love for stories
of this class, in which he naturally introduces the animals
familiar to him.... Yours truly,
ORVILLE A. DERBY.

_Caixa em Correio, No. 721,
Rio de Janeiro._

Those who are best acquainted with the spirit, movement, and motive of
African legends will accept Mr. Derby's statement as conclusive. It has
been suspected even by Professor J. W. Powell, of the Smithsonian
Institution, that the Southern negroes obtained their myths and legends
from the Indians; but it is impossible to adduce in support of such a
theory a scintilla of evidence that cannot be used in support of just
the opposite theory, namely, that the Indians borrowed their stories
from the negroes. The truth seems to be that, while both the Indians and
the negroes have stories peculiar to their widely different races and
temperaments, and to their widely different ideas of humor, the Indians
have not hesitated to borrow from the negroes. The "Tar Baby" story,
which is unquestionably a negro legend in its conception, is current
among many tribes of Indians. So with the story of how the Rabbit makes
a riding-horse of the Fox or the Wolf. This story is also current among
the Amazonian Indians. The same may be said of the negro coast story
"Why the Alligator's Back is Rough." Mr. W. O. Tuggle, of Georgia, who
has recently made an exhaustive study of the folk-lore of the Creek
Indians, has discovered among them many legends, which were undoubtedly
borrowed from the negroes, including those already mentioned, the story
of how the Terrapin outran the Deer, and the story of the discontented
Rabbit, who asks his Creator to give him more sense. In the negro
legend, it will be observed, the Rabbit seeks out Mammy-Bammy Big-Money,
the old Witch-Rabbit. It may be mentioned here, that the various
branches of the Algonkian family of Indians allude to the Great White
Rabbit as their common ancestor.[i_20] All inquiries among the negroes, as
to the origin and personality of Mammy-Bammy Big-Money, elicit but two
replies. Some know, or even pretend to know, nothing about her. The rest
say, with entire unanimity, "Hit 's des de ole Witch-Rabbit w'at you done
year'd talk un 'fo' now." Mrs. Prioleau of Memphis sent the writer a
negro story in which the name "Big-Money" was vaguely used. It was some
time before that story could be verified. In conversation one day with a
negro, casual allusion was