Jamaican Song and Story Part 37

Then Blacksmit' say:--"Min' mustn' eat no duckanoo nor guava by the way, else you voice turn rough again."

Tiger gone making his way fe go eat the gal fe meat. He was very hard on his journey going on. As he get halfway he see guava an' duckanoo, an' being him so thirsty he say:--"Make me nyam ahm, nothing goin' to do me voice."

He nyam until he unrestful an' come his voice after was like groun'

t'under.

"Well," he say, "never min'; by the time me re'ch up me voice will come good."

So he lay down under the floor waiting for twelve o'clock when the mother usual come.

An' when it nearly come 'pon twelve Tiger creep out under the floor commence to sing:--

[Music: E2]

Leah! Leah! tingaling, You no yerry you honey, tingaling?

You sugar de a door, tingaling, You honey de a door, tingaling.

An' Leah say:--"H! H! it is not my mother dat."

An' Tiger shame, gone under the house back, voice too coa.r.s.e.

Presently his mother is up, sing with a very sweet voice:--

Leah! Leah! tingaling, You no yerry you honey, tingaling?

Honey de a door, tingaling, Sugar de a door, tingaling.

An' the door open, an' she go in give her daughter him breakfas'.

An' her daughter hug her up an' kiss her, an' he commence to tell her mother that him hear a great rolling like groun' shaking while ago outside, an' it make her frighten to deat'. She tell her mumma she would like to go home with her back.

The mother refuse from do so, an' lef' an gone home, tell the father what happen with Leah in the bush.

An' puppa say:--"What make you lef' me daughter a bush? Go back for him to-night."

Mamma say:--"No danger wi' me daughter, me wi' carry him dinner four o'clock, lef' him come back."

Next day Tiger 'tart to Blacksmit' fe run iron down him t'roat back.

Blacksmit' get vex, tell him he going to lick him down with the iron, for his ears hard.

Tiger said:--"Do Bro'er Blacksmit', me yerry all wh you tell me this time."

An' Blacksmit' put the iron two hour a fire an' shub him down Tiger t'roat. Tiger can't take him ground, iron too hot.

When he done with him he tell him to sing make him hear, an' beg him anything that him see in the way must make him yeye pa.s.s it.

An' Tiger say:--"Yes, so me going do."

Him shut him yeye now, take the whole a road for himself, say:--"Me boy never would a nyam nothing more a pa.s.s: sweet, sweet meat like a that so a bush me could a lef' ahm so?"

He was very hurry to the house, an' just before twelve o'clock he commence to sing, an' this time his voice sound well.

Leah open the door, t'ought it was her mother, an' Tiger jump right in an' eat the whole of Leah, lef' one finger with the ring.

Him eat done, half shut the door an' go back a him bed under the house.

Leah mumma come fe sing now:--

Leah! Leah! tingaling, Yo no yerry you honey, tingaling?

You sugar de a door, tingaling, You honey de a door, tingaling.

An' n.o.body answer her.

She sing two time more: n.o.body answer.

An' she shub the door an' go inside to find only one finger of her daughter.

An' him put him hand on him head, bahl, then go home to him husband, tell him husband him daughter dead, something eat every bit.

Him say:--"Me no min tell you fe bring home me daughter: you will have fe find ahm gi' me. Then if you know wh good fe you just bring him go," catch up one big junka 'tick an' lick down the wife.

An' after the wife dead the man take to heart an' dead.

That make you see woman ears hard up to to-day. They want mus' man fe carry them anywhere they told fe go. A him make them something a happen a this world up to to-day day.

_Jack Mantora me no choose none._

NOTES.

=usual=, are wont.

=when she re'ch=, when she (the mother) reaches the hillside and she sings the song, she (the girl) will know that his (her) honey has come.

=tingaling.= Some tellers of this story have it =tindalinda=.

='teady=, steady, with a peculiar vowel like a dull French _eu_.

=him daughter breakfas'=, came back with her daughter's breakfast and began to sing when she reached the hillside overlooking the house, and went on singing till she got to the house.

=An' the tune 'tarted.= The reciter sings it here.

=out of the house=, out from under the house. See note to "Yung-kyum-pyung."

=rolling=, roaring.

=can't 'tan' him heel=, can't stand on his heel. See, further on, =can't take him ground=. Both mean that Tiger cannot stand still.

=a bush=, in the bush.