Chapter VII: Part 7

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.

103. THE TWELVE ONE-EYED MEN.

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 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.

The lady and the maid lamented for their son,
But not so bad as the poor fisherman.

104. BIRD AND HUNTER.

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.

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.

105. JACK AND THE DEVIL ERRANT.

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 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 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 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 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.

106. THE MAGIC HAT AND THE STAFF OF LIFE.

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 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 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.

107. UNCLE GREEN AND JACK.

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 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 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.

108. BIG BEGUM AND LITTLE BEGUM.

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 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!

109. THE FOOL AND THE WISE BROTHER.

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 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.

110. THE CHILDREN AND THE WITCH.

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 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.

111. THE BOY AND THE MERMAID.

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.

112. DIFFICULT TASKS.

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.

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.

113. THE GRATEFUL BEASTS.

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 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.

114. JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK.

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.

115. JACK AND THE DEVIL.

Richard Pottinger, Claremont, St. Anne.