Jamaican Song and Story Part 34

=wacky= (French =a= with a turn to =o=, almost "wocky"), guava. This fruit which makes the well-known jelly is wild. It is the size of a small apple, and has a delicious scent when ripe and yellow. Raw, however, it is not a good fruit. The flavour is coa.r.s.e and the pulp is full of very hard seeds, which must be swallowed whole.

=when dem a come=, when they reach the place where the wackies are they come to a river.

=old man beg, etc.=, old man who asks them for a wacky. Much of the conciseness of negro speech is due to the suppression of relatives and prepositions.

=you no give=, if you do not give.

x.x.xIV. YELLOW SNAKE.

Once a woman, name Miss Winky, have four children, three son an' one daughter. The son them was hunter-man and the youngest son was old-witch. This sister never can find her fancy. Everybody come she say: "Lard, this one hugly, me no like him at all!"

Till one day she an' the mother an' old-witch boy was at home.

Snake was on a journey, get to a rum-shop. Talking an' talking they bring up some talk about this gal, that everybody go for her she refuse.

Snake say:--"Is she a pretty gal?"

They say:--"Yes, man, she is a beauty to look at."

Snake said:--"I bet anything I get that gal."

Snake change an' fix up himself an' go to the yard.

When he go he said:--"Good day, Miss Winky, I come to ask you for your daughter."

The gal, was in the room, run out to see if it is a pretty man.

As she come out she said:--"Mamma, this is my love, no one else."

So Snake was invite in the house.

The mother said:--"Well, as you get your fancy I am going to married you."

So the next day they go an' get marry.

After dinner Snake get ready, an' the gal mother tie up all her clothes an' they start.

They travel the whole night until daylight an' never could get, till about midday they reach the place. It was a big stone-hole.

Snake carry her under, put her to sit down.

An' after Snake get a good rest he commence to swallow her.

On the meantime the old-witch boy, name of Cawly, know all what was going on in the wood, tell his two elder brother to come "an' let us go hunting for I hear the voice of my dear beloved sister crying for me in the wood."

The two brother said:--"You always goin' on with your foolishness."

He said:--"Never mind, come let us go an' see."

So they start an' they walk like beast, till at last they nearly reach where they could hear the sister.

They hear a voice:--

[Music:

Fe me Cawly Cawly oh!

If no hunter-man no come here oh!

Yalla Snake will swallow me.]

Snake, fe all him mout' full, get to say:--"Me will swallow you till you mumma no fin' piece of you bone."

The brother come close to the place, climb upon the stone.

They hear the voice plainer, come down off the stone an' see that Snake leave but the head of their sister.

They go down on Snake an' kill him an' split him an' take out their sister an' carry her home.

From that day she never marry again for she feel the hand of marry.

So everybody that pick too much will come off the same way.

_Jack Mantora me no choose none._

NOTES.

=Snake=, p.r.o.nounced in two syllables, Se-nake with the exact value of vowels in the French words _ce n'est que_, and of course stopping at the _k_ sound of the _q_.

=Tie up all her clothes=, in a bundle which she would carry on her head.

=get=, get to Snake's home.

=beast.= This is the generic name for a beast of burden, horse, mule, or donkey.

=fe all=, although.

=get to say=, managed to say.

=fe me=, my.

=feel the hand of marry=, a biblical expression. She felt the hand of matrimony, and behold it was heavy.