SISTER  RABBIT  TO THE RESCUE

from Chuck Larkin

THIS STORY IS IN AN ORAL PRESENTATION STRUCTURE.  EITHER READ ALOUD TO OTHERS
OR READ THE STORY FIVE TIMES AND THEN TELL THE STORY IN YOUR OWN WORDS.   

VARIATIONS OF THIS STORY CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD CULTURES.  THIS
VARIATION IS A BLEND BETWEEN A STORY TOLD BY INDIGENOUS NATIVE AMERICANS AND
A SIMILAR STORY AFRICAN AMERICANS BROUGHT TO THIS WORLD.  THE TWO STORIES
CAME TOGETHER IN THE SOUTHEASTERN REGION IN THE PIONEER DAYS.

I have the Audience participate in the dialogue -- hissing like a snake and
doing the snake's lines with me.
 

Once upon a time, a long time ago, when this story was so.  Brother Opossum was on a visit.  It was a beautiful day.  He wore his favorite hat and his best bow tie and his new red galluses.  He was singing in his best voice, a voice that was hard on the ears.  
(Sing in a deep but not a good voice) "Opossum in the persimmon tree, Raccoon on the ground, Raccoon says Mr. Opossum won't you shake a persimmon down.  
(Continue in a deep voice) Ha ho!  I love that song.  Oh oh, what's that?  
That looks like Brother Snake!  That's him all right!  Laying there in the
bottom of that hole on the side of the road. There he is under that rock.  I
better get myself out of here.  If Brother Snake bites me, I'll die for sure."

(Now speak in your normal voice) Brother Opossum started running just as fast
as his feet would carry him.  Just about the time he felt safe, he heard.  

(In a high squeaky voice) "Help me!  Help me!  Help meeeeee!"   
(In a deep voice) "Oh oh, that's Brother Snake.  I don't want to go back
there.  If I do that he's going to bite me and I'll die for sure."

(In your normal voice) Well I don't know if anyone hearing this story knows any Opossums personally.  I want to tell you that Opossums are the
friendliest and kindest animals in the woods.  They just can't leave another creature in trouble, even old Brother Snake.  It wasn't long before Brother
Opossum turned around went back up the road and looked down into that hole.

Do you all know what a Opossum is?  A Opossum is flat furry creature that
lives in the middle of the Highways.  Kids if you ever get lost in the woods
find a Opossum and he'll lead you to the nearest road.

OK back to the story.
(In a deep voice) "What do you want down there Brother Snake?"
[(Hiss like a snake.)  Start with hissshaaa but when you go to haaa, stick
out your tongue at the same time and wiggle waggle it side ways.  Remember deep voice for Brother Opossum, high voice for Brother Snake, Hiss when suggested and your normal voice as the storyteller.  Later in the story speak in a friendly, musical voice for Sister Rabbit.]

(In a high voice) "Hissshaaa, what do I want Brother Opossum?  I want you to get this rock off my back so I can get out of this hole hissshaaa!"
(In a deep voice) "Get that rock off your back Brother Snake!  If I do that
you're going to bite me and I'll die for sure!"
(Snake) "Hissshaaa maybe not!  Hissshaaa maybe not!  Hissshaaa maybe
nooooooot hissshaaa!"
Wait, stop the story.  First let me teach you all how to hiss like a Snake.  
First Hissss.  Second Haaaaa.  Now hear is the hard part for grown ups but
I'll need you to help me teach the kids.   When you get to the Haaaa you have to stick out your tongue and wig wag it side ways.  You kids turn so you can watch how the grown ups do it so you can learn and also make sure the grown ups stick their tongues out.
OK let's practice.  Hiss like a snake and say maybe not three times.  Ready
(Snake) "Hissshaaa maybe not!  Hissshaaa maybe not!  Hissshaaa maybe
nooooooot hissshaaa!"

OK are you ready to start the story?
(In a deep voice) "What do you want down there Brother Snake?"
(In a high voice) "Hissshaaa, what do I want Brother Opossum?  I want you to get this rock off my back so I can get out of this hole hissshaaa!"

(In a deep voice) "Get that rock off your back Brother Snake!  If I do that
you're going to bite me and I'll die for sure!" (Snake) "Hissshaaa maybe not!  Hissshaaa maybe not!  Hissshaaa maybe nooooooot hissshaaa!"
(Opossum) "Oh I don't want to do that.  I know he's going to bite me.  I'll
die for sure."  

(Do a 'double take' - pretend to look over to the side and turn your head
away and quick look back)  

(Opossum - continued) "Well I could climb that tree Brother Snake.  I could get that dead branch and bring it down.  I could make a long stick out of
that branch.  Yes, I could do that Brother Snake."
(Storyteller) Well, that's just what he did.  Brother Opossum climbed that
tree and got a dead branch.  He broke off the little side branches until he
had a long stick.  He put the stick down in the hole next to the rock.  He
knocked the rock off Brother Snake's back, dropped that stick and took off
running as fast as his feet would carry him.  Just about the time he felt
safe.  What did he hear?
(Snake) "Help me!  Help me!  Help meeeeee!"  Everybody now help me with Brother Snakes part.  Here we go!
(Snake) "Help me!  Help me!  Help meeeeee!"
(Opossum) "That's Brother Snake again!  What does he want now?  I don't want to go up that road. He's going to bite me and I'm going to die for sure."
(Storyteller) But he did!  Brother Opossum walked right back up that road and looked down into that hole.
(Opossum) "What do you want know Brother Snake?"
(Snake) "Hissshaaa, Brother Opossum the sides of this hole are wet and
slippery.  I can't get out of this slick sided hole.  I need you to help me
out of this slick sided hole, hissshaaa."
(Opossum) "Help you out of that slick sided hole!  If I do that you're going
to bite me for sure and I'm going to die."
(Snake) "Hissshaaa maybe not!  Hissshaaa maybe not!  Hissshaaa maybe
nooooooot hissshaaa!"
(Opossum) "I guess I could use that stick again Brother Snake."
(Storyteller) Brother Opossum picked up the stick.  Carefully, he stuck one
end down into the hole under Brother Snake's belly.  He flipped Brother Snake up onto the side of the road, dropped that stick and ran down that road as fast as his feet would carry him.  Just about the time he was feeling safe, what did he hear?
(Snake) "Help me.  Help me.  Help meeeeeee."
(Opossum) "That's Brother Snake again.  I've done my good deed for today!  I don't want to go back up that road. He's going to bite me and I'll die for sure.
(Storyteller) Well you know he did.  That's just the way Opossums are.  He
went back up that road but he stood way over on the side, away from Brother Snake.
(Opossum) "What do you want now Brother Snake?"
(Snake) "Hissshaaa oh Brother Opossum I've been down in that cold, cold, cold ground so long I've got colliewobles and dachshunditis.  If I don't get warm I'm going to get sick and die of the cold hissshaaa."
(Opossum) "Well what do you want me to do Brother Snake?"
(Snake) "Hissshaaa I need for you to pick me up and put me in your pocket so I can get warm and not die hissshaaa."
(Opossum) " Put you in my pocket!  Do you think I'm crazy?  Brother Snake I'm not putting you in my pocket!  If I did that you would bite me for sure and I would die."
(Snake) "Hissshaaa maybe not!  Hissshaaa maybe not!  Hissshaaa maybe
nooooooot hissshaaa!"
(Opossum) "I don't want you to die either Brother Snake.  Oh what am I going to do?  Himmm, yes that might work, yes that will work.  Brother Snake tie yourself up in a knot so you can't bite me.  I'll put you in my pocket for a little while, until you get warm."
(Storyteller) Brother Snake tied himself into a tight knot with just the tip
of his tail sticking out of the knot.  Brother Opossum walked over, picked
him up by the tail and put him in his pocket.  There he goes.  Walking down the road.  It was a gorgeous day!  A song started jumping around in his head.
 Just as he took a deep breath and was ready to turn him self loose in a
song, there was Brother Snake's head coming up out of his pocket.
(Snake) "Hissshaaa, I'm gone to bite you, bite you, biiiiite you, hissshaaa."
 
(Opossum) "Why are you going to bite me?  I got that rock off your back.  I
helped you out of that slick sided hole.  I put you in my pocket so you could get warm.  Why are you going to bite me?  Now I'm gone to die."
(Snake) "Hissshaaa, I'm going to bite you because I am mean, mean, mean.  
It's my nature Brother Opossum.  Na na na na na. hissshaaa."
(Opossum) "Brother Snake, can I go say good by to my best friend first?"
(Snake) "Hissshaaa, Who's your best friend, hissshaaa?"
(Opossum) "Sister Rabbit is my best friend. Can I go say good by to Sister
Rabbit before I die?"
(Snake) "Hissshaaa, oh Rabbit for lunch and Opossum for dinner.  Let's do it, hissshaaa."
(Storyteller) Brother Snake coiled back into Brother Opossum's pocket.  
Brother Opossum walked down the road and then turned into the woods.  Back in the deep woods was a great big old oak tree blown over on its' side with the roots sticking way up in the air.  Down on the bottom of the roots was a little door.  Brother Opossum walked over and knocked on the door.  Sister Rabbit opened the door.
(Rabbit - friendly, musically, soft voice) "Why, will you look who has come
to visit. Hello Brother Opossum!  What's wrong with you?  Why do you look so sad and droopy in the mouth?"
(Opossum) "I come to say good by to you Sister Rabbit before I die.  I've got Brother Snake here in my pocket and he's going to bite me and I'm going to die.  So, by by, by by, by by Sister Rabbit."
(Rabbit) "Oh my my my, Brother Opossum you sure deserve to look sad and down in the mouth.  Now how did this all come about?  How did Brother Snake ever get into your pocket?  How did this story start?"

(Speak or read Brother Opossum's answer just as sad and as FAST as you can
FAST-FAST-FAST is the motivation for the next action)  

(Opossum) "Oh, Sister Rabbit I was walking down the road singing, 'Opossums in the persimmon tree, raccoon on the ground.'  I saw Brother Snake in a hole by the side of the road.  He had a rock on his back.  I got that rock off his back.  I helped him out of that slick sided hole.  I put him in my pocket so he could get warm and not get sick and die.  Now he's going to bite me.  I'm going to die.  So, I came to say good by to my best friend, by by, by by, by by Sister Rabbit."
(Rabbit) "Huh!  Hum, oh wow, I had trouble understanding that story.  Brother Snake, I'm  discombobulated did you understand that story?
(Snake)  "Hissshaaa no too fast for me Sister Rabbit."
(Rabbit) Will you and Brother Opossum take me back up to the road, so I can figure this all out?"
(Snake)  "Hissshaaa yes, let's do it Brother Opossum, hissshaaa."
(Storyteller) So the three of them went back up to the road.  Sister Rabbit
looked over at Brother Opossum.
(Rabbit)  "Brother Opossum, where were you when this trouble started?"
(Opossum)  "I was singing (sing and choke up ) AH was in the  persimmon tree, Raccoon on on on and Brother Snake was in that hole right there."
(Rabbit)  "Brother Snake will you please show me just where you were in that hole?"
(Storyteller)  Brother Snake came out of Brother Opossum's pocket and climbed back down into the hole.  Sister Rabbit picked up a rock and set it on Brother Snake's back.
(Rabbit)  "Is that how it was Brother Snake?"
(Snake)  "Hissshaaa yes this is where I was Sister Rabbit  hissshaaa."
(Rabbit)  "And where were you Brother Opossum?"
(Opossum) (Still crying)  "I was walking right here.  He's going to bite me,
Sister Rabbit and I'm going to die, so by by."
(Rabbit)  "Oh do hush Brother Opossum and keep walking on down the road.  
Listen to me now!  I want you to remember this moral lesson.  You don't
trouble trouble, 'till trouble troubles you.  Say it with me again.  You
don't trouble trouble, 'till trouble troubles you."

[I have the audience shout out the moral lesson and teach it to everybody in the neighborhood]