The End of the World
folktales of Aarne-Thompson types 2033 and 20C
in which storytellers from around the world
make light of paranoia and mass hysteria
selected and edited by
D. L. Ashliman
© 1999
folktales of Aarne-Thompson types 2033 and 20C
in which storytellers from around the world
make light of paranoia and mass hysteria
selected and edited by
D. L. Ashliman
© 1999
Return to D. L. Ashliman's index of folklore and mythology electronic texts.
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta reigned in Benares, the Bodhisatta [the future Buddha] came to life as a young lion. And when fully grown he lived in a wood. At this time there was near the Western Ocean a grove of palms mixed with vilva trees.
A certain hare lived here beneath a palm sapling, at the foot of a vilva tree. One day this hare, after feeding, came and lay down beneath the young palm tree. And the thought struck him, "If this earth should be destroyed, what would become of me?"
And at this very moment a ripe vilva fruit fell on a palm leaf. At the sound of it, the hare thought, "This solid earth is collapsing," and starting up he fled, without so much as looking behind him. Another hare saw him scampering off, as if frightened to death, and asked the cause of his panic flight.
"Pray, don't ask me," he said.
The other hare cried, "Pray, sir, what is it?" and kept running after him.
Then the hare stopped a moment and without looking back said, "The earth here is breaking up."
And at this the second hare ran after the other. And so first one and then another hare caught sight of him running, and joined in the chase till one hundred thousand hares all took to flight together. They were seen by a deer, a boar, an elk, a buffalo, a wild ox, a rhinoceros, a tiger, a lion, and an elephant. And when they asked what it meant and were told that the earth was breaking up, they too took to flight. So by degrees this host of animals extended to the length of a full league.
When the Bodhisatta saw this headlong flight of the animals, and heard the cause of it was that the earth was coming to an end, he thought, "The earth is nowhere coming to an end. Surely it must be some sound which was misunderstood by them. And if I don't make a great effort, they will all perish. I will save their lives."
So with the speed of a lion he got before them to the foot of a mountain, and lion-like roared three times. They were terribly frightened at the lion, and stopping in their flight stood all huddled together. The lion went in amongst them and asked why there were running away.
"The earth is collapsing," they answered.
"Who saw it collapsing?" he said.
"The elephants know all about it," they replied.
He asked the elephants. "We don't know," they said, "the lions know."
But the lions said, "We don't know, the tigers know."
The tigers said, "The rhinoceroses know."
The rhinoceroses said, "The wild oxen know."
The wild oxen, "the buffaloes."
The buffaloes, "the elks."
The elks, "the boars."
The boars, "the deer."
The deer said, "We don't know; the hares know."
When the hares were questioned, they pointed to one particular hare and said, "This one told us."
So the Bodhisatta asked, "Is it true, sir, that the earth is breaking up?"
"Yes, sir, I saw it," said the hare.
"Where," he asked, "were you living, when you saw it?"
"Near the ocean, sir, in a grove of palms mixed with vilva trees. For as I was lying beneath the shade of a palm sapling at the foot of a vilva tree, methought, 'If this earth should break up, where shall I go?' And at that very moment I heard the sound the breaking up of the earth, and I fled."
Thought the lion, "A ripe vilva fruit evidently must have fallen on a palm leaf and made a 'thud,' and this hare jumped to the conclusion that the earth was coming to an end, and ran away. I will find out the exact truth about it."
So he reassured the herd of animals, and said, "I will take the hare and go and find out exactly whether the earth is coming to an end or not, in the place pointed out by him. Until I return, do you stay here." Then placing the hare on his back, he sprang forward with the speed of a lion, and putting the hare down in the palm grove, he said, "Come, show us the place you meant."
"I dare not, my lord," said the hare.
"Come, don't be afraid," said the lion.
The hare, not venturing to go near the vilva tree, stood afar off and cried, "Yonder, sir, is the place of dreadful sound," and so saying, he repeated the first stanza:
From the spot where I did dwell
Issued forth a fearful "thud";
What it was I could not tell,
Nor what caused it understood.
After hearing what the hare said, the lion went to the foot of the vilva tree, and saw the spot where the hare had been lying beneath the shade of the palm tree, and the ripe vilva fruit that fell on the palm leaf, and having carefully ascertained that the earth had not broken up, he placed the hare on his back and with the speed of a lion soon came again to the herd of beasts.
Then he told them the whole story, and said, "Don't be afraid." And having thus reassured the herd of beasts, he let them go.
Verily, if it had not been for the Bodhisatta at that time, all the beasts would have rushed into the sea and perished. It was all owing to the Bodhisatta that they escaped death.
Alarmed at sound of fallen fruit
A hare once ran away,
The other beasts all followed suit
Moved by that hare's dismay.
They hastened not to view the scene,
But lent a willing ear
To idle gossip, and were clean
Distraught with foolish fear.
They who to Wisdom's calm delight
And Virtue's heights attain,
Though ill example should invite,
Such panic fear disdain.
Many, many years ago there were six rabbits who lived on the shore of a lake, in a forest. One fine day, a big ripe fruit on one of the biggest trees fell down into the lake, making a loud "plop!" when it hit the water. The rabbits were terrified, not knowing what this noise could be, and at once made off as fast as their four legs could carry them.
A fox saw them fleeing and called out, "Why are you flying?"
The rabbits said, "Plop is coming!"
When the fox heard this, he immediately started to flee with them. Next they ran into a monkey, who queried, "Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Plop is coming!" replied the fox. So the monkey also joined in their flight.
Thus the news spread from mouth to mouth until a deer, a pig, a buffalo, a rhinoceros, an elephant, a black bear, a brown bear, a leopard, a tiger, and a lion were all running away, helter-skelter.
They had no thought at all, except to fly. The faster they ran, the more frightened they became.
At the foot of the hill there lived a lion with a great long mane. When he caught sight of the other lion running, he roared to him, "Brother, you have claws and teeth, and you are the strongest of all animals. Why are you running like mad?"
"Plop is coming!" the running lion panted.
"Who's Plop? Where is he?" the lion with the long mane demanded.
"Well, I don't really know," he faltered.
"Why make such a fuss then?" the long-maned lion went on. "Let's find out what it is first. Who told you about it?"
"The tiger told me."
The inquisitive lion with the long mane asked the tiger, who said that the leopard had told him, so the lion turned to the leopard, and the leopard answered that he had heard it from the brown bear. The question was passed on to the brown bear, who said he had heard it from the black bear. In this way, the black bear, the elephant, the rhinoceros, the buffalo, the pig, and the deer were all asked, one by one, and each of them said he was told by someone else.
Finally it came down to the fox's testimony, and he said, "The rabbits told me."
Then the lion went up to the rabbits, who squeaked in chorus, "All six of us heard this terrible plop with our own ears. Come with us, we'll show you where we heard him."
They led him to the forest, and pointing at it, they told the lion, "The terrible plop is there."
Just at this moment another big fruit fell from the tree and dropped into the water with a deep "plop!"
The lion sneered.
"Now, look, all of you!" he said. "You've all seen what that plop is. It's only the sound of a fruit dropping into the water. What is so terrifying about that? You almost ran your legs off!"
They breathed a sigh of relief. The panic was all for naught.
A hen was picking at a stack of pea-straw when a pea fell on her head, and she thought the sky was falling. And she thought she would go and tell the king about it. And she went, and went, and went, and she met a cock.
And he said, "Where are you going this day, Henny-Penny?"
And she says, "I'm going to tell the king the sky is falling."
And he says, "I'll go with you, Henny-Penny."
And they went, and they went, and they went. And they met a duck. And the duck says, "Where are you going this day, Cocky-Locky, Henny-Penny?"
"We're going to tell the king the sky is falling."
"I'll go with you, Cocky-Locky, Henny-Penny."
"Then come along, Ducky-Daddles."
And they went, and they went, and they went. And they met a goose. And the goose says, "Where are you going this day, Ducky-Daddles, Cocky-Locky, Henny-Penny?"
"We're going to tell the king the sky is falling."
And he says, "I'll go with you, Ducky-Daddles, Cocky-Locky, Henny-Penny."
"Then come along, Goosie-Poosey," said they.
And they went, and they went, and they went, till they came to a wood, and there they met a fox. And the fox says, "Where are you going this day, Goosie-Poosey, Ducky-Daddles, Cocky-Locky, Henny-Penny?"
"We're going to tell the king the sky is falling."
And he says, "Come along, and I'll show you the road, Goosie-Poosey, Ducky-Daddles, Cocky-Locky, Henny-Penny."
And they went, and they went, and they went, till they came to the fox's hole. And he shoved them all in, and he and his young ones ate them all up, and they never got to tell the king the sky was falling.
Once upon a time there was a hen that had flown up and perched on an oak tree for the night. When the night came, she dreamed that unless she got to Dovrefjell, the world would come to an end. So that very minute she jumped down, and set out on her way. When she had walked a bit she met a cock.
"Good day, Cocky-Locky," said the hen.
"Good day, Henny-Penny," said the cock. "Where are you going so early?"
"Oh, I'm going to Dovrefjell, that the world won't come to an end," said the hen.
"Who told you that, Henny-Penny?" asked the cock.
"I sat in the oak and dreamed it last night," said the hen.
"I'll go with you," said the cock.
Well, they walked on a good bit, and then they met a duck.
"Good day, Ducky-Lucky," said the cock.
"Good day, Cocky-Locky" said the duck. "Where are you going so early?"
"Oh, I'm going to Dovrefjell, that the world won't come to an end," said the cock.
"Who told you that, Cocky-Locky?"
"Henny-Penny," said the cock.
"Who told you that, Henny-Penny?" asked the duck.
"I sat in the oak and dreamed it last night," said the hen.
"I'll go with you," said the duck.
So they went off together, and after a bit they met a goose.
"Good day, Goosey-Poosey," said the duck.
"Good day, Ducky-Lucky," said the goose. "Where are you going so early?"
"I'm going to Dovrefjell, that the world won't come to an end," said the duck.
"Who told you that, Ducky-Lucky?" asked the goose.
"Cocky-Locky."
"Who told you that, Cocky-Locky?"
"Henny-Penny."
"How do you know that, Henny-Penny?" said the goose.
"I sat in the oak and dreamed it last night, Goosey-Poosey," said the hen.
"I'll go with you," said the goose.
Now when they had all walked along for a bit, a fox met them.
"Good day, Foxy-Cocksy," said the goose.
"God day, Goosey-Poosey."
"Where are you going, Foxy-Cocksy?"
"Where are you going yourself, Goosey-Poosey?"
"I'm going to Dovrefjell, that the world won't come to an end," said the goose.
"Who told you that, Goosey-Poosey?" asked the fox.
"Ducky-Lucky."
"Who told you that, Ducky-Lucky?"
"Cocky-Locky."
"Who told you that, Cocky-Locky?"
"Henny-Penny."
"How do you know that, Henny-Penny?"
"I sat in the oak and dreamed last night, that if we don't get to Dovrefjell, the world will come to an end," said the hen.
"Stuff and nonsense," said the fox. "The world won't come to an end if you don't go there. No, come home with me to my den. That's far better, for it's warm and jolly there."
Well, they went home with the fox to his den, and when they got inside, the fox laid on lots of fuel, so that they all got very sleepy. The duck and the goose, they settled themselves down in a corner, but the cock and hen flew up on a post. So when the goose and duck were well asleep, the fox took the goose and laid him on the embers, and roasted him. The hen smelled the strong roast meat, and sprang up to a higher peg, and said, half asleep, "Phooey, what a nasty smell! What a nasty smell!"
"Oh, stuff!" said the fox. "It's only the smoke driven down the chimney. Go to sleep again, and hold your tongue." So the hen went off to sleep again.
Now the fox had hardly got the goose well down his throat, before he did the very same with the duck. He took and laid him on the embers, and roasted him for a dainty bit.
Then the hen woke up again, and sprang up to a higher peg still. "Phooey, what a nasty smell! What a nasty smell!" she said again, and when she got her eyes open, and came to see how the fox and eaten two of them, both the goose and the duck. So she flew up to the highest peg of all, and perched there, and peeped up through the chimney.
"Nay, nay, just see what a lovely lot of geese are flying over there," she said to the fox.
Out ran Reynard to fetch a fat roast. But while he was gone, the hen woke up the cock and told him how it had gone with Goosey-Poosey and Ducky-Lucky. And so Cocky-Locky and Henny-Penny flew out through the chimney, and if they hadn't got to Dovrefjell, it surely would have been all over with the world.
One night while the little boy was sitting in Uncle Remus's cabin, waiting for the old man to finish his hoe-cake, and refresh his memory as to the further adventures of Brother Rabbit, his friends and his enemies, something dropped upon the top of the house with a noise like the crack of a pistol. The little boy jumped, but Uncle Remus looked up and exclaimed, "Ah-yi!" in a tone of triumph.
"What was that, Uncle Remus?" the child asked, after waiting a moment to see what else would happen.
"New from Jack Frost, honey. When that hickory-nut tree out there hears him coming, she begins to drop what she's got. I'm mighty glad," he continued, scraping the burnt crust from hi hoe-cake with an old case-knife. "I'm mighty glad hickory nuts aren't as big and heavy as grindstones."
He waited a moment to see what effect this queer statement would have on the child.
"Yes, sir, I'm might glad, that I am. Because if hickory nuts were as big as grindstones, this here old calaboose would be leaking long before Christmas."
Just then another hickory nut dropped upon the roof, and the little boy jumped again. This seemed to amuse Uncle Remus, and he laughed until he was near to choking himself with his smoking hoe-cake.
"You are doing exactly what old Brer Rabbit did, I declare to gracious if you aren't," the old man cried, as soon as he could get his breath. "Exactly for the world."
The child was immensely flattered, and at once he wanted to know how Brother Rabbit did. Uncle Remus was in such good humor that he needed no coaxing. He pushed his spectacles back on he forehead, wiped him mouth on his sleeve, and began:
It came about that early one morning towards the fall of the year Brer Rabbit was stirring around in the woods after some bergamot to use for making him some hair grease. The wind was blowing so cold that it made him feel right frisky, and every time he heard the bushes rattle, it seemed to scare him. He was going on this way, hoppity-skippity, when by and by he heard Mr. Man cutting on a tree way off in the woods. He sat up, Brer Rabbit did, and listened first with one ear and then with the other.
The man, he cut and cut, and Brer Rabbit, he listened and listened. By and by, while all this was going on, down came the tree: kubber-lang-bang-blam! Brer Rabbit, he took and jumped just like you jumped, and not only that, he made a break, he did, and he leaped out of as though the dogs were after him.
"Was he scared, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.
"Scared! Who? Him? Shoo! Don't you fret yourself about Brer Rabbit, honey. In those days there was nothing going that could scare Brer Rabbit. To be sure, he took care of himself, and if you know anyone who refuses to take care of himself, I would mighty well like you to point him out. Indeed I would!" Uncle Remus seemed to boil over wit argumentative indignation.
Well then, he continued, Brer Rabbit ran until he sort of got heated up, and about the time he was getting ready to squat and catch his wind, who should he meet but Brer Coon going home after sitting up with old Brer Bull-Frog. Brer Coon saw him running, and he hailed him, "What's your hurry, Brer Rabbit?"
"Haven't got time to tarry."
"Folks sick?"
"No, my Lord! Haven't got time to tarry!"
"Trying out your suppleness?"
"No, my Lord! Haven't got time to tarry!"
"Do pray, Brer Rabbit, tell me the news!"
"Mighty big fuss back there in the woods. Haven't got time to tarry!"
This made Brer Coon feel might skittish, because he was far from home, and he just leaped out, he did, and he went a-boiling through the woods. Brer Coon hadn't gone far until he met Brer Fox.
"Hey, Brer Coon, where are you going?"
"Haven't got time to tarry!"
"Going to the doctor?"
"No, my Lord! Haven't got time to tarry!"
Do pry, Brer Coon, tell me the news."
Mighty queer racket back there in the woods! Haven't got time to tarry!
With that, Brer Fox leaped out, he did, and fairly split the wind. He hadn't gone far until he met Brer Wolf.
"Hey, Brer Fox! Stop and rest yourself!"
"Haven't got time to tarry!"
"Who is wanting the doctor?"
"No one, my Lord! Haven't got time to tarry."
"Do pray, Brer Fox, good or bad, tell me the news."
"Mighty curious fuss back there in the woods! Haven't got time to tarry!"
With that, Brer Wolf shook himself loose from the face of the earth, and he didn't get far until he met Brer Bear. Brer Bear, he asked, and Brer Wolf made an answer, and by and by Brer Bear snorted and ran off. And, bless gracious, it wasn't long before the last one of the creatures was a-skaddling through the woods as though the Old Boy were after them, and all because Brer Rabbit heard Mr. Man cut a tree down.
They ran and they ran, Uncle Remus went on, until they them to Brer Terrapin's house, and they sort of slacked up, because they had nearly lost their wind. Brer Terrapin, he up an asked them where they were going, and they said there was a monstrous, terrifying racket back there in the woods. Brer Terrapin, he asked what it sounded like. One said he didn't know; the other said he didn't know; and they all said they didn't know. This made old Brer Terrapin laugh way down in his insides, and he up and said, "You all can run along if you feel skittish," he said. "After I cook my breakfast and wash up the dishes, and if I get wind of any suspicious racket, maybe I might just take down my parasol and follow along after you," he said.
When the creatures came to ask one another about who started the news, it went right back to Brer Rabbit, but low and behold, Brer Rabbit wasn't there! It turned out that Brer Coon was the one who had seen him last. Then they got to laying the blame of it on one or the other, until they almost began to fight, but then old Brer Terrapin, he up and said that if they wanted to straighten it out, they'd better go see Brer Rabbit.
All the creatures agreed, the they started out for Brer Rabbit's house. When they got there, Brer Rabbit was sitting cross-legged on the front porch winking his eyes at the sun.
Brer Bear spoke up, "What made you fool me, Brer Rabbit?"
"Fool who, Brer Bear?"
"Me, Brer Rabbit, that's who."
"This is the first time I've seen you today, Brer Bear, and you are more than welcome at that."
They all asked him and got the same answer, and then Brer Coon put in, "What made you fool me, Brer Rabbit?"
"How did I fool you, Brer Coon?"
"You made like there was a big racket, Brer Rabbit."
"What kind of a racket, Brer Rabbit?"
"Ah-yi! You should have asked me that first, Brer Coon."
"I'm asking you now, Brer Rabbit."
"Mr. Man cut a tree down, Brer Coon."
Of course this made Brer Coon feel like a natural-born slink, and it wasn't long before all the creatures made their bows to Brer Rabbit and moseyed off home.
"Brother Rabbit had the best of it all along," said the little boy, after waiting to see whether there was a sequel to the story.
"Oh, did he ever!" exclaimed Uncle Remus. "Brer Rabbit was a mighty man in those days."
Return to D. L. Ashliman's index of folklore and mythology electronic texts.
Revised April 21, 1999.