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Once der was a meetin' in de wilderness,
All de critters of creation dey was dar;
Brer Rabbit, Brer 'Possum, Brer Wolf, Brer Fox,
King Lion, Mister Terrapin, Mister B'ar.
De question fu' discussion was, "Who is de bigges' man?"
Dey 'pinted ole Jedge Owl to decide;
He polished up his spectacles an' put 'em on his nose,
An' to the question slowly he replied:
"Brer Wolf am mighty cunnin',
Brer Fox am mighty sly,
Brer Terrapin an' 'Possum — kinder small;
Brer Lion's mighty vicious,
Brer B'ar he's sorter 'spicious,
Brer Rabbit, you's de cutes' of 'em all."
Dis caused a great confusion 'mongst de animals,
Ev'y critter claimed dat he had won de prize;
Dey 'sputed an' dey arg'ed, dey growled an' dey roared,
Den putty soon de dus' begin to rise.
Brer Rabbit he jes' stood aside an' urged 'em on to fight.
Brer Lion he mos' tore Brer B'ar in two;
W'en dey was all so tiahd dat dey couldn't catch der bref
Brer Rabbit he jes' grabbed de prize an' flew.
Brer Wolf am mighty cunnin',
Brer Fox am mighty sly,
Brer Terrapin an' Possum — kinder small;
Brer Lion's mighty vicious,
Brer B'ar he's sorter 'spicious,
Brer Rabbit, you's de cutes' of 'em all.
This poem is in the public domain.
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James Weldon Johnson (1871 - 1938) was an attorney, author, diplomat, editor, journalist, poet, professor, and songwriter. Born in Jacksonville, Florida to Bahahamian immigrants, he became a civil rights activist, was a pioneering figure of the Harlem Renaissance, served as a consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua under President Roosevelt, and served as secretary of the NAACP for ten years. James was well known for his poetry, which championed social justice and celebrated Black culture and traditions through his powerful dialect and imagery. But he also made significant contributions to Broadway theater in the early 1900s, writing lyrics for music composed by his younger brother, Rosamond. The Johnson Brothers, as they were known, created some 200 songs, most notably "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
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