Jamaican Song and Story Part 14

So the race begin.

Donkey was so glad in a him heart that he was going to beat Toad that he say to himself:--"Tche! That little bit a fellah Toad can't manage me, so I must have plenty of time to eat some gra.s.s."

So him stand by the way, eat gra.s.s and poke him head through the fence where he see some potato-slip, an' try a taste of Gungo peas. An' he take more than an hour fe catch up the first mile-post, an' as him get him bawl:--

[Music:

Ha! Ha! Ha! me more than Toad.]

An' there comes the first picny call out:--

[Music:

Jinkororo, Jinkokkokkok.]

An' Donkey quite surprise, an' say:--"Tche! How him manage to be before me?"

An' he think:--"Me delay too long with that gra.s.s, I must quicker next mile."

An' him set off with a better speed an' only stop a minute for a drink of water. An' as him get to the next post him bawl:--

[Music:

Ha! Ha! Ha! me more than Toad.]

An' there come the second picny call out:--

[Music:

Jinkororo, Jinkokkokkok.]

An' Donkey say:--"Lah! Toad travel fe true. Never mind, we will chance it again."

So him 'tart, an' when him reach the third mile-post him bawl:--

[Music:

Ha! Ha! Ha! me more than Toad.]

An' the third picny behind the post say:--

[Music:

Jinkororo, Jinkokkokkok.]

Jacka.s.s get vex when he hear Toad answer him, an' he go fe 'mash Toad, an' Toad being a little man hide himself in a gra.s.s.

Then Donkey say:--"Hi! fellah gone ahead; make I see if I can catch up the next mile-post before him." An' he take him tail an' touch it like a horsewhip an' begin fe gallop.

An' him get to the fourth mile-post an' bawl:--

[Music:

Ha! Ha! Ha! me more than Toad.]

An' there comes the fourth picny answer him:--

[Music:

Jinkororo, Jinkokkokkok.]

When him yerry, him 'tand up same place an' trimble, say:--"My goodness King! a wh me a go do? Make me gallop so I knock off all me hoof self upon the hard hard dirty because I must beat the race."

An' he gallop so fast than he ever do before, until when he get to the fifth mile-post he was really tired an' out of breath.

But he just have enough to bawl:--

[Music:

Ha! Ha! Ha! me more than Toad.]

When he hear:--

[Music:

Jinkororo, Jinkokkokkok.]

This time he really mad, an' race on harder than ever. But always the same story. Each mile-post he catch him bawl:--"Ha! Ha! Ha! me more than Toad." An' always come answer:--"Jinkororo, Jinkokkokkok."

An' Donkey begin to get sad in his mind for he see that he lost the race. So through Toad smartness Donkey can never be racer again.

_Jack Mantora me no choose any._

NOTES.

=tall foot=, long leg. A tall bridge is a long one, not one that stands high above the river.

=wasn't agree=, didn't agree. Auxiliaries are a snare.

=picny.= This is the almost universal form of picaninny in Jamaica, varied occasionally by picany.

=Tche!= the Pshaw! of books and the Tush! of the Psalms. There is a world of contempt in this e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n, which is accompanied by an upward jerk of the chin. The vowel is that of French =le=.

=potato-slip.= The sweet potato (_Ipomoea Batatas_) is cultivated by slips or cuttings. Our kind of potato is called "Irish potato."

=Jinkororo, etc.= This is a capital imitation of the Toad's croaking chuckle. The second bar should be made as out of tune as possible and the =kok= is on the lowest note of the voice. It is the repeated k's that make the croak so life-like.