{
 "id": "james-weldon-johnson/brer-rabbit-yous-de-cutes-of-em-all",
 "title": "Brer Rabbit, You’s de Cutes’ of ’Em All",
 "poet": "James Weldon Johnson",
 "poet_slug": "james-weldon-johnson",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Fifty Years & Other Poems",
 "book_slug": "fifty-years-and-other-poems",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": null,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1917,
  "venue": "Fifty Years & Other Poems (1917)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/fiftyyearsother00johnrich",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17884"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-weldon-johnson_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://www.google.com/books/edition/How_the_National_Association_for_the_Adv/AAs-AQAAMAAJ",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17884",
   "https://archive.org/details/fiftyyearsother00johnrich",
   "https://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/johnson/johnson.html",
   "https://archive.org/details/godstrombonessev00johnso"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-12"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 28,
  "n_stanzas": 5,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 58,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Once der was a meetin’ in de wilderness,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "All de critters of creation dey was dar;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer Rabbit, Brer ’Possum, Brer Wolf, Brer Fox,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "King Lion, Mister Terrapin, Mister B’ar.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "De question fu’ discussion was, “Who is de bigges’ man?”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Dey ’pinted ole Jedge Owl to decide;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He polished up his spectacles an’ put ’em on his nose,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "An’ to the question slowly he replied:",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Brer Wolf am mighty cunnin’,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer Fox am mighty sly,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer Terrapin an’ ’Possum⁠—kinder small;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer Lion’s mighty vicious,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer B’ar he’s sorter ’spicious,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer Rabbit, you’s de cutes’ of ’em all.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Dis caused a great confusion ’mongst de animals,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Ev’y critter claimed dat he had won de prize;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Dey ’sputed an’ dey arg’ed, dey growled an’ dey roared,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Den putty soon de dus’ begin to rise.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Brer Rabbit he jes’ stood aside an’ urged ’em on to fight.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer Lion he mos’ tore Brer B’ar in two;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "W’en dey was all so tiahd dat dey couldn’t catch der bref",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer Rabbit he jes’ grabbed de prize an’ flew.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Brer Wolf am mighty cunnin’,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer Fox am mighty sly,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer Terrapin an’ Possum⁠—kinder small;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer Lion’s mighty vicious,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer B’ar he’s sorter ’spicious,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brer Rabbit, you’s de cutes’ of ’em all.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}