venders sell?" Well, all agree that they did. The same
principle applied, with much of the nonsense eliminated, will probably
make of the Negro a great merchant, as caste gives way enough to allow
him a common man's business chance. Of all the races of men, the Negro
alone has demonstrated his ability to come into contact with the white
man and neither move on nor be annihilated. I believe this is largely
due to his power to muster wit and humor on all occasions, and even to
laugh in the face of adversity. He refused during the days of slavery to
take the advice of Job's wife, and to "Curse God and die." He repeated
and sang his comic Folk Rhymes, danced, lived, and came out of the Night
of Bondage comparatively strong.

The compiler of the Rhymes was quite interested to find that as a rule
the country-reared Negro had a larger acquaintance with Folk Rhymes than
one brought up in the city. The human mind craves occasional recreation,
entertainment, and amusement. In cities where there is an almost
continuous passing along the crowded thoroughfares of much that
contributes to these ends, the slave Negro needed only to keep his eyes
open, his ears attentive, and laugh. He directed his life accordingly.
But, in the country districts there was only the monotony of quiet woods
and waving fields of cotton. The rural scenes, though beautiful in
themselves, refuse to amuse or entertain those who will not hold
communion with them. The country Negro longing for amusement communed in
his crude way, and Nature gave him Folk Rhymes for entertainment. Among
those found to be clearly of this kind may be mentioned "The Great Owl's
Song," "Tails," "Redhead Woodpecker," "The Snail's Reply," "Bob-white's
Song," "Chuck Will's Widow Song," and many others.

The Folk Rhymes were not often repeated as such or as whole compositions
by the "grown-ups" among Negroes apart from the Play and the Dance. If,
however, you had had an argument with an antebellum Negro, had gotten
the better of the argument, and he still felt confident that he was
right, you probably would have heard him close his side of the debate
with the words: "Well, 'Ole Man Know-All is Dead.'" This is only a short
prosaic version of his rhyme "Old Man Know-All," found in our
collection. Many of the characteristic sayings of "Uncle Remus" woven
into story by Joel Chandler Harris had their origin in these Folk
Rhymes. "Dem dat know too much sleep under de ash-hopper" (Uncle Remus)