The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

BLACK-AMERICAN JOKE

CLOTELLE AND WILLIE MAE WERE EXCELLENT RABBIT
HUNTERS. ONE DAY THEY BOTH HAPPENED TO SPOT
A RABBIT AND THEY BOTH SHOT AT THE RABBIT
AT THE SAME TIME. THEY ARGUED CONTINUOUSLY
ABOUT WHO THE RABBIT BELONGED TO. THE
DEPUTY SHERIFF CAME ALONG AND ASKED "WHAT
Y'ALL ARGUING BOUT? THEY EACH CLAIMED THE
RABBIT WAS THEIRS. HE COULDN'T SETTLE THE
ARGUMENT, SO HE TOOK THEM TO THE STATION
TO SEE THE HIGH SHERIFF. THE HIGH SHERIFF
WAS SITTING IN A CHAIR EATING WALNUTS. HE
ASKED THE WOMEN WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM? CLOTELLE
REPLIED, "I KILT THE RABBIT"; WILLIE MAE SAID,
"I KILT THE RABBIT". THE SHERIFF THEN SAID,
"WELL, WHICHEVER ONE OF YOU PERFORMS THE BEST
TRICK, GETS THE RABBIT." CLOTELLE CHEWED
TOBACCO, SO SHE STOOD 12 FEET FROM THE DOOR
AND SPIT A CLEAN SHOT THROUGH THE KEYHOLE
WITHOUT TOUCHING A SIDE. THEN WILLIE MAE
JUMPED UP AND SAID, "SHERIFF, WHATCHA EATING,
WALNUTS?" THE SHERIFF REPLIED, "YEAH." WILLIE
MAE INSTRUCTED HIM TO SIT IN HIS CHAIR, CLOSE
HIS EYES, REAR YOUR HEAD BACK AND THROW ME ONE
OF THEM WALNUTS. HE DID SO. SHE PUT THE WALNUT
BETWEEN HER LEGS, CRACKED IT, PEELED IT AND SHOT
IT BACK IN THE SHERIFF'S MOUTH. THE SHERIFF
THEN REPLIED, "WILLIE MAE, WHEN YOU FINISH FRYING
THAT THAR RABBIT, YOU COME ON BACK DOWN HERE AND
CRACK SOME MORE WALNUTS FOR ME."

Submitter comment: I COULD NEVER GET THE EFFECT WRITING AS MR.
HAMMETT DOES TELLING.

Where learned: MISSISSIPPI

Date learned: 09-20-1985