Jamaican Song and Story Part 13

An' as she sing done they hear Mr. Bluebeard coming, itty-itty-hap, itty-itty-hap.

Him jump straight off a him t'ree-foot beast an' go in a the house, and catch Mrs. Bluebeard by one of him plait-hair an' hold him by it, an' said:--"This is the last day of you."

An' Mrs. Bluebeard said:--"Do, Mr. Bluebeard, allow me to say my last prayer."

But Mr. Bluebeard still hold him by the hair while he sing:--

Sister Anne, Sister Anne, Ah! you see any one is coming?

Sister Anne, Sister Anne, Ah! you see any one is coming?

An' Sister Anne answer this time:--

[Music:

Oh yes! I see someone is coming, And the dust that makes the gra.s.s so green.]

Then Mr. Bluebeard took his sword was to cut off him neck, an' his two brother appear, an' the eldest one going to shot after Mr. Bluebeard, an' he was afraid an' begin to run away. But the young one wasn't going to let him go so, an' him shot PUM and kill him 'tiff dead.

_Jack Mantora me no choose none._

NOTES.

=three-foot=, three-legged.[1] =Hand= is used for arm in the same way.

=itty-itty-hap=, imitating the halting gait of the three-legged horse.

The voice rises on =hap= which is said with a sharp quick accent.[40]

[Footnote 40: "The 'three-foot horse' is believed to be a kind of duppy with three legs, hence its name; and is able to gallop faster than any other horse. It goes about in moonlight nights, and if it meet any person it blows upon him and kills him. It will never attack you in the dark. It cannot hurt you on a tree." _Folklore of the Negroes of Jamaica_, in _Folklore_, Vol. XV., p. 91. (C.S.B.).]

=fe kill him=, to kill her. The use of masculine for feminine p.r.o.nouns is bewildering at first.

XI. ANNANCY, PUSS, AND RATTA.

One day Annancy an' Puss make a dance, an' invite Ratta to the ball.

Annancy was the fiddler. The first figure what him play, the tune say:--

[Music:

Ying de ying de ying, Ying de ying de ying, take care you go talk oh, min' you tattler tongue ying de ying, min' you tattler tongue ying de ying, min' you tattler tongue ying de ying.]

The second tune he say:--

[Music:

Bandywichy wich, Bandywichy wich, Bandywichy wich, Timber hang an' fall la la, fall la la, fall la.]

Then, as the Ratta dance, the high figure wh him make, him slide in the floor an' him trousies pop. Then the shame he shame, he run into a hole, an' him make Ratta live into a hole up to to-day day.

_Jack Mantora me no choose none._

NOTES.

This story should be rattled off as quick as possible.

=Ratta=, rat or rats.

=Ying de ying= imitates the "rubbing" of the fiddle, as they call it.

=take care you go talk=, mind you don't talk, mind your tattling tongue.

=figure wh him make=, caper that he cuts.

=trousies pop=, trousers burst.

XII. TOAD AND DONKEY.

One day a King made a race and have Toad and Donkey to be the racer.

An' Toad tell Donkey that him must win the race, an' Donkey mad when him yerry so. And the race was twenty mile.

An' Donkey say:--"How can you run me? I have long tail an' long ear an' a very tall foot too, an' you a little bit a Toad. Let me measure foot an' see which one longer."

An' Toad say to Donkey:--"You no mind that man, but I must get the race."

An' Donkey get very vex about it.

An' Donkey say to the King:--"I ready now to start the race."

An' the King made a law that Donkey is to bawl at every miles that he might know where he got.

Now that little smart fellah Toad says to the King that he doesn't fix up his business yet, an' will he grant him a little time.

An' the King grant him a day, an' say to the two of them:--"Come again to-morrow."

An' Donkey wasn't agree, for he know that Toad is a very trickified thing.

But the King wouldn' hear, an' say:--"No, to-morrow."

Now Toad have twenty picny. An' while Donkey is sleeping, Toad take the twenty picny them along with him on the race-ground, an' to every mile-post Toad leave one of his picny an' tell them that they must listen for Mr. Donkey when he is coming. "An' when you yerry that fellah Mr. Donkey bawl, you must bawl too." An' Toad hide one of his picny behind every mile-post until him end the twenty mile.