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xINTRODUCTION.loose because the terrapin declared his tail to be only astump-root. Mr. Smith also gives the story of how thetortoise outran the deer, which is identical as to incidentwith Uncle Remus's story of how Brer Tarrypin outranBrer Rabbit. Then there is the story of how the tortoisepretended that he was stronger than the tapir.He tellsthe latter he can drag him into the sea, but the tapirretorts that he will pull the tortoise into the forest andkill him besides. The tortoise thereupon gets a vinestem,ties one end around the body of the tapir, andgoes to the sea, where he ties the other end to the tailof a whale. He then goes into the wood, midway betweenthem both, and gives the vine a shake as a signalfor the pulling to begin. The struggle between thewhale and tapir goes on until each thinks the tortoiseis the strongest of animals. Compare this with thestory of the terrapin's contest with the bear, in whichMiss Meadows's bed-cord is used instead of a vine-stem.One of the most characteristic of Uncle Remus's storiesis that in which the rabbit proves to Miss Meadows andthe girls that the fox is his riding-horse.This is almostidentical with a story quoted by Mr. Smith, where thejaguar is about to marry the deer's daughter. Thecotia a species of rodent is also in love with her, andhe tells the deer that he can make a riding-horse of the" "jaguar. Well," says the deer, ifyou can make thejaguar carry you, you shall have my daughter." Thereuponthe story proceeds pretty much as Uncle Remus