“The Fox and the Lawyer”
Description
"The fox and the lawyer was different in kind... The lawyer loved done meat because it was easy to chaw, The fox... would take his blood raw." The fox goes out to take a hen. Pursued to his den, he says the fight is not fair; the hunter doesn't care
Supplemental text
Fox and the Lawyer, The
Partial text(s)
*** A ***
(no title)
From Dorothy Scarborough, On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs,
p. 70. From Charley Danne, who claimed to have it at several
removes from a song sung by slaves.
The fox and the lawyer was different in kind.
The fox and the lawyer was different in mind.
The lawyer loved done meat because it was easy to chaw.
The fox was not choice but would take his blood raw.
Oh, how can you call such a fight as this fair
When there is buy my one self and all these dogs hair [here]?
I'll take a fair race with the best dog you've got,
And if he will catch me I'll die on the spot.
(Stanzas 1, 4 of 5)
Notes
Scarborough's informant claimed this was sung by slaves. This strikes me as unlikely; while they often told stories about foxes and chickens, the first verse about lawyers strikes me as a graft -- and why would slaves preserve it? - RBW
References
- Scarborough-NegroFS, p. 70, (no title) (1 text)
- ST ScaNF070 (Partial)
- BI, ScaNF070