Jamaican Song and Story Part 36

Annancy take up this song:--

[Music:

Lard! Lard! hasty kill me dead oh!

Poor me boy oh! a wh me a go do?

Me put me pot a fire fe boil Cow liver, but hasty kill me dead.]

From that day Annancy never can go where Cow is.

Anywhere Cow see him he reach him down with his mouth.

_Jack Mantora me no choose any._

NOTES.

We have had this story already in another form (Annancy and Cow, No.

20).

=chewstick=, a common climber. A piece of the stem about the thickness of a pencil is cut and makes a sort of soapy froth as it is chewed. It has an agreeable bitter taste and is used to clean the teeth.

=howdy=, how do you do?

=cane=, sugar-cane.

=fool them=, take them in, delude.

=side-bag.= Everybody has his side-bag or namsack (knapsack).

=papa=, p.r.o.nunciation something between puppa and poppa, with slight accent on the first syllable. Cows in Jamaica are of both s.e.xes.

=d there=; the _e_ is that of "debt" lengthened. French "est" gives it exactly. Wh has the same _e_.

=trash=, the fibre. Trash is any kind of refuse, such as sh.e.l.ls of peas, husks of maize, the remains of Ca.s.sada after the starch is washed out, withered banana leaves, the outside pulp which encloses the coffee beans, etc., etc.

=ya= sometimes means _here_, sometimes _do you hear?_

=rope=, p.r.o.nounced ro-up. So gate becomes g-ut (French __), goat, go-ut (Italian _o_), much as in some provincial districts in England.

=a da come=, I am coming.

=carry=, lead.

=as much=, as much as you like.

=a fun me a make=, I was pretending. A man is said to make fun when he is only pretending to work, what schoolboys call "sugaring."

=hasty=, haste, _i.e._ your hurrying away.

=hungry kill me= is a common expression meaning "I am very hungry." Here _hasty_ is subst.i.tuted for _hungry_. Your hasting away will leave me without food, and hunger will kill me.

x.x.xVI. LEAH AND TIGER.

There was a man an' his wife got one daughter, only the one picny they got. An' many a people come for her to courten to her, an' she refuse, an' she would stay a world without marry.

An' the father said to the wife:--"Them people usual trouble me with my own daughter; we must do something to get her out of them sight."

An' the both of them agree to make up a very big house in the wood to lef' the daughter there where n.o.body wouldn' see him.

An' the father said to the wife:--"When the house done you mus' carry him breakfas' every twelve o'clock an' dinner at four."

An mumma say:--"Yes, me dear, I think so better."

An' they take Leah an' walk with her all night an' lodge her into the house before daylight.

An' at the meantime Leah got a very valuable ring on one of her finger, a very pretty young woman too, though me never see him.

Mumma tell him that when him going to bed he must always say him prayers. An' she tell her that, when she re'ch the hillside she sing the song, she must know a him honey a come. An' this the song:--

[Music:

Leah! Leah! tingaling, You no yerry you honey, tingaling?

Honey de a door, tingaling, Sugar de a door, tingaling.]

An' this time Tiger was under the house hear all the bargain.

An' Tiger lie down very 'teady. (Some days to come he must get meat fe eat a this bush.)

Then mumma go away, next day come back with him daughter breakfas', an' 'tart the tune from hillside to the spot of place where the house is. An' the door was double double double latch. An' the tune 'tarted.

An' the gal open the door an' mumma come in give her her breakfast, an' make very much of each others, an' eat done an' tell goodbye.

When the mumma gone Tiger creep out of the house with a great rolling of voice, can't 'tan' him heel. He go down to see Brother Blacksmit'

if he would do a kind favour for him.

An' Brother Blacksmit' say:--"What sort of favour I can do for you?"

An' Tiger say him see a very nice meat a bush, him want go eat it then, so me want sweet voice fe sing like a him mumma.

Then Brother Blacksmit' put the iron a fire, make him red hot, so tell him open him mout'. Blacksmit' poke ahm down his t'roat, heap of smoke come out a him 'tomach.

When him finish he tell him mus' sing make him hear.

So Tiger sing, an' true him voice sound so good.