Sugarfootn’ in the South with Brer’ Rabbit
“How Handclapping Got Started In the Church” Sugarfoots™ Tattle-Tales Series
by
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It was a hot summer day in the Sugarfoots village and Babelle was listening to the chatter from the Sugarfoots as she was outside hanging laundry on the clothesline.
"Man oh man,” Babelle heard the Sugarfoots talking amongst themselves, “these mosquitoes are really driving me crazy. Wherever they go in the winter time, we should pay them to stay there!”
As the Sugarfoots kept swatting at the mosquitoes, Babelle was thinking of a way she could distract them from being so annoyed. She suddenly remembered the tale of Brer' Rabbit outsmarting Brer' Fox in the church. “Come here everyone,” beckoned Babelle. “I know you don't like mosquitoes, but did you know mosquitoes proved to be very helpful in the church? In fact if it were not for the mosquitoes and Brer' Rabbit, there may not have been any hand clapping in the church.”
Babelle's Aunt Fannie was Head of the Usher Board and she was standing at the door welcoming everyone to the church. She saw Babelle and the Sugarfoots and quickly motioned for them to come. “Ya'll are just in time!” Aunt Fannie said excitedly in her soothing southern voice. “We have a little time before the morning service begins; just take a seat right here in the back with me so I can keep an eye on ya'll. Aunt Fannie continued, “Babelle tells me ya'll don't like mosquitoes? “We don't”, protested the Sugarfoots.
"Why that is a silly thang to say” said Aunt Fannie. “Mosquitoes in the south have their rightful place in society. If it hadn't been for them, the pure sound of rhythmic, syncopated clapping may have never and I do mean never, made its way to the north!
Babelle and the Sugarfoots kept very quiet because they did not want to miss a word of Aunt Fannie's story. Aunt Fannie told them that, quite a while back, folks at Ol' Wilson used to clap their hands and stomp their feet, while singing to the beat of the music. But Brer' Fox could not stand the sound of all that noise. This was on account that he had visited many churches up north. Brer' Fox used to say that southern Baptists were more country than northern Baptists. He also felt no one was more country than Brer' Rabbit. He also knew no one enjoyed all that hand clapping in the church more than Brer' Rabbit did.
He waited until Brer' Rabbit had to take a leave of absence from the church to have his home, the briar patch, refurbished with modernized briar he had purchased from the Carrot Collection of Fine Furnishing.
Being the sly fox that he was, Brer' Fox convinced his cousin, a preacher from up north, to visit Ol' Wilson. He was so smart; he managed to have his cousin voted in as the new pastor of the church and he made sure he had the vote taken when Brer' Rabbit would not be around.
This was a REALLY, BIG change for the church. Somehow everyone agreed, including Brer Fox, Brer' Bear, Sistah This and Sistah That...
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About the Book
“Sugar roads and sugar toes Sugarfoots and all that glows In my hand the stones will be And my imagination Will be with me…” And with that, the Sugarfoots dolls come to life. Babelle, a young African-American girl who is the appointed caretaker of the Sugarfoots, magically arranges for the Sugarfoots second journey – this time to the South! In the blink of an eye Babelle and her Sugarfoots are right at the door of the Ol’ Wilson Southern Baptist Church. Babelle cannot wait to introduce the Sugarfoots to her Aunt Fannie, who is very knowledgeable about everything. She knew Aunt Fannie would be the right person to explain to the Sugarfoots how handclapping got started in the church. In a bustling world of video mania, children as well as parents will delight in taking a break from the keyboard, while learning about the joy of folklore, especially with a Brer’ Rabbit tale! Stories that have been passed down for generations will intrigue young minds and bring smiles of remembrance from parents about these dubious fables of yesteryear with a fresh new twist. It will be up to them to determine if the folktale is true or not…
About the Author
Barbara Nyaliemaa Mosima is a graduate of Howard University’s Drama Department, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and has also taught at the Duke Ellington School for the Performance Arts. She is an accomplished actress, comedienne, storyteller and entrepreneur, and has performed throughout the Washington metropolitan area and the East Coast. Ms. Mosima founded Sugarfoots in 1992, a company that designs cultural soft-sewn rag dolls, created in the three complexion shades of Cocoa, Ginger and Cinnamon. She has been featured in The Washington Post, numerous local news broadcasts, Latina Magazine, Family Digest and thrice in Essence Magazine. Along with Sugarfoots dolls, the Sugarfoots family includes children’s books, storytelling workshops and a performing arts summer camp. Ms. Mosima was a principal performer in the No Neck Monster Theatre Company’s production of Sanctuary D.C., nominated in 1988 for the Helen Hayes Award. In the Washington, D.C. comedy-drama production of An Oral History of Tarawaga County, Ms. Mosima’s performance was reviewed as “A Goddess of a Black Woman, with warmth and style”. She continues to be well noted for her bright comic performances. She has worked with celebrity artists such as Ruby Dee, the late Ossie Davis, Patti Labelle, and Bill Cosby. She is a dedicated and committed performer and delights audiences wherever her path may lead her. Through Sugarfoots, Ms. Mosima has performed storytelling workshops for the Girl Scouts of America, Jack and Jill, Boys and Girls Clubs, Schools, Museums, the Outreach Children’s Theatre Company’s touring production of The Golden Journey and Interact, a children’s touring production throughout the Washington metropolitan area. With this rich blend of theatrical talents, Ms. Mosima brings to the art of storytelling a unique fusion of improvisation, movement and comic overture. She resides in Washington D.C. with her husband Gabriel and her son Parker.