The Tar Baby

Once there was a man, and
he had a garden.

One day Mr. Rabbit got into
the garden.

He ate and ate and ate.

Then he jumped over the
garden wall and went home.

By and by Mr. Man went to look
at his garden.

"Somebody has been in my garden,"
he said.

"Somebody has been eating my
cabbage."

So the man got some tar.

He made a tar baby of it.

The tar baby had a tar head.

It had tar hands and tar feet.

It was tar all over.

Mr. Man put the tar baby in
the garden.

He put the tar baby right by the
cabbage bed.

Next day Mr. Rabbit came again.

Mr. Rabbit saw the tar baby.

"Good morning," said Mr. Rabbit.

The tar baby did not say anything.

"Good morning," said Mr. Rabbit
again.

The tar baby did not say anything.

"Can't you talk?" said Mr. Rabbit.

The tar baby did not say anything.

"I will make you talk," said Mr.
Rabbit.

He hit the tar baby on the head,
and his hand stuck.

He could not get it away.

"Let go my hand," he said.

"Let go my hand, or I'll hit
you again."

The tar baby did not say anything.

Then Mr. Rabbit hit it with his
left hand.

That hand stuck, too.

"I can kick with my foot,"
said Mr. Rabbit.

So he kicked the tar baby,
and his right foot stuck.

Then he kicked it again,
and his left foot stuck.

"I will hit you with my head,"
said Mr. Rabbit.

Then he hit it with his head,
and his head stuck.

And there he was, all stuck.

Now came Mr. Man.

"There you are," said Mr. Man.

"You will not eat my cabbage
again."

"Please, Mr. Man," said Mr. Rabbit,
"please let me go.

I will not eat your cabbage
again.

I will not come into your
cabbage bed again.

I will not eat anything you have.

I will not come into your garden
again."

"No, no," said Mr. Man,

"I will not let you go."

"What are you going to do to me,
Mr. Man?"

"I am going to make a fire and
throw you into it, Mr. Rabbit."

"Please do," said Mr. Rabbit.

"Please throw me into the fire.

But please do not throw me
into the briars."

"Well, that is just what I
will do," said Mr. Man.

So he threw Mr. Rabbit right
into the middle of the briars.

Then Mr. Rabbit jumped up.

"Mr. Man, Mr. Man," he called,

"I live in the briars, Mr. Man."

And Mr. Rabbit ran away.