Jamaican Song and Story Part 41

An' by the time Tacoma get home to his yard Annancy t'row out his money an' turn back again.

An' when he go he use the same very word an' the door open.

Annancy load his cart an' when him coming home he meet Tacoma on the road an' through his strongy yeye an' his ungratefulness he want to shoot Tacoma cart a gully an' to kill his mule, that him one may be the master of the bank.

An' Annancy made a sing when he is coming home:--

[Music:

Right t'rough, right t'rough de rocky road, oh Charley Marley call you, Mid a rock, mid a rock, mid a rock, me Charley, Charley Marley call you; Oh de han'some gal are no fe you one; Oh Charley Marley call you.]

NOTES.

Here is another story founded on Ali Baba, which differs considerably from the previous one of "Blackbird and Woss-woss." The chief peculiarity of this version is that the entrapping through forgetfulness of the pa.s.sword is altogether lost.

=Hard time.= This refers to the months of June and July when provisions are scarce. The old yams are done and the new ones are not in yet.

Subsistence has to be eked out with a few sweet potatoes and the mangoes, which are abundant in these months, and go on till the October rains bring back a season of plenty.

=so he go=, as he goes.

=piecen=, a nice word. They use it also in speaking of the patching of old clothes.

=lash him whip=, crack his whip as a signal.

=strongy yeye=, covetousness. To give the p.r.o.nunciation a _y_ has to be tacked on to strong.

=him one=, he alone.

The exact application of the song is doubtful. The end is pretty clear, meaning:--all the good things are not for you alone, Tacoma. It will be observed in this and some other stories that Jack Mantora, etc., is omitted. That is because they have no tragic termination.

XL. SEA-MAHMY.

One day, height a hungry time, Blackbird have a feedin' tree in a sea.

An' every day Blackbird go an' feed.

Annancy say unto Blackbird:--"Please, Bro'er Blackbird, please carry me over a you feedin' tree."

Blackbird say unto Annancy:--"Bro'er Annancy, you so cravin' you goin'

to eat every bit from me."

He say:--"No, Bro'er Blackbird I won' do it."

Brother Blackbird say unto Annancy:--"A you no have no wing, how you a go?"

Well! Blackbird take out two of him tail feather, 'tick upon Annancy.

He pick out two of him wing feather, 'tick upon Annancy. He take two feather out of him back again, 'tick upon Annancy; two feather out of him belly feather, 'tick upon Annancy.

Well! Blackbird an' Annancy fly in a the sea upon the feedin' tree.

Every feedin' Blackbird go fe pick, Annancy say that one a fe him.

Blackbird go upon the next limb, Annancy say a fe him.

Blackbird go upon the t'ird limb, Annancy say a fe him.

Till Annancy eat a good tummy-full.

Annancy drop asleep upon the tree.

Well! Blackbird take time, pick out all the feather back, an'

Blackbird fly away.

When Annancy wake out of sleep he say:--"Make me fly."

He can't fly.

He broke a branch off a the tree, t'row in the sea. The branch swim.

Annancy say if the branch swim him will swim, an' he jump off a the tree, drop in the sea an' sink.

An' when he go down a sea bottom he meet Sea-mahmy.

He said to Sea-mahmy:--"Mumma, mother tell me me have a cousin down a sea bottom, ya."

Sea-mahmy say:--"I going to see if me and you are cousin."

Sea-mahmy put a pan of sand in the fire for well hot. When him get hot he take it off a the fire, give to Brother Annancy for drink it off.

Brother Annancy say:--"Cousin Sea-mahmy, it don' hot enough. Put it out a de sun fe make it hot more."

After him put it out a the sun then he say:--"Cousin Sea-mahmy, I think it hot now."

An' Sea-mahmy say:--"Well you must drink it off an' make I see if you an' me are cousin."

An' Annancy do drink it off.

Annancy spend t'ree day down a sea bottom.

Well! the next day Sea-mahmy said to him:--"Wh you going to come out."

Him said:--"Cousin Sea-mahmy, sen' one of you son fe carry me out a lan'."

Sea-mahmy give him one of him son, the name of that son call Trapong.