That night, while Brother Fox was asleep, Brother Rabbit stole quietly down to the well by the big tree, and drank and laughed, and drank and laughed.
“I guess I can have all the water I want,” said Brother Rabbit. “Brother Fox was foolish to do all the work.”
The next day, when Brother Fox went to get some water, he saw rabbit tracks in the mud.
“Ah, ha! Brother Rabbit,” said Brother Fox to himself, “so that’s the way you drink the dew from the grass and the flowers! Well, well, I think I can catch you at your trick!”
Brother Fox ran home as fast as he could and made a great big doll of wood, as big as a baby. He covered the wooden doll with black, sticky tar. Then he put a little cap on its head. At sunset, he put the tar baby out beside the well.
“I think I shall get Brother Rabbit this time,” he said, as he went home laughing to himself all the way.
Soon Brother Rabbit came hopping through the bushes. He looked first this way, then that. The least noise frightened him. When he saw the tar baby, he sat up straight and peeped at it through the leaves.
“Hullo, there! Who are you?” he said at last.
The tar baby said nothing.
“Who are you, I say?” he asked in a louder tone.