Jamaican Song and Story Part 17

An' Dry-bone find out what Annancy mean to do.

Annancy have a c.o.c.k in the yard.

Dry-bone tell him that him must watch Annancy, keep him a yard, an' he will pay him.

An' the c.o.c.k ask Dry-bone:--"What is your name?"

An Dry-bone say:--"'Tis Mr. Winkler."

So Dry-bone live in Annancy yard.

An' one day Annancy ask him if him don't want to warm sun.

Dry-bone say:--"Yes."

An' Annancy tell him that to-morrow he will put him out a door.

Annancy went away an' make a bargain with Fowl-hawk, that him have a man name of Mr. Dry-bone, him must come to-morrow an' take him up an'

carry him an' drop him in the deepest part of the wood.

An' so Fowl-hawk did do.

When the c.o.c.k see Fowl-hawk take up Mr. Winkler him sing out:--

[Music:

Mister Winkler, Winkler come give me me pay.]

An' Annancy look up a 'ky an' sing:--

[Music:

Carry him go 'long, Annancy say so, Carry him go 'long, Me'll pay fe c.o.c.k, Carry him go 'long, Annancy say so, Carry him go 'long, Me'll pay fe c.o.c.k, Carry him go 'long.]

_Jack Mantora me no choose any._

NOTES.

=help him up=, to get the load on to his head. In this story and some others the load once taken up cannot be put down. It sticks to the head of the bearer and, until it reaches its destination, can only be transferred to another head.

=cravin'=, craving, greedy, often sounds like craven. A man who is =cravin'= is generally =cubb.i.+.c.h=, covetous. This has lost its original meaning of desiring possession of other people's things and is used only in the sense of close-fisted. A =cravin'= man wants to get hold of what others have got, a =cubb.i.+.c.h= (ends with the sound of rich) one will not part with what he has.

=laughing after=, laughing at.

=him must watch.= The c.o.c.k must watch Annancy and not let him leave the yard; Dry-bone is helpless, and requires attention.

=to warm sun=, to warm himself in the sun. So they have:--"Puss warm fire," the cat warms herself by the fire.

=a 'ky=, in the sky.

=Me'll pay fe c.o.c.k=, I will pay the c.o.c.k's wages which Dry-bone agreed to give. _We_ pay a person for a thing, but the Negro pays for the person as well.

=Walk=, =talk=, =warm=, =hawk=, all have the vowel ah. This story refers to the time of slavery. It is almost indisputable that in certain cases, when a slave was in a weak state owing to incurable illness or old age, he was carried out and left to die. To his pitiful remonstrance, "Ma.s.sa me no dead yet," the overseer made no reply, but went on with his directions to the bearers, "Carry him go along." This kind of barbarity was not practised by owners living in Jamaica. By them the slaves were well treated and such a thing would have been impossible.

But when the masters went away they left the control in the hands of overseers, men of low caste who had neither scruples nor conscience.

XVI. ANNANCY AND THE OLD LADY'S FIELD.

One day there was a old lady work a very nice field on a rock, an' an old-witch boy is the watchman.

An' one day Annancy heard about the old-witch boy, an' Annancy send an' invite him to his yard. An when the old-witch boy come, Annancy ask him what his name. An' he says to Annancy that his name is John-John Fe-We-Hall.

An' the boy ask Annancy why him ask him like that.

An' Annancy say:--"Don't be afraid my frien', I very love you; that's why I ask wh you name."

An' by this time the old lady didn't know that the old-witch boy gone to Annancy yard.

An' Annancy have a son is a very clever tief, call Tacoma.

An' Annancy made a bargain that, when him see John-John Fe-We-Hall come, he must walk to the back door an' come out, an' go to the old lady ground an' destroy the provision.

An' when Tacoma come home, Annancy leave John-John out the hall, an'

tell him that he is going to get some breakfast for him.

Now the old lady make a law that, if the watchman eat any of his provision, it going to make him sick in a way that he will find out if it is the same watchman tiefing him.[41]

[Footnote 41: This is evidently a reminiscence of the "medicine"

(Nyanja, _chiwindo_) used in Africa to protect gardens. Sometimes it kills the thief, sometimes makes him ill. (A.W.)]

An' being the boy is old-witch, he know that the food Annancy is getting ready is from the old lady field. So when Annancy bring the breakfast he won't eat it.

Annancy tell him that he must eat the food, he mustn't be afraid.

An' the boy say:--"No."

An' Annancy send an' tell the old lady that the man is here clever more than him.

An' when the old lady receive the message from Annancy, he sent to the ground to tell the old-witch boy that he must look out for Mr.

Annancy, for him receive a chanice from Annancy.

An' this time the old lady didn't know that the watchman is at Annancy yard.

An' the old-witch boy is a fluter, an' when the old lady want to dance it's the same boy playing for the old lady. An' the old lady have a tune which he is dancing with. An' Annancy ask the boy to play the tune when he is going home, an' Annancy know if the tune play the old lady will dance till she kill herself.