At last he arrived at the well, and there he saw the little negro.  He stopped and looked at it with astonishment.  Then he drew back a little way, advanced again, drew back, advanced a little, and stopped once more.

“What can that be?” he said to himself.  He listened, with his long ears pointed forward, but the trees could not talk, and the bushes were dumb.  He winked his eyes and lowered his head: 

“Hey, friend!  Who are you?” he asked.

The tar-doll didn’t move.  Brother Rabbit went up a little closer, and asked again: 

“Who are you?”

The tar-doll said nothing.  Brother Rabbit breathed more at ease.  Then he went to the brink of the well, but when he looked in the water the tar-doll seemed to look in too.  He could see her reflection in the water.  This made Brother Rabbit so mad that he grew red in the face.

“See here!” he exclaimed, “If you look in this well I’ll give you a rap on the nose!”

Brother Rabbit leaned over the brink of the well, and saw the tar-doll smiling at him in the water.  He raised his right hand and hit her—­bam!  His hand stuck.

“What’s this?” exclaimed Brother Rabbit.  “Turn me loose, imp of Satan!  If you do not, I will rap you on the eye with my other hand.”

Then he hit her—­bim!  The left hand stuck also.  Then Brother Rabbit raised his right foot, saying: 

“Mark me well, little Congo!  Do you see this foot?  I will kick you in the stomach if you do not turn me loose this instant.”

No sooner said than done.  Brother Rabbit let fly his right foot—­ vip!  The foot stuck, and he raised the other.

“Do you see this foot?” he exclaimed.  “If I hit you with it, you will think a thunderbolt has struck you.”

Then he kicked her with the left foot, and it also stuck like the other, and Brother Rabbit held fast his Guinea negro.

“Watch out, now!” he cried.  “I’ve already butted a great many people with my head.  If I butt you in your ugly face I’ll knock it into a jelly.  Turn me loose!  Oho!  You don’t answer?” Bap!

“Guinea girl!” exclaimed Brother Rabbit, “Are you dead?  Gracious goodness!  How my head does stick!”

When the sun rose, Brother Goat went to his well to find out something about Brother Rabbit.  The result was beyond his expectations.

“Hey, little rogue, big rogue!” exclaimed Brother Goat.  “Hey, Brother Rabbit!  What are you doing there?  I thought you drank the dew from the cups of the flowers, or milk from the cows.  Aha, Brother Rabbit!  I will punish you for stealing my water.”

“I am your friend,” said Brother Rabbit; “don’t kill me.”

“Thief, thief!” cried Brother Goat, and then he ran quickly into the woods, gathered up a pile of dry limbs, and made a great fire.  He took Brother Rabbit from the tar-doll, and prepared to burn him alive.  As he was passing a thicket of brambles with Brother Rabbit on his shoulders, Brother Goat met his daughter Beledie, who was walking about in the fields.