on African-American folklore in Texas. He studied at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, and Indiana University, while he taught at Samuel Huston College in Austin, Texas, Booker T. Washington High School in Dallas, Claflin College in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Texas Southern University in Houston, Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina, and East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas. He published numerous collections of folklore and poetry, most notably The Word on the Brazos (1953), Aunt Dicey Tales (1956), Dog Ghosts and Other Texas Negro Folk Tales (1958), and Worser Days and Better Times (1965).
Uncle Remus and His Tales of Br'er Rabbit is an American Disney comic strip that ran on Sundays from October 14, 1945, to December 31, 1972. It first appeared as a topper strip for the Mickey Mouse Sunday page, but after the first few years, almost always appeared on its own. The strip replaced the 1932-1945 Silly Symphony strip, which had spent its final year on gag strips featuring Panchito from The Three Caballeros.
The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris, copyright renewed 1983 by Richard Chase
(the book includes stories from the following original publications, all by Joel Chandler Harris: