Jamaican Song and Story Part 49

XLVIII. ANNANCY AND HIS FISH-POT.

One day Brother Annancy always set him fish-pot in a river ober a fallin' fe catch jonga. Tacoma usual to go an' knock it.

An' Annancy set watch into a river corner, an' Tacoma come fe knock it; he didn' know Brother Annancy hide there fe watchin' him.

As Tacoma go over de fish-pot Brother Annancy chuck him down, an'

Tacoma catch in de fish-pot.

Annancy go beg Brother Rabbit say:--"Bro'er Yabbit, me fish-pot catch a big fish, come an' help me knock it, me one can't manage it, Bro'er Yabbit."

Brother Annancy an' Brother Rabbit went to the river.

Annancy say:--"Bro'er Yabbit, me feel me tummy hurt me dis marnin', no able fe put me foot in de cold water, see if you one can manage fe take out de fish-pot."

Brother Rabbit go an' take it out till he nearly make sh.o.r.e with the fish-pot.

Annancy say:--"Bery well, you kill Brother Tacoma! Bery well, you kill Brother Tacoma!"

Then Brother Rabbit commence to cry now, an' the frettenation in a Rabbit he say he kill somebody an' he know they going to hang him, an'

next day Rabbit dead.

Then the case didn' try again.

_Jack Mantora me no choose none._

NOTES.

=fish-pot=, made of bamboo strips and looking like a lobster-pot.

=jonga=, the smallest of the three kinds of crawfish which abound in the streams and rivers of Jamaica.

=knock=, empty.

=tummy=; a less pretty word is really used. Annancy squeaks his words more than usual here.

=Bery well, etc.=, in 6/8 rhythm [Music] and he claps his hands to the measure twice in the bar.

=frettenation=, probably fright, but may have something to do with fretting. Owing to Rabbit's fright, he says that he has killed a man.

Rabbit, through fright, says that he has killed a man. These elliptical expressions are hard to understand until one has heard them often.

=try again=, try after all.

XLIX. HOG AND DOG.

One day Hog was going out to look work, an' Hog name was Cuddy.

An' he got out an' walk all about an' couldn' get no work.

An' when he come home Ratta employ him to keep watch for him when Broder Puss is coming.

An' Hog ask Rat how much is his pay.

An' Rat tell him that he will give him t'ree an' sixpence a week but he must find himself every t'ing to eat an' drink.

An' Hog didn' agree. But as the time being so hard he says he will bear with Ratta till the week out.

An' when the week done Ratta pay Hog, an' Ratta t'ought that Hog was still keeping watch for him.

So Ratta go out, an' when he come back he didn' fin' Hog.

An' him say:--Wasn' G.o.d, Puss would broke in on him.

An' him cuss Hog that Hog would walk an' never get no work, an' some which worse than Hog will laugh after him.

An' Hog start one morning to look work.

What that fellah Mr. Dog done Hog.

As he, being a market-keeper, he set down at the market gate an' see Hog was pa.s.sing, an' he ask Hog where he is going.

Hog tell him that he is going to look a little work.

Same time Dog burst out a laugh. An' as he burst out a laugh he ask Hog t'ought he was working with Ratta.

An' Hog feel so shame to himself till he wouldn' answer Dog.

An' Dog laugh after Hog with this sing:--

[Music:

Time get so hard Hog an' all a look work, Dog sit down a market gate an' go laugh at a Hog distress; me rarab.u.m Cuddy d da door, me rarab.u.m Cuddy d da door, me rarab.u.m Cuddy d da door.]

An' Dog sing an' sing an' sing till Hog get vex an' come home back.

An' from that day that's why Hog must always hate Dog until now.

_Jack Mantora me no choose none._

NOTES.

=Cuddy=, short for Cordelia.