Tar Baby and Other Rhymes of Uncle Remus

These are the tales that have echoed through American culture since the post-Civil War South, born from the oral traditions of enslaved people and given new life in verse. Joel Chandler Harris captured the wit and wisdom of Black folk storytelling, preserving the mischievous adventures of Brer Rabbit and his animal neighbors in the rich dialect of the era. The Tar Baby story stands as the crown jewel: a clever trap that ensnares the cunning rabbit in his own pride, revealing how cleverness can become its own undoing. The collection spans from playful retellings of biblical stories to genuine camp meeting songs and corn shuckin' verses, each piece radiating the humor, warmth, and sharp wisdom of the Black folk tradition. This 1904 volume gathers twenty-six rhymes that had never before appeared in print, offering a window into a vibrant oral culture that helped shape American storytelling itself.