Jamaican Song and Story Part 42

Well! Trapong an' Annancy travel, make middle in a sea.

Sea-mahmy call:--

[Music:

Trapong, Trapong, fetch back 'tranger man, come back.]

An' Trapong say:--"'Top, Brother Annancy, I think I hear my mother calling me back."

Annancy say:--"No, make way! War de 'pon sea!"

An' Trapong sail with Annancy on him back till they reach sh.o.r.e.

When they go to sh.o.r.e he say:--"Bro'er Trapong, take dis bag weigh me, see wh me weigh."

Trapong lift him up, say:--"Yes, Brother Annancy you heavy."

So Annancy come back out of the bag.

He say:--"Bro'er Trapong, you come in make I weigh you see."

Trapong went into the bag.

He tie Trapong, tie tight.

Trapong say:--"Brother Annancy you a tie me too 'trong."

He say:--"Me no a tie you fe see if you heavy?"

Trapong say to Brother Annancy:--"Me heavy?"

Annancy say:--"You heavy oh! You light oh! You heavy enough fe me wife pot." An' for all the bahl Trapong a bahl he gone back to him house an' Annancy eat him.

_Jack Mantora me no choose none._

NOTES.

=height=, in the height of, at the worst of.

=Sea-mahmy=, Mermaid.

=feedin' tree.= It was a duckanoo mango according to some accounts.

Annancy behaves just as he did with Candlefly and the eggs.

The connecting =wells= of this story, which take the place of the =ands= and =sos= of other narrators are said with a little upward turn of the voice.

=Wh you going.= Wh (what) seems to be doing duty for =how= here.

=Trapong=, tarpon, the famous sporting fish of Florida and Santa Catalina, common also in Jamaica.

=make middle in a sea=, get to the middle of the sea.

=No, make way!= Annancy shouts this out.

The outrageous confidence trick which follows necessitates a Jack Mantora.

XLI. CRAB AND HIS CORN-PIECE.

One day Brother Crab work a lovely field of corn.

An' when the corns beguns to ripe Crab begin to lose the corn, an' he couldn' find out who was tiefing it.

An' he get Annancy to be a watchman for tief.

An' this arrangement make between Annancy. Crab tell him that he will come in the night and see if he is watching. An' Annancy wasn' agree at first.

Him stand for a good time an' study: an when he study he tell Crab yes that he can come.

An' when Crab gone he sent an' call his friend Mr. Tacoma an' tell him that Bro'er Crab leave him here to watch over the corn, an' say that he is going to come back in the night to see if he is watching. An' as Crab being 'fraid of Tacoma Annancy tell him that he must set a watch in the road for Crab an' catch him.

That time Ratta was hearing Annancy bargain which he is making with Tacoma. An' he went home an' tell Crab that he mustn' go to the corn-piece in the night for Tacoma going to catch him.

An' so Crab did hear Ratta.

An' him send an' discharge Annancy.

An' Annancy was very sorry, an' same time he goes to Crab an' he ask Crab what he done.

Crab tell him that he mustn' mind, he must leave the work, he is going to get another man to watch.

An' Annancy did leave, an' Crab give the job to Ratta.

An', as that wicked man Mr. Annancy know that Ratta frighten for Puss, he sent an' tell Puss that he must go in Bro'er Crab corn-piece an'

keep a good watch for Ratta an' catch him an' eat him.

An' that time Candlefly was hearing Annancy what he is telling Puss to do Ratta, an' he went an' tell Ratta that he must leave the work, an'

if he don't leave it he going to lose his life.

At that time Ratta get very 'fraid an' send an' give up his discharge to Crab.

When Ratta gone Crab couldn' get no one to watch the corn again, an'

he consider to himself that he knows two friend very love corn an' the meal likewise.