Jamaica Anansi Stories

William Forbes, Dry River.

Tiger was walking to a yard an’ see two young misses, an’ he was courting one of de young misses. An’ as Anansi hear, Anansi go up to yard where de young misses is; an’ dey ax him said, “Mr. Anansi, you see Mr. Tiger?” An’ said, “O yes! I see Mr. Tiger, but I tell you, missus, Tiger is me fader ol’ ridin’-horse.” An’ when Tiger come to misses, dem tell him. An’ said him gwine Anansi, mak him come an’ prove witness befo’ him face how he is fader ol’ ridin’-horse!

An’ when him come call Anansi, say, “Want you to come prove dis t’ing you say ’fore de misses,” Anansi say, “I nebber say so! but I kyan’ walk at all.” Tiger said, “If I hab to carry you ’pon me back, I will carry you go!” Anansi said, “Well, I wi’ go.” Anansi go tak out him saddle. Tiger say, “What you gwine do wid saddle?” Anansi say, “To put me foot down in de stirrup so [6]when I gwine fall down, I weak, I can catch up.” An’ tak him bridle. Tiger say, “What you gwine do wid it?” Say, “Gwine put it in you mout’, when I gwine to fa’ down I can catch up.” Tiger say, “I don’ care what you do, mus’ put it on!” An’ him go back an’ tak horse-whip. An say, “Wha’ you gwine do wid de horse-whip?” An’ say, “Fe when de fly come, fan de fly.” An’ put on two pair of ’pur. An’ say, “Wha’ you gwine do wid ’pur?” An’ say, “If I don’ put on de ’pur, me foot wi’ cramp.” An’ come close to yard an’ close in wid de ’pur an’ horse-whip, an’ mak him gallop into de yard. An’ say, “Carry him in to stable, sah! I mak you to know what Anansi say true to de fac’, is me fader ol’ ridin’-horse.”

Tiger tak to wood, Anansi sing a’ter him, “Po’ Tiger dead an’ gone!”

[MP3 | MusicXML]

1Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom, Eb-ry-bod-y (?)
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom, (?) Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na.
Po’ Ti-ger dead and gone, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na,
Eb-ry-bod-y go look fo’ dem wife, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na,
Eb-ry-bod-y go look fo’ dem wife, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom.

George Parkes, Mandeville.

Anansi was a head-man for a man by the name of Mr. Mighty, who employed Anansi for the purpose of minding some sheep. The sheep numbered about two thousand. And from the first day Anansi took over the sheep, the man began to miss one. An’ he steal them until he leave only one. Well, Mr. Mighty would like to find out how the sheep go. He say to Anansi he would give his best daughter and two hundred pound to find out how the sheep go.

Anansi say the best way to find it out is to make a ball. Anansi have a friend name of Tiger, call him ‘Brar Tiger’. He went to Tiger an’ tell him Mr. Mighty promise to give his daughter [7]an’ two hundred pound to whomsoever tell how the sheep go. Anansi now is a fiddler, an’ he say that he will play the fiddle an’ Tiger play the tambourine, but before he go to the ball he will give Tiger a sheepskin coat, sheepskin trousers, a sheepskin cap, a sheepskin boot; an’ when him, Tiger, hear him play,

him, Tiger, mustn’t think him the same one; it’s one clear out the country. And he is to play his tambourine, say,

Now then, Anansi go back to Mr. Mighty an’ tol’ him that there is a man coming to the ball wearing a suit of sheep-skin clo’es,—dat is the man who steal the sheep.

Mr. Mighty give out invitation to all the high folks, all the ladies and gentlemen all aroun’, to attend the ball at that same date. The night of the ball, Anansi went with his fiddle an’ Tiger with his tambourine in the suit of sheep-skin clo’es. At the time fix, Anansi tune up his fiddle, ‘he-rum, te-rum, she-rum.’ Tiger now trim the tambourine, ‘ring-ping, ring-ping, ring-pong, pe-ring-ping, double-ping, tong!’ Anansi says, “Gentlemen an’ ladies, ketch yo’ pardner!” Anansi play,

Tiger say,

Anansi go to Mr. Mighty an’ say, “Me an’ dat man workin’ an’ I didn’t know he was such a t’ief! he steal de sheep till he tak skin an’ all mak him clo’es!” An’ as they were going back to their places Anansi say, “Hell after you t’-night, only t’ing you don’t know!” Tiger say, “What you say, Bra’?”—“Me say, you not playing strong enough, you mus’ play up stronger!”

Anansi say again, “Gentlemen an’ ladies, ketch ’em a pardner!” an’ sing,

Tiger say,

[8]

Mr. Mighty got right up an’ said to Tiger, “Yes, that is the man what steal all my sheep!” Tiger say, “No!!” Anansi say, “Yes, that is the man what steal all the sheep, an’ I an’ that man eatin’ an’ I didn’t know that man was such a t’ief!” An’ Tiger was arrested an’ got ten years in prison, an’ Anansi get the two hundred pounds an’ the best daughter to marry to.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

One day, Hanansi go Tiger house an’ eat breakfas’ every day, an’ tell Tiger, say, “Brar Tiger, to-morrow you mus’ come a my house; but when you hear me makin’ noise you mus’ come, for dat time breakfas’ is on, but when you hear me stay still you mustn’t come at all.” So when Tiger go, Hanansi eat done. And say, “Brar Tiger, you foot short!” Tiger say, “No, me no hear you mak noise!” Hanansi say, “No, so me said, for when man makin’ noise he kyan’ eat.” An’ say, “Well, nex’ day come back.” When Tiger come, Hanansi tak shame, gi’ him little breakfas’ but say, “Brar Tiger, when we go fe eat, when I say ‘Nyammy nyammy nyammy’ you mus’ say, ‘Nyam a wha’ eat’.”1 So Hanansi stay deh eat everyt’ing, Tiger never get one.

Tiger study fe him. Nex’ day he go to Tiger yard. When Tiger gi’ him breakfast an’ gi’ him enough meat he said to Tiger, “Brar Tiger, a whe’ you get meat every day so?” Tiger said, “You know how me come by dis meat? When I see a cow lie down, I go up an’ run me han’ inside of de cow an’ hol’ de man tripe, so I never out of meat.” So Hanansi went his way an’ do de same. De cow frighten on de hill-side an’ turn head right down to lowland. Hanansi say, “Do, Brar Cow, don’t shut up me han’!” Cow fasten de han’ de better an’ gallop right down de hill an’ drag Hanansi over de stone. Dat’s de reason let you see Hanansi belly white.

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Blinkie1 an’ Anansi was gwine in a wood. Dem gwine in a wood fe go look egg, bird egg. An’ Anansi tell Blinkie when little bird say, “Who wan’ little egg?” Blinkie fe say him want little egg, an’ when de big bird say, “Who wan’ big egg?” Anansi say, “Me wan’ big egg!” An’ in de night when he get all de big egg, Blinkie get vex’ an’ lef’ Anansi in de bush an’ him fly away wid de light.

An’ Anansi come a Tiger house in a night. Tiger had a sheep in yard. Anansi say, “Brar Tiger, if you gi’ me dinner fe eat t’-night, I gi’ you all de egg.” An’ Tiger say yes, an’ Tiger go to de sheep an’ say, “Lay out, lay out, sheep!” He lay out roas’ fowl, roas’ duck, an’ all sort a t’ings. Anansi get at it. [12]

When he eat, say want to sleep Tiger house. Tiger set ’corpion roun’ de egg. When Anansi put han’ in to tak de egg, ’corpion bite him. An’ holla, “Aye-e-e!” Tiger say, “Brar Anansi, wha’ ha’ you?” An’ say, “Me t’ree litt’e pickney an’ me wife mak me a cry!” Den, when Tiger gone t’ bed, he t’ief away de sheep.

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Tiger had a big pot o’ meat, an’ him boil an’ lef’ it gone a groun’. An’ he have a bone-hole; when he ate de meat, t’row it into de hole. An’ Anansi tak him wife an’ t’ree pickney an’ he say dey five gwine to de house an’ get into de pot eat de meat. An’ after dey hear Tiger was coming, him an’ him wife an’ de t’ree pickney, five of dem, go in de hole. An’ Tiger come an’ say, “Not a creetur nyam dis meat but Brar Nansi!” An’ Tiger begin now eat meat, an’ de first bone him t’row into de hole, him knock one of de pickney. An’ as he go fe holla, Anansi says, “Shut yo’ mout’, sir, don’ cry!” An’ he eat again, t’row out anodder bone, knock anodder pickney. As him go fe cry, say “Shut yo’ mout’, sir!” As he eat anodder bone again, he knock de las’ pickney, mak t’ree. Tell him say him mustn’t cry. Ate anodder bone an’ t’row it in de hole, knock de mudder. As him go fe cry, say, “Shut yo’ mout!” An’ de las’ bone he eat, knock Anansi in a head. Anansi say, “Mak we all holla now in a de hole!” So dey all holla “Yee! yee-e-e!” in a de hole, an’ as dey holla, Tiger get frighten’ an’ run lef’ de house, an Anansi an’ wife an pickney come out tak all de meat go away, run him out of his house ’count of dat bone-hole!

Jack man dora!

Charles Wright, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

Anansi an’ Tiger bot’ of them fin’ one keg of butter. Anansi says to Tiger, “Let us hide it in the bushes.” Some days after, Anansi says to Tiger, “I receive a letter for a christening.” When he return, Tiger ask him the name of the chile. He says the name is “Top take off.” Another week came again. He say receive another letter for another christening. After he come back, Tiger ask him what’s the name of the chile again. He says, “Catch in de middle.” An’ the las’ week he went back for another christening. Tiger ask him when he come back what’s the name of the chile. He says, “Lick clean.” [13]

Now he says, “Tiger, let us go look for this keg of butter.” He carried Tiger all over the place walkin’ until he get tired, an’ when he nearly catch to the place where they hid the butter he said, “Tiger, we are tired, let us go for a sleep!” An’ after Tiger was sleeping, he went to the keg, he took a bit of stick an’ he scrape as much as he can get from the keg, an’ he wipe a little on Tiger mouth an’ he wipe a little at the tail. Then he climb a tall tree now and he make a wonderful alarm that Tiger eat butter until he melt butter!

Samuel Christie, St. Ann’s Bay.

There was four friends; one was Anansi, name of the other was Tiger, name of the other Tacoomah, name of the other Parrot. So they go for a journey, and Anansi bargain with them that the four mus’ change their name an’ when they come home, each one mus’ go to their mudder house an’ if their mudder call them the old name they mus’ eat their mudder. So the new name,—Anansi name was Che-che-bun-da, Parrot new name was Green-corn-ero, Tiger name was Yellow-prissenda, Tacoomah name was Tacoomah-vengeance,—the four new name. Any mudder call them the ol’ name, they mus’ eat the mudder.

So they come to Tacoomah house first. Anansi say Tacoomah name ‘Tacoomah-vengeance’. The mudder didn’t understand the new name, so she say, “Look me pickney Tacoomah come!” An’ kill Tacoomah mudder an’ eat her. Second, ’em go to Tiger mudder. Anansi say Tiger name ‘Yellow-prissenda’. So they fall upon Tiger mudder, eat her. So that night Anansi cry to excuse the night an’ go over to his mudder house an’ say, “Mudder, if you call me ‘Anansi’, dey will kill you! but de name ‘Che-che-bun-da’.” The next night they come to Parrot house. Anansi say Parrot name ‘Green-corn-ero’. Eat Parrot mudder the same. At night, again Anansi cry excuse an’ go to his mudder, say, “Mudder, las’ night wha’ me tell you say me name?” The mudder say, “Me pickney, you no name Anansi?” Anansi say, “Ma, coming here tomorrow night an’ if you call me so they kill you! You mus’ call me ‘Che-che-bun-da’!” Ask his mudder again, “Wha’ me tell you say yo’ pickney name?” She say, “Anansi?” Anansi say, “No, [18]mudder! dey kill you! Me name Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da!” Keep tell the name over an’ over that the mudder no forget.

So the night now Anansi turn come and they come along singing,

An’ as Anansi mudder see Anansi coming an’ the rest, say, “Look me pickney Che-che-bun-da!” Call the new name, so her life save, an’ didn’t eat Anansi mudder. Anansi make the bargain to feast on the others an’ save his mudder!

Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.

Anansi, Tacoomah and Tiger made a dance; Anansi was the fiddler, Tacoomah the drummer and Tiger the tambourine man. They travel on till they get to a country where all the people were naked—no clothing except the head-man, who wore a long shirt; he had a wooden leg. So they invite up all these people to come to the dance. Mr. Ram-goat was in the lot. So they start playing and the people start dancing, dance until they get so tired everybody fell asleep; and Anansi stole the head-man’s shirt—good shirt!—and put his own old one upon him while he was sleeping.

The man got awake, miss his shirt. Now this shirt could talk. The man call out, “Long-shirt, whe’ you deh?” Longshirt answer, “Brar Nansi have me on-o!” They start up, now. Anansi got so frightened! He met Brar Ram-goat. He said, “Brar Ram-goat, I swap me shirt, gi’ you one new one fe you ol’ one!” Ram-goat readily make the exchange. The head-man call out, “Long-shirt, whe’ you deh?” Long-shirt call out, “Bra’ Ram-goat have me on now-o!”

Ram-goat run until he was exhausted, couldn’t go any further. He dug a hole an’ bury himself into the hole leaving one horn outside and didn’t know that horn was projecting outside. The man with the wooden leg couldn’t go as fast as the rest. All the rest ran past Ram-goat; the head-man came along, buck the wooden leg upon the horn and he fell down. When he got up, he thought [19]it was a stump, so he got out his knife to cut off that stump to prevent it throwing him down again. He cut an’ cut an’ cut till he saw blood. He call out to the rest, “Look! come now-o, dirtee have blood!” All the rest come around say, “Dig him out! dig him out! dig him out!” After they dug him out, they took off head-man long shirt, put on his own old one, and they wet him with all the dirty slops—they drench poor Ram-goat.

They thought he was dead and they leave him an’ go away. After they was gone, Ram-goat got up. He wring the dirty clothes, he wring with all the slop they throw on him; he never remember to wring his beard. Jack man dora! That’s the reason the goat have such an offensive smell until this day, he didn’t remember to wring his beard!

Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.

There was a very hard time, no food whatsoever could they get, so Anansi him family well fear. So when Bredder Tiger and Bredder Tacoomah go see him, he tell them for last three or four days his wife and children didn’t eat bread. Say they will go back home and send him some of ’em food, and the two go back from Nansi yard and just dodge him now and hear his wife call, “Heah! dinner ready!” And Bredder Tiger and Bredder Tacoomah go back to the house knock on the door. The wife open the door and Anansi go right out of the house—’shamed! The wife give them some of the food to eat and it was only fresh beef.

They come back to Bredder Anansi now and Nansi tell them say, “I will get the beef, but whatever I tell you to do, you mus’ be sure to do it.” An’ he put on a big pot of water on fire, an’ him, Nansi, get into the pot of water and gwine tell them shut him up in him pot. An’ tell them as soon as him knock the pot, open the pot. An’ him come out now, tell Bredder Tiger he mus’ get in the pot,—Tacoomah long side in the pot too. And shut them up, an’ he get a heavy weight an’ put it on the pot top. An’ he went right outside and tell him wife mus’ shove up the fire, mak the fire bigger an’ bigger. An’ when him come back, them was properly cooked. They gwine eat now, he was tuning up his fiddle—

[20]

Julia Gentle, Santa Cruz Mountains.

The time hard. Anansi said to Tacoomah, “How going to manage wid de hard time?” So Tacoomah said, “You know we do? I will get me machete1 an’ I go half shut de door, den I will say, ‘Police, I sick!’ ” Den, when people come, Tacoomah take de machete an’ chop dem, put dem in de barrel for de hungry time. Anansi say, “Brar Tacoomah, barrel nearly full?”—“No, Brar.” He cry out again how Tacoomah poorly; an’ de people come an’ as dey come, he kill dem put in barrel to serve in hungry time.

Den Goat up on de hill-side say he see everybody goin’ in, nobody come out; de house so little, how is it gwine to hold all doze people? So Goat come down now off de hill-side to see how Tacoomah. He peep in. Tacoomah say, “Come in!” an’ Goat run right back up hill-side. An’ from dat day, Goat stay up on hill-side.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Hanansi an’ Tacoomah dey goin’ out huntin’ to steal cow. De two of dem have der dog. Dey walk. Hanansi, hungry tak him; he eat de dog body an’ tak de dog-head put into his side-bag. Me’while dey gwine in de bush, Tacoomah dog tackle a cow. Hanansi run drive away Tacoomah dog an’ tak fe him dog-head fasten on de cow an’ call out to Tacoomah, “I tackle one fellah!”

Tacoomah know dat was fe him dog ketch de cow. Tacoomah lef’ him went away get one whip an’ go to clear place. He fire de whip an’ say, “A no me, sah! a pupa, sah!” Hanansi holla, “Brar, wha’ dat?” Tacoomah fire de whip again, say, “Don’ my dog ketch buckra cow, sah! a pupa dog ketch it!” Hanansi call out to Tacoomah, “Tacoomah, you fool! you ever hear so-so1 dog-head kyan ketch cow?” So Hanansi run leave de cow; Tacoomah go an’ clean it up. [23]

Adolphus Iron, Claremont, St. Ann.

Tacoomah plant a piece of corn. When it commence to dry, den begin to t’ief it. Tacoomah charge Hanansi. Hanansi say, “Brar, no me!” By dis time Hanansi was a fiddler. Hanansi tell Tacoomah say, “Brar, you say me broke you’ corn, you mek one dance an’ get me fe play.” Tacoomah say yes. De night of de dance, Hanansi get one gang tell dem say, “As you hear me begin play, you start a-brekkin’.” De tune Hanansi play was dis fe de whole night:

In de morning when de dance finish, Tacoomah go down a him cornpiece. Him holla out, “Lawd! Brar Nansi, come heah! not one lef’.” Hanansi turn ’roun’ say, “T’ink you say a me a t’ief you corn. Las’ night you no get me fe play a you dance? den if dem broke out you corn, how you say a me?” Tacoomah tak it to heart an’ drop down dead.

George Parkes, Mandeville.

Anansi an’ Tacoomah while they were frien’s they had a quarrel, so it was an envy between both of them an’ they never speak. One day Anansi sen’ one of his chil’ over to Tacoomah’s yard fe some fire. Tacoomah give him the fire an’ some beef-fat. Anansi see the fat in the chil’ han’, said, “Whe’ yo’ get dat nasty t’ing from?” So the chil’ said, “Brar Tacoomah give it to me.”—“Mak a t’row it away, nasty t’ing!” The chil’ give it to him. He turn away from the chil’ an’ do so (like him fling it away), an’ put it in his mouth; he then out the fire an’ send back another chil’ fe more fire. She come with the fire an’ some more fat that Tacoomah give to her. Anansi said, “You carry back that nasty thing come here again? you give it to me here!” He turn his back an’ did same as he did on first occasion. He himself now go to Tacoomah yard, said, “Mawning, Brar Tacoomah.” Tacoomah said, “Mawning, Brar Nansi.” Anansi said, “A wha’ you get all the fat heah from, an’ yo’ won’t tell me mak me go get some too?” Tacoomah say, “I would tell you, but yo’ so craving you will go deh an’ go mak trouble.” Anansi said, “Oh, no, Brar! you t’ink if you tell me wha’ such good t’ings is, me wen’ deh go mak trouble?” Tacoomah say, “All right. Tomorrow four o’clock, when you hear cow-boy deh drive up cow a ribber-side, you come wake me an’ you an’ me go.”

Anansi scarcely sleep fo’ the night, only listening out fo’ cow-boy. While on the way Tacoomah said to Anansi, “When you go to de cow, you fe say, ‘Open, sesema, open’, an’ cow will open de belly; an’ when you go in you fe say, ‘Shet, sesema, shet’, an’ then you mus’ cut de fat out of de belly. But you mustn’t cut de back-string, fo’ if you cut it de cow will dead an you can’t get fe come out again. So after you done cut de fat, you mus say, ’Open, sesema, open’, an cow will open an’ you come out. You say, ‘Shet, sesema, shet’, an’ de cow will shet.”

So both of them go down. Anansi go to one cow, an’ Tacoomah go to one use the same word, “Open, sesema, open!” Anansi go [27]in, say, “Shet, sesema, shet!” an’ the cow shet; an’ then he cut a whole basket of fat an, after the basket fill he said, “Open, sesema, open!” an’ cow open. He come out, say, “Shet, sesema, shet!” an’ cow shet. An’ both of them went home.

The nex’ morning, Anansi, as he hear the cow-boy, never call to Tacoomah at all. He run down to the river-side an’ go to a fat cow an’ said, “Open, sesema, open!” The cow open. He go in an’ said, “Shet, sesema, shet!” The cow shet. He begun to cut. Whilst cutting he cut the back-string. The cow now drop down dead.

The cow-boy went an’ tell the master an’ he order them to have it cleaned up. Anansi hide in the ma. The master give his darter the belly to go an’ wash at the river. She carry it in a bowl, dash it down in the water. Anansi then jump out an’ say to the girl, “Look! I in the river having a bathe an’ yo’ carry that nasty t’ing come an’ t’row on me!” The girl begun to fret an’ cry. Anansi say, “You got to carry me to your father mak him pay me for it!” She then tak Anansi to the father an’ Anansi say will tak a cow in payment.

Anansi said he not going to carry the cow come home so to give any of his family any, so he went into a t’ick wood, kill the cow, mak up a large fire an’ put it in to roast. He then started to look for ol’ yams in the bush. He saw two eyes in the earth. He said, “Lawd, from me bwoy bo’n is de firs’ me know say dirtee can hab yeye!” So now he start to dig out dese yeye,1 dig up Bredder Dry-head.2 He go fe put him down back in de eart’. Dry-head say, “No, jus’ carry me go where dat big smoke is yonder!” Anansi refuse to carry him. Dry-head said to him, “If yo’ don’ carry me, de whole of you’ body will catch fire!” Anansi start to run. His whole body begin to blaze, have to run back an’ tak up Dry-head. On reaching the fire, Dry-head order Anansi to bring the cow to him. Anansi with a sulky heart got to comply with Dry-head’, order. Dry-head start eating the cow an’ eat off every bit,—Anansi never taste it!

George Parkes, Mandeville.

Anansi has seven children. He ask them how they would like to name. Six of them like different name, but one boy say he would [28]like to name “Cunnie-mo’-than father.” So for every tack1 Anansi put up, Cunnie-mo’n-father break it down. One time he work a groun’ very far away into the bush, an’ in going to that bush he pass a very broad flat rock. So one day a man give him a yam-plant; that yam name “yam foofoo.”2 The same day plant the yam, it been bear a very big one same day. So nobody in the yard know the name of that yam save him, Anansi, alone. So when he go home, he cook the yam an’ call the wife an’ chil’ren aroun’ to eat, an’ say, “Who know name, nyam; who no know name, don’ nyam!” So as no one know the name, they didn’t get none of it; Anansi alone eat off that yam that night. The nex’ day go back to the groun’ and the yam bear a larger one. He bring it home an’ bile it again, call the wife an’ chil’ren an’ say, “Who know name, nyam; who no know name, don’ nyam!” The nex’ day he went back an’ the yam bear a larger one than the previous day. He cut it an’ carry it home, cook it, call up the wife an chil’ren; he alone eat it.

Cunnie-mo’n-father say, “Look here! I mus’ fin’ out the name of that yam!” He got some okra an’ went to the place where the broad rock is an’ mash up the okra an’ have the place quite slippery, an’ hide himself away in the bush near by. Anansi now coming with a larger yam this time. As he reach to the rock, he make a slide, fa’ down, an’ the yam smash. He said, “Lawd! all me yam foofoo mash up!” Cunnie-mo’-n-father now catch the name, an’ he ran home now an’ tell mother an’ other chil’ren, “Remember! yam foofoo!” Anansi then take up the pieces, put them together and carry home. He cook it an’ ca’ all of them roun’ to eat. He say, “Who know name, nyam; who no know name, no nyam.” They began to guess all sort of name; after that, whole of them say, “Yam foofoo! yam foofoo!” Anansi get vex, say, “Huh! eat! nobody fin’ it out but Cunnie-mo’n-father!”

Anansi then get to hate Cunnie-mo’n-father, want to make an end of him, but he didn’t know what way was to do it. So one night Brar Tiger came to pay a visit to Anansi at his house. While both of them sittin’ an’ talkin’, at that time Cunnie-mo’n-father was lying down underneath the table fawning sleep.3 Anansi said to Tiger, “Look heah! ev’ry tack dat I put up, Cunnie-mo’-n-father break it down. I wan’ to mak an end of him, but I don’ know what way to do it.” That time, Cunnie-mo’-n-father listen. Tiger [29]said, “I wi’ kill him fo’ you.” Anansi say, “How you will manage it?” So Tiger said to Anansi, “You mus’ put up a tack, an’ I wi’ ketch him.” Anansi said, “Look heah! Tomorrow night jus’ at dinner-time you come here hide yo’self in the pepper-tree; behin’ that fattest limb, you hide yo’self there, an’ I will sen’ him to pick some pepper an’ as he put his han’ on the pepper-tree, you mus’ hol’ him.” So the nex’ night at dinner-time Tiger went to hide himself there. Anansi call Cunnie-mo’n-father, say, “Go get pepper from the pepper-tree.” Cunnie-mo’n-father start for de pepper-tree. On his way going he call in the kitchen an’ take a fire-stick, an’ as he went to the pepper-tree, he shove the fire-stick right in Tiger face. Tiger cry out, “W’y-ee!” an’ gallop away. Cunnie-mo’n-father return to Anansi an’ say he hear something in the pepper-tree cry, so he don’ pick any. Anansi eat his dinner that night without pepper.

A few minutes after, Tiger come back in the house an’ tol’ Anansi what have taken place. Anansi say, “Well, the boy have tack! but we mus’ ketch him.” At that time the boy go under the table lay down an’ study for them again. Tiger say, “How mus’ we ketch him?” Anansi said, “You come here tomorrow twelve o’clock an’ I’ll sen’ him up on a cocoanut tree an’ while he in the tree, you wait underneath; when he come down you ketch him.” The nex’ morning, Cunnie-mo’n-father get two bags, fill it with red ants go up same cocoanut tree an’ hide it, preparing for Tiger. At twelve o’clock Tiger come to Anansi yard. Anansi call for Cunnie-mo’n-father an’ said, “Go an’ get me some cocoanuts off’n that tree.” He went, an’ Tiger lay wait under the tree for him. He shout to Tiger he mus’ look up an’ show him the bes’ cocoanut he want, an’ while Tiger do that, he open one of the bag an’ throw it down in Tiger face. Ant begun to bite him an’ he has to run away. Cunnie-mo’n-father slip right down off the cocoanut tree, so he didn’t get any cocoanut.

In the evening, Tiger went back to Anansi to tell him how Cunnie-mo’n-father do him again. While the two of them was talking an’ setting up another tack, Cunnie-mo’n-father was underneath table listening to them again. Anansi said, “The boy smart! but I goin’ to put you up a tack fo’ ketch him! Look heah! Tomorrow at twelve o’clock, you fin’ yo’self at me groun’ an’ you will see a fat root of yam near to a tree. You mus’ hide yo’self in the bush an’ I will sen’ him there to come cut yam, an’ as he come there, hol’ him.” Tiger then went an’ fix himself in the yam bush. At twelve o’clock Anansi call Cunnie-mo’n-father an’ sen’ him to groun’ to cut yam an’ tell him that very spot whe’ he is to dig them. [30]Cunnie-mo’n-father went to the groun’ an’ shout out “Yam-o-e-e! yam-o-ee! yam-o-ee!” t’ree times. Nobody answer. Cunnie-mo’n-father say, “I t’ink father tell me say that when I come to groun’ call fo’ yam, yam wi’ speak, an’ de yam don’ speak!” Call again, “Yam-o-ee!” So Tiger answer him, “O-ee-e!” So Cunnie-mo’n-father say, “From me bwoy born, the firs’ I hear that yam can talk!” So run home back lef’ Tiger.

So Tiger leave the groun’ an’ come home an’ tell Anansi what happen. Anansi said, “Well, ’cunnie mo’ than me’ fe trew, but we goin’ to ketch him!” At that time Cunnie-mo’n-father underneath the table fe listen, an’ unfortunately he fell fas’ asleep. So Anansi an’ Tiger ketch him an’ make a coffin an’ put him in. Anansi tell Tiger he mus’ take him t’row him far away in the sea where he kyan’t come back again. Tiger lif’ up the coffin, put it on his head an’ start on the journey. On reaching to a bush he help down the coffin an’, as the sun was so hot, went underneath a tree an’ fall asleep. Now there was a little hole in the coffin, an’ looking thru that hole, Cunnie-mo’n-father saw an ol’ man comin’ along drivin’ a flock of sheep. He began to cry, sayin’ they want him to go to heaven an’ he don’ ready to go yet. The ol’ man said, “Bwoy, you too foolish! Heaven’s a good place an’ you don’ ready to go there yet? You open the coffin put me in!” The ol’ man open the coffin, Cunnie-mo’n-father come out, put in the ol’ man an’ nail up the coffin back with him in it. He then drove the sheep a little way up inside the bush. Tiger now wake out of his sleep, lif’ up the coffin an’ away he went to the sea with it, an’ go as far he could an’ t’row the coffin down in the sea drown the ol’ man, fe’ a heaven he want to go! He then go back to Anansi yard an’ tell him that he has finish with the fellow,—no more of him, fe’ he has drown’ him in the deepest part of the sea.

Later in the evening, while Anansi an’ Tiger was sitting down an’ talking about the badness of Cunnie-mo’n-father, Anansi look an’ see a flock of sheep was coming up to his house an’ some one driving it. The driver was Cunnie-mo’n-father. Anansi says to Tiger, “But now look at the bwoy what you drown’ to-day, look at him driving a flock of sheep coming up!” Tiger said, “No! ’cause I t’row him in the farthest part of the sea!” They waited until he drove them up to the yard. Tiger said to him, “Boy, don’t it was you I t’row into the sea to-day?” Cunnie-mo’n-father said, “Yes, the place whe’ you t’row me I get these sheep, an’ if you did t’row me a little further, I would get double more than this!” Anansi, hearing that, said that he would like to get some himself [31]an’ Cunnie-mo’n-father mus’ carry him an’ t’row him at the part where he can get the sheep. Cunnie-mo’n-father then get a coffin make an’ put Anansi in it carry him to the sea-side, hire a boat, an’ carry him far far away in the sea an’ drown him. An’ that was the las’ of poor Anansi in that story.

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Deh was Anansi.—Tacoomah was Anansi son. Den was a hard time. Anansi had a Duckano tree had some Duckano on it. An’ he had t’ree pickney; when he go out a night, eat him belly full, come back carry ’em a bag. Now when him wife mak a little dinner fe him, tell him no, he don’ want it, gi’ it to pickney dem. Tacoomah tell mama cut little hole in Anansi trab’ling bag an’ t’row ashes in it. Fast as he go ’long, ashes drop straight to de Duckano tree. Den Tacoomah follow de ashes till him fin’ out de Duckano tree. An’ when him fetch to de Duckano tree, pick off all, lef’ one; an’ him tell de Duckano, “As Anansi come fe pick you, drop a dirt!” An’ as de Duckano drop a dirt, Anansi say, “Yes, dat de bes’ place I want you fe go!” Come down to pick him up, Duckano go back on tree. Anansi say, “Cho! dat de bes’ place I pick you t’-day”. Go back on tree, couldn’t catch it. An’ not a creature can pick de Duckano, but Tacoomah!

Den, as Anansi go up de Duckano tree, him see Dog a come. An’ said, “Brar Dog, go pick up Duckano fe me!” an’ as de Duckano drop, dog come pickee up; den, as Dog pick him up, Dog nyam de Duckano. Dog run ’round so, Anansi go after him so. Dog go into one deep hole, jus’ two eye look out a deh. Little out de two eye, Anansi pass an’ see him, draw him out of de hole an’ ’queeze out de Duckano. Wha’ mak de two sink place in Dog side, Anansi ’queeze out Duckano.

Jack man dora!

Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.

Tacoomah and Anansi were great friends. Tacoomah got into trouble. He was tried and sentenced to be hung. Anansi said, “Brer Tacoomah, no fret! I’m a good liar; I play you off.” Anansi went to the king to beg for Tacoomah. The king said to him, “If you give me a puzzle that I can’t answer, I will let him off.”

Anansi went home. Tacoomah had a mare that was heavy with colt. He said, “Brer Tacoomah, if you do as I tell you, I can get you off.” Tacoomah said, “Brer Nansi, I will do anything to save me life!” Go for the mare—the one heavy with colt—open the mare’s stomach and took out the colt, then took a bit of the mare’s skin and cut out a bridle. Then Tacoomah got some fresh dirt and filled his hat and put it on, got some silver and put it into one boot and throw some gold into the other boot. Next, Tacoomah mount the colt. Anansi said, “Come now, Brer Tacoomah, go now and see king.” He told Tacoomah all that he was to say to the king when he met him; Anansi put him up to all the talk. They said to the king:

[34]

The king couldn’t guess it; he said, “You must explain to my satisfaction.” And he said, “I have me hat full of dirt” (took off his hat and show him), “one boot with silver” (he was standing on silver), “the other boot with gold” (he was standing on gold also). He rode “a colt that was never born” (he cut that out of the mother’s belly), and “a bit of the dam” he held in his hand—that was the mare’s skin he had as a bridle. The king reprimanded him and said, “Go on, me good man, go about your business!”

Jack man dory! Anansi got him off, Anansi was a smart man!

Charles Roe, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

Deh was an Ol’ Witch call Brar Dead, never talk to nobody; if him talk to anybody, him be dead. But him only making some bow all day an’ set it to catch all wil’ animal, an’ when he catch dem, he put dem over fire an’ dry dem, but him no eat dem. So [36]Mr. Anansi go deh one day an’ say, “Brar Dead, gi’ me some of you meat now.” But he never ’peak to Mr. Anansi, for him can’t talk to nobody. So Anansi goin’ in an’ tak a whole bagful of de dry meat an start to eat it.

So Brar Dead has a brindle puppy. So Brar Dead pick some green bush an’ gi’ to de brindle puppy. So Mr. Anansi going to mak him talk dat day now. So when him come out an’ tell little dog say when him sing an’ people drop dead, puppy mus’ t’row de bush on dem, because first day him gwine hear him voice. So him tak one de a arrow now an’ start, an’ de dog mus’ follow him now. So when he stick him lance, blood don’ come; Anansi don’ walk dere. So go on; so when he stick at odder cross-road, blood come an’ he say dere Anansi walk. So when he sing, Anansi got to stop. He sing,

So he goin’ till he ketch Anansi, an’ when he see Anansi, tell de little puppy say mus’ ketch Anansi. So de puppy ketch him, an’ when he ketch him, poke de bow t’ru Anansi two ears an’ he buil’ up a fire an’ burn up Anansi to dust.

Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.

A gentleman had a cowitch1 property. He wanted to have it cut down, but whoever cut it must not scratch their skin. Anyone who cut it down without scratching, he would give the pick of the best cow on his property. Many tried, but failed. Anansi says that he will cut it down. So the gentleman sent his son to watch and see that he cut the tree without scratching his skin at all. Anansi began cutting and the juice of the tree began to eat him. He wanted to scratch. He said to the boy, “Young massa, de cow yo’ papa goin’ to gi’ me, white here (scratches one side), black here (scratches the other), had a red here, had anodder black here, blue jus’ down at his feet.” He went on that way until he cut down the tree.

He got the cow, but he couldn’t manage the removal of the cow alone, and he didn’t want to get any intelligent person to [37]assist him, he wanted a fool; so he got a man by the name of Foolman. Foolman wasn’t such a fool as he thought. They removed the cow to a place to butcher it near to Foolman’s yard, but Anansi did not know that. So he said to Foolman, “Brer Foolman, we mus’ get fire, roast plenty of meat.” Foolman said he didn’t know where to go to get fire. Anansi pointed out a little smoke a long distance off. Foolman refused to go. He got vexed and started to go for the fire himself. He was no sooner gone than Foolman called up his family, butchered the cow, and removed all the parts, leaving the tail. He dug a hole in the earth and drove the root of the tail down as tight as he could. When he thought it time for Anansi to come back, he held on to the hair of the cow-tail and called out, “Brer Nansi, run! Brer Nansi, run!” Anansi come and he say, “Brer Nansi, de whole cow gone, only tail!” He held on to the tail and both of them thought to pull up the cow. While pulling, the tail broke in two. So Anansi had to give Foolman a piece of the tail that popped off. So with all his cunning, he got but a very small piece.

George Parkes, Mandeville.

One time Anansi start to work a groun’ at the road-side. After clearing up his field, he dig nine yam-hills. Now no one is allowed to count up to the nine. If he say nine, he drop down dead. So Anansi say, “I got to eat somet’ing out of this.” So he sat down an’ begin to cry. Hog was passing, say to him, “Br’er Anansi, wha’s the matter with you?” Anansi said, “My dear Bredder Hog, from mawning I dig these few yam-hills an’ trying to count them, but I can’t manage to count them yet.” Hog said, “Cho! you too wort’less! You mean say you can’t say, ‘One, two, t’ree, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine?’ ” And as Hog say “nine,” Hog drop down dead. Anansi take him up, put him in his bag an’ carry him home an’ eat him. [40]

The nex’ day he came back an’ eat up Goat, who share the same fate as Hog, an’ every day he went back dig the same hills. At that time Monkey was on a tree watching an’ seeing all that take place. He came down from off the tree, an’ while Anansi dig the same nine hills again an’ was sitting down crying, Monkey come up an’ said, “Br’er Anansi, wha’ the matter with you?” Anansi said, “My dear Bredder Monkey, from mawning I dig these few yam-hills, an’ I’m trying to count them but I can’t manage!” Monkey said, “I will count them for you, but you mus’ sit down ’pon one.” Monkey then said, “One, two, t’ree, four, five, six, seven, eight, an’ the one Br’er Anansi sit down upon.” Anansi said, “That’s not the way to count them!” Monkey said, “I’ll count them good for you now!” Monkey began, “One, two, t’ree, four, five, six, seven, eight, an’ the one Br’er Nansi sit down upon deh.” Now Anansi is a man with a very short heart.1 He got vex an’ say, “You mean to say that you can’t say ‘One, two, t’ree, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine?’” An’ as the word nine come out, Anansi drop down dead. Monkey took him up an’ said, “You can fool the others, but you can’t fool me!”

George Parkes, Mandeville.

Anansi one day went to a river to catch fish, an’ while fishin’ down the stream, he came across a hole. He put his han’ down in the hole an’ something hol’ the han’. He said, “A who hol’ me?” The something said, “No me!”—“Me who?” The thing said, “No me Fling-a-mile!” Anansi said, “Fling me a mile mak I see.” The t’ing wheel Anansi, wheel him, an’ fling him one mile from the spot. When Anansi drop, he nearly knock out his senses.

He said, “I mus’ eat somet’ing out of dat hole!” He went an’ get six iron fork an’ six wooden one an’ stick up at the place where he drop. Nex’ day he was going back down fe fishing. He meet up Hog. He said, “Bredder Hog, mak we go down a river go ketch fish now?” Hog said yes. When they reach the river, both of them started. Anansi, he walk on the side where the hole are not, Hog, he walk on the side where the hole are. Anansi look over to Hog way and said, “What a pretty hole in front of Bredder Hog deh! You mus’ get somet’ing out of de hole deh. I don’ min’ if it befo’ me!” So Anansi tell Hog to put his han’ in the hole see if him feel anyt’ing. Hog put in him han’. Hog said, “Somet’ing hol’ me han’!” Anansi said, “Ax a who hol’ you!” Hog said, “A who hol’ me?” The t’ing say, “A me!” Anansi say, “Ax him, say ‘A me who?’ ” Hog say, “A me who?” The t’ing say, “No me Fling-a-mile!” Anansi said to Hog, “Tell him fling you a mile mak you see.” Hog say, “Fling me a mile mak I see!” The t’ing wheel Hog, wheel him, wheel him, drop him right on the fork Anansi fix up. Hog drop dead. Anansi tak up Hog put him in a bag and said, “I well wan’ fe eat you long time!” At that time Monkey was on the tree watching Anansi. [43]

The nex’ day Anansi start back to the river, meet up Bredder Goat. He say, “Bredder Goat, mak we go down a river, go ketch fish?” Goat say yes. Anansi tol’ Goat to walk on the hand where the hole is an’ he walk on the opposite side. While going along Anansi said, “What a pretty hole in front of Br’er Goat deh! You mus’ fin’ somet’ing in a hole like dat. I wish it were me de hole we’ deh befo’!” Anansi said to Goat, “Put yo’ han’ in deh see if you can fin’ anyt’ing.” Goat put the han’ in the hole. Somet’ing hol’ him. He said, “Somet’ing hol’ me!” Anansi said, “Ax a who hol’ you!” Goat said, “A who hol’ me?” The t’ing said, “No me!” Anansi said, “Ax ‘A me who?’ ” Goat say, “A me who?” The t’ing say, “No me Fling-a-mile.” Anansi said, “Tell him fling you a mile mak you see!” Goat say, “Fling me a mile mak I see!” He wheel Goat, whee’ whee’ wheel, an’ drop him right on the fork one mile. Goat drop dead. Anansi took up Goat an’ put him in his bag, said, “I well wan’ you fe eat a long time!” At that time Monkey was still watching him.

The nex’ day he start to go out again; he met up Br’er Dog. Anansi said to Dog, “Mak we go down a river go ketch fish!” Dog say yes. On reaching to the river, Anansi tell Dog to walk on the side where the hole is an’ he walk on the opposite side. On reaching to the hole Anansi said, “What a pretty hole in front of Br’er Dog! You mus’ fin’ somet’ing in dat hole. I wish it we’ deh befo’ me!” Anansi say to Dog, “Put yo’ han’ in deh if you feel anyt’ing.” Dog put the han’ in the hole. Something hol’ him. He said to Anansi, “Somet’ing hol’ me!” Anansi said, “Ax ‘A who hol’ me?’ ” Dog said, “A who hol’ me?” The somet’ing say, “No me!” Anansi say, “Ax him ‘me who?’ ” Dog say, “Me who?” The somet’ing say, “No me Fling-a-mile!” Anansi say, “Tell him fling you a mile mak you see!” Dog said, “Fling me a mile mak me see!” The t’ing fling Dog whee’-a, whee’-a, whee’, an’ dash him one mile on the stake. Dog drop on the stake dead. Anansi tak up Dog, put him in his bag an’ said, “A well wan’ you fe eat long time!”

Now Monkey couldn’t bear it no longer, come off the tree. The nex’ day while Anansi was going down, Monkey put himself in the way where Anansi was to meet him. Anansi said, “Br’er Monkey, mak we go down a river go ketch fish.” Monkey say, “Yes, a well wan’ company fe go down too!” On reaching to the river, Monkey walk on the side where the hole is an’ Anansi on the opposite side. On reaching to the hole Anansi said, “What a pretty hole in front of Br’er Monkey! You mus’ fin’ somet’ing in a hole like a dat. I wish a we’ me i’ deh befo’!” Anansi said [44]to Monkey, “Put yo’ han’ in deh, see if you fin’ anyt’ing.” Monkey say, “No, Br’er, me go put me han’ in deh, somet’ing go hol’ me!” Anansi said, “No, man, me no t’ink not’ing wi’ hol’ you!” Monkey said, “You come put yo’ han’ in deah.” Anansi said, “No, as you de closee, you put fe you han’ in deah.” Monkey said, “No! somet’ing wi’ hol’ me!”—“No! not’ing no in deah fe hol’ you!” So Anansi go near to the hole now and tell Monkey mus’ put down him han’, an’ Monkey refuse. Anansi now make attempt to put his han’,—like that—in the hole, an’ Monkey push it down, an’ the somet’ing hol’ Anansi han’ now. Monkey said to Anansi, “Tak out de han’!” Anansi say, “Me han’ kyan’ come out; somet’ing hol’ it!” Monkey says, “Ask a who hol’ you.” Anansi speak in a very feeble v’ice, say, “A who hol’ me?” The t’ing say, “No me!” Monkey say to Anansi, “Ax ‘A me who.’ ” Anansi said in a feeble tone of v’ice all ’e time, “A me who?” The t’ing say, “A me Fling-a-mile.” Monkey say, “Tell him fe fling you a mile mak you see.” Anansi now said in a feeble tone of v’ice, “Fling me a mile mak I see!” So tak Anansi an’ wheel him, whee’, whee’! An’ while it was wheeling him he said to Monkey, “Br’er Monkey, run one mile from heah, whe’ you see some iron an’ wooden fork,—jus’ haul dem out fe me!” Monkey tak off him hat an’ run half way an’ stop where he could see when Anansi drop. Anansi drop on de fork an’ belly burst ’tiff dead! An’ Monkey take him an’ put him in his bag, take him go eat him.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

But-but an’ Hanansi dem gwine up to town. When dem ketch a pass Hanansi said, “Brar But-but, let we eat fe you pone!” an’ dey eat half of But-but pone. As’ dem gwine along, But-but feel hungry. He said, “Brar Hanansi, me hungry now.” Hanansi say, “Brar But-but, you too foolish! we no half get to town yet.” But-but walk till him faint away. Hanansi travel ketch roun’ one turn, he ’top an’ eat off of his pone deh.

Hanansi gwine a town an’ get one big cutacoo.1 Him buy everyt’ing in de whole town gill-gill. But-but lay wait for him part of de way. When he see Hanansi a come, But-but fly go before. He turn one red pocket-han’kerchief. Hanansi come down an’ talk in a head. He took up de han’kerchief an’ say, “Yah! der’s a good red pocket-han’kerchief, but Brar But-but so cunnie, maybe he turn [45]’e!” an’ fling it down. An’ go on a little furder, But-but fly go on before again an’ turn one cup, one nice silver cup. Hanansi come down. He took up de cup, say, “Der’s yer luck him boy buck up t’-day, but Brar But-but so cunnie maybe he here turn ’e!” an’ t’row ’e down. When Hanansi get to de horse-pond whe’ Hanansi wife was washing clo’es, But-but went before turn one old drawers. When Hanansi go takey up an’ look ’pon it, say, “Careless, eh! look at me ol’ drawers! Des ol’ drawers heah kyan mak baby not skin!”2 an’ tak de ol’ drawers t’row in de cutacoo. But-but begin an’ eat out everyt’ing ’pon de head.

Hanansi got t’ree sons. When him goin’ a house, put down him basket. As he open de basket, But-but fly out an’ go upon de firs’ pic’ny head. Hanansi say, “’tand ’teady, me baby, mak I kill him!” An’ tak a morter-stick an’ lick upon head an’ kill de pic’ny. An’ go up upon de nex’ head again. An’ say, “’tand ’teady, me baby; dat no deady, on’y sleeping!” an’ he lick de odder one dead. Dat was two gone. An’ go up on de las’ one now. An say, “’tand ’teady, me baby, put yo’ neck good mak I lick him!” an de t’ird one dead. An’ he fly upon de wife head now. An’ he said, “’tand ’teady, me wife, you is de ’tronger head now!” an’ lick de wife dead. An’ But fly upon him head now. An’ him go up on de ridge-pole of de house an’ tu’n down him head a bottom fe kill But-but ’pon him head. As’ him fall down an’ ketch half-way, But-but fly off, an’ Hanansi broke him neck. So But-but destroy de whole family.

Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.

Anansi and Tumble-bug took a job once. After they got their pay Anansi said to Tumble-bug, “We mus’ buy something so as to have a good feed.” They bought a bunch of plantain and a keg of butter.

They commence to eat. Anansi dip, Tumble-bug dip. Anansi said, “No, my Tumble-bug, when I go ‘pluck-um’, you mus’ go ’tip’!” However, Tumble-bug dip all the same. Anansi got vex an’ box him. Tumble-bug fawn dead. Anansi get frightened, said, “Hi! Tumble-bug, the least bit of fun I make with you, you dead?” Tumble-bug never shake. Anansi run, leave the butter an’ the plantain an’ everything, take to the woods for it. Tumble-bug wake [46]up an’ eat up the plantain an’ the butter. After that he fly away after Anansi now.

When he got in the woods near where Anansi was, he hid himself against a tree give a sound like a man cutting. Anansi sing out, “Who are you?” Tumble-bug said, “Gentleman servant cutting bread-nut fo’ gentleman horse.” Say, “Hear any news?”—“Yes.”—“What you hear?”—“Anansi kill Tumble-bug,—life for life!” Anansi start running an’ Tumble-bug after him. He run out to a place call ‘Dead man country’, get among the dry trash, and that’s where he live ever since.

Alexander Archibald, Mandeville.

Anansi call Horse a go bush cut plantain. When dey cut done, dey carry out in de open, dey begin to play stick, lick stick. Den Anansi said, “Brar Horse, we hungry now, we don’ have no fire fe roast plantain.” So say to Horse, “Go see fire quite yonder? Go deh, go tak fire come, mak we roast plantain!” Horse fling up him tail on back, gallop, gone. Meanwhile him gone, Anansi ’trike him tinder-box an buil’ a fire roast every plantain; eat all de plantain, leave only four. Horse gallop away an’ kyan’ ketch de fire an’ turn back. Anansi say, “Brar Horse, when you gone, one man pass heah gi’ me fire an’ me roast de plantain; as me roas’ee done, one man come beat me an’ tak away de plantain on’y lef’ dem four heah gi’ me!” So Brar Horse say, “Never min’! you tak two, me tak two.” So Horse takee.

Dat time Brar Goat go bush kneel down watch Brar Anansi, watch what take place; so de nex’ day, Goat say him will go wid Anansi. Dem two go, dem two cut plantain, an’ dem come out ’pon de open an’ dem play. So Anansi said, “Brar Goat, we hungry now an’ we ha’ no fire. See fire quite yonder? gallop go get fire an’ come.” Goat gallop, go roun’ clump of bush, go kneel down on knee go watch him. Him ’trike him tinder-box mak a fire, peel ev’ry plantain put a fire. When de plantain roast, he ’crape ev’ry bit. As him ’crapee, Goat get up a come. Goat cut ’tick an’ him jump one side so him put circle roun’ de fire-side, an’ say to Anansi, “Put you han’ in now, sah!” an’ jump de odder side an’ put circle again. So den Anansi begin to beg, an’ Goat tak away eberyt’ing didn’t gib him one!

Jack man dory! [47]

Mrs. Ramtalli, Maggotty.

Anansi is accustomed to lie in the sun every morning watching the birds going to feed. One day he said to White-belly, “Brar White-belly, whe’ you go to feed eb’ry day? tek me wid you.” So White-belly promised on condition that he would behave himself. He fitted him out with a pair of wings to fly, and they went to the feeding-trees. These overhung a river. Every tree White-belly went on, Anansi said, “A fe me tree dat!” and White-belly went away to another. Anansi eat so much that he fell fast asleep. White-belly got annoyed. When Anansi was sleeping, he went and took off the false wings. Anansi turned in his sleep and fell into the river.

The Fish picked him up and took him to their home. He said, “Cousin Fish, no eat me!”—“If we are ‘cousin’ we wi’ see!” Fish boiled some hot rice-pop. Anansi said, “It no hot enough! putee in the sun mekee hot more!” When he thought it was quite cooled off, put it to his head, never stopped drinking until it was finished. Then Fish say, “Yes, me cousin fe trew!” [51]

It was getting night and Fish told him to remain over until next day. Fish had a barrel of eggs in the kitchen. Anansi wanted to eat them off, asked Fish to make his bed in the kitchen for the night. He poached all the eggs in the ashes, left one, and they went ‘pop!’ The pickney say, “A wha’ stranger man a do deh?” The Fish mother said, “Have manners, pickney! Let you cousin prosper.” Morning dawn, the mother sent the children to bring the eggs to her to count them. Anansi said, “Mek the child’ren keep quiet; me wi’ work!” and he took the one egg, took it to the mother Fish. Each time she marked it he would wipe it off, take back the same egg, until he had taken the whole barrel full.

After that, he said he wanted to go. Fish said to two of the children, “Me son, get the canoe an’ tek you cousin over the river.” It was looking very breezy and rainy. When they got half way across, Fish bawled out at the top of her voice, “Bring stranger man back he-e-ah! fe he eat off all me eggs; only one is heah!” The children say, “Wha’ ma say?” Anansi said, “You ma say you mus’ row quickly, squall ahead!” The children rowed across. Anansi took them up, put them in his bag and took them home, eat them. And from that day, fishes are eaten!

Henry Spence, Bog, Westmoreland.

Turtle fool Anansi one day. Anansi go out one day an’ him catch one turtle,—quite glad of de turtle! So when he go home, Turtle know Anansi gwine eat him an’ said to Anansi, “Brar Anansi, you know me fat? When you put me on, as de water boil up you tak me off, ’cause fat will mash.” So when de water get warm, him blow him nose mak de water boil up. Anansi get frightened, said de turtle wi’ mash! So he lay him down at de pan-side let de fat cool so him no mash. Turtle run away in de pond. Anansi lose him dinner.

Henry Spence, Bog, Westmoreland.

Anansi an’ Fire were good frien’. So Anansi come an’ see Fire an’ dey had dinner. So he invite Fire fe come see him now. So Fire tell him he kyan’t walk. So Fire tell him from him house him mus’ lay path dry bush, an’ him walk on top of dry bush. Anansi married to Ground Dove. Ground Dove tell him no, he mustn’t invite Fire; him wi’ bu’n him house an’ bu’n out himself. Anansi wouldn’t hear what him wife say, an’ he laid de trash on. An’ Fire bu’n from him house, an’ when he come near Anansi house he mak a big jump, bu’n Anansi, bu’n him house, bu’n eb’ryt’ing but him wife. Fire fool Anansi!

May Ford, Newmarket.

Bredder Monkey had a daughter whom Bredder Spider wanted to marry. Monkey didn’t want Bredder Spider to marry his daughter as he thought Bredder Spider was too fast and beneath him; he only kept Bredder Spider company as he thought him useful to him. So he jump to Bredder Green-lizard and said, “Bredder Green-lizard, what you think of such cheek? Fancy! Bredder Spider want to marry me daughter! I don’t want to hurt his feelings as he is useful to us, so help me to get out of it.” So Bredder Green-Lizard say, “I tell you a way, man. Call her ‘Miss Nennan-kennan-wid-a-turn-down-gown’ and whoever guess her name marry her, for Bredder Spider never can guess that!” So Bredder Lizard went direc’ an’ tell Bredder Spider, “When dey call you all up to ax Bredder Monkey daughter name, you fe say, ‘Miss Nennen-kennan-wid-a-turn-down-gown’.” [55]So Bredder Monkey send out word to all the gentlemen who want to marry his daughter to come and guess her name. Not one could tell her name till when he catch to Bredder Spider, Bredder Spider say, “Miss Nennen-kennen-wid-a-turn-down-gown.” So Bredder Spider got Bredder Monkey daughter an’ marry her.

So when Bredder Spider wife had a baby, she left Bredder Spider put the pickney to bed while she go to pond. When Bredder Spider think wife gone, him start to sing,

Spider wife turn back an’ say, “A what a dat you sing?” Spider say, “Me only sing,

Bredder Monkey been a come see him an’ hear what Bredder Spider singing. Bredder Monkey say, “Wa’ so you get me daughter!” an’ grab away the baby an’ kill Spider. And as him kill Spider the pickney drop out his hand dead.

So never kill a Spider, as whatever you have in hand will be sure to break.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Hanansi saw Brar Hog an’ said, “Brar Hog, lend me a dollar, to-morrow, twelve o’clock, come fe it.” An’ saw Brar Dog an’ said, “Brar Dog, len’ me a dollar, to-morrow, twelve o’clock, come fe it.” An’ saw Brar Monkey an’ say, “Brar Monkey, len’ me a dollar, to-morrow, twelve o’clock, come fe it.” An’ saw Brar Tiger an’ said, “Brar Tiger, len’ me a dollar, to-morrow, twelve o’clock, come fe it. An saw Brar Lion an’ say, “Len’ me a dollar, to-morrow, twelve o’clock, come fe it.”

Nex’ day hear some one knock at de door. Hanansi said, “Who come deah?”—“Me, Brar Hog.” An’ he say, “Come in.” He an’ Hog stay dere talkin’ an’ hear anodder knockin’. An’ say, “Who come deah?”—“Me, Brar Dog.” He say, “Brar Hog, you run go in dat room, fe Dog too bad; if him catch you him are goin’ to kill you!” Dog come in. Him stay dere talkin’ until hear anodder knock an’ said, “Who come deah?”—“Me, Brar Monkey.” An’ say, “Come in”; an’ say, “Brar Dog, you run go in dat room dere an’ when you go you see Brar Hog un’er de bed, kill him.” Him an’ Monkey talk till Tiger come knock at de door, an’ Hanansi say, [56]“Who knock deah?”—“Me, Brar Tiger.” An’ say, “Brar Monkey, run go in dat room hide or Tiger ketch you!” When Brar Tiger come in, him an’ Hanansi deh talkin’ till he hear anodder knock. An’ say, “Who come deah?”—“Brar Lion.” An’ say, “Brar Tiger, you run go in dat room deh; you see Brar Monkey, kill him!” So as Lion come in he tell Brar Lion, “Look heah! have plenty o’ meat. Brar Tiger gone in dere; you gwine go kill him!” Lion went in an’ kill Tiger. Me’while de Lion kill Tiger, Hanansi go out de kitchen door dig one deep hole an’ ca’ say, “Brar Lion, run come heah! We go put on little hot water fe clean up doze fellah!” As Lion jump out of de house, feel so glad, gallop on to de kitchen, he got down in de hole an bre’k his neck. So Hanansi said, “You brute! look how much money I borrow from you, an’ I have all yo’ bone to crack t’-night!”

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Deh was Mr. Anansi and Tumble-bug. Deh was a young lady, was de king daughter. Her fader said who come wid a jar of money will get dat young lady to marry. Tumble-bug get a jar of money. Anansi get a jar an’ couldn’t get no money to put in it, get some cow dung an’ some horse dung fill up de jar. And after dem was going up to de young lady, dem ketch to a shop. And de two jar favor one anodder. An’ Anansi said, “Brar Tumble-bug, let we go in de shop go get a drink.” An’ Anansi said, “Mus’ buy a bread come,” an’ as he come out, him tak up Tumble-bug jar and lef’ fe him jar. An’ Tumble-bug tak up Anansi jar. And when dem go up to de young lady in de king yard, Anansi said, “Massa, mus’ bring a clean sheet go t’row out money out of jar!” An’ he t’row out money—wa-a-a-a-a! An’ as Tumble-bug t’row, him t’row out horse-dung an’ cow-dung.

Anansi said, “Tak it up, tak it up, tak it up, you nasty fellow, carry out de missis yard!” Dat is why you see Tumble-bug roll in filth to-day to-day.1

Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.

Anansi and Dog were friends. They wanted to go into cultivation, so both of them went out in search of good lands to rent. They came across a nice bit of land. Anansi fell in love with the spot; Dog fell in love with the spot too. Anansi said to Dog he remembered when he was a little boy his father planted yams on that very spot of land,—“An’ the yams did bear.” Dog said, “How they bear big?” Anansi said, “Brar Dog, they bear big, they bear big like me leg!” (Anansi’s leg is jus’ like a thread!) Brar Dog say, “Before I work an’ plant yam, an’ the yam not bigger than you leg, I sooner walk round an’ look!” That’s the reason why, when you’re eating, a dog ’sure to be looking at you.

Sarah Vassel, Bog, Westmoreland.

Anansi was gwine out one day an’ he stop a ribber-side a-eatin’. A rock-stone beg him, an’ wouldn’t gi’ him none. After eat done, wan’ to get up; rock-stone hol’ him an’ he couldn’t get up. [58]An’ began to bawl. A man was coming pas’ same time an’ ask him, “Bredder Anansi, who been a cry heah?” Anansi said, “Don’ know!” An’ de man go inside de bush, go hide. Anansi holla, an’ he come out an’ he catch him by his two han’ an’ draw him right up. Half a him ’kin lef’ on de stone. Moss a grow upon rock-stone a ribber-side, Anansi skin a grow deah.

Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Tiger planting corn, and birds and everyt’ing destroying de corn, so him get Dove to help him fe watch who is destroying de corn. So after dey sit up de whole night fo’ to watch de corn, next day Tiger him go sleep. Bredder Dove go back in de day now and destroy de corn. So de nex’ day, Tiger went in de day and dodge in de ground. Bredder Dove have a gang, an’ Tiger were slap him on de ears and he sing out, “Me ears! me ears! me ears!” An’ from dat day to dis de dove singing, “Me ears!”

Norman Hilton, Harmony Hall.

Brar Hog and Brar Dog live close by river-side, so Brar Dog said to Brar Hog, “Come! we get a bathe!” Brar Hog said yes, so Brar Hog took off his mout’ and Brar Dog an’ Brar Hog jump in the water. Brar Dog said to Brar Hog, “Come! let us see who can dive longer than the other.” So two of them dive underneath the water. Brar Dog come up, jump out of the water, take Brar Hog mout’ and went away with it. When Brar Hog come out of the water, searching for his mout’ and couldn’t fin’ it, an’ said, “Humph! Brar Dog tak a me mout’!” That’s why Brar Hog always grunting.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

One man got a darter. He said, “Got one cotton tree; de man cut dat cotton tree, he marry to me darter.” Every man go cut, soon dey cut de chip fasten back; so dem couldn’t get de girl to marry. Toad said him go fall him. Toad full in pocket a hashes an’ every chop him chop him fling de hashes upon de tree when de chip fly, and ’ey kyan’t fasten. So Toad do an’ do till he fell de cotton tree. [59]

De master hab a long barbecue an’ tell him say, “Now you mus’ go down dere and ’trip yo’self an’ I wi’ pour on de water to let you skin.” All dis time one big pot hot water on de fire boil up, so dem turn over de pot o’ hot water an’ say, “Brar Toad, water come! tak you rubbin’ clot’.” An’ Toad jump in wild pine; up to dis day, ev’ry night you hear him cry out, “Kwoka soaka!”

Samuel Wright, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

There was a bird name of Woodpecker promise his mother to bury him into a stone, an’ go all about an’ tell all his frien’ dat him gwine to bury him mother into a stone. An’ de mother was poorly unto death an’ he went to go an’ bore a stone, an’ he turn back an’ said, “Mother, I try the stone but I can’t bore it. I’ll bury you into a wood.” An’ he bore de wood. An’ after de death of his mother, he buried him into a wood. That is the reason the wood-pecker bore the wood.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Crab go to God to gi’ him head. God tell him he mus’ go back, “Tomorrow come, I will give you head.” After Crab gwine home, he rej’ice into him, he singin’,

He dance until he muddy de water. Nex’ day he went to God a’mighty fe get head. God tell him say, “Stop! after you don’ get head yet you go an’ muddy water; den if you get head you will do worse. So you mus’ carry your head upon your shoulder all de days of you life.” So when Crab returning home, when him ketch Orange Bay1 an’ stan’ der call Daniel name, said him wouldn’t trust a shadder after dark, for him don’t know when dey pick him up t’row him into his basket.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Deh is a man de name of Robin Mice-rat gwine to his uncle house. Him an’ de uncle stay dere in dark de whole time. When [60]him gwine away, he tell de uncle good-by an’ tak a stick an’ he lick ’e uncle. At dis time he went to our Savior an’ said he want to turn big man, so de Savior tell him say if he wan’ to turn big man he mus’ go an’ kill his oldest uncle. So, as he never died, he went back de nex’ night. So him an’ his uncle talking an’ his uncle said to him, “Dat fellow Robin come here las’ night; when him gwine away, tak a stick an’ lick me in de head. But, me pickney, if a heah (pointing to the temple) him ketch me, de fellow would a got me.” So as de uncle show him de place, as him get up, meet his uncle at de said place, kill him ’tiff dead.

Nex’ day he went to his Savior fe let him turn big man. De Savior said to him, “You little bit of man go kill you’ oldest uncle, den if me let you turn bigger you will do worse!” So from dat day das de reason let you see mice don’t bigger to dis day.

Thomas Williams, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit country.

Rat got married, an’ dere was rice and peas provide for de helping of food fe de dinner. It was so richly cook an’ so much dat it get burn. So Rat remember dat de rice burn in de pot, an’ Rat like ’crapin’, an’ while he was goin’ home wid his wife in de way, when he get part way he said to her, “I forget somet’ing very valuable in de wedding house, have to go back fe it!” She said yes, an’ put out de buggy on de water-table1 an’ run back to de wedding house, never went in where everybody in de house merrying himself, went to de kitchen. So de pot wid de bu’n rice was lean up by de side of de wall. So de force he go to de pot wid trouble de pot,2 an’ de pot, ’stead of rolling away, tu’n over cover him underneat’. An’ when he fin’ dat he couldn’t come out, he said, “Chut! what about dat? I wouldn’t give a biscuit fe a man who kyan’t lose his night rest!” and he begin to ’crape bu’nt part kur-ur-rup krup krup krup.

His wife calling now, “Mr. Rat! Mr. Rat!”—“Me head fasten in pot o!” Tu’n back ’crape ’crape. So de cook hear de noise and went out in de kitchen, find it was Rat underneat’ de pot an’ call out fe help. An’ come out lift up de pot an’ kill him. Dat’s why so many widows in de world, because dere husband died and left ’em. [61]

Thomas Williams, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit country.

Hunter always hunting an’ he meet up a spendid piece of land, rich land, and he t’ink to cultivate it an’ he begin same day cut bush. Piece of land is Guinea-hen feeding-ground. Guinea-hen come out at night,—Guinea-hen don’ walk in de day. “Massa is good, know dis is my feedin’ ground an’ begin to clean it so I can get my pullin’ clear! Let me help myself.” Make a little chopping himself too.

Ol’ man coming in de morning. “Hi! t’ankful! I commence work yesterday, do somet’ing good an’ massa help me!” Start to do a little himself ’side what he do first day. T’ird day come, he burn what he cut, an’ Guinea-hen burn dere too. Ol’ man come in morning say, “Hi! t’ankful! massa burn de balance!” Begun to clean up. Guinea-hen come de night, give t’anks an’ clean up de balance of what de ol’ man lef’.

Nex’ day, ol’ man t’ankful, begun to plant peas an’ corn. Guinea-hen come in night, say, “Massa is good! I don’ need to plant any”, begin to eat dat which de ol’ man plant. Ol’ man come in de morning see de damage, say, “Hi! what insec’ do dis?” Plant some more.

Go on so until de peas begin to ripe—about eight weeks. Ol’ man say, “Goin’ to gadder it in to-morrow.” Guinea-hen hear what ol’ men say, went to de sea an’ call de fish wid his trombone an’ tell de fish what he want: “I plant a bit of corn and peas, an’ gettin’ ripe an’ ol’ man coming to-morrow an’ I wan’ to go to-night gadder it in before he come to-morrow.” Fish accept an’ say, “Well, yes, I’ll go, but, Friend Guinea-hen, I kyan’ walk an’ I kyan’ fly, my wing is not strong enough. So, as you have foot an’ wing, you give me one of dem, I’ll go.” Guinea-hen says, “Yes, I’ll lend you my wing but I kyan’ tak me legs off to give you. See de straight road? You can fly an’ drop, an’ I’ll run on quick on my feet.” So Fish fly an’ drop, an’ Guinea-hen run on till came to de groun’. “Here is my own field; gadder an’ eat as much as you like.”

When day commence to light, de time man is to come, Guinea-hen commence to eat an’ look out. Fish say, “What you lookin’ so fo’, Friend Guinea-hen?” Guinea-hen see ol’ man coming, say, “It’s a butterfly I see jumpin’ about. Lend me yo’ wings, I go ketch it fe you.” An’ he sail away quietly out of groun’. Ol’ man come, see damage an’ begin to grumble an’ pick what he can till he get whe’ de Fish is, say, “Lawd! see him whe’ he mak him [64]bed!” an’ when he hawl up a big root an’ see Fish a-flutt’ring an’ a-trembling, he say, “O Fish! is it you do dis damage all dis time?” Fish says, “No, not I! Don’ kill me an’ I sing you some song.” Ol’ man like music, put him in a tub o’ water to sing an’ dance.

Fish says, “Tak me to de neares’ sea-side you has!” Ol’ man tak up de tub, put it on his head goin’ to de sea-side. Fish begin,

Ol’ man dance, Fish sing, until big wave coming an’ Fish aim for it an’ go long wid it. Ol’ man stay dancing, don’ know dat Fish is gone. Look in tub, Fish gone. Run home fe hook an’ line an’ t’row it into de sea to catch Fish. An’ dat is why we always have to catch fish at sea.

Julia Gentle, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Jumpin’ Dick say he would bear longer hunger than White Belly. So White Belly up a tree where a grape a drop, an’ Jumpin’ Dick pick up on de ground.

White Belly say,

Jumpin’ Dick dance an’ sing,

Etheline Samuels, Claremont, St. Ann.

One day an old lady was travelling on the road and she picked up a green pea and she planted it. And after it grew, her goat ate it off. She cried upon the goat and told it that she wanted the peas. The goat said that he didn’t have anything to give her, but she could take one of his horns. She took the horn and went to the river-side to wash it. The river took it away from her. She cried upon the river, and the river said it didn’t have anything to give her but a fish. She went further. She met a man who was very hungry. She gave the man the fish. After the man ate it, she cried upon the man. The man gave her a moreen. She went a little further and saw a cow-boy. She gave him the moreen. After he had worn it out, she cried upon him for it. He said he didn’t have anything to give her but his whip. She went a little further and saw a man driving cows. She gave the whip to the man. After the man had lashed it out, she cried upon him, so he gave her a cow; and from the cow she made her riches.

Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.

A man owe another one five pounds, and the other called in and asked the son who was at home, “Where is your father?”—“Me father gone to break a new fence to mend a rotten one.”—“Where is your mother?”—“Me mother gone to the market to sell sweet to buy sweet.”—“Where is your older brother?”—“Gone to sea to catch what in catching will kill and what him don’ catch will carry home alive.”—“Where is your sister?”—“Me sister in the house weeping over what she was rejoicing about last year.”—“What are you doing?”—“Taking hot bricks out [70]of oven.”—“Now, me good boy, you give me some hard puzzle. If you tell me the meaning I’ll give you five pounds.”—“When I tell you me father gone to break a new fence to mend an old one, mean to say me father owe you five pound and gone to borrow five pound to pay you. When I tell you me mother gone to the market to sell sweet to buy sweet, gone to sell honey to buy sugar. When I said me brother gone to the sea to catch what in catching he kill and what him don’ catch him bring home alive, I mean to say he goes to bed and he will catch the lice from his head and kill them; what he don’ catch he mus’ carry back in the head. When I said me sister was in the house weeping over what she was rejoicing over last year, she was rejoicing last year in getting her baby; she is weeping over it now because it is dying. When I tell you I’m taking hot bricks out of oven, I am pulling chiggers out of me feet.”—“Now all your puzzles are put through, you are worthy of the five pounds.”—“Please settle me father’s debt, then.” So he make a receipt and give his father five pounds.

George Parkes, Mandeville.

There was a man named Mr. Lenaman. He went to a place to rent a piece of ground. He didn’t know that it was a burial ground. It was about twenty acres of land. When he went, he chopped with his machete “pom!” He heard a voice say, “Who chop bush deh?” He answered, “Me, Mr. Lenaman.” The v’ice said,

So all de ghosts, big an’ small, get up chop off de bush clean.

Mr. Lenaman was very glad. He went home and told his wife of the luck he had met. When the bush dry up, he went back to burn it an’ starting to burn it he hear de v’ice say, “Who burn bush deh?” He said, “Me, Mr. Lenaman.” The v’ice said,

An’ all de ghost get up an’ help Mr. Lenaman bu’n off de bush clean.

The nex’ day, himself an’ wife went to plant corn. As they make the firs’ chop say “pom!,” hear de v’ice say, “Who plant corn deh?” He say, “Me, Mr. Lenaman.” De v’ice say,

[71]

An’ all de ghost get up an’ help him plant de corn, plant off de whole twenty acres.

When de corn grow up, he went back to mol’ it. As he started, the v’ice says, “Who mol’ corn deh?” He said, “Me, Mr. Lenaman.” The v’ice said,

An’ all de ghost get up an’ help dem mol’ off de corn dat day.

Now de corn grow up an’ bear an’ dry. Mr. Lenaman send his wife an’ boy one day to go an’ see how dey stay, an’ tol’ ’em not to break any because if dey break one, de ghosts will break it all off an’ den Mr. Lenaman won’t get none. He is going to get a lot of people to go there with him one day to help him break them, so that he can get a plenty. Now the wife an’ boy went to the groun’, but when they go, they forget what Mr. Lenaman tol’ them. In coming away, they broke one each. They hear the v’ice say, “Who broke corn deh?” They said, “Mr. Lenaman wife an’ boy.” The v’ice say,

An’ dey break off every bit!

The wife an’ boy went home an’ tol’ it to Mr. Lenaman. The three of them went back to the groun’. Mr. Lenaman got vex an’ started to beat the wife an’ boy. The v’ice said, “Who beat wife an’ boy deh?” He said, “Me, Mr. Lenaman.” V’ice said,

So dem beat de wife an’ boy so dat dem kill dem.

So Mr. Lenaman stan’ up now didn’t know what to do, start to scratch his head. The v’ice said, “Who ’cratch head deh?” He said, “Me, Mr. Lenaman,” The v’ice said,

An’ de whole of dem start to ’cratch his head, ’cratch it until he dead.

Thomas White, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

Der was once a woman dat have a child. Him name was Simon Tootoos. De mudder him was a church woman, an’ him used to send de boy to church; and after, de mudder come an’ [72]die. An’ when de mudder die, he take de world upon his head. And Simon Tootoos mek colbon1 and set it on Sunday day, and he go to wood on Sunday to go and search his colbon. And when he go to catch him bird, he catch a snake in de colbon. When he go to raise up de colbon an’ fin’ it was a snake, him leave it. An de snake answer to him,

[MP3 | MusicXML]

♩ = 80

Come take me up, Come take me up, Simon Tootoos, lennon boy. Come take me up, oh, lennon boy, Too na too.

It was his dead mudder cause de snake to sing like dat. And when he go to leave—

make him come an’ tek him up carry him come back to yard. And him put him down—

And stretch him out and cut him neck.—

And wash de pot. And cut him up an’ put in de pot, an’ he set it on de fire, mak up him fire under him, and him start boiling. After it start boiling, it boil until it tell him to season in skelion2. When it boil, it tells him to come down pot off de fire. So

He wash de plate. [73]

He clean him knife.

He lay him table. An’ say,

And pick him out.

Put him on table.

He draw him chair.

He eat him dead mother now.

As him eating done—

[74]

After him go to him bed, him mudder come out of him belly; an’ dat was de las’ of Simon Tootoos.

Thomas White, Maroon Town.

It was a man didn’t have no wife an’ he was a hunter-man; he hunt in de bush all day. An’ one day he go in de bush, go an’ shoot, an’ when he coming home, him saw a pretty tree name of Jessamy, an’ he say, “O me biddy boy, das a pretty tree!” An’ he says, “If dis tree could tu’n a wife to me, I would like to be marry to him!” An’ so he said, it done de very same as what him said; de tree do tu’n a wife for him. De woman was naked, an’ he lef’ him at de said time an’ went home back, an’ he get some clot’ing for de woman, an’ got him dress up nicely an’ carry him home at house.

An’ deh he an’ de woman was fo’ a long time until one day he were gwine out a bush fe gwine shoot, an’ leave him wife a house. Him go an’ sleep an’ never come home till de nex’ day. An’ after he gone to de wood, it’s anudder man go dere an’ inveigle him wife an’ tek’ him away from him house an’ go to dis man house. An’ when de poor man come home from bush de nex’ day, he couldn’t fin’ him wife. An’ what de wife did, after de wife come out dis man’s house go to de nex’ house, she was frighten how him husban’ gwine fin’ him. An’ de nex’ man house about a two mile off him husban’ house, an’ as she leaving for him house, she spit all de way until she ketch to dis odder man’s house.

An’ de man was into a rage dat him couldn’t fin’ him wife an’ didn’t know what was to ever do. An’ him sing,1

[MP3 | MusicXML]

Jesta be-yo, eh-e-eh-eh-eh-o—— Jesta
be-yo, A, a wi’ die, oh, wi’a go die, oh, fe trees bear-e, oh,
A, a wi’ die, oh, wi a go die, oh, fe trees bear-e, oh.

[75]

When de man sing, de spit dat de woman spit answer him,—

To every place where de woman spit, de man go dere an’ stan’ an’ call—

at each stopping-place of half a mile until two miles are passed. An’ jus’ as de woman hear de voice of de man, stan’ at door-mout’ an’ see dat de man coming. An’ de man go tak him wife an’ catch him right back to home yard.

Jack man dory, choose none!

Thomas White, Maroon Town.

It was a woman had one son, an’ it was a boy dat very unruly by him mudder an’ fader. He had not’ing to do but fire bow an’ arrow all day. An’ one day he tek up him bow an’ arrow an’ fire de arrow an’ de arrow drop in a Massa Jesus yard. An’ he went in de yard to go an’ pick up de arrow, an’ Massa Jesus wife was in de yard an’ Massa Jesus was gone out—wasn’t at home. An’ all dem clo’es was out of doors sunning. An’ de wife detain de boy in de yard fo’ de whole day until rain come de day an’ wet up all Massa Jesus clo’es a-do’. Dis boy was Sammy de Comferee, an’ jus’ t’ru Sammy de Comferee mek de clo’es a wet up a-do’. An’ when Massa Jesus come in, him was wet an’ him want some dry clo’es to put on an’ him couldn’t get no dry clo’es to put on. An’ him tu’n to him wife an’ ask him what him was doin’ de whole day at de house an’ mek him clo’es wet up a-do’. Him answer to Massa Jesus dat as he, Sammy de Comferee, was in de house, das why came de clo’es to wet a-do’. Massa Jesus say to him as he was along in de house de whole day if is de reason to mek him clo’es a wet up a-do’, an’ de woman reply to Massa Jesus dat if him been pretty as Sammy de Comferee, him would a do more. An’ Massa Jesus answer to him wife dat him know dat is him made Sammy de Comferee, an’ if Sammy de Comferee is prettier den him, him would see about it.

An’ Massa Jesus put up iron rod, an’ de iron rod hot as a fire, hot until it red. An’ him sen’ for Sammy de Comferee. An’ when Sammy de Comferee come, Massa Jesus says to him what he was doin’ in him yard de whole day. An’ he says dat him [76]fire him bow an’ arrow an’ de arrow drop into de yard, an’ after, he went in de yard to pick up de arrow an’ de wife detain him in de yard an’ him couldn’t get away from de woman until rain tek him in de yard. And Massa Jesus said dat de wife tell him dat Sammy de Comferee is prettier ’an him dat made him. An’ he order Sammy to climb de iron rod. An’ he commence to melt away an’ he sing,

[MP3 | MusicXML]

♩ = 88

Ah, me Sammy de Con-fa-ri-a-e-ro, Gi-ra
no, ah, in din ro. Ah, e do me da de a, Gi-ro no.
Ah, me Sammy de Con-fa-ri-a-e-ro, Gi-ro no, ah, in din
ro. Ah, e do me ma me-a, Gi-ro no. Ah, me Sammy de
Con-fa-ri-a-e-ro, Gi-ro no, ah, in din ro.

He melt off to him leg. An’ sing again—

He melt off to his middle. He sing again—

an’ him melt off one of him hand. He sing again—

an’ him melt off to him neck. An’ him sing again,

an’ him melt off to not’ing. An’ when you look at de iron rod, de whole heap of fat heap up about de iron rod. An’ all de pretty men dat come into de worl’ get some of Sammy de Comferee’s fat, but all de ugly ones don’t get none of it.

Jack man dory, me story done! [77]

a. Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.

There was an old woman, a witch, but she was very wealthy. She lived quite to herself. Plenty of stock—horses, cows, sheep, mules, each kind kept by itself in a separate pasture. The old lady’s name was Grandy Beard-o, but nobody knew that name. She wanted a person to sup with her. She came across a little girl one day. Then took that girl home. After she prepared her meal, she called the girl and asked her if she knew her name. The girl said, “No, ma’am.” She said to the girl, “Unless you tell me my name, I will not give you anything to eat.”

She started out the girl to go and fetch some water. The girl had to go through all the pastures to get where the water was—mules to themselves, cows to themselves, horses to themselves, sheep to themselves. She went along crying, being hungry. So she got into cow-pasture—that was first pasture. The cow said to her, “What’s the matter with you, me baby?”

The girl said, “The old lady will not give me anything to eat except me can tell her her name!” Cow was afraid to tell her.

From there she went into mule pasture, crying all the same. Mule said, “What’s the matter, me baby?”

The girl said, “The old lady will not give me anything to eat, except me can tell her her name!” Mule wouldn’t tell her.

She got into horse pasture, crying all the way. Horse said, “What’s the matter, me baby?”

“Old lady in there won’t give me anything to eat except me can tell her her name!” Horse wouldn’t tell her.

From there she went into bull pasture, still crying. Bull said, “What’s the matter, me baby?”

“Old lady won’t give me anything to eat except me can tell her her name!”

Bull says, “Cho! when you go home, tell her her name Grandy Beard-o.” Bull was a mighty man; he didn’t care!

The girl was so glad, hastened home so as to get something to eat. Old lady said, “You can tell me my name make me give you something to eat?”

The girl said, “Your name Grandy Beard-o, ma’am.”

Old lady got so indignant! She gave the girl a good feed and after that she started to find who told the girl. Went into cow pasture.

[78]

Cow said,

She jump into horse pasture now.—

Horse said,

She got into bull pasture now.—

Bull said,

The old lady gripped the bull and tossed him in the air. The bull dropped; nothing happened. The bull tossed her in the air now, and she dropped; one leg broken. She tossed the bull again; the bull came down unhurt. The bull tossed her up again; she came down, another leg was broken.

She tossed the bull; nothing happened. The bull tossed her; she came down, one arm broken. She tossed the bull again; the bull came down unhurt. The bull tossed her again; she came down, the other arm was broken.

She tossed the bull again; the bull came down unhurt. The last toss the bull made, her neck broke. That was the end of her. The girl became mistress of all she possessed, and that is why the land goes from hand to hand in legacy up to to-day.

Jack man dory!

b. Julia Gentle, Malvern, Santa Cruz Mountains.

A very bad woman have only one daughter an’ say, “Go to the river for water an’ when you come back, if you cannot tell my name I will destroy you.” When him goin’ fe water see Crab. An’ Crab axin’ where him go. An’ say, “Grandy sen’ me go a river fe water an’ say when me come back, if me cannot tell him name, her will kill me.” The Crab tell him say, “When you go, tell her dat her name Grandy Do-an-do.” [79]

So when she come back, she forget the name. An’ she say mus’ kill him, so dash away the water an’ send him back. Then when she go back, the Crab say, “Sing it all the way!” Then when the girl go back she sing,

Then the woman mad when she hear it an’ she travel. An’ she meet Cow, an’ say,

Cow say,

She travel an’ she meet Sheep, an’ say,

Sheep say,

Meet Horse, say,

Horse say,

Meet Duck, say,

Duck say,

Meet Crab, say,

Crab say,

An’ tak de machete an’ chop after de Crab, an’ Crab sink in de hole an’ stay in de hole till now.

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Jack an’ Harry, de two was gwine out for a walk. An’ de mo’ning was cool, an’ catch to an ol’ man dah in watch-house. Harry said, “Ol’ Massa, beg you a little coffee if you have any.” An’ he said, “Yes, me pickney!” an’ him give Jack a cup o’ coffee [80]an’ Harry a cup o’ coffee. An’ de ol’ man didn’t drink fe him coffee yet. Jack say, “Harry, I gwine drink fe de ol’ man coffee.” Harry said, “No, Jack, don’ do it!” An’ Jack tek ’way fe de ol’ man coffee an’ drink it. An’ de ol’ man tek him ’tick after dem, dem run.

An’ when dem run, see a hen wid some chicken. Harry said, “Do, me good hen, cover me wid you wing!” An’ cover dem wid her wing de same as her own chicken. An’ de ol’ man was coming after dem didn’t see dem, tu’n back. An’ Jack say, “I gwine to pop de hen wing.” An’ Harry say no, an’ Jack say mus’ pop it. An’ de hen begin to flutter after dem an’ Jack an’ Harry run an’ de hen was after dem.

An’ see a poor lady ’tan’ up in de way. An’ Harry said, “Do, lady, tek you coat an’ cover we up!” An’ after she cover dem up, Jack had a stick an’ say, “I gwine to choke de ol’ lady.” An’ Harry say, “Don’ do it!” An’ as he choke de ol’ lady, ol’ lady shake dem out an’ run after dem.

An’ when dey run, dey see a kyan-crow1 in de way an’ Harry said, “Do, me good kyan-crow, tek we up on you wing, carry we away from dis ol’ lady!” An’ de kyan-crow tek up Jack an’ Harry an’ fly up wid dem right up in de sky, an’ de ol’ lady couldn’t catch after dem. An’ Jack say, “I gwine to pop de kyan-crow wing mek him drop.” Harry said, “No, Jack, don’ do it!” An’ as ’em drop, ’em knock ’emself out of senses.

An’ when dey come to demselves, see a land turtle was coming. An’ Harry call to de land turtle, an’ as he shove out his head. Jack cut off de head.

Alfred Williams, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

Deh is old lady live at home wid one little puppy, an’ ev’ry night a gentleman come to pay her a visit, but dis little puppy snap an’ bark, have fo’ to tu’n back. An’ de ol’ lady catch de puppy an’ mak up a big fire an’ bu’n de puppy. Nex’ night again de gen’leman come back. Ol’ lady sing,

[MP3 | MusicXML]

♩ = 84

Heah, heah, Phin-ney man, heah, oh, heah, Phin-ney man, No-bod-y heah,
Phin-ney man, Dick an’ Dan-dy heah, Phin-ney man, No-bod-y heah,
Phin-ney man, Dick an’ Dan-dy heah, Phin-ney man.

De ashes bark as de puppy. De ol’ lady get up, tak up de ashes [83]dash ’em in de river, say, “Dis gen’leman goin’ to pay me visit an’ kyan’ because de ashes bark!”

Nex’ night, de gen’leman come back again, holla out, “Hulloo!” Ol’ lady sing,

De puppy ashes bark in de river an’ de gen’leman wouldn’t come. De ol’ lady tak de river water dash in de sea to hinder Dick an’ Dandy from barking. Nex’ night de gen’leman come back fo’ de las time; counsel a sing now. Old lady raise up an’ sing,

Meanwhile de gentleman dance. He come in now, draw a chair, say, “So long I couldn’t come on account of Dick an’ Dandy!” an’ say, “I coming to marry you.” Old lady say yes, but don’ know but dog shadow come; sometime shadow come back. Ol’ lady sing,

An’ de gentleman catch de ol’ lady an’ tear him up to inch pieces.

Margaret Morris, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

Two sister dey to house. One sister fe servant to a Busha1 in one pen2, an’ tell de Busha marry odder sister. De sister name Miss Grace my fair lady, de older sister Lady Wheel. An’ Miss Wheel servant to him sister. Busha gone to him work, never come back till midnight. Busha come, never hear not’ing stir. Till one day him gone out, Miss Wheel call Miss Grace to let dem go pick peas. So dem went away an’ tek a basket pick de peas, an’ have a baby in de hand, Miss Grace my fair lady baby. An’ when dem pickin’ de peas aroun’ sea-ball, Miss Wheel mek Miss Grace tek off dress an’ Miss Wheel shove Miss Grace my fair lady in de hole. She pick up de peas an’ come home, tek water wash her breast, tek de baby fe her own self; when night come, suckle de baby. So when de Busha come home midnight, she give him de dinner, eat an’ drink dat time, no notice him wife at all. T’ree day after dat he keep on coming but never notice. Till a day when he come, he ax fo’ de servant. Say, “No, my dear, I sen’ her out to de common, soon come.” De husban’ fall in sleep an’ never hear if de servant come in. Till one day when de husban’ coming back, one of de neighbor call to him, “Busha, you don’ hear what harm done in your house?” He say no. Dem tell him he mustn’t even drink cold water into de house de night an’ him hear what alarm done. So de Busha go, an’ what de lady gi’ him he never tek, never drink cold water even. Him force him an’ he never touch it. An’ de Busha lay down midnight an’ seem to doze asleep, but he no ’sleep.

Have a little dog an’ call de dog “Doggie.” Dog see when dead woman come. She call to de dog,

Gi’ him de baby.

[86]

De gentleman hear ev’ry word. De lady say, “Oh, not’ing, my dear!” Don’ want de Busha fe hear not’ing. An’ de las’ night come, de neighbor put him up to put a pail of milk an’ a pail of hot water at de doorway an’ to cover it wid a sheet. De dead woman come an’ call out de same:

Tek de baby an’ put it to bed. An’ step in de hot water, pitch into de milk cover wid de white sheet. Take him out of de cover an’ wrap her up, an’ she look up eyes fix up. De gentleman say, “What do you, me dear?” An’ say, “My sister shove me down in de ball. Him call to me fe go an’ pick peas an’ shove me in deh.” When de gentleman fin’ out wife dead, take Miss Wheel, build a lime-kiln an’ ship into a barrel an’ pitch down de hill-side roll it in de fire.

Philipp Brown, Mandeville.

Asoonah is a big skin t’ing. When it come in you’ yard it will sink de whole place. One day, de lady have t’ree chil’ren an’ leave dem out an’ him go to work. An’ den dis Asoonah comin’ in eb’ry day, an’ de chil’ren know what time it comin’ an’ deh ’tart a singing—

An’ come again, he ax de small one, “Whar yo’ mudder?” An’ say, “Gone a washin’-day.” An’ ax, “Whar de pretty little one?” Tell him, “Inside de room.” Ax, “Whar de house whar’s de guinea corn?” an’ holla out, “Whar’s de mortar?” Tell him, “Inside de kitchen.” So one day now when de mudder come, de chil’ren say, “Eb’ry day a big t’ing come in yeah an’ kyan’t tell what is what.” De mudder said to de husban’, “Well, you better ’top an’ see a wha’ come yeah a daytime.” Got de gun an’ go off in de [87]loft in de kitchen-top an’ sit. When him see Asoonah come, he was so big he get frightened an’ dodge behin’ de door soon as Asoonah mount de hill.… As he reach de gully, he fire de gun and Asoonah fall down in gully an’ break him neck.

An’ de king hear about dis Asoonah, but he couldn’t tell what it is. De king say anybody can come in dere and tell what is dis, he give t’ree hundred pound. De little boy hear about it an’ he was so tear-up about it. An’ de ol’ lady keeping a jooty at de king gate said, “What way Asoonah ’kin a go bring in yeah t’-day?” When de king ax eb’rybody an’ couldn’t tell what is it, he went an’ call up de little boy. De boy went to tek it up an’ de king ax him if he know what is it. An’ him hol’ it up like dis an’ say, “Eh! no Asoonah ’kin?” Eb’rybody got frightened and come right out, an’ de king offer de boy t’ree hundred pound and give a plenty ob clo’es an’ got de boy work again.

Julia Gentle, Santa Cruz Mountains.

One day a lady have two daughter, but her sister have one. Sister daughter name Alimoty. An’ everybody love Alimoty, but nobody love him daughter. An’ him go to de Lion an’ say to de Lion he mus’ kill Alimoty for him. Den de Lion say him mus’ put on red frock on Alimoty an’ blue frock on to him daughter when him going to bed. An’ after him going to bed, de girl say, “Cousin Alimoty, yo’ red frock don’ fit you; let us swap!” An’ deh swap. An’ de Lion kill de lady daughter, lef’ one. Den de lady tell de Lion mus’ kill Alimoty whom everybody love an’ don’ love him daughter. Den he said, “To-night you mus’ sew on de red frock on Alimoty an’ de blue frock on to you daughter, an’ I come an’ kill him to-night.” And when deh go to bed, deh swap again, an’ de Lion kill de lady daughter,—have none now! Den de Lion said, “Tomorrow sen’ Alimoty to me yard; I will kill him.” Den Alimoty was going t’ru de yard an’ de dead mudder give him a bottle of milk, drop it an’ run off. Alimoty sing,—

An’ Aliminty was a hunter and hear de singin’ an’ say, “Dat is Alimoty v’ice!” An’ he came to de Lion yard an’ kill de Lion. [89]

David Roach, Lacovia.

There was a woman have a daughter and a neice, and the neice was courting by one Juggin Straw Blue. She love the daughter more than she love the neice and always want the neice to do more work than what the daughter do. Well, the lady send the neice to a river one day with a big tub to bring water in it. The girl went to the river and get the tub fill and she couldn’t help it up. An Old Witch man was by the river-side, and he help her up and tol’ her not to tell nobody who help her up with the water. But when she went home, the aunt pumped her to know who help her up and she told her. Therefore the aunt know that the Old Witch man will come for her in the night, and she lock her up into an iron chest. Part of the night, the Old Witch man comes in search of the girl. So the girl was crying into the iron chest and the tears went through the keyhole and he wiped it and licked it and says, “After the fat is so sweet, what says the flesh!” And he burst the door open and take her out.

And the Old Witch man travel with the girl and he have a knock knee and the sound of his knee was like a music,—

[MP3 | MusicXML]

Na koo-ma no year-ie de knee bang cri’ bang cri’ bang.

And the Old Witch man says to her, “Your head and your lights is for my dog, and your liver is for my supper!” So the girl started a song,—

[MP3 | MusicXML]

Why, why, why, my Jug-gin Straw Blue, No Mam-my don’ know, No
Dad-dy don’ know, This rot-ten stuff, this stink-in’ stuff, then
[93] car-ry me down to gul-ly True Blue, you’ll see me no more.

So as this girl was courting by Juggin Straw Blue, his mother was an Old Witch too. And the courtyer’s mother waked him up and gave him eight eggs; for the Old Witch man has seven heads and seven eggs, and each egg is for one of the Old Witch head. Well, the boy went after the Old Witch man and overtake him and mash one of the egg, and day light. And he cut off one of the head. An’ the Old Witch man mash one of his egg and night came back. An’ the boy mash the next one of his, and day light again; an’ the Old Witch man mash one of his egg and night come back again. And so they went on that way until the boy mash seven egg and cut off the Old Witch seven heads and take away his girl. And he went home with his girl and marry.

Thomas White, Maroon Town.

It was a man were married to a woman first and he had one child wid de first woman he were married to. An’ de first woman dat he married to dead an’ he go married to anodder one; an’ de girl has to call her “mudder-in-law.” An’ de mudder-in-law doesn’t like de daughter-in-law. An’ one day de mudder-in-law go to him field gone work. In de morning she wash some peas an’ put on de peas on fire an’ went away to ground. An’ de daughter-in-law doesn’t live at dis house, live in house by herself. An’ de daughter-in-law come deh, ketch de daughter, louse and comb him hair. At de same time de mudder-in-law is Old Witch, know dat de daughter-in-law come to house. So as she was gwine away de eb’ning, de daughter said, “Look yeah, sister, mamma put on some peas on de fire; why don’ you tek one grain of de peas?” An’ she open de pot an’ tek out one grain of de peas. An’ when de Old Witch woman know dat de daughter-in-law tek out one grain of de peas, shet put up de hoe an’ went from ground an’ come back to house an’ tek down de pot an’ tu’n out all de peas in bowl, an’ she couple eb’ry grain of de peas until she fin’ one don’ have a match. And said to child, “Look yeah! you’ sister come to-day?”—“No, never come to-day!”—“Yes, don’ control me, for I see at de grain dat you’ sister come an’ tek out one grain from de pot.” An’ gwine to swear him at de river to drown her because she tek de peas. An’ she say, “If you don’ eat my peas [94]to-day you won’ drownded, but if you eat my peas you will drownded.” So de girl took up de song,—

[MP3 | MusicXML]

♩ = 80

Oh, me dear-est ma-ma, me mu-ma, oh, Poor me one, oh, Peace,

rit.

oh, a ring down. Ah, me dear-est ma-ma,
ring down peace, oh, a ring down, Ah, ye ring down.

And at de said time, de young girl had a sweetheart outside name of William. An’ William mamma heard de song ’pon de ribber-side and send away to carpenter-shop an’ tell William heard his girl singing quite mournful on ribber-side. An’ him go up on lime-tree an’ pick four lime an’ gwine a fowl-nest an’ tek four fowl-egg an’ gwine a turkey-nest an’ tek four turkey-egg an’ tek four marble, an’ call de girl an’ put her before him. An’ William an’ de girl mudder-in-law come to a battle at de ribber-side an’ William kill de woman. An’ he put de girl before him an’ carry her home an’ marry her.

Martha Roe, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

A woman have two daughter; one was her own chil’ an’ one was her daughter-in-law. So she didn’t use her daughter-in-law good. So de place whe’ dem go fe water a bad place, Ol’ Witch country. De place name Bosen Corner. One day she sen’ de daughter-in-law fe water. So when she go long, she see so-so1 head in de road; she put her hand on belly mek kind howdy. Go on again, see two foot go one in anudder so (crossed) in de road. An’ say, “Howdy, papa.” So-so foot say, “Gal, whe’ you gwine?” She said, “Mamma sen’ me a Bosen Corner fe water.” He say, “Go on, gal; good befo’ an’ bad behin’.” She go on till she ketch to a little hut, see one ol’ lady sit down deh. She say, “Howdy, nana.” De ol’ lady say, “Whe’ you gwine?” Say, “Ma sen’ me a Bosen Corner fe water, ma’am.” De ol’ lady say, “Come in here; late night goin’ tek you.” De Ol’ Witch go pick up one piece of bone out dungle-heap an’ choppy up putty in pot, an’ [95]four grain of rice. Boil de pot full of meat an’ rice an’ get de gal dinner. De gal eat, an’ eat done call her say, “Me gal, come here ’cratch me back.” When she run her han’ ’cratch her back so, back pick all de gal han’ so it bleed. Ol’ Witch ask her, “What de matter you’ han’?” Say, “Not’ing, ma’am.” Even when it cut up all bleed, never say not’ing. When she go sit down, ol’ lady go out of door come in one ol’ cat. De ol’ cat come in de gal lap, an’ she hug it up an’ coax de cat an’ was so kin’ to de cat. An’ de gal sleep an’ get up to go away in de mo’ning. De ol’ lady tell her say mus’ go roun’ de house see some fowl-egg. She tell de gal say, de egg whe’ she hear say “Tek me! tek me!” dem are big egg; she musn’t tek dem; small egg say, “No tek me!” she mus’ tek four. First cross-road ketch, she mus’ mash one. Firs’ cross-road she mash one de egg, an’ see into a big pretty common. Second cross-road she mash udder one; de common pack up wid cow an’ goat an’ sheep an’ ev’ryt’ing dat a gentleman possess in property. De t’ird cross-road she mash anudder one; she saw a pretty young gentleman come out into a buggy. De fourt’ cross-road she mash de las’ egg an’ fin’ de gentleman is a prince an’ he marry her.

De daughter-in-law come, her an’ her husban’, drive into de yard see mudder-in-law. She expec’ de Ol’ Witch kill de gal didn’t know she was living. So she sen’ fe her own daughter, sen’ a Bosen Corner fe water, say de udder one go get fe her riches, so she mus’ get riches too. De gal tek a gourd an’ going now fe water too. Go long an’ see so-so head an’ say, “Ay-e-e! from me bo’n I nebber see so-so head yet!” So-so head say, “Go long, gal! better day befo’.” An’ go long an’ meet upon so-so foot, an’ say, “Eh! me mamma sen’ me fe water I buck up agains’ all kind of bugaboo, meet all kin’ of insect!” An’ say, “Go long, gal! better day befo’.” An’ go de ol’ lady house now. De ol’ lady go tek de ol’ bone go putty on de fire again, an’ say, “Nana, you gwine tell me so-so bone bile t’-day fe me dinner?” An’ when she see de four grain of rice she say, “Nebber see fo’ grain of rice go in a pot yet!” Till it boil de pot full de same wid rice an’ meat. De ol’ lady share fe her dinner give her, an’ she go tu’n a puss an’ come back in. When de puss beg fe little rice, de gal pick her up fling her out de door. Ol’ lady call her fe come, ’cratch him back too, an’ put him han’ to ’cratch him back, draw it back say, “Nebber see such a t’ing to ’cratch de back an’ cut han’!” Nex’ mo’ning, de ol’ lady tell her mus’ look in back of de house tek egg. De big egg say, “Tek me! tek me!” mus’n’t tek dem; de little [96]egg say, “No tek me! no tek me!” mus’ tek four. She don’ tek de small one, tek four of de big egg. De firs’ cross-road she break one an’ see a whole heap of snake. At de secon’ cross-road she break anudder an’ see a whole lot of insect. At de las’ cross-road she massoo one, an’ see a big Ol’ Witch man tear her up kill her ’tiff dead in de road.

Thomas White, Maroon Town.

A woman have t’ree daughter an’ one son, an’ de son was a yawzy ’kin.1 De t’ree sister, one name Madame Sally, one name [100]Madame Queen Anne, one name Madame Fanny, an’ de brudder name Andrew. De t’ree sister don’ count much by de brudder. An’ one day dem goin’ out to see frien’, an’ bake pone an’, in de mo’ning, tell der mudder good-by an’ tell der fader good-by; dey never speak to de yawzy boy Andrew. Travel de whole day till late tek dem. An’ dey look out on a common, dey saw a big white house an’ dey call up an’ ax fe a lodging fe de night, an’ de woman in de house tell dem yes. An’ it was an Ol’ Witch house dem goin’ to sleep. De Ol’ Witch woman cook dinner give dem, an’ bed-time get a nice bed to sleep in. An’ de Ol’ Witch woman drug dem, an’ dey fallen in sleep.

At de said time, de yawzy ’kin brudder Andrew was half Ol’ Witch an’ he know what his sister was goin’ to meet in de night. An’ he follow dem whole day, until night, when de girl gone to bed, de Ol’ Witch brudder fin’ himself under de Ol’ Witch house. An’ dis Ol’ Witch woman had t’ree copper hung up into her house. An’ part of de night when de girl were in sleep, Ol’ Witch went to kill one of de girl. As him catch de girl t’roat for go cut i’, yawzy boy Andrew cry out,—

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Ya bwa, ya bwa, ya bwa, ya bwa. Raise up an’ you, madam
Fan, you. Raise up an’ you, madam Sal, you. Raise up an’ you,
madam Queen Anne, An’ me name An’, an me name Andrew, an’ me name An’.

As him sing out, razor-mout’ tu’n over. Ol’ Witch woman said, “But, bwoy, whe’ you come from come here?” Andrew say, “Hi, Nana! me follow me sister dem come deh. But I have yawzy an’ when de yawzy bite me, me mudder kill a cow an’ tek de blood an’ wash me.” De Ol’ Witch kill a cow an’ tek de blood an’ wash de boy, an’ de boy fall in sleep back. So she go an catch Madame Queen Anne to cut him t’roat, an’ de boy Andrew bawl out again,

Ol’ Witch razor mout’ tu’n over. Ol’ Witch gi’ out, “Bwoy, whe’ you come from, torment me so?” Boy said, “Hi, Nana! when me to home, when me yawzy bite me, if it is de bigges’ barrow me mamma got, ’m kill him an’ tek de blood wash me.” An’ Ol’ Witch kill a barrow an’ wash him, an’ de boy gone to bed, gone sleep. Day coming fast, Ol’ Witch mad to eat de girl. When she t’ink dat Andrew asleep, him not sleeping. Well, de ol’ lady wait for a good time an’ him went in de room an’ him catch Madame Fanny t’roat to cut him. An’ him hear,—

Boy jump out an’ say, “Hi, Nana! de yawzy bite me dat I kyan’ sleep. Nana, when I to home me mamma tek de bigges’ sheep, tek de blood wash me.” Dat time, Ol’ Witch copper deh ’pon fire was boiling hard, an’ Andrew ketch de Ol’ Witch an’ knock him down in de copper an’ kill him dead. An’ Andrew detain de t’ree sister ’pon Ol’ Witch property, an’ him claim de property as his own, an’ sen’ away for his mudder an’ his fader, an’ tek all de Ol’ Witch riches an’ live upon it, mek himself a man.

Jack man dory, choose none!

Alexander Foster, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

One time there is a bull range the common,—call the pen “Garshen pen.” That bull wouldn’t ’low no bull-calf to born an’ to raise in that pen barring out him one; but every heifer born, [112]him nurse them, go about lick them, nourish them, make them grow fine! Until one time cow was heavy, climb up into a high mountain an’ have a calf, an’ when the calf born he is a bull calf. Now that ol’ bull we call him “Ol’ Moody,” an’ the young bull name ‘Tep’y-tep’y to-day.’

The mother stay until the calf grow a tremendous bull, carry down that bull come to de river to drink water. Every time the father come to drink water, him go away, so then when the son come, the son try to put foot in the father track, an’ the bull mamma say to him, “No, me son, de track no fit fo’ you fader yet,” make her carry him back a couple of days more. Now at twelve o’clock in the day, mother carry down the bull again, try foot for him father again. Now he feel to himself that he come a man, an’ he stan’ up same place an’ say to him mother, “Mus’ see me father to-day.”—“Massy, me son, yo’ pa so cruel, have a dread to carry son go!” He stan’ up holla, “Ma, I gwine go! I gwine try to see me father!” an’ he raise a sing now,—

De ol’ bull gwine answer him now,—

Coming up the common to meet him father, (like) when a pretty man coming up, you see all de young girl for dat gentleman; an’ he sing coming,

De ol’ bull answer him,

Meet to fight now, an’ de ol’ toss up him son into the air an’ he drop on four feet. An’ the son lif’ him up in de air now; when de fader coming down, one foot break. An’ he ’tamp on de t’ree foot an’ lif’ him son higher again. An’ him son lif’ him up again in de air, an’ when he coming again, break one of de other foot. An’ all de cow now running to the river for water wouldn’t bother with the ol’ bull at all, everybody for the young one. An’ lif’ up de young bull again deh ’pon him two foot, lif up in de air, an’ de young bull drop on him four foot back. An’ de young bull lif’ him up again; when he drop, he break de udder [113]foot. Lif’ up de son again, but he couldn’t go too far wid him; an’ his son lif’ him up in de air again break de udder foot. An’ he lay down on him belly fe fight an’ lif’ up him son, but him couldn’t go too far wid him foot. An’ him son lif’ him up de las’, now, lif’ him up in de air; an’ when him come down, break him neck. An’ from dat day, all young bull grow in pen; not’ing to destroy dem.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Der is a bull de name of Ballinder Bull, but dem right name King Bymandorum. It is a wicked bull. De king said whoever kill Ballinder Bull, he will get his two daughter to marry to. All de men in de worl’ try, an’ couldn’t kill him. One day, an’ ol’ lady stood by an’ a woman was breedin’ go to de horsepon’ to tek water. De bull buck out de baby out of her an’ went away. De ol’ lady tek de baby an’ rear him. When him come a good-sized boy, he send him to school. Every twelve o’clock when dey play marble, he lucky to win. De res’ a chil’ tell him said, “A da you mek so!” Four o’clock when him coming home, him say, “Ma, why de reason when I win doz odder chil’ sai, “A da you mek so?” Him ma tell him tomorrow twelve o’clock get one switch play wid de least one an’ after you win him tell you “A da you mek so!” gi’ him two good lick an’ you will come to know why dey use de word. So twelve o’clock he play an’ win, an’ tell him “A da you mek so!” He gi’ him de two lick, an’ after he give him de lick he said, “Hit let Ballinder Bull buck you out of you mudder belly.” When de boy return home he said, “O mudder, you is not me right mudder!” De ol’ lady said no, begun to tell him all dese t’ings were happen. De boy said, “Anywhere Ballinder Bull, a gwine kill him!”

Dis bull got gol’en tongue an’ gol’en teet’. When de boy gwine along, him meet some noblemen and said, “My little boy, where am you goin’?” An’ said, “I gwine a fight Ballinder Bull.” De men said, “Boy, we after Ballinder Bull fe dis many year an’ kyan’t ketch him; what you t’ink upon you?” De boy said, “Never min’, I gwine fight him!” De boy went where him feedin’. Bull never see him, go drink water. De boy go to de cotton-tree an’ say, “Bear down, me good cotton-tree, bear down!” De cotton-tree bear down. Said, “Bear up, me good cotton-tree, bear up!” When de bull was coming, he hear de singin’, [114]

Ballinder Bull say, “What little boy up in de air jeering me as dis?” When he come, he fire bow an’ arrow; de boy catch it. Him fire anodder one, an’ he fire out de seven; de boy caught every one. De boy look on him an’ sen’ one of de bow an’ arrow, peg down one of de han’. An’ tek de odder one an’ sen it t’ru de odder han’. He sen’ anodder an’ peg down one of de foot. He sen’ anodder an’ peg down de odder foot. He sen’ anodder, he peg down one of de ears. He sen’ anodder an’ peg down de odder ear. De las’ one, he sen it t’ru de head. An’ he say, “Bear down, me good cotton-tree, bear down!” When de cotton-tree bear down, he catch de ears an’ pinch it an’ fin’ dat de bull was dead. An’ he came off an’ say, “Bear up, me good cotton-tree, bear up!” an’ de cotton-tree bear up. An’ tek a knife an’ tek out de teet’, tek out de tongue an’ travel.

De same day, he never went to de king yard. Hanansi goin’ to ground an’ saw de bull an’ said, “Buck, Ballinder Bull! buck, Ballinder Bull!” De bull don’ shake. Hanansi said, “You damned son of a bitch, you won’ get me fe kill to-day!” an’ tek up de stone an’ stone him an’ fin’ out dat de bull dead. De gladness in Hanansi! He went up chop off de bull head, bear it on to de king. When he go he said, “I kill Ballinder Bull, Sir!” De king say, “Oh, yes! you shall be my son-in-law tomorrow morning.” Now der is a bell, every gate has a bell. So Hanansi gettin’ ready to go to church, dey hear de bell ringin’ at de gate an’ dey sing,

When de boy come, de king say “What you want?” An’ say, “I kill Ballinder Bull, Sir.” Hanansi come out. (King says) “You’s a little liar! Little boy like you couldn’t fight Ballinder Bull!” An’ [115]Hanansi run in, said, “Der is de head!” De boy put his han’ in his pocket said, “Der de tongue an’ de teet’!”

Dey ketch Hanansi an’ ’tretch him out on a ladder, an’ beat him. After dat, dey sen’ him to look wood fe de weddin’. Dey sen’ Dog to watch him. Hanansi carried de wood, carry about ten bundle. Ev’ry trip, Dog go wid him. When him come back, ’im say, “Brar Dog, you love meat? I hear one hog over yonder; run go see if we kyan’ get little!” By time Dog return back, Hanansi gwine under wood ’kin an’ hide, an’ all de hunt Dog hunt, kyan’t fin’ him till dis day.

Mrs. Ramtalli, Maggotty.

There was a bird Arinto; it used to feed on human flesh. In the district there was a little boy by the name of David Lawrence who was lame in both feet. When the boy heard the bird fly, he asked his sister to take him; but she refused, saying if she remained Arinto would eat her too. The boy, having no other resource, dug a hole in the ground where he lived for some time. When the bird came and perched on the house-top, he said, “Smell flesh; somebody about here!” Then David Lawrence sang,

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You Arintoe, You Arintoe, Shake, shake, come down to David Lawrence.

Then the bird pitched off the house to the spot where he heard the singing. As it was an underground passage, the boy would move along and the bird would follow him up and down. As he went to the foot (of the passage), the bird would go there; as he went above, the bird would go there,—all day like that. At night the bird would go to rest,—couldn’t eat he was so tired. But the boy cooked at night and had his rest.

It went on for some weeks until the bird got tired an’ weary and one night fell off the roost. David Lawrence came out, cut out the tongue, and took it to the king, who had promised whoever killed Arinto would get his daughter’s hand in marriage. Anansi, passing the nex’ day, saw the dead bird, cut off the head and hurried with it to the king. A wedding feast was made to have Anansi married to (the king’s) daughter. Just as that was going on, a ragged boy called at the gate, but Anansi told the king to have nothing to do with him. But he appealed so loudly that the king after all went out, and the boy said to him, “Anansi [116]is a usurper, because, king, have you ever seen a head without a tongue?” Anansi, on hearing that, ran under the table and from there into the house-top. David Lawrence was taken in, dressed, married to the king’s daughter, and lived happily.

Jack man dora!

George Parkes, Mandeville.

Once upon a time a woman had one daughter, an’ that daughter was the prettiest girl in an’ around that country. Every man want the girl to marry, but the mother refuse them as they come. Tiger, too, wanted the girl, an’ demands the girl, an’ the mother says no. Tiger said if he don’t get the girl he will kill her. So they remove from that part of the country and go to another part, into a thick wild wood where no one live. And she made a house with a hundred doors and a hundred windows and a large staircase; and the house is an upstairs, an’ there both of them live.

Tiger hear of it, always loafing aroun’ the house to see if he can catch the girl, but the girl never come out. During the day, the mother went to her work, leaving the girl at home. When going out, the mother fasten all the doors an’ windows; coming home in the evening, at a certain spot where she can see the house an’ notice that all the windows an’ doors are close as she leave it, then now she have a song to sing, go like this,—

(that’s the name of the girl). Girl now—

Woman said to her now,

Then the door open, so—

The door don’t open without that song now, and when it open, the mamma go into the house.

At that time, Tiger in the bush listening to the song. So one day while she was away, hear time for her to come home, Tiger approach the spot where she always sing. He now in a very coarse voice sings the song,—

[117]

The girl look from the window, said, “Tiger, a who no know sa’ a you!” So now Tiger go ’way an’ hide till mamma come. When she come, he listen good. Next day, Tiger go to a blacksmith an’ ask de blacksmith what he t’ink can give him, Tiger, a clear v’ice. De blacksmit’ say he must hot a long iron an’ when it hot, mus’ take it push down his t’roat. An’ de blacksmit’ give him a bit of meat to eat after he burn the throat an’ that will give him a clear v’ice. So Tiger go away eat de meat first an’ den burn de t’roat after. Nex’ day he went to the spot where the woman always sing from. An’ that make his v’ice more coarser. He sing now—

The girl look thru the window an’ say, “Cho! a who no know sa’ a you!” So Tiger got vex’ now, an’ he went home, burn the throat first and afterward eat the meat, and that give him a clearer v’ice than the woman. The nex’ day, when most time for the woman to come home from her work, Tiger went to the spot where he can see the house. He begin to sing,

The girl answer (tho’t it was her mother now)—

Then Tiger say,

The door commence to open now,—

And as the door open, Tiger step up an’ caught the girl an’ swallow her.

And when the mother coming home, reach to the spot and saw the doors and windows open, she throw down what she carry and run to the house. And she saw Tiger lay down. And the mother then went away an’ get some strong men come an’ tie Tiger, kill him, an’ open de belly an’ take out de daughter. At that time, little life left in her an’ they get back the life in her. The woman then leave the house an’ go off away far into another country, and that is why you always fin’ lot of old houses unoccupied that no one live in. [118]

Thomas White, Maroon Town.

Able have two daughter an’ dey was pretty young women. Anansi hear about dese two women, did want dem for wife, didn’t know what way he was to get dem. Able is a man couldn’t bear to hear no one call him name; for jus’ as he hear him name call, him get disturb all to kill himself. So Anansi get two ripe plantain an’ give de young women de two ripe plantain, an’ dey tek de two ripe plantain from Anansi an’ dey eat de two ripe plantain. Das de only way Anansi can get dese two young women.

An’ Able nebber know ’bout it until one day Mr. Able deh at him house an’ him hear de voice of a singin’,—

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Brar Able, oh, me ruin, oh, Brar Able,
oh, me ruin, oh, Brar Able, oh, me ruin,
oh, Brar Able, oh, me plantain gone.

Brar Able say, “Well, from since I born I never know man speak my name in such way!” So he couldn’t stay in de house, an’ come out an’ went to plant sucker-root. Anansi go out,—

[121]

Mr. Able went out from de sucker-root an’ he climb breadfruit tree. Anansi go just under de breadfruit tree, sing,

Mr. Able went up in a cotton-tree. Anansi went up to de cotton-tree root, give out—

An’ Mr. Able tek up himself off de cotton-tree an’ break him neck an’ Mr. Anansi tek charge Mr. Able house an’ two daughters.

Jack man dory, choose one!

Vincent Morrison, Mandeville.

Once a king had three daughters and the king die and some young fellows go up to the fence, but as they come they run them. The fellows meet Brar Nansi one day and they said to Anansi, “I bet you never go to that house!” Mr. Anansi said, “I bet you I go up there!”

Anansi went an’ got some horse-mane and get a cotton-tree spar an’ dig out a fiddle. An’ he come out de road de evening, an’ he start to play de fiddle say,

The ladies call out and ask who is it playing that sweet music. Anansi say, “It’s me, missus!” And the ladies ask who. He says, “Me, Mr. Anansi, missus.” The ladies carry him up to the house and he play for two hours and come away. So the fellows who did bet him, he win them.

Jack man dora!

George Parkes, Mandeville.

There was once a little child born into a country, born with golden tongue an’ golden teet’, an’ from de day she born, nobody [122]see de teet’ excep’ de mother an’ de father; she never talk for no one to hear her nor to see neither the teeth nor the tongue. Now the king of the country hear of it, an’ he offer a gran’ reward for anyone who would get to make the chil’ talk, because he, the king, never seen a golden tongue an’ teet’ yet. So lot of men went to the house an’ try all sort of mechanic; the chil’ wouldn’t talk.

So Anansi heard off it, went to the king an’ tol’ the king that he would make the chil’ talk; an’ the king say if Anansi make the chil’ talk before him, he will make the reward much larger, but if he don’t make the chil’ talk before him, he, the king, will kill Anansi. So Anansi went away, got his fiddle, cord it up, an’ went to the place of the little chil’; an’ he played on his fiddle to make the chil’ hear,—

The chil’ look upon Anansi an’ smile; Anansi shake his head. He play the tune again—

The chil’ laugh; Anansi get to see de teet’. Now Anansi play stronger again de same t’ing,—

The chil’ begin hum it now,—

Anansi play again harder now,

The chil’ make,

Anansi shake de head an’ laugh an’ he play much stronger now,

[123]

The chil’ now sing louder,

As the chil’ sing that time, Anansi pick up the chil’, run right away to the king palace, call for the king, put the chil’ in the chair, tol’ the king he make the chil’ sing, see tongue an’ teet’. The king wouldn’t believe him. Anansi play him fiddle before the king, play the same tune,—

Chil’ begin now,

And the king was very glad, an’ Anansi was nicely rewarded and the king took the child in his own home, an’ dere she live wid de king forever.

Thomas White, Maroon Town.

Deh was a man name of Goolin. He had a wife. He married him wife fe so many years dat de wife turned dummy,—she couldn’t speak to nobody. An’ Mr. Goolin reward out a certain amount of money, if anyone could make him wife talk, he would pay dem dat amount of money. Anansi hear about it an’ go to take up de job from Mr. Goolin. Anansi says if he had a mountain groun’, an’ Mr. Goolin says yes. An’ Mr. Anansi an’ Mr. Goolin go up to de mountain groun’ an’ Mr. Anansi tell Mr. Goolin he mus’ get a coffin made an’ send get up some men to carry de coffin. An’ Mr. Anansi sen’ tell de wife dat Mr. Goolin dead; an’ when de message reach Mrs. Goolin dat her husband dead, Mrs. Goolin commence to cry; an’ when she look an’ see de amount of men goin’ up to de mountain fe gwine carry down Mr. Goolin, de wife was crying but she couldn’t talk. An’ Anansi come down wid Mr. Goolin, an’ dey hev’ to come down a high hill, an’ de house was upon a flat before de hill. Well, Mrs. Goolin da in de house, she hear de great noise was coming down de hill an’ come jus’ at de [124]house door, she come an’ stan’ up an’ look out an’ see de majority of men comin’. Anansi gi’ out,

An’ when de wife hear dat mournful singin’ de wife sing now very faintly,

An’ when Goolin hear he say, “Sing up, man!” Anansi sing,

An’ wife sing now,

So Mr. Anansi tek out Mr. Goolin out of de coffin as a live man, an’ Mr. Goolin an’ him wife was talking up to t’-day.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

One boy went to Hanansi yard, an’ Hanansi an’ he mudder made up to kill de boy. Me’while, de boy hear what dem say. Hanansi went away fe one of his country-men help him to kill de boy. As Hanansi gone, de boy kill Hanansi mamma, tek off de coat an’ de sucker, put it on an’ cook up de ol’ lady. When Hanansi come, de ol’ lady gi’ dem deh dinner. An’ he say, “Ma, [127]wha yo’ got stren’t te kill a big big boy?” De boy said, “Yes, me pickney.”—“Ma, a wan’ water.” De ol’ lady gi’ him de water. An’ said, “Lawd, dis fellah fat!” De boy tek time an’ tek off de coat an’ de sucker, t’row it down an’ run, went away. Hanansi tumbled down,—“Lawd! a me mamma been nyam!” An’ run after de boy but couldn’t catch him. So it’s only de boy ever fool Hanansi!

Alexander Townsend, Flamstead, St. Andrew.

Ali Baba was the brother of Kissem, but Ali Baba was a poor man and Kissem was a rich man. Ali Baba had two donkeys and an ox,—all his living. Ali Baba was cutting wood one day, he heard a company of horse coming afar. Took his donkeys and hid them in the bush, hid himself in a tree. Forty men were coming on; the head man came right to the cave where he was. Name of the cave was “Sesame.” This cave was shut, would open by the word “Open, Sesame.” And they brought forty bags of gold an’ put in. Shut without word. Ali Baba saw them from the tree-top. When gone, Ali Baba came down to the cave, said, “Open, Sesame, open!” Ali Baba took all the money he could, loaded it on the donkey.

Must measure the money, but didn’t have any measure. Brother said, “What Ali Baba got to measure?” Took stuck the measure. Ali Baba measure, measure, measure, measure thousands of dollars. One piece stuck on the bottom. Brother aska; Ali Baba tells all about it, teaches brother, “Open, Sesame, open.” Next day, Kissem took wagon, oxen, servants, went to the place, said, “Open, Sesame, open!”. When he went inside, cave shut. When he went on, saw all the money, he forgot the word, said, “Open, kem! Open, wem! Open, rim! Open, sim!” Forgot that word entirely, can’t get out. The men came back; “Open, Sesame, open!” Find Kissem. “How came you here?” No answer. Cut Kissem up in five pieces, hung them up in the cave.

Kissem’s wife went to Ali Baba, said, “Kissem no come here yet!” Ali Baba went next day to the place. “Open, Sesame, open!” Finds the five pieces, takes them down, gets a cobbler to sew the five pieces up into a body. Robber comes back, finds body gone. Who took away that body, signifies some one knows the place; must find out who that is. Goes about town, finds a cobbler [130]who said he joined five pieces into a body. Cobbler shows the house. He gets jars, puts a robber in each jar; one jar has oil. Takes the jars to Ali Baba, says will he buy oil. Ali Baba says yes.

He makes sport for the great governor. Ali Baba had a maid by the name of Margiana, and she was very wittified,—discovered the whole thing, but she didn’t say anything. She danced so well, danced up to the governor to give her something. He put his hand in his pocket to get her something; Margiana get one dagger, killed the governor dead. Margiana got the oil red-hot, poured into all the jars that got men. Ali Baba said, “Well, Margiana, you saved my life and you shall have my son and as much money as you want, and as much money as will put you in heaven!”

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Der was a bull name King Henry and, in de day, Bull-of-all-de-Land. Well, in de day him put on bull clo’es an’ de night him turn man. An’ one night de wife him lib wid mek up fire and bu’n de bull clo’es, an’ after she bu’n de bull clo’es, de man lef’ de wife. Have t’ree pickney; an’ she tell him to give him clo’es and she take her finger, prick, an’ drop t’ree drops of blood on de shirt-front. An’ him go away lef’ ’em fe t’ree years.

An’ after him lef’ ’em, she mash t’ee pairs of shoes to fin’ him. An’ she walk till she catch a river-side see a washer-woman. An’ he said who would wash but de t’ree drops of blood, him will marry to her. Den de woman dat was washing de shirt-front say, “Me lady, if you wash out de t’ree drops of blood, I will show you King Henry.” Well den, only cut a lime an’ ’queeze it pon de t’ree drops a blood an’ wash off! An’ de washer-woman run leave de woman at river-side an’ run up to King Henry, say, “I wash de blood!” An’ after she go up, him kep’ her in de yard, send off fe a minister, say in t’ree days fe marry de woman a wash out de blood.

In de night, dem put de strange lady into a close room against King Henry, but de woman didn’t know de king is dere. And dis woman dat say him wash out de blood, gib him laudanum in tea an’ he drop asleep. Den when de minister come, him hear it de two night de woman was singing; and he talk to King Henry say what woman singing to him at night. And say, “What woman?” And say what he drink in his tea. Nobody in de district know his name Bull-of-all-de-Land, only dis woman; all other know him King Henry. Well de next night sing again: [131]

Phonograph record 35, transcribed by Helen Roberts.

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Return to me! Return to me, Return to me, me bull ob a’ de
lan’. Return to me king Henry Return to me I hab
t’ree drops ob blood, I wash fe you. Return to me. Return to me I hab
t’ree drops ob blood, I hab wash fe you. Return to me, king
Henry, Return to me, Return to me, me bull ob a’ de lan’.1

As King Henry hearing de singing, jump right up. An’ de nex’ day marry de woman, mek her a lady. Fe nobody else know he is Bull-of-all-de-Land.

Maud Baker, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Once Cinderella and her godmother lived together, and godmother told her there was a certain room in the house that she wasn’t to enter at all. One day while godmother was out, Cinderella said she must see what was in that room. After going there, she was extra frightened to meet up a large pot boiling with blood and no fire underneath. When godmother came back, she found out that Cinderella had gone into the room. Calling her to her, she told her that she must tell her the truth now; when she went into the seventh chamber, what did she see? Cinderella replied, “Dear Godmother, I saw nothing and nothing shall I talk until my dying day!” She asked her the same question again, and Cinderella repeated the same answer. Then she was so annoyed that she took Cinderella into a deep wood about ten miles away and asked again, “Cinderella, when you went into the seventh chamber, what did you see?” The girl again repeated, “Dear Godmother, I saw nothing and nothing shall I talk until my dying day!” The godmother threatened to cut out her tongue if she [132]wouldn’t tell her the truth, but she kept saying the same as before, so then the godmother was so annoyed she cut out her tongue and left her there weeping extra.

Well, after a day passed, there was a king travelling through the woods and he saw this lovely little girl. And she was stripped naked and still weeping. The king asked her what she was doing there and she couldn’t tell at all, only cry. And the king took his silk handkerchief, wrapped her up and took her home with him. Some time after, the girl had a boy child for the king. The godmother heard of it all right, and when the ninth night came, godmother came in and stole away the baby and put a cat in the bed. When the king got up and saw the cat, and asked what she had done with the baby, she couldn’t tell, only weep all the time. Some time after, she had a girl baby. When the nine nights went round again, the goddie went to the bed, took the baby and put a big block of rotten wood in the bed. And the king was again amazed, asked her what she had done with his baby and she couldn’t tell, only cry. Well, the king threatened to imprison her for his two babies, but seeing her so fretful and pitiful, he gave her a chance. Some time after, she had a boy baby again. After the nine days came round again, they put up soldiers to keep guard in the room and all outside and round about the yard, and at the gate soldiers with guns and bayonets. And godmother came in and took away the baby and plastered up the mother’s mouth and everywhere in the bed with blood. So when the morning awoke now, the king believed that the girl had been eating all his babies, and he advertised around the country that she was to be hung on such a day.

Well, after the day came around, all the high men gathered at the place to see her hung. After the sentence was passed and she was about to receive her death, some one called to them they must stop because some nobleman was coming. And they spied afar off one of the most beautifulest carriages glittering in the sun. So they waited until the carriage came, and it was that old godmother with the three children grown to a big size. And she came in and put the two boys on the king’s leg and the girl in the middle, and put in the girl’s tongue, and she was able to talk for herself now. Also, the godmother got a good sum of money from the king for the good care she had taken of the three children; and instead of sorrow, they had a merry day. And the king went home and married the girl and they lived very happily after that. [133]

Henry Pottinger, Claremont, St. Anne.

I’ll give you a plain story that you may be able to write it down and the words may not puzzle you to spell,—all plain words.

There was a lady and her maid lived in a palace upon a very high mountain. There was nobody allowed to go up the mountain except a fisherman alone. The maid had a baby who was her first son. A couple of days after, her mistress had a baby who was her first son. Next morning the fisherman came up and saw the two babies. The fisherman owned the two children as his sons. The fisherman broke a limb from a rose and stuck it in the ground as a plant. Immediately it grew a tree with a beautiful shade. Under the tree he placed a golden table, for his two sons to play their billiard under. Day by day they went under the tree and played their billiard there.

The first son’s name was Adam; the second son, his name was Bob. One morning early Adam said to Bob, “I am going to-day to see what the world is like.” He called for his mare and a cane-stick and a hound, and he mounted his mare and he started away. He rode that day long, till night came down. He saw beautiful light on the top of a hill. He went up to the house. A lady met him at the door. The lady asked him where he is going. “I am travelling to see what the world is like.” The lady said to him, “You best to remain here with me, for ten young men have passed this same way and never returned again.” The first one came, and she gave him one hundred keys to open ninety-nine doors, but never open the hundred. The first door that he opened he saw beautiful things, until he opened ninety-nine and every one he saw better things. He was forbid not to open the hundred, but he would like to see what (was) inside the hundred and he opened the hundred and he saw (a) beautiful green pasture with a coal-black horse standing there full-rigged with saddle and bridle, and there he mounted on. And the horse made one rear and he dropped into a palace and there he saw ten young men sitting upon ten chairs. There were two chairs left, nobody thereon. He sat upon one. The eleven men that were sitting on the eleven chairs now, all had one eye.

Bob, his brother, who (was left) at home, next morning broke a branch from the tree and threw it on the ground, and it withered at once. “Mischief befalls me brother!” He called for his mare, he took his cane-stick, he called for his hound, he mounted his [134]mare. He said to his mother, “My brother is dead; wherever he is, I must find him to-day.”

He rode for that day till it was night. He saw the light on the hill. He went up the hill. The same lady met him at the door. She asked him where he was going. “I am going to look for my brother Adam.” The lady said to him, “Eleven came here before and have gone the same way and never returned again; there is one chair left and you will sit thereon!” She gave him one hundred keys to open ninety-nine doors, and forbid him not to open the hundred. The first door he opened he saw beautiful things, and he opened ninety-nine doors. The one key was left. “It is just as well for me to open the hundred!” And he saw the same black horse, the handsomest animal in the world, with saddle and bridle thereon. He mounted the horse, and he reared and dropped in the same palace where his brother was. There was a chair provided there for him, and (he) found that he had only one eye the same as the other eleven had. If he had heard what the lady had said, he wouldn’t have gone to look for his brother who was lost.

Elizabeth Hilton, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit country.

The king have two son. The first one went out to hunt. He see a pretty little bird! An ol’ man said to him, “Say, massa, you better not follow dat bird!” He see the bird a pretty golden bird and he still follow the bird. Then him go to a place where he didn’t see anybody at all but an old hut, an’ he gwine in an’ see a big fire. Come off an’ hitch up him horse an’ warming by the fire an’ was hungry an’ see a sow an’ t’ree pig, an’ he shoot them an’ was roasting them by the fire an’ see an’ ol’ woman come up. ’he say, “Beg you little fire, massa.” An’ say, “Come an’ take it.” An’ say, “Hol’ yo’ dog fe I ’fraid of it.” An’ the ol’ woman pop one of her hair an’ give it to the gentleman to tie the dog. She pop another an’ give it to him to tie the horse. Said, “I beg you a piece of the meat now, massa.” An’ give him the four tripe. She said, “That is not enough!” She jump on the gentleman and begin to beat him. The gentleman said, “Dog, dog, help me!” Dog said, “I would help you, but I am ’ready chained!” He said “Horse, horse, help me!” Horse said, “Master, I would help you but I am ready chained!” An’ him killed him. [135]

The next day, the other brother didn’t see him come home and went to look for him. He travel and when he get to the ol’ woman house, he see the same little bird was singing. He said, “What a beauty! I’d like to catch that bird!” The ol’ man said to him, “Massa, don’ go off wid dat bird! About t’ree days ago a noble gentleman pass here an’ never return, an’ dat’s where all de kings’ an’ nobles’ sons los’ der way.” The gentleman said, “I’ll just fin’ out how my brother go.” And went to the same place an’ see the same ol’ hut, an went in an’ see a big fire. An’ he went in an’ was warming a’ fire an’ see a sow an’ t’ree pig an’ kill the sow an’ the three pig. An’ see the ol’ woman come out; “Massa, beg a little fire.” An’ say, “Come an’ take it!” An’ say, “Chain yo’ horse an’ yo’ dog,” an’ pop off two more hair an’ give it to him; an’ the gentleman t’row the hair into the fire an’ hear them pop. The ol’ woman go into the bush and pop two green withes an’ tie the horse an’ the dog an’ begin to fight the gentleman. The gentleman call to the dog, “Dog, dog, help me!” an’ the dog pop the withe an’ begin to bite the ol’ woman. He say, “Horse, horse, help me!” The horse began to trample her. When she fin’ out that they were going to kill her she say, “Massa, don’ kill me, I will show you something! Raise up all those black stone that you have seen here and you will find all the kings’ son and all the nice lady an’ beautiful princess that I have enchanted and turned into stone. An’ you will find your brother, horse an’ dog.” An’ the gentleman kill her an’ raise up all the stone and fin’ his brother and all the ladies and gentleman.

Elizabeth Hilton, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit country.

Jack was a great gambler,—no one could ever beat him a game; and he went and gambled with the Devil Errant. Jack won the first, second and third games; the Devil Errant won the fourth and the fifth games. The Devil Errant said to Jack, “I require nothing of you but to find me in three months.” No man knew where the Devil Errant lived, and if Jack doesn’t find him in three months, the Devil Errant will take his head. And the Devil Errant knew where Jack lived.

Jack was fretting and didn’t know what to do. He asked every one of his friends and they said they didn’t know the Devil Errant and didn’t know where he lived. He went to the keeper of the world and asked him where the Devil Errant lived. He said, “How could you play cards with a man like that! However, I am [136]keeper of all the beasts. In the morning I will ring the bell and all will come and I will ask them if they know the Devil Errant.” In the morning he rang the bell and all the beasts came. Everyone said he didn’t know the Devil Errant. So he said, “I don’t know what to do, Jack; but I have a brother who lives three hundred miles from here, and I will roll a barrel and you must go after the barrel; where the barrel stops, that will be where my brother lives.”

In the morning, he rolled the barrel and Jack followed the barrel, and it stopped in the brother’s yard and Jack stopped too. And he asked the brother if he knew the Devil Errant and he said no, didn’t know a man like that. And he said, “Well, I am the keeper of all the fish in the sea. In the morning I will ring the bell and all the fish can come and I will ask them if they know the Devil Errant.” In the morning, he rang the bell and all the fish came and they said they didn’t know a man like the Devil Errant.

Jack was fretting, for it only needed three days and the three month would be gone. The brother said, “Well, I don’t know what to do, but I have another brother who lives two hundred miles from here. Tomorrow I will roll the barrel and where that barrel stops that will be the place.” In the morning, he rolled the barrel and Jack followed after the barrel, and when he got to the other brother the brother said, “Well, I don’t know such a man by the name of the Devil Errant, but I am the keeper of all the birds in the year, and in the morning I will ring the bell and they will come and I will ask them if they know the Devil Errant.” In the morning, he rang the bell and all the birds came except one named the Quack, and everyone said he didn’t know the Devil Errant. Little after, the Quack came up. The keeper asked him why he didn’t come all this time and he said, “I was just at the Devil Errant’s yard picking up a few grains of corn.” The keeper said to Jack, “This is the only one who can take you to the Devil Errant’s yard.”

Jack had to kill a cow now and cut it up in pieces and put it on the bird’s back along with himself, and every time the bird said “Quack,” give him a piece of meat. The Quack was a greedy bird; said “Quack” and gave him a piece, “Quack” and gave him a piece, “Quack” and gave him a piece, “Quack” and gave him a piece, till he gave him the whole cow, didn’t have any more to give him. The bird said “Quack” and he gave him his hat, “Quack” and he gave him his boots, “Quack” and didn’t have anything more to give him, and the bird dropped him at the river-side.

As Jack was there crying he saw an old man come. The man [137]said, “Jack, what you doing here?” Jack said, “I was gambling with the Devil Errant and he won me the fourth and fifth times and he said I was to find him in three months, and the three months are up to-day.” The man said, “Well, I advise you to stay here for a few minutes and you will see the Devil Errant’s two daughters come to bathe. You must not trouble those two, but when you see the third one come, when she goes to bathe take her clothes and hide them, and when she comes out to look for the clothing say to her, ‘Your father played me a trick and I will play you one too!’ ”

Jack did so. When the girl looked for her clothes, Jack said, “Your father played me a trick and I will play you one too.” And the girl fell in love with Jack and told him all her father’s secrets and said, “Now, Jack, when you go to my father’s gate, if he tells you to come in you mustn’t go in at the gate; for there will be a sword ready to cut off your head. Let him come and open the gate for you.” So when Jack went to the Devil Errant’s yard, the Devil Errant said, “You are very clever indeed, Jack! Open the gate and come in.” Jack said, “No, you come and open it.” The Devil came and opened the gate.

The Devil said, “As you are so clever to find me in three months. I will give you another task to do.” He dropped his gold ring into an empty well and said, “Go and pick it up.” When Jack went, the well was full of water. Poor Jack was hungry and crying. He saw the girl coming with his breakfast and a bag with a machete in it. And she said, “Why are you crying, Jack?” He said, “Because your father has given me a task I can’t do.” She said, “What is it?” He said, “He dropped his ring into the well when it was empty, and when I went to pick it up, it was full of water.” She said, “Well, what you must do is to take this machete now and cut me up in pieces and I will be a ladder, and when you are coming back, you must take up every piece and put it into this bag and I will become the same woman.” Jack said he couldn’t do it at all, but she forced him to and so he did it. He chopped her up and put her down and she became a ladder, and every time in coming up he took up a piece until he had taken up the whole, only one little piece he forgot, till at last she became the same woman, only she had lost one of her finger-joints; but she said, “Never mind for that, Jack!”

Jack took the ring to the Devil Errant and he said, “Since you are so clever, I will give you another task; take this house, now, and shingle it with dove feather.” Jack was crying and he saw [138]the girl coming with a barrel of corn. She said, “Now, Jack, dash this corn about the house and every bird will come to feed; and pick the feathers and shingle it with dove feathers.” And so Jack did.

And the Devil said, “You are so clever I will give you another task to do, and when you have done that I will set you free.” And he gave him a bit and said, “Go and catch my horse in the pasture.” When Jack went to the pasture he saw it was a mountain of sea. Jack was crying and he saw the girl coming with a gun and a stone. She said, “Don’t cry, Jack! take the bridle and stone, fire the gun and dash into the sea. The horse will come and put his head into the bit, as my grandfather was buried here.”

When Jack carried the horse to the Devil Errant, the Devil Errant said, “You are very clever indeed. I will give you one of my daughters to marry.” He had the three girls dress alike and gave a grand dance and said when they were dancing he must pick out the one that he loved the best. The girl told him that she would wear a different branch and told him what branch she would wear, so he picked out the youngest daughter. The Devil Errant said he couldn’t give him that one at all because she was too young, but Jack said she was the only one he loved, and the Devil Errant couldn’t break his promise and had to give her to him, and they got the parson to come and marry them.

That night the wife said, “Well, Jack, father is going to kill you tonight.” When they went to bed, the wife made two wooden babies that would cry and put them in the bed; and they went into the pasture and got the best riding horses her father had and started for home. The devil got a pot of boiling water and threw it through the chimney into the room on the bed. When he heard the babies cry, he went to cut their throats and he found the two wooden babies. So he went after them. The horse’s name was “Supple Jack.” The girl said to Jack, “Look, look behind you and see what you see!” Jack said, “Your father is at the horse’s tail!” She said, “Take this grain of corn and throw it and it will turn a wood of trees that he can’t pass.” The Devil went back for his axe, and felled the wood. She said, “Look, look behind you, Jack, and see what you see!” He said, “Your father is at the horses tail!” She said, “Take this sweat and drop it behind you and it will mount to a great river he can’t cross.” The devil went back for his ladle and ladled the water till he drowned; he couldn’t go any further!

The girl said to Jack, “As you have been away so long, don’t take me with you; leave me at the lodgings and come back to-morrow [139]for me. But you must not kiss anyone; if you kiss anyone, you will forget me and never remember me any more.” So Jack went home. His mother and sisters and everybody came to kiss him, but he refused to kiss them. He lay on the sofa sleeping and a pet dog came and kissed him, and Jack never remembered his wife any more for four years. Then they made a great entertainment. Jack was just about to marry the next day to another woman, and he and his bride went to the entertainment. The first wife sat down at the window sad. They asked her to go with them to the entertainment. She said no, she was not going, but they forced her to go with them. As everybody was enjoying himself, they asked her to entertain them. She knocked her left side; a rooster came out. She knocked her right side; a hen came out. She knocked her stomach; a grain of corn came out. The rooster took it away from the hen. The hen said, “Get away, you ungrateful rooster! You came into my father’s yard, he gave you a task to do and you couldn’t do it. He dropped his gold ring into the well and you couldn’t take it out, had to mince me in pieces, and now I have lost one of my little finger joints!” She knocked again and another grain of corn came out. The rooster took it away from the hen. The hen said, “Stop, you ungrateful rooster! You came to my father’s yard, he gave you a task to shingle a house with dove feathers and you couldn’t do it; I had to do it for you!”

Jack said, “I remember something!”

She knocked on her stomach again and another grain of corn came out. The rooster ate it up. She said, “Get away, you ungrateful rooster you! You came to my father’s yard. He gave you his bridle to go and catch his horse and you couldn’t catch it and I had to show you how to do it!”

Jack said, “I just remember my fault!” Jack fell down at her feet and begged her to forgive him. He said to the company that a man had lost a key and was about to buy a new one when he found the old one just as good, and everybody told him there was now no occasion to buy the new one. Jack said, “Well, this is my wife that I forgot for four years, and I have found her!” He put her in his buggy and drove home and left the other one in the same place. And they both lived happy forever.

Maud Baker, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Once Jack’s wife gave him a cow to sell, and she told him the cow cost twenty pounds. Three men bet they could get the [140]cow cheap. They hid at different places along the wayside, and one came out and asked Jack if he was selling that goat. Jack said, “No, me man, it’s a cow, not a goat! because me wife told me it’s a cow and I can’t sell it for a goat.” The man told Jack his wife was making a fool of him and he would give him a dollar for the goat, but Jack refused. After he had gone for a couple of miles, a second man came out and repeated to him all that the first had said. And Jack refused to sell the cow and went on. After a couple of miles again, the third man came out and said he must sell him the goat. Jack got angry himself now, and the man offered him three dollars and he took it and returned to his wife with it and told her all that had happened to him with this goat she gave him for a cow. The wife was angry and told him she would have nothing more to do with him until she got her twenty pounds for the cow.

Jack took the three dollars and started off in a deep study. He went to a shop and called for a bottle of whiskey, which cost a dollar. After paying for it, Jack asked the man to let it remain until he returned back, and the clerk consented. He went to a second shop and bought a bottle of whiskey for a dollar and asked the clerk to put it up also till he returned. He went to a third shop, bought a bottle of whiskey also and asked the clerk to let it remain. After going about three miles, he met up with the three men who robbed him out of his wife’s cow and says to them would they mind going to the shop and taking a drink with him; and they said yes. At the shop, Jack called for a bottle of whiskey, the four of them served it in glasses and drunk it all. Jack took off his hat and clapped it on the counter and said, “It’s well paid for!” and the clerk said, “All right, Jack, we know that.” After they go outside, the three men want to know how Jack didn’t pay for the whiskey and yet the clerk believe that he paid for it. Jack said as long as he clapped his hat on the counter, they must say that he paid for it. They bet Jack that he couldn’t go to the next shop and do the same, and Jack said that he could; and he went into the second shop and called for a bottle of whiskey again, the four of them drunk it off, and, taking off his hat, he clapped it on the counter again saying that it was well paid for. The clerk said, “Yes, Jack, it is all right.” They go to the last shop now, call for the third bottle and do the same thing again. They wonder how he can do that and ask to buy the hat. Jack said no. He asked them one hundred pounds for the hat, and the three of them made it up and Jack gave them the hat and got the [141]hundred pounds and carried them to his wife. She was well pleased now.

The three men started with the hat to see if they could get something by it also. After buying some things, one of the men tried the hat and it wasn’t successful. The other two were rowing with him, saying that wasn’t the way Jack did with the hat. The second one now took it and went in, but the clerk was angry and was about to call the police; they had to pay for what they called for there. Then there was a big row, the other two saying that wasn’t the way Jack had done with the hat. Now the third one tried it and was not successful. They threatened now to catch Jack and to kill him.

Jack knew what would happen and he told his wife he was going to put up a trick. He went to the bed and lay down, and when the wife saw the three men coming she started crying. They asked her what was the matter, and she said her husband was dead and nobody to help her bury him. They said, “A devil act that! should have been dead before now!” and asked to see him. Jack was lying in bed as if dead, and a stick beside him. One of the men said, “Yes, me man, we were looking for you to kill you; we are glad that you are dead already!” and he took up the stick beside him and gave him a wonderful stroke. Jack started up with fright and said to them, “This is the stick of life! it raised me from the dead!” and the wife was so glad to have her husband back again! Well, the three fools asked Jack now to sell them the stick. Jack refused, but they begged and Jack consented. They gave Jack one hundred fifty pounds for the stick because it was the “stick of life.”

The men started ’round the village advertising that they could raise the dead. The king’s daughter was dead. They went to the king’s home and told him that they could raise the dead, and he was glad and carried them inside where the daughter was lying dead. They began beating her with a stick and crying, “Princess, arise from the dead!” but nothing happened. The king was angry, ordered the furnace well heated and had them thrown into it. That was the end of the three men, and Jack was well rid of them.

Thomas Williams, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit country.

Uncle Green is a rich old man and he never married. Jack is a young man and is poor and preparing to get married, but [142]cash is hard to get; so he t’ink to get somet’ing from Uncle Green. So he appoint his wedding for a day an’ invite Uncle Green. So when de day came, he make bargain wid his cook an’ everybody, make up good fire in de kitchen an’ cook good all what dey have. An’ make way outside in open yard where all de guests can sit, an’ dere he provide vessels an’ stones, each pot have his own place. Pick up de pot hot off de fire, put on de stone. No fire under dat; everyt’ing shut down quite close; no heat escape. So all de guests came from church, coming to dinner. So, nearly to dinner-time, somebody say, “Hi! how is it nearly dinner-time an’ not’ing doing? All de pot is on de stone an’ no fire under it!” All de chief men know all dat will happen, so dey say, “Never min’, frien’s, keep quiet, we soon have dinner!” Guests say, “All right, dis is strange wedding!” When dinner-time, Jack, de bride, come out an’ say, “Frien’s, we soon have dinner. I have a shell an’ a whip which know dere duty, an’ wi’ do it as I speak to dem.” So when de hour come, he rise up an’ took de shell an’ de whip an’ came out in de yard among de cooking vessels dat was on de stone, an’ blow de shell, to-hoo, to-hoo, to-o, an’ fire de whip at de same time an’ say, “Boil, pots, boil!” He did dat twice, an’ said, “Butler an’ cooks, everyt’ing to your posts!” Each one came an’ take charge of what dey have to occupy. Jack stand up dere an’ say, “Come, now, cook, dish up an’ hand to de butler!” So all de guests looking wid amazement and wonder, looking how t’ings going to be. As dey lift up de cover, de steam begin to fly out of every pot and everyt’ing well cooked!

Uncle Green propose to get married too an’ propose to buy de shell an’ de whip. “How much you take for de shell an’ whip, Mr. Jack?” Jack say, “Oh, Uncle Green, me hatful of money.” His hat was a big hat. Uncle Green send t’ree time to de bank to draw his hat full of gold and silver, notes, an’ everyt’ing whatever he could find to fill up his hat.

No instruction given to him how doze t’ings were cooked before and never ask how t’ing was done; say, “Only blow de shell an’ crack whip an’ everyt’ing wi’ cook.” So wedding day came, an’ he invite, an’ prepare to marry to-day. He kill an’ cut up an’ put up everyt’ing in de pot wid cold water, put on de cold stone outside in de yard. When de hour for dinner come, say, “Frien’s, keep quiet; we soon have dinner.” De same t’ing as Jack said before he said, only not’ing of fire. So as de cook take up de cover, everyt’ing is raw same way [143]as it was put in. Say, “Good heavens! dat fellow Jack deceive me. Wonder where I will fin’ him!” an’ some one say he is at home.

Jack know what will happen. He make himself plain in de way for anyone to see. Constable an’ cart come, take up Jack, t’row him into a bag an’ carry him to Uncle Green. Uncle Green say, “I want your life! Take him on to de sea an’ drown him.” So while dey driving on going over a bridge nearly got to de sea, Jack said to de cart-man, “You driving me on an’ you forget you’ valuable golden horse-whip! Put me on de water-table at de road-side lef’ me dere, go for you’ whip.” While he dere, Jack commence to cry in de bag, “Don’ wan’ king! Carry me go tu’n king an’ I don’ wan’ king!” A poor old man was passing by at de same time, hear de cry, stop, listen. He was a shepherd driving sheep to de pasture. He say, “’top! what a foolish bwoy! Bwoy, if you don’ wan’ to go an’ tu’n king, come out an’ mek me go!” Old man jump in de cart an’ loose de bag, an’ Jack come out de bag. Old man quick go down in de bag an’ Jack tie him an’ tek charge of de flock of sheep an’ drive dem on. Cart-man come an’ take his seat an’ drive on wid de ol’ man; so drive to de sea, take up de bag an’ dump de ol’ man. He was drown. So came home to Uncle Green. Say, “Did you drown him?”—“Yes.”—“A rascal dat!”

Some day after, Uncle Green was going on de road in de district an’ hear big flock of sheep before him coming. Said, “Dat voice is not Jack voice?” When he get up to sheep, sheep pass, Jack arrive, dey meet up. He say, “Stop, Jack!” Jack say, “Yes, sir?”—“You alive?”—“Yes, sir! an’ if you t’row me furder I would get gold an’ diamond; where you t’row me, it only sheep an’ goat I get dere!”—“All right, bwoy! I forgive everyt’ing in a hurry, you go an’ show me where de gold an’ diamon’ is!” An’ so it was done. Jack drive de cart himself. When he get to a shallow place he say, “It is here de sheep an’ goats are.”—“I don’ want e! Go on, go where de gold an’ diamond is!” Drive on furder to de bank, take up de bag, t’row him in de deep water and drown him. An’ dat was de end of de craving man, Uncle Green, an’ Jack take all his riches.

Emily Alexander, Mandeville.

There was two sons named Big Begum and Little Begum. Big Begum was very rich and Little Begum was very poor. One [144]day, Little Begum found a bag of money and sent to Big Begum to borrow his quart pan to measure the money. Big Begum was very envious, didn’t like to see Little Begum prosper. So he wondered what Little Begum was doing with the quart pan. He got some grease and greased the bottom of the pan to find out. Little Begum measured the money and, not looking in the pan to see that a coin had fastened in the bottom, sent it back to Big Begum. Big Begum saw the money in the pan and was surprised to know where Little Begum got this money from, so he threatened Little Begum if he did not tell him he would kill him.

So Little Begum told him that he had killed three of his horses, carried the meat to the market and hung it up in the market crying out, “Fresh meat for sale, bit a pound!” Big Begum now went home, killed three of his horses and carried the meat to the market and gave the same alarm; but no one came to buy it. So he was so sorry!

He went back home, called Little Begum, put him in a bag and tied him on a tree to stay till he came back. While Little Begum was there, he saw a man passing with a herd of sheep and he cried out. The man went up and asked what was the matter. He said that Big Begum wanted him to go to him and he did not want to go. So the man with the herd of sheep said he wanted to go, and Little Begum told him to take him out the bag if he wished to get there. The man took him out and went into the bag; Little Begum tied it as tight as he could, and the man told him to take charge of the herd of sheep. So he went away with the herd of sheep, leaving the man there.

Big Begum came up now with his cutlass and chopped the bag so fine that he could hardly believe it was a man, and buried it. So when he buried it, he went round the corner whistling and singing beautiful songs, feeling quite happy that he had killed Little Begum. But as he turned the corner, he saw Little Begum with the herd of sheep. He was so surprised! He said, “Is that you, Little Begum? I thought I had chopped you up a while ago and buried you!” Little Begum said, “If you had chopped me up a little finer and buried me a little deeper, I would get a herd of cows instead of a herd of sheep!” So Big Begum told Little Begum to chop him up as fine and bury him as deep, so he might get the cows. So Little Begum chopped him up very fine and buried him. That was the End of Big Begum! [145]

Emily Alexander, Mandeville.

Once a lady had two sons; one was very foolish and the other was very wise. The wise one was hired to look after some sheep while the foolish one was to stay at home and mind the mother. One day the mother became very ill and the wise brother had to leave his work and come home, so he sent the foolish brother to go mind the sheep. So the foolish boy took a stick and broke the legs of the sheep and brought them home in the yard.

The wise brother had on a bath on the fire for the mother. It was piping hot. So the wise brother went to the owner of the sheep to tell what had happened to the sheep and to ask for pardon, so he told the foolish brother to take off the pot off the fire and give the mother a sponging while he was away. The foolish brother took off the piping bath and put his mother in a tub and poured the hot bath on her, and she died.

When the wise brother came home and found that his mother was dead, he was so disappointed because the owner of the sheep said as soon as their mother died he would take away their lands to pay for his sheep. So the sheep-owner took away the land and left them with only an iron gate. So both of them lifted the iron gate on their backs and began to travel. As they reached a tree they sat down to rest. While they were there, they saw a band of robbers coming; so both of them with the iron gate mounted the tree. The robbers came and sat under the tree and began to eat. But they had no custard and no vinegar and they wanted some. So the foolish brother in the tree said, “Brother, I want to werine!” So he said, “You may do so,” and so he did. The robbers underneath saw it coming down. Thinking it was vinegar, they took a pan and caught some and said, “Thank the Lord! the Lord has sent vinegar for us.” Again the foolish brother said, “I want to dédé!” So he did, and the robbers caught some, thinking it was custard, and said, “Thank the Lord! the Lord has sent down custard for us.” So both of them in the tree now became tired of holding the iron gate, so they dropped it. The robbers were so frightened that they ran away leaving everything, and the two brothers came down out of the tree and took up all the money that was left and a knife.

The robbers sent one of the men to see what it was, and the two brothers took the knife and cut off his tongue and sent him back. When the robbers saw him coming, they ran to meet him [146]and asked him what was the matter. He could only say to them, “Bla, bla, bla!” They were so frightened that they started running, he running after them calling out “Bla! bla! bla!” They ran until they were out of breath and fell down and could go no further.

Emily Alexander, Mandeville.

There was a poor man and his wife and two children. He had nothing to give them but a slice of bread and cold water for the day. So one day he got up, took the children into the bush and pretended to be chopping the tree; then, as the children were playing, slipped away. When the wife asked for the children, he told her he had left them in the bush and she fretted and worried all day. Life became easier for them day by day, and the man became sorry that he had left them in the wood.

The children, when they missed their father, started to travel through the wood to see if they could find their way home. A little black bird said to them, “Follow me and I will show you your way home!” but this little black bird was an Old Witch. It carried them to a house made out of nothing but cakes, sweets and all manner of nice things, and then the bird vanished away from them. But they were so glad to get the cakes and sweets that they began eating at once. Immediately as they touched the first cake, the door of the house opened and a very ugly-looking blind old woman came out to them and asked them what they were doing there; so they told her how they had been lost in the bush. She took them into the house, put one in a cage and had one to do all the work of the house. Every evening she went to feed the one in the cage, and asked him to stick out his hand to see if he was getting fat; so the one left in the house gave him a bone to stretch out instead, because the Old Witch was blind and could only feel. The one in the cage was getting very fat and rosy. One day she went to the cage and asked him to stretch out his hand and the child stretched out the bone; so she became very impatient, said she couldn’t wait any longer and would kill him that very day for dinner, and asked the one in the house to heat up the oven. Then the Witch told the one in the house to see if the oven was hot enough; the Witch was going to shut the door on her and let her stay in there and bake. But the girl was smart and said she did not know how to get into it, she must show her the way. As the Witch went into the oven, she pushed [147]her in and shut the door, and the Witch stood in there squealing till she was burned to death. Then the girl ran and took the boy out of the cage, took some of the cakes and nice things off the house, and ran to their own home. The parents were so glad to see them that they kept a ball for them that night, and they told the story how they had killed the Witch.

Emily Alexander, Mandeville.

Once a little boy went to the river to bathe. He was washed away to sea and his parents heard nothing about him, but he was told before going that if he went he would be drowned.

But he was a smart little boy. A mermaid came and took him and carried him to the bottom of the sea and asked him certain questions: If he ate fish? he said “No.” If he ate beef? he said “No.” If he ate mutton? he said “No.” If he ate pork? he said “No.” If he had said “Yes,” the mermaid would have killed him, because its body was made of fish, beef, mutton and pork. So, as he didn’t eat any of those things, the mermaid carried him to the shore, threw him out, and a sheep took him up. The master of the sheep asked him certain questions,—where he was from and what was his name. He told him and they carried him to his home. They were so glad to see him they went and invited friends to come and help them enjoy themselves and make merry.

Julia Gentle, Santa Cruz Mountains.

A boy live with a very rich gentleman, and he have no children and he believe that when he die, the boy get all the fortune; so he want to kill the boy. And he throw out a barrel of rice and say boy must pick up every grain before he come back. And dead mother come and pick up every grain.

And when he come and see the boy pick up all the rice, say, “You mean to get all me fortune!” He tell the boy must go to the headman town and carry away the duppy-man one bell. An the dead mother go with the boy and the mother tell the boy what time the duppy lie down he must mash them hard. And he go take the bell out the middle of the town where the duppy is, and must run to four cross-roads before he come home with the bell. Then all the duppy scatter; one go one cross-road and one another, and the boy run home to massa with the bell. [148]

Then after he carry the bell come home, the man say, “I don’ know what to do! I believe you going to get me fortune!” And him tak one sword, the sharpest sword, and give the boy the dull sword and say, “We now play sword!” And the boy take the dull sword and kill the man and get all the fortune.

James Smith, Claremont, St. Anne.

A poor man was once travelling and saw a dog and a lion and a crow and ants fighting over dead prey. The poor man had nothing but a knife. He said, “Let me try and see if I can help you all.” He cut one quarter gave to the lion, cut one quarter gave to the dog, cut one quarter gave to the crow, gave the last quarter to the ants. The lion said, “My good man, I have nothing to pay for you kindness, but any trouble you get into just call upon the lion and you shall be ten times stronger than the lion.” The dog said, “Any trouble you get into just say, ‘The grey the dog,’ and you shall be ten times quicker than the dog.” The crow said, “Say, ‘The grey the crow,’ and you shall fly ten times higher than the crow.” The ants said, “Say, ‘The grey the ants,’ and you shall be ten times smaller than the ants.”

Some time after that, a great seven-headed giant who had one daughter, made a rule that any man coming to his house he would surely put to death. That poor man heard about the saying of the seven-headed giant and said he would marry the daughter. They laughed at him, but he found himself at the giant’s yard. There he found the daughter, but the giant was not at home. He told her that he would marry her, and she said that the giant would kill him. He said that he would give the giant a fight. He went back the second day, went back the third day. The father caught him there, said to his daughter in the house, “Aye! I smell fresh blood!”—“No, papa, nothing of the kind!” The giant went into the room she was hiding the man in. The man said, “The grey the ants,” and he was ten times smaller than ants; found his way through the crevices, ran down the stair-case, found himself out on the green, and he came back into his man’s shape. The giant came out and caught hold of him. He called upon the lion and he was ten times stronger than a lion. He flashed off three of the giant’s heads.

All the giant’s treasure was hidden in a round hill and the key was two marbles on an iron rod. The two marbles and the rod dropped from the giant’s pocket. “The grey the dog,” and he [149]was ten times quicker than a dog and caught the marbles and the rod. The giant caught after him and he said, “The grey the crow,” and flew ten times higher than a crow, and flew down and hit off the other four heads. The giant was lying down dead. With the advice of the girl he walked straight up to the hill, joined the iron rod on the top of the hill, set the two marbles at the other side at the foot of the hill, and both marbles rolled to the iron rod. So the man went in and got all that hidden treasure and he married the daughter and got all the possessions.

So you can never be too strong to be brought low.

Clarence Tathum, Mandeville.

Jack’s father died an’ leave he an’ his mother. And all them money finish an’ they didn’t have more than one cow leave. An’ the mother gave him to go to the market an’ sell it. When he catch part of the way, he swap it for a cap of bean.

When he get home, the mother get annoyed and t’row away the bean, so he get dread if the mother beat him. He went away an’ sat by the roadside, an’ he saw an old lady coming, ’he beg him something, ’he show him a house on a high hill, an’ him tol’ him de man live up dere is de man rob all him fader riches an’ he mus’ go to him an’ he get somet’ing. An’ so he went home back.

An’ so in de morning, he see one of de bean-tree grow a large tree outside de window, an’ ’tretch forth over de giant house; an’ he went up till he reach to de giant house. An’ when he go, de giant was not at home an’ he ax de giant wife to put him up an’ give him something to eat. De wife tell him she will give him something to eat, but she can’t put him up, for anywhere him put him de giant will find him when him come home. He said to de giant wife him must tek a chance. De wife put him into a barrel. When de giant come home, de giant smelled him. He ax him wife where him get fresh blood. So she told him she have a little somet’ing to make a pudding for him tomorrow. Said ’he mus’ bring it. Said no, better to have fresh pudding tomorrow than to have it tonight. After de giant finish his dinner, started to count his money. He fall asleep on de table, an’ Jack went down take be bag of money an’ went away to his house. He climb on de bean-tree right outside his window an’ went home back an’ gave his mother the money. [150]

Richard Pottinger, Claremont, St. Anne.

Devil had his company in his house, had a woman also locked up while Jack, his servant, was heating the oven. Somebody was expected from home. Jack was very fond of that girl, promised her that if anybody will come from home, he will keep heating the oven. The two of them arrange that she will keep singing—

Jack now (answers),

The master came to the window; “Jack, is the oven hot?”—“No, Master, not yet hot.” Jack put in two bundles of wood more. About an hour after, the girl began the same song. Jack gave the same reply. Master came again; “Jack, is the oven hot?”—“No, Master, not yet hot.”

The girl’s father came. The girl started singing—

Jack says,

The master came to the window; “Jack, is the oven hot?”—“Yes, Master, red-hot!” Coming down the staircase the father drew a revolver and shot him. Jack has to put him in the oven, and Jack, the girl, and all the company make a feast of him. The father took Jack and the girl back to his house and married them both for life.

Clarence Tathum, Mandeville.

A little boy once heard of a king’s daughter who would answer any riddle, and so he told his mother that he was going to ask the king’s daughter a riddle. Whatever riddle the king’s daughter asks him, if he can’t answer, the king’s daughter will kill him; or else, he will get the king’s daughter. And the mother made some dumpling and gave to him, made six, poisoned one. And he eat four and gave two to the donkey he was riding, and one of those two was the one that was poisoned. So “Poor Lo” died. So seven John-crow came to eat Poor Lo; so while the seven John-crow were eating Poor Lo, they were dying one after another [151]by the poison of Poor Lo. And he saw an orange-tree with one ripe orange on it, and he went and picked it and eat it, and he picked up one under the tree and eat it. And Jack went to the king’s daughter, and she asked him the riddle; and after he answered it, he asked her this one:

“Two kill one and one kill seven; the top of the tree was sweet, but the bottom was sweeter yet.”

T. Brown, Claremont, St. Anne.

Der was a day Jack says he was a fortune-teller. De king call him dat his wife los’ her marriage ring and he want him to tell him where it go. Jack didn’t know not’ing all de same, but jus’ working his head. De king got t’ree servant in his house. De t’ree of dem steal de ring. De king give Jack four days to tell him. One mo’ning, one carry Jack breakfas’. Jack says, “Praise de Lord, I got one!” Same day, one carry his dinner; same day, one carry his supper. Jack says, “Praise de Lord, I got de t’ree!” (Jack meant he get t’ree meals, but de servant think Jack mean them.) One of the servant go in the house, say, “Let us tell Jack we get de ring, for he know it.” De t’ree of dem come to Jack one night and told Jack dat ’ey steal de ring. Jack said, “Oh, yes, I did know a long time dat it you t’ief it!” Jack says, “If I tell de king about de ring, king will behead de t’ree of you.” Jack says, “Make a little ball and put de ring in it and put it down a big turkey’s mout’.” De morning, nine o’clock, de king called Jack to tell him where his wife’s ring goes; if Jack can not tell him, he will kill Jack. Jack says, “If you want to know how you’ wife ring go, kill dat big turkey an’ look in his craw.” Dey kill de turkey, an’ saw de ring; and from dat day, de king believe what Jack do and give Jack his daughter to marry. And I pass roun’ de house last week and I saw dem an’ dey give me a good piece of beef-bone. Dear how Jack got his richness by working his head!

Henry Spence, Bog, Westmoreland.

Robin fawn himself to be fortune-teller. So he bet a lot of money dat whatever dey have fe dinner to-night, him will tell it. So Robin name Fox,—call him “Mr. Fox Robin,”—an’ dey didn’t know his name. So it was a fox underneat’ de dish fe de dinner. [152]So when him come in, frighten’, t’ink him goin’ to lose, him sit down, say, “Aye, poor Fox is caught to-day!” When dey hear him say dis, everybody give a shout. Him win; for it was a fox underneat’ de dish.

Once de good man again go out to shoot. So him coming home, hear about Fox too,—same Fox. So him catch a robin redbreast an’ kill it an’ roast it an’ put it under de dish de very same as dey do de fox. So at dinner when he come to a certain time, say, “I want to know what underneat’ de dish now, Mr. Fox?” So said, “Well, poor Robin is well caught to-day!”

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

A boy an’ a girl made match to marry, an’ doze people who dey call de fairy t’ief away de girl from Jack. But dey give one anodder different name; dis girl name ‘Catch ’em’ an’ dis boy name ‘If-you-can’.

An’ Jack was travelling. When he get part of de way, he see whole heap of people beatin’ a dead man. He say, “O my! what de reason dey do dis?” Dey said, “De man owe me a lot of money!” Jack pay all de money an’ bury de man. He went a little furder an’ see anodder an’ he do de same. He went a little way off again, he see anodder, he do de same.

So he get broke now. He hear dat de fairy want a servant. De fairy said, “Yes, I want a servant!” an’ gi’ him every key open all de door excep’ one room. Jack said, “All right, sir!” De fairy is a people dey go out every day. Jack open every door, an’ after him open de las’ door he fin’ de girl in dat room. An’ ’he say, “Jack, what you open dis door for? De fairy bin goin’ kill you, for dey dey got me here an’ fatten to kill.” Jack said, “I am jus’ as smart as dem!” an’ tek down de girl an’ comb her hair, ketch her louse, gi’ her somet’ing to eat an’ hang her up same way. When de fairy come an’ say, “Jack, you goin’ into dis room?” Jack said, “No, sir.” De fairy tek de key, he walk in de door an’ fin de girl same way as he leave her.

Every day Jack do de same t’ing, till de las’ day he took down de girl an’ dey walk. He goin’ in a vessel. De girl was so pretty, one of de men dat in de vessel grudge Jack an’ fling Jack overboard. Anodder little boy, gi’ de name of Jack, he t’row one piece of board, said, “Poor man! paddle on dis.” An’ de girl is de king daughter who was going to marry to Jack de nex’ day. [153]An’ Jack paddle till him get one part of de sea upon some stone an’ sit down hol’ing his head. Dat was night. Pelican fly an’ pick him in his head, gi’ him a piece of bread, tek him up an’ sail wid him drop him into anodder place. Anodder pelican tek him an’ sail wid him drop him into anodder place again. De las’ pelican gi’ him somet’ing to eat, fly wid him right into town. So dat was de t’ree dead men he buried; dat t’ree dead save his life.

Nex’ morning in de whole town nobody to be found in de street. An’ when Jack couldn’t get a house to rent, all de house was rented, one woman said ’he don’ get nowhere only a loft to de roadside. Jack said, “Dat’s de place I want!” an’ was dere until de couple going to church. Den, after she come at de said place, Jack look out an’ saw her, an’ Jack said, “Catch him!” De girl said, “If-you-can!” an’ she call to de coachman to turn back home to de yard. An’ after she went home, she sent a constable t’rough de whole town, an’ everyone he bring she said no. De las’ one de ol’ lady said, “Only one man lef’ here an’ he drunk, for he drink a great bottle of rum!” but Jack do dat in gladness as he saw de girl. An’ de girl said, “Bring him come!” An’ after him come, he catch him an’ kiss him an’ goin’ in de house bathe an’ shine himself an’ tell all what distress happen to him.

Dey catch de man what do dis t’ing, hang him by de p’int of his tongue.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Der is Old Witch. One boy larnin’ old witch, too. De man want a book-clerk. De boy go to him and said, “You want a book-clerk, sir?” An’ say, “Yes, but you cannot read?” Boy say no, an’ say, “All right, you shall be my clerk.” He never trouble de boy on de book for a long time. When he going tek up de book, ’e say, “Oh-h-h-h! you expect to be my master!” an’ de man say, “Go home!”

Him mudder an’ fader was poor. He said, “Ma, I gwine to turn a fat pig tomorrow; kyar’ me go sell, don’ lef’ de rope on me.” He ma get two pound. Nex’ day he say, “Ma, I gwine to turn a pretty mare; kyar’ me sell me, don’ lef’ de rope.” When de fader get part of de way, he meet a man. De man say, “Ho-o-o, what a pretty mare! How much you want?”—“One hundred.” De ol’ man go to tek off de rope. De man said, “What a damn fool is you! I buy de mare an’ you want de rope!” De Old Witch [154]tek de mare. At de same time de Old Witch know dat de mare is de boy an’ de boy know dat is de Old Witch. So he hitch him in de market an’ gwine in de shop to tek a drink. Some school-children gwine past. De mare said, “Do, you kyan’ slip off dis rope off me head?” De chil’ren said, “’top! you ever hear a horse talk?” De mare said, “Never mind! you slip it off.” As dey slip off de rope, de mare gallop away. De chil’ren call out, “You’ mare get away!”

De Old Witch come out. He turn a stallion, an’ two race fo’ it. An’ de mare up again a pigeon-hawk an’ she fly. De Old Witch turn a big fowl-hawk an’ dey sail in de air. De mare turn a dove an’ sail till she ’py a house wid glass windeh. De dove sail right t’ru de windeh, drop into a woman lap; de dove turn a ring, get on de woman finger. De fowl-hawk fly exactly to de door. When de hawk fly away, de ring come off de finger an’ turn de boy an’ tell de woman a man will come here in de mo’ning; he will have her marry fo’ dis ring, but don’ receive it. Nex’ day de boy turn de ring, get on de finger. De man dribe up an’ said, “You have a ring here?” De woman said yes. He said, “I give you one husband,” an’ de woman said yes and slipped off de ring to give to de man. De ring drop on de floor an’ turn a corn-grain. De man come out of de buggy, turn a rooster to pick up de corn-grain. De corn-grain jump up, turn a puss an’ wipe off de cock head. So dat de boy get up and tek de buggy an’ go to de Old Witch yard and tek all what he get.

So de boy learn one mark more dan de Old Witch.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

One boy was along wid a man. He was a shepherd boy; every Wednesday he go in de wilderness go look after his master sheep. He saw one snake. De snake said, “Do, I beg you carry me go to me fader; but when you go, if me fader give you money, don’ you tek it, but ax him to give you de knowledge of every animal.” So de boy tek de snake to his fader. When he go, de snake ax him if he want money. He said, “No, I wan’ to understan’ de knowledge of every animal.” De snake tol’ him to lie down, an’ he spit in his mouth an’ tol’ him whatever animal dat he hear talk he mus’ not tell it to nobody, fo’ de day he venture to talk it he shall surely die.

De odder Wednesday he went de same place, he saw some [155]pigeon on one tree. De pigeon was cooing, an’ de pigeon tell him he mus’ come an’ dig under de tree an’ he will fin’ a lot of money. De boy went an’ dig, an’ he fin’ de money. He tek it home to his master. His master deliver all dat money to him, he tek it, settle himself an’ married a wife.

One evening him an’ his wife went for a ride. He was before, de lady was behin’. De horse turn round and whicker to de mare which de lady was riding. De mare answer him an’ said, “I kyan’ go wid you; for you, it is two of you, but me, it is four of us. I have to carry meself an’ me colt, de missis an’ de missis baby in her, so I cannot walk fas’ as you.” De man turn roun’ an’ laugh. De lady said, “Why de reason let de two animal whicker an’ you look pon me an’ laugh? Der is somet’ing in dis matter!” She nag her husband to tell her de meaning why mek him laugh. De husband said to her, “De day dat I tell you, I will surely die. Sen’ for a carpenter mek me box an’ den I wi’ tell you!” De carpenter come mek de box, an’ he went an’ lie down in it.

He got one rooster in his yard. De rooster come near de box an’ begin to crow. De missis said, “Oh, go away! makin’ such a noise over yo’ master head!” De master said, “Let de bird stay!” De rooster said to his master, “Master, you fool to gi’ up yo’ life fo’ de count of woman! Look how much wife I have in de worl’, an’ de least nonsense all of dem come round me, I begin to peck ’em an’ walk away from dem. So, Master, you come out of de box an’ tek yo’ supple-jack an’ go in de house give yo’ wife two good lick, an’ den you fin’ if she would ’noy you again.” De man do so. He got up, he went in de house, he tek de supple-jack an’ hit her t’ree lick over de shoulder; an’ from dat day de woman never ax him a word again.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Der is a man; he married; he got t’ree chil’ren, he became poor. He said to his wife, “I goin’ to look somet’ing to do.” She said, “Yes, me dear husban’.” He went an’ walk one hundred mile. When he got to a pen de master said, “You little too late; I jus’ got a butcher dis mo’ning.” He walk anodder one hundred mile an’ when he go he succeed a butcher. He was doin’ his work one year, never drew no money—one hundred pound a year. When de year was up, de missis said to him, “Out of you money an’ t’ree advice, which one you rather?” He said, “I rather [156]de t’ree advice.” She give him one revolver an’ give him a loaf of bread an’ give him some money to serve him on de way; was not to touch de bread till him get home. De t’ree advice—“Not to forsake de bridge which you cross; not to interfere in politics; you mustn’t in haste in temper.” An’ him tek his journey.

When he was going, he went to tek anodder road; he remember de first advice, mustn’t forsake de bridge which he cross. He go on a little furder. He saw some people beatin’ one dead man; he went to call to dem, but he remember de second advice. He pass. When he go on till he saw his home, he saw his wife an’ his chil’ren an’ a man walkin’ side on side. He took de revolver to shoot de man, he remember de t’ird advice; de missis said, “You mus’ not haste in temper,” an’ he put it by. When he went on a little furder, it was his wife bredder hear dat de husband was not at home, so come to look for his sister.

When dey goin’ in de house he began to tell how many mile he went, an’ he say to his wife, “De missis gave me t’ree advice, out of me money which of dem I rather; I said I rather de t’ree advice, and she give me dis loaf of bread; not to cut it till I reach home, but she give me my pocket-money.” De wife said, “What about de t’ree advice an’ lef’ yo’ money.” De husband said, “I can’t help it.” De chil’ren cry out, “Papa, cut de bread! papa, cut de bread!” Tek de knife, an’ after him cut de bread, de one hundred pound scatter out upon de table.

So de t’ree advice, if he turn a different road he never will see home. De second advice, doze people was beating de dead man, if him was to call to ’em, dem people would destroy him. An’ de t’ird advice, he would shoot his own bredder-in-law.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

A woman got t’ree son. One day he said, “Mamma, I gwine out to seek fe’ a little work.” She said, “Yes, me chile, but care me little last son!” De mudder bake two pone an’ after dey travel, de little bredder said, “Bredder, I hungry!” He said, “De only way you will get dis pone, let I pluck out one of yo’ eye.” De little boy said, “Pluck it out now,” an’ he did so. After dey walk a far way again, de little bredder cry out, “Bredder, I hungry!” He said, “De only way you will taste de odder piece, let I pluck out de odder eye.” De little boy said, “What mus’ I do after I hungry?” An’ him pluck out de odder eye an’ gi’ him de balance of pone lef’. An’ de two bredder walk, lef’ dat poor one. [157]

When night come, he went feeling. He feel a tree. He went up into de tree. After midnight, he hear people talkin’ come on an’ stop right under de tree. So i’ was two duppy. One king from de day de king was born, he blin’. De duppy said, “If people know dat dis tree was a life tree, dey would tek it an’ cure de king eye.”

Me’while de poor blin’ boy hearing dem. De boy feel an’ tek de leaf an’ rub his two eye. De two eye were open. De boy came down. Nex’ day morning tek two of de leaves an’ went to de king yard. After he went de soldier said, “My man, what you want?” He said, “I want to see de king.” Dey let him in. When he gwine to de king he said, “O king!” He said, “What do you want?” De boy said, “I hear dat yo’ eye blind; I come to open it.” He said, “O my boy, you cannot open my eye again!” De boy said, “I will open it; but when I rub it you mus’ not mek alarm.” De boy took de leaf out of his pocket and rubbed de king eye. De king eye were open, an’ de king let de boy married to his daughter.

An de same week dem two bredder which injure his little bredder eye hear dat de same young king which married lately have plenty of work. So de two bredder went in an’ ax fe work. De king said, “O me men, if you come a little sooner! my son-in-law jus’ go down to de village.” Dey went down after him. When de men go down, ’ey saw him own bredder an’ do not know him at all. Dey said, “Good-morning, king!” Dey said, “Yo’ fader-in-law send we down here to get some work.” De king said, “Oh, yes!” He said, “Seem like you feel hungry.” Dey said, “Oh, yes, king!” He let de people den pick some breadfruit an’ dey roast it. Me’while dey eating dey was talkin’. De king said, “But, my men, where is de odder bredder that travelled togedder?” He said, “He knock up in de way, so we have to leave him; so we don’ know whether if he alive or not.” De king said, “Dis is yo’ lost brother which you pluck out de eye for that two piece of pone!” An’ dey was ’stonish.

So de bredder said all how him get de eye open, an’ dey never stop to work again; dey travel on to de said life tree, an’ when dey get dere, dey go up in de tree. Part of de night dey hear two somebody talkin’; soon as dey ketch to de tree dey stop dere to res’. One of de duppy said, “But you know, dis odder night when we was talkin’ here, some one mus’ hear me when I was talkin’ ’bout dis life tree, for I hear dat de king eye open.” An’ after he said dat, one said, “I scent fresh blood!” an’ he [158]run right up in de tree an’ ketch de two men an’ break dem neck.

An’ come to a time de king an’ his wife go pay de mudder a visit. An’ ’e mudder askin’ for de rest. He tell his ma all what de bredder hev done to him, an’ if don’t two duppy, ’he never would see him no more.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

One woman got t’ree son. One of de son name Look-up-in-de-sky, de odder one name Fling-me-stick, de t’ird one name Brer Buck. One day, Look-up-in-de-sky saw a eagle flyin’ away wid de mudder. He said, “Fling-me-stick, de eagle tek away me mudder!” Fling-me-stick lick out of de eagle mout’. Brer Buck stoop down an’ ketch de mudder. An’ de mudder lef’ t’irty pound fe t’ree of dem. Out of doze t’ree son, which of dem deserve de money?

Some said, “Look-up-in-de-sky deserve it!” Odder said, “Fling-me-stick!” De nex’ one said, “Brer Buck!” But if Look-up-in-de-sky didn’t see de mudder, de eagle would fly away wid her. If Fling-me-stick didn’t fling an’ lick out de mudder out of de eagle mout’, she would be gone. If Brer Buck didn’t stoop down an’ ketch de mudder, she would mash up. So, out of de t’ree of dem, de t’ree deserve de ten pound apiece.

Charles Roe, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

There was a young man one day was courting a young lady. So when he got to the house, it was one of the young ladies and father and mother in the yard. So the mother said to the daughter, “You mus’ go look for some orange for the gentleman breakfas’.” So when the young lady gone, the mother wait till she catches the young lady come with the orange. So when she (the mother) come, she say, “Hi! what you doing so long you can’t come with the orange?” So the young lady say to her, “Mamma, me considering when me have the first pic’niney, what fe gi’ ’im name. So the mother say, “Yes, missis.” So they sit down and was considering the name. So the father wait until he can’t see them come. Him start, an’ when he go to orange tree him say, “Hi! what you so long you can’t come yet?” The mother say, “Me husband, me an’ me daughter considering what to give the [159]first pickney name.” So the father sit down and say, “Yes, missis, we consult now.”

So the man there waiting say, “Let me see what these three people gone look for orange in the house, can’t come yet!” So when he come he say, “What you a doing so long? You no come pick this orange fe me, I hungry killing me at the yard.” Said young lady, “My dear, we considering the first pickney we have, what mus’ we give him name.” The young man said, “I goin’ away. So if I meet t’ree fool as unoo (you), I will come back an’ marry you.”

So he start, an’ when he get to the firs’ cross-road, he see one man he wet him finger an’ pick it up an’ grab it out of the road. So he say, “What you doing?” The man say, “I pick up the gravel out of the road, see if I could pick out all of the gravel out of the road.” The man say, “I saw one fool!”

Him pass him an’ go on, till he see another one cut two stick an’ hol’ up his trousers an’ run jump see if he can jump into his trousers. So he say, “Oh! you fool, hol’ your trousers an’ put you’ two foot in. This make two fool I have buck up since I leave the other three fool!”

So pass this one an’ go on to the sea-side an’ see another one get a pan an’ fetch out water, see if he could dry the sea. So him say, “Well done, O you fool! This make three fool since I lef’ the other three fool behin’. How mus’ you dry the sea? You may fetch water until you are dead you never may dry the sea.”

So then he turn back. So when he got back he say, “Well, my dear, I buck up three fool fooler than you three; so I come back to marry you.”

Florence Tomlinson, Lacovia.

There was a gentleman engaged to a young lady and he was out riding one evening. And the young gentleman made the lady believe he was rich, go along to a logwood property and told her ’all was his’. And go on an’ go on an’ come to another property covered with stock—cow and sheep—and told her it was his. That was two property now. And went to the next property where were horses and mules, and said (wiping his face), “All these are mine, me dear.” The lady believed he was rich, and they got married and went home and lived together until all the house things were going, all the crockery was going, want a fresh supply. And she [160]said to him, “Me dear, everything is going now, want a fresh supply. Let me have some money.”

“No, me dear, I havn’t got any.”

“Then why don’t you sell some of the things off some of the property?”

“Oh, I have no property, me dear!”

“Yes! don’t you remember when we used to go out riding you showed me three properties? One had logwood, one had cows and sheep, and the next had horses. Why don’t you sell some of those things?”

“Oh, ho! ho! ho! ho! me dear, I wipe with me pocket handkerchief and I mean me whiskers!”

a. Arthur Brown, St. Ann’s Bay.

Once there was a man have three sons, one name Big-head, one name Big-belly, one name Little-foot. Dey went for a walk one evening. Big-head saw a berry-tree. He went up on it an’ pick one of de berry an’ taste it. Big-belly ask him if it sweet. He bow his head; his head drop off. Big-belly laugh at him till his belly burst. Little-foot start running home to tell the news, his foot broke. That was the end of the three.

b. James Smith, Claremont, St. Ann.

Three little brother went out to catch meat. So them hunt till the day was in and caught nothing. Return home hungry and jokify, coming out of the forest saw a tar-apple tree have on two fruit on it. Big-Belly couldn’t climb. Maugre-Foot couldn’t climb. Maugre-Neck climb the tree, pull the first fruit, eat off that one. Pull the second fruit, bite it and tempting the others, his little head broke off fell on the ground. Big-belly laugh till him belly pop. Maugre-Foot set out run fo’ carry home the news, till him little foot broke off a pass.

Jack man dory, this story done!

Henry Spence, Bog, Westmoreland.

Goat wid two kids were trabbling one day long trabbling, an’ trabble till almost evening, an’ rain commence to fa’ now. So [161]’eh see a great rock, an’ mudder an’ two kids went under de rock to shelter, didn’t know dat was de lion house. So de lion see de t’ree goat coming, he grunt like a great rolling. De mudder of de goat frighten. ’he said to de lion, “Good-evening, minister!” an’ de lion tell him “Evening.” An’ he said to de lion him looking fe a minister to baptize dese two kids, an’ say, want to give dese two kid a name. De lion said to him, “Dis one name is ‘Dinner’ an’ dis one name is ‘Breakfas’ tomorrow’ an’ you, de mudder, name is ‘Dinner tomorrow’!”

So after him get dese t’ree name, de goat was well frighten how to come out back; an’ de two kid hear de name dem got, so de heart commence to leap bup, bup, bup! De lion ax de mudder what’s de matter wid de two kid. De mudder said, “As de room is so hot, dey seem terrify.” An’ de mudder said as dey is in heah, kyan’ go, if he would jus’ allow de two kid to go outside get a little air. De lion agree, until when dinner-time come on ’em mus’ go in back. An’ de mudder whisper to de two kid mus’ mek de way as sharp as ever dey can mek it befo’ dusk. So when de lion see it coming on evening an’ no see de two kid come back, commence to roll again, she commence wonder how dem stay out too long, so ax de lion if de lion allow him to go bring dem back in befo’ de time too late. De lion agree. An’ when de mudder go out, neber see one back—eb’rybody gone!

Meaning of dat, a woman have more knowledge dan a man.

Joseph Macfarlane, Moneague, St. Ann.

One day a donkey an’ a cat was out trab’ling an’ when dey went half way, dey saw some lion head, an’ de cat pick i’ up, put i’ in de donkey hamper. An’ when dey went round de corner, dey saw two lions working on de road, an’ dey lef de hamper roun’ de corner wid de lion head. De lions said, “We are jus’ having breakfas’!” De Donkey an de Cat said, “We have plenty!” Donkey said, “Brer Puss, you go tek up de lions’ heads fe see which one we eat to-day.” Puss went, took up de head an’ said, “Dis one?” Donkey said, “De odder one.” An’ said, “Dis one?” Donkey said, “De odder one,” till dey count about twenty (when it was only one). De lions whisper to each odder, say, “Dey kill so many lion one day, what you t’ink of we couple?” An’ dey eat an’ went home. [162]

Emily Alexander, Mandeville.

Once Anansi went out to invite a friend to dinner. Little Molly May was his servant, so he left her to roast a turkey for dinner. Anansi filled the wine-jug, laid the table, put on his frock coat and his top hat, took his walking-stick and went out for his friend. Molly May roasted the turkey. Seeing that it looked so nice and charming, she thought that she would take a piece; so she did, and it tasted so nice she took another piece. That tasted so nice she took a next piece and a sip of the wine, and she sipped and tasted till at last she had eaten up the whole turkey and drunk the whole of the wine.

She saw the master coming; so she ran in swift haste, took up the bones, fixed them nicely in the dish, covered the dish, and carried it and laid it on the table. When the master came, he sent the visitor into the house and said to Molly May, “Hullo, deh! everyt’ing all right?” She said, “Yes, sah! all is right.” So the master took up the carving-knife and went outside to sharpen it. Molly ran inside and told the visitor that the master was sharpening the knife to cut off one of his hands; the visitor in swift haste left the house. Then Molly went outside and told the master that the visitor had eaten all the turkey and drunk the wine. The master ran through one door and, seeing all the bones on the table, went through the other. The visitor was running for his life and Anansi went running after him, calling “Leave one! leave one!” He meant leave one (side of) the turkey, but the visitor thought he meant one of his hands, so he ran for his life.

Sarah Vassel, Bog, Westmoreland.

Assono a run a gang. Assono sen’ one of de men for water. When he go a take water, him couldn’t take it; Anansi play fiddle into de water-hole—

T’row down de gourd an’ begin to dance. Assono a come to look fe de man. When he come, (Anansi stop playing). He call to him say, “Massa, no quarrel!” Him come give de massa de gourd a go fill it. Anansi begin playing. De Massa t’row down de gourd, begin dance. Assono dance till him drop. Anansi cut off him head an’ tek de head make a water-cup. [163]

Edward Daley, Mandeville.

Anansi an’ certain number of men was going to a certain place. Certain men give dey own names; Anansi start to give his name now, said, “Mine is ‘Dem-men-came-here-las’-night’.” When deh get where deh go to, deh bring out dinner. Deh say it is for ‘de-men-came-here-las’-night’. Anansi claim de dinner, an’ nobody else get any.

Stanley Jones, Claremont, St. Ann.

Anansi was very poor and he went out to seek his fortune, but he had no intention of working. He clad himself in a white gown. And he met a woman. She said to him, “Who are you, sah? an’ whe’ you from?”—“I am jus’ from heaven.” The woman said, “Did you see my husban’ dere?” He said, “Well, my dear woman, heaven is a large place; you will have to tell me his name, for perhaps I never met him.” She said his name was James Thomas. Anansi said, “Oh, he is a good friend of mine! I know him well. He is a big boss up there and he’s carrying a gang. But one trouble, he has no Sunday clo’es.” The woman ran away and got what money she could together and gave it to Anansi to take to her husband.

But he wasn’t satisfied with that amount; he wanted some more. He went on a little further and saw a man giving a woman some money and telling her to put it up for ‘rainy day’. After the man had left, Anansi went up to the woman and told her he was “Mr. Rainy Day.” She said, “Well, it’s you, sah? My husband been putting up money for you for ten years now. He has quite a bag of it, and I’m so afraid of robbers I’m glad you come!” So Anansi took the money and returned home and lived contentedly for the rest of his days.

Vassel Edwards, Retirement, Cock-pit country.

There was a man at slave time had a wife, and the wife kept two other men. The husband of that wife was working out. One night, one came first and then the house-master came home. And they had a big jar called a pannier-jar, and the wife took the man and put him into the pannier-jar. Afterward the other man came [164]in, and when he saw the house-master was frightened and he told the house-master he had come to borrow the pannier-jar. The house-master told him he could take it, and the woman helped him up with the pannier-jar. And when he got part of the way, he said, “Poor me bwoy! if it wasn’t for this pannier-jar, I would be dead tonight!” The other man in the pannier-jar said, “Brar, same meself!” And he got frightened and heaved down the pannier-jar, mashed it up and killed the man in there.

William Cooper, Mandeville.

Anansi an’ Tiger were travelling. Anansi kill him old grandmother, him put him into a little hand-cart was shoving him t’ru de town. After him catch to a shop jes’ like out here, de shop-keeper was a very hasty-temper man; an’ went in de shop an’ call fe some whiskey an’ give it to one of de shopkeeper carry it to his grandmother. An’ said he mus’ go up to de han’-cart an’ call twice. An’ de ol’ lady did not hear. So Anansi said to de shop-keeper him mus’ holla out to de ol’ lady; him sleeping. So de ol’ lady didn’t hear, he fire de glass in de ol’ lady face, an’ de ol’ lady fell right over. Then the shop-keeper get so frighten he cry out to Anansi, say Anansi mustn’t mek no alarm in de town; he will give him a bushel of money to mek him keep quiet.

So dem was going along an’ borrow a quart can from Tiger an’ was measuring dis money. Tiger said, “Where you get all dat money?” Anansi say, “I kill my ol’ grandmother.” Tiger, him went home an’ kill his grandmother an’ put her up in a little hand-cart an’ was goin’ along t’ru de town hollerin’ out to all de people, “Who want a dead body to buy?” So Anansi said to Tiger he shouldn’t do anyt’ing like dat; too foolish!

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

White Belly plant some peas. Hanansi come a White Belly yard and say, “Brer White Belly, dem peas not fat an’ you know what you do? if you want ’em to be fat, mek up little fire at de root.” Tomorrow morning when White Belly were come, every peas dead!

White Belly is a carpenter. He mek a box. He mek bargain wid de mudder; he say, “Ma, I gwine put you in dis ’ere box, [165]put some money in de box; den I will holla out “Me mudder died!” White Belly put de han’ ’pon de head, say, “Me mamma dead o-o-o!” Hanansi run come. White Belly say, “Ma, what you have to give me? Let good an’ bad see!” De box turn up an’ t’row out all de money. Hanansi go back home an’ say, “Ma, I wan’ a little water to wash me foot.” Mother carried the water come. He dip him feet in dere, say, “Good Lord, ol’ lady, you give cramp me!” Tek de mortar stick, lick ’im in de head. An’ cobb’e one box an’ put his mudder in an’ call out, “Me mudder dead!” White belly come. Hanansi said, “Ma, what you have to give me? Give me back good an’ bad see!” De box raise up an’ ’tamp him down flat. So Hanansi kill him ma, an’ White Belly mudder save.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Hanansi borrow Monkey money, so him tell Monkey fe come Wednesday. When Monkey come, Hanansi knock in ’tomach, say, “Broad enough you can knock, oh!” Monkey ketch him, beat him. Nex’ day when Monkey come he say, “Mudder Hanansi, whe’ you son?” Him say, “Brer Monkey, fe you murder him yesterday, don’ know if you him dead!” Monkey call one roos’ cock an’ cut de craw an’ tek out Hanansi an’ beat him.

When him gone, Hanansi say, “Ma, you goin’ mek Brer Monkey kill me? You know wha’ you do, Ma? Put on yo’ pot, dig de fire ashes, put me in deh, mek up de fire, put on de pot. I will see if dat fellah, Monkey, wi’ fin’ me when him come!” Nobody knew Monkey was a Obeah man. When Monkey come he say, “Mo’nin’, Mudder Hanansi; wha you son?” Mudder Hanansi said, “Massa, dis two day you beat him, an’ don’ know wha’ he do?” Monkey gwine a kitchen, tek off de pot an’ dig out de fire-ashes an’ tek out Hanansi an’ beat him.

Anodder Obeah woman tell Mudder Hanansi said, “You gwine to let Monkey kill yo’ son? Yo’ can twis’ rope?” De ol’ woman said, “No me trade?”1 She said, “Twis’ one rope. When you look out o’ one en’, you see horse you t’ink o’ ants.” Put Hanansi upon it. When Monkey come, Hanansi deh ’pon de rope. When Monkey go up ’pon de rope, holla till Hanansi cut de rope. Me’while de rope cut, Monkey tumble down broke hi’ neck. So Hanansi come down, clean up Monkey. [166]

Richard Roe, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

There’s a boy once, mother got only the one boy an’ ’he love him so much that ’he give him a flute. So one day they go to far groun’ an’ coming back the boy leave the flute at the groun’. When he catch half-way, he remember it an’ he tell him papa. Papa say to go back for it, but he mus’ be careful not to blow it coming back because he got a lot of wil’ beasts to pass. So as he come home he begin to blow,1

[MP3 | MusicXML]

♩ = 72

Minnie, Minnie, wa-yo da Lim-ba, Minnie, Minnie, wa-yo da Lim-ba.
Minnie, Minnie, wa-yo da Lim-ba, Minnie, Minnie, wa-yo da Lim-ba.

Wild beast rush out, say, “Who’s dat blowing de pipe, sah?”—“Oh, no, not me blowing!” An’ go ’way, blow again. Wil’ beast rush out. “Ha! you?”—“No, grandpapa, not me blowing!”—“Den who blowing?”—“He gone on befo’, massa; not me blowing!”—“Blow, let me see.”—“Flee flitty flee, flee flitty flee.”

Wil’ beast go away. He commence the right tune now,

(Wild beast rush out, catch him, compel him to play.)

“Ah, I catch you now, sah! Play de tune now, sah! blow, sah!”

Then he began to blow the right tune, both dance. Different [170]wil’ beasts—Tiger, Asoonah, all the wil’ beasts come out an’ dance. An’ the father get frightened, come shoot all the wild beasts, all drop save him boy. An’ flog the boy.

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

It was said when you go you see a man going to play dat Nansi story. Get anodder wid a pint a water, den him gwine to turn a drunkard, begin to totter, say, “Tiger, tiger, lie down”—

[MP3 | MusicXML]

♩ = 84

Zin come Murray. I take drink, lay down, Zin come Murray.
Murray, ah, lay down, Zin come Murray. I take drink lay down,
Zin come Murray. Oh, poor Murray. Zin come Murray.
I take drink, lay down, Zin come Murray.

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Tacoomah make a dance, get Anansi for de fiddler, an’ Grass-quit was coming as a fiddler too. Robin Redbreast was to play de music, Monkey was to blow de bugle. Well, after de night de dance commence. Anansi gwine to play,

Tacoomah say,

[171]

Robin Redbreast say,

Jock said,

Jock3 said,

Well, den, Turtle an’ Duck goin’ in de river fe go an’ swim, an’ dem is to run to a hill-side in de river. An’ Cock is de judge. Den Cock went to sing fe dem—

Duck an’ Turtle swim—

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Again, Anansi make a dance. Him playing de fiddle,

[MP3 | MusicXML]

♩ = 84

Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam ya Morree! Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly
bam ya Morree! Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam ya Morree!
Dem dat kyan’ run, dey no hearie! etc.1

Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam ya Morree! Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly
bam bom ba, Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam ya Morree! Kelly[172]
bam bom ba, Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam ya Morree! Kelly
bam bom ba, Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly
bam ya Morree! — — — — — — — — — —

Goat dere a dance, say,

Dog begin to sing,

Den Puss an’ Rat begin to dance an’ say,

[MP3 | MusicXML]

♩ = 160

Oh, jump shandelay, jump shandelay, den a jump shandelay.
Oh, oh, jump shandelay—Missa Rat a jump den a jump shandelay!
Oh, oh, jump shandelay. Jump shandelay, will you jump shandelay!
Oh, oh, jump shandelay, oh, Missa Rat a jump, will you jump, shandelay!
Den she went an’ jump it, den she went an’ jump it, den she went an’ jump it,
den she went an’ jump it, den she went an’ jump it, den she went an’ jump it.

Well, Anansi boy was blowing de fife,

[173]

Den de bull was coming along, hear dem, say,

[MP3 | MusicXML]

♩ = 63

Oh who dey ca’ me Timmo Limmo? Timmo Limmo, oh?
Zin kuma Ya ya ya, oh, Zin kuma.

♩ = 69

Timmo Limmo, oh, Timmo Limmo oh, Zin kuma.
Ya, ya, ya, oh, Zin kuma. Ah, who dey ca’ me Timmo Limmo?
Ah, who dey ca’ me Timmo Limmo, oh, Zin kuma. Ya, ya, ya oh,
Zin kuma Timmo Limmo, oh, Zin kuma. Ah who dey ca’ me
Timmo Limmo? Ah, who dey ca’ me, Timmo Limmo,
Timmo Limmo, oh, Zin kuma. Ya, ya, ya, oh, Zin kuma.

Mary Jane Roden, Brownstown, St. Ann.

Anansi and Tacoomah have two little boy. So Anansi go to him ground, he have a yam name of ‘red yam’. So when he carry home de yam, if de two little boy don’ tell him de name of de yam, don’ give ’em no dinner. So one night de little boy say, (dance to the fiddle and drum),

[174]

Another day papa go to ground. So the little boy follow him go right outside a bush, go set for him. When him coming back he fall down, say, “Now me little red yam mash up!” So when him come home an’ said to the little boy, “Come, me pickney, pupa come an’ if you tell me de name of dis yam to-night, I goin’ to give you a good supper,” the little boy say,

(dance and play the fiddle and drum).

When the papa boil the dinner, give him a big dinner fe him call the name. When he eat the big dinner the papa gi’ him the night, boy sing,

[MP3 | MusicXML]

♩ = 72

1st Verse.

Pupa, de yam name red e yam? Yes, ma bwa, name red e yam.

Chorus.

Belly full to-night wid me red yam. Eat, ma bwa, eat, ma bwa,
Eat, ma bwa, de yam name red e yam Sing, ma bwa, Sing, ma bwa,
Sing, ma bwa, de yam name red e yam. Laugh, ma bwa, laugh, ma bwa,

2nd Verse.

laugh, ma bwa, de yam name red e yam. Pupa ma belly full
wid de red yam, Pupa ma belly full wid red yam. Laugh, ma bwa,[175]
laugh, ma bwa, laugh, ma bwa, yo’ belly full wid de red yam.
Sing, ma bwa, sing, ma bwa, sing, ma bwa, yo’ belly full wid de red yam.1

Mary Jane Roden, Brownstown, St. Ann.

One day Tacoomah, Monkey and Baboon were driving a truck with rum to the wharf fe master. When they were going, Anansi said to Tacoomah they have a dance an’ they invite Monkey an’ Baboon to the dance. An’ while they was dancing, Anansi an’ Tacoomah go t’ief t’ree puncheon of rum from Monkey an’ Baboon, come back to the dance, see Monkey an’ Baboon was dancing. Anansi say,

[MP3 | MusicXML]

Guzza man, Guzza man, Brudder Nansi drink rum. Oh,
Guzza man, Guzza man, Guzza man. So Anansi tie Tiger, tie him ’til he jump, Tiger.
Guzza man, Guzza man, Guzza man. Tom drunk, but Tom no fool,[176]
Tom drunk, but Tom no fool, la-la-la-la-la-la-la.

Mary Jane Roden, Brownstown, St. Ann.

Fowl invite Pretty Poll to chapel, den Pretty Poll said to Fowl, “Kyan’t go to chapel for me soso fedder.” Poll said to Kyan-crow, “Make go to chapel.” Kyan-crow said to Pretty Poll him kyan’t to go chapel for him peel-head young man.

[MP3 | MusicXML]

Come we go to church, Pretty Poll. Come we go to church, Pretty Poll.
Pretty Poll, wan’ get married Same time as a so so fedder.
John Crow say he be de bride, same time he, peel-head young man.

Sarah Findley, Santa Cruz Mountains.

An ol’ man an’ a wife was travelling going on walk when they hear a nice music was playing an’ the ol’ man say to his wife, “O Quasiba,1 hear dat sweet music singing over yonder. I like [177]to know where dat music come from.”—“Ol’ man, you tak time walk an’ we soon hear where dat music from.… But Bruddie, dat ol’ Cumbolo dat was singing las’ night!”—“Den you mus’ come let we dance de Cumbolo, Susan, we all a Cumbolo!” (sing and dance)—

[MP3 | MusicXML]

Susan, da’we all a Cumbolo. Susan, da’we all a Cumbolo.2

Susan Watkins, Claremont, St. Ann.

John-crow and Fowl went to court. Now as Fowl’s baby was prettier than Crow’s, Crow had taken Fowl’s baby and left her baby for Fowl to take. So Fowl took Crow to court. The judge said whichever could sing the sweetest song should have the prettiest baby. Crow sang,

Fowl sang,

So Fowl got back her pretty baby and Crow got her ugly one.

Matilda Hall, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit country.

Wooden Ping-ping (there’s a worm in the dirt name so) and Cock. So then Wooden Ping-ping hid in the earth and the Cock hunted for him, couldn’t find him. Wooden Ping-ping said (fine falsetto voice, rising inflection),

Cock answered,

They kept on singing, this in the earth, that outside; but Cock couldn’t find him. [178]