Jamaican Song and Story Part 21

There's a blind boy in a ring, tra la la la la, There's a blind boy in a ring, tra la la la la, There's a blind boy in a ring, tra la la la la, He like sugar an' I like plum.]

An' when Annancy sing the sing done, he catch up 'creech-owl an' wring off him neck, an' get him cook for his breakfast an' becomes the master of 'creech-owl's band of music.

An' from that day Mr. Annancy becomes the greatest player an' the biggest raskil in the world.

_Jack Mantora me no choose none._

NOTES.

=the only danger=, the only danger is. This omission is frequent.

At daylight, or soon after, it is the custom to drink tea. This is generally hot water and sugar with, or more often without, milk.

Sometimes they make an infusion of the leaves of lime, orange, mint, fever-gra.s.s, cinnamon, pimento or search-me-heart. Coffee and chocolate are also occasionally used. These all grow in Jamaica, but, owing to its high price, actual tea is beyond the reach of the peasant. Lime is, of course, not the English tree of that name, but the tropical one which bears that small juicy fruit which is so much better than the coa.r.s.er lemon. Fever-gra.s.s (_Andropogon citratus_) has the exact smell and taste of lemon-scented verbena. Search-me-heart (_Rhytidophyllum tormentosum_) is a pretty wild plant with leaves of green velvet, which on moist days give out a delicious aromatic smell much like _Humea_.

=raise a confusion=, get up a quarrel. Annancy resorted to the same artifice when he killed Cow and the other animals at the mock obsequies of his father.

=sarve him breakfast=, serve for his breakfast.

The song will be found again among the dance tunes.

=sing the sing done=, finished the song.

='creech-owl= sounds like creechole.

XX. ANNANCY AND COW.

One day Annancy tell his family that he is going in the wood.

Before he start he get some cane-liquor an' pour it into a big gourdy, an' he tell him wife that "me gone."

An' he travel so till he meet three Cow.

An' he tell one of the Cow marnin', say:--"Marnin', Bro'er Cow."

Cow say:--"Marnin', Brother Annancy."

Annancy say:--"Beg you a little water, Bro'er Cow."

When Annancy get the water he said:--"The water no sweet not 't all."

An' he say to Cow:--"Come taste fe me water." An' he no make Brother Cow know say a cane liquor him got.

When Cow taste it him lick him tongue.

Annancy say:--"No say fe me water sweeter more than fe you?"

Cow said "Yes."

Annancy said:--"Bro'er Cow, you want to go home with me becausen me have it d a run like a river? Bro'er Cow, if you want to go with me you fe make me put one wiss-wiss over you harn. But, Bro'er Cow, me have some picny a me yard, dey so fooyish, when time we most yech, dey ma go say 'Puppa bring Cow.' When them say 'Puppa bring Cow' you mus'

say 'A so him do.'"

Annancy carry Cow into his yard an' tie him upon a tree, an' tell Cow him goin' to get a yitty breakfus' for him. (Annancy 'tudy trick fe nyam Cow; he was very anxious for his beef.)

An' he get into his house and take his tumpa bill coming to Cow force ace fe chop off Cow's neck. He miss the neck an' chop the wiss-wiss, an' Cow take him tail put on him back an' gallop away.

Annancy a bawl, a call:--"Say, Bro'er Cow, a fun me a make, me a drive fly, come back."

Cow no a yerry but gallop till him get home an' tell him wife an'

picny, said Annancy want fe kill him:--"Thank G.o.d me get 'way; the whole family must sing we own tune to-day ya":--

[Music:

Brother Annancy tie somebody, Me no min know da bad me do, Brother Annancy tie somebody, Me tie, me tie, me tie oh!

Brother Annancy tie somebody.]

_Jack Mantora me no choose none._

NOTES.

=cane liquor=, juice of sugar-cane.

=gourdy=, the dried sh.e.l.l of the gourd-like fruit of the Calabash (_Crescentia Cujete_).

=wiss-wiss=, withe. There are many kinds of these natural ropes to be found in the bush.

=fooyish=, foolish.

=most rech=, almost reach, are just getting to the yard.

=day ma go say=, they may go and say.

=A so him do=, so he does. The reciter imitates lowing here, the voice falling to a deep prolonged note on the last word.

=carry=, lead.

=yitty=, little.

=nyam=, eat.

=tumpa=, stumpy, short.

=force ace=, post haste.