African Diaspora at Internet Archive: South Carolina Folk Tales

Since I did two nice anthologies already this week, I wanted to share one of my favorite African American story collections: South Carolina Folk Tales: Stories of Animals and Supernatural Beings, published back in the Works Project Administration of South Carolina with an introduction by Mabel Montgomery, director of the South Carolina WPA.

There are 66 stories here, drawn from over two thousand page of materials collected in South Carolina between 1935 and 1941. Some of the storytellers in the book are Black (including some Gullah speakers), and some are white, but most of the stories in the book fall squarely in the African American storytelling tradition (someday somebody needs to write a book; Joel Chandler Harris was not the only white American storyteller captivated by these African American stories). 

Here is a list of the titles you will find in the book (as you can see, lots of rabbit stories!): Buddah Rabbit an Buddah Gatah ~ Bruh Rabbit Tricks Bruh Gatah ~ Lil Gal an Wood ~ De Crow en De Rabbit ~ Crow en Cootah ~ Buzzard an Hawk ~ Duh Rabbit, Fox, an Goose ~ Buh Rabbit and Buh Fox ~ You Can' Head Buddah Rabbit ~ Three Tasks ~ The Fox and the Cat ~ Buh Rabbit and Rattlesnake ~ Buddah Bear Plays Dead ~ Buddah Bear's Fish ~ Buddah Deer an Buddah Cootah Run a Race ~ Bruh Cootah an Bruh Deer ~ Dog and Dog Head ~ Buddah Frog, Buddah Squel, and Buddah Rabbit ~ Buh Rabbit an Buh Partridge ~ Buh Partridge Pay Buh Rabbit Back ~ Tar-baby ~ Buddah Rabbit an De King ~ Buh Rabbit an Buh Guinea ~ Bruh Rabbit Beats Bruh Wolf ~ Bruh Rabbit Eats Bruh Wolf ~ Bruh Rabbit en De Cow ~ Bruh Rabbit an Sally Gal ~ Lawsuit ~ Bruh Rabbit an Bruh Woof at De Wedding ~ De Buttah Tree ~ Buddah Woof Fool Buddah Rabbit ~ Buddah Ringo Hog ~ Plat-eye Tangle Me Up ~ Finding Treasure ~ Trus De Lawd for Treasure ~ Four Men and the Treasure ~ Spirit Sure Worrisome ~ Legends of Fenwick Hall ~ The Grey Lady ~ The Ghosts at Hagley ~ The Girl in the Swamp ~ Bring Back Us Teef! ~ Music Box ~ Hant House ~ Parents Must Not Pick Love for Chillun ~ Golias and the Devil ~ Poison in His Path ~ Lizard in the Head ~ The Happy Dog of Goshn ~ Trus Gawd or Ad's Plat-eye ~ Hag ~ Witched ~ Hag Duh Ride Me ~ Hags' Trade ~ Conjured ~ Uncle Gabe's Conjuh Ball ~ The Dare ~ Turned to Stone ~ You Take This One ~ Fishing on Sunday ~ Legend of Sol Legare Island ~ A Tormented Man ~ Sea Serpent.

The stories have useful notes as you can see here; click on the image for a larger view, or use this link to see the page at the Internet Archive:

So, read and enjoy: if you are a fan of Rabbit and his tricks, I'm sure you will like this book!

South Carolina Folk Tales:

Stories of Animals and Supernatural Beings