Strong Horse Tea

Strong Horse Tea Summary | Strong Horse Tea Summary

The story is about a black mother, young and single, named Rannie Toomer. Her baby boy, Snooks, is dying of double pneumonia and whooping cough. Her baby is all Rannie has in the world. For five days Snooks has been sick and Rannie has not bathed in that time due to taking care of her sick baby. Rannie knows her baby boy is gravely ill and is waiting for the white doctor to come and make him better.

Sarah is an older black woman who is knowledgeable of old home remedies and knows magic as well. Sarah tries to convince Rannie to use on the baby some of the home remedies that she knows. Rannie will not allow Sarah to perform her home remedies on her baby for several reasons. Rannie doesn't believe in "that swamp magic" that Sarah practices. She remembers all of the home remedies that she had taken as a child had come close to killing her. She also wants a white doctor, for she knows he has medicine and shots that he uses on white people that can make her baby better and strong. Rannie has sent for a white doctor by way of her white mailman hours earlier and has been waiting ever since. Rannie believes that a white doctor would not ignore her pleas to help a dying black baby. Sarah, on the other hand, is highly skeptical and knows that the white doctor is not coming.

The story then shifts to the white mailman's encounter with Rannie earlier that day when she asks him to send the white doctor to help her sick baby. This part of the story is told from the mailman's perspective.

The mailman views Rannie Toomer as an ignorant black woman. In the past, he has had to explain about the circulars and advertisements in the mail that Rannie receives: Rannie wondered when the stuff in the advertisements would be delivered, and the mailman had to explain to her that she needed money to buy the items in the advertisements. Rannie has no money, so she didn't understand why she kept receiving the circulars. The mailman explained that they sent the advertisements to everyone whether they could afford the items or not. The mailman thought her ignorant when she asked for extra circulars to paper her house with to keep the wind from coming inside.

Today the mailman was instantly repulsed by Rannie Toomer due to her bad breath and unwashed appearance. When Rannie approaches his car in the rain and attempts to tell him about her sick baby and need for a doctor, he hardly pays attention to her. He is too busy trying to avoid her odor and keep her from getting the inside of his car wet. The mailman feels irritated with Rannie because she clings to the car and won't let him go. She keeps ranting on an on about something concerning Snooks and "nemonia" and "shots" and how she wants a doctor. He feels aggrieved that colored people always wanted white people to do something for them. The mailman attempts to appease Rannie so she will let him go and tells her he hopes her baby will be all right, that he'll see what he can do. The mailman then suggests that she try Sarah's home remedies. Rannie becomes even more emphatic and upset, grabbing and shaking his shoulder and saying no, she wants a real doctor. The mailman begins to get angry with her and repeats that he'll see what he can do, disengages himself, and leaves. He is repulsed that Rannie touched him in her present state.

Rannie is upset about the mailman's suggestion about using home remedies and is further agitated when Sarah shows up at her house wanting to use her "nigger magic." Rannie lets Sarah stay with her but threatens her with physical violence if she tries to use any of her magic or home remedies on the child.

Though much time has passed and still no doctor shows, Rannie still believes the doctor is coming. Sarah finally convinces Rannie that the white doctor is not coming because the mailman had gone and fetched her instead and gave her Rannie's message. Defeated, Rannie is finally convinced and begs Sarah to do whatever she has to do to keep her baby from dying. Rannie feels heavy with guilt for the time wasted waiting for the doctor and postponing Sarah's helping her baby.

After examining Snooks, Sarah announces that the baby is dying and that there is only one thing to do that might help him. She tells Rannie that she needs to get Snooks some strong "horse tea" for the baby. Rannie goes out into the rain, chases down a horse and uses her shoe to catch the horse's urine. While Rannie is collecting the urine, Sarah sees that baby Snooks has died. After Rannie collects the urine, the horse kicks her down. Rannie manages not to drop the shoe filled with urine but notices that her shoe is leaking. Rannie puts her own mouth over it to stop the leak and runs back home to give horse tea to her baby, unaware that her baby is already dead.