Boxed pack of cards, The Game of Brer Rabbit, probably published in England about 1910

A pack of fifty-two cards arranged in thirteen sets of four. Each card has an illustration and an appropriate quotation. The cards are housed in the original card box which has one of the illustrations pasted on the lid showing the title.There is also a rule card. The design is chromolithographs in simple colours with letterpress text beneath. The reverse sides are a plain buff yellow colour.

The subject matter of each set of is quite brutal.
"By permission of the publisher of `Books for the Bairns' the illustrations in the book `Brer Rabbit' have been made use of in this game".
The Books for the Bairns was published by W T Stead and re-issued many times from the end of the 19th century. These illustrations while following the general theme of the pictures do not resemble the ones normally used in the books.

RULES
This game may be played by any number of players.
The cards are shuffled and dealt round face down.
Commencing at the left hand of the dealer, each player plays a card face upwards, placing the cards in a row in front of him according to the sets.
When a player turns up a card corresponding with another player's turned-up card, either of them (whichever speaks first) may secure the other's card or cards of that set by calling out BRER RABBIT and reading or repeating the quotation.
The next player then takes his turn and the game proceeds. When a set is complete it is put out of the game, and the player who gains the most sets wins the game.

Four slightly different versions of this game exist: two with fifty-two cards and two with thirty-nine cards. This, the first version, has square corners and a yellow back; the second (also of fifty-two cards) has yellow backs and rounded corners. Thirdly was a thirty-nine card deck with yellow backs; lastly was a set of thirty-nine cards with patterned backs. These last two both had corners.

Brer Rabbit is the hero of a collection of African American folk tales and fables from the Southern United States. These were collected by Joel Chandler Harris and first published in 1880. The teller of the tales is a character called Uncle Remus, whose name has become synonymous with that of Brer Rabbit. Many of the stories feature Brer Fox attempting to catch Brer Rabbit whose wily ways always result in the outwitting of the fox. Other characters who feature in the stories include Brer Bear and Brer Tarrypin (a terrapin).

B.250:1-55-1996