Jamaican Song and Story Part 4

"Bro'er Monkey, I hear one shweet song a river side say:--

"Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat.

Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat."

Then Monkey say:--"You must sing the song, make we hear."

Then Annancy commence to sing.

Monkey love the song so much that they made a ball a night an' have the same song playing.

So when Annancy hear the song was playing, he was glad to go back to Bro'er Tiger.

When him go to the river, he saw Tiger was looking for his fat.

Tiger said:--"Bro'er Annancy, I can't find me fat at all."

Annancy say:--"Ha ha! Biddybye I hear them s.h.i.+ng a Little Monkey town say:--

"Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat.

Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat.

"Bro'er Tiger, if you think I lie, come make we go a Little Monkey town."

So he and Tiger wented.

When them get to the place, Annancy tell Tiger they must hide in a bush.

Then the Monkey was dancing an' playing the same tune.

Tiger hear.

Then Annancy say:--"Bro'er Tiger wha' me tell you? You no yerry me tell you say them a call you name up ya?"

An' the Monkey never cease with the tune:--

Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat.

Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat.

Then Tiger go in the ball an' ask Monkey them for his fat.

The Monkey say they don't know nothing name so, 'tis Mr. Annancy l'arn them the song.

So Tiger could manage the Little Monkey them, an' he want fe fight them.

So the Little Monkey send away a bearer to Big Monkey town, an' bring down a lots of soldiers, an' flog Bro'er Tiger an' Annancy.

So Bro'er Tiger have fe take bush an' Annancy run up a house-top.

From that, Tiger live in the wood until now, an' Annancy in the house-top.

_Jack Mantora me no choose any._

NOTES.

=Go a river fe wash 'kin=, go to the river to wash their skins.

p.r.o.nounce =fe= like =fit= without the =t=.

=in a de=, into the.

=A go drownded=, will be drowned.

=fe take=, short for =must have fe take=, must take.

=so lef'=, and leave.

=fe you=, for you, yours.

=me me=, I will. Annancy is fond of these reduplications.

=in a hole=, in the hole.

=make me see=, let me see. =Make= and =let= are always confused.

=frighten=, frightened. Past participles are seldom used.

=take=, =eat=, =leave=, =go=, takes, eats, leaves, goes. This shortening is always adopted. If a final =s= is used, it is generally in the wrong place.

=s.h.i.+ng a s.h.i.+ng=, sing a song. Annancy's lisp will not always be printed, but in reading, it should be put in even when not indicated.

=a river side=, at the river's side. The =v= is p.r.o.nounced more like a =b=, and the =i= in =river= has the sound of French =u=.

=me a nyam=, I was eating, I ate. =Nyam= is one of the few African words which survive in Jamaica.

=make we hear=, and let us hear it.

=have the same song playing=; the past participle again avoided, and its place supplied by the present participle. Song and tune are interchangeable terms, and, even when there is no singing, the fiddle speaks words to those who are privileged to hear; see "Doba" and other stories.

=Biddybye=, by the bye.

=a Little Monkey town=, in Little Monkey town. So already in this story we have had _a_ standing for =to=, =in=, =the=, =at=, =will=, besides being interjected, as in =me a nyam= and elsewhere.

=make we go=, let us go.

=in a bush=, in the bush, in the jungle.

=dancing an' playing.= No mention of singing, observe.