Jamaican Song and Story Part 9

VI. BLACKBIRD AND WOSS-WOSS.

One day there was a place where they usual to kill plenty of meat. An'

Mr. Blackbird has a certain tree, hiding himself. An' every cow them kill Mr. Blackbird see how them kill it. An' going into the house, the house don't lock with no key nor either open with no key. When they want to go in them use a word, say "one--two--t'ree--me no touch liver," an' the door open himself. An' when them want to come out of the house them use the same words "one--two--t'ree--me no touch liver." An' Mr. Blackbird tief them fe true, an' them never find it out.

An' one day Mr. Blackbird write his friend Mr. Annancy to take a walk with him, an' him will show him where he is getting all these meat.

An' when he is going him tell Mr. Annancy all the rule, that when he go on the tree he must listen, an' him will hear what them say to open the door both going in an' coming out.

What Mr. Annancy did; when he see the butcher them pa.s.sing with the meat, Annancy was trembling an' saying:--"Look a meat,--Look a meat."

"Bro'er Annancy hush you mout', you a go make dem shot me."

When the butcher them gone, Mr. Blackbird come down, he an' Mr.

Annancy, an' go inside the house the very same as the butcher them do, say "one--two--t'ree--me no touch liver." As they go into the house Blackbird tell him that him mustn't take no liver. An' Mr. Annancy took liver an' put in his bag. An' when Blackbird started out with the same word Mr. Annancy left inside was tying his bag.

Now Mr. Annancy ready fe come out of the house, count "one--two--t'ree--me no touch liver," and by this time he has the liver in his bag.

The door won't open.

Blackbird call him "Come on."

He say:--"The door won't open."

Then he count more than what he was to by get so frighten. He say:--"One--two--t'ree--four--five--six--seven--eight--nine--ten--me no touch liver."

The door won't open.

Mr. Blackbird say:--"Look in your bag, you must be have liver."

The fellow so sweet-mout' say in a cross way "No."

Blackbird leave him.

When Blackbird go home he look an' can't see Mr. Annancy, so him fly a bush an' get up a whole regiment of soldier. Who these soldier was, was Woss-Woss. Mr. Blackbird was the General, march before. When them reach to the place they were just in time, for the butcher were taking Mr. Annancy to go an' tie him on a tree to cut him with hot iron. Word of command was given from Mr. Blackbird, an' by the time the butcher them come to the door with Mr. Annancy the whole world of Woss-Woss come down on them.

They have to let go Mr. Annancy. Not one of the butcher could see. Mr.

Blackbird soldier gain the battle an' get 'way Mr. Annancy. They take all the butcher meat an' carry home. Then Mr. Blackbird take Mr.

Annancy under his wing an' all his soldiers an' fly to his own country. From that day Woss-Woss is a great fighter until now, so bird never do without them to guard their nest.

_Jack Mantora me no choose any._

NOTES.

=Woss-Woss.= The West Indian wasp hangs its paper nest to the twigs of bushes and trees as a rule, though it does not despise the shelter of the verandah. The wasps live in colonies, making many small nests instead of one big one. The nests are shaped like the rose of a watering-pot with the shank turned upwards.

This story clearly owes its origin to Ali Baba. The conversion of Sesame, which meant nothing to the negro, into one-two-three, which at least means something, is not unnatural.

=fe true=, literally =for true= is an expressive phrase conveying the idea of intensity. =It hot fe true=, it is intensely hot. =He tief fe true=, he steals terribly. =It rain fe true=, it is raining very hard. =He wort'less fe true=, he is a regular scamp. =He sinnicky fe true=, he is a horrid sneak. =His ears hard fe true=, his ears are outrageously hard, said of a boy who will not do as he is told. =He nyam fe true=, he eats immensely. =Lazy fe true=, abominably lazy. =Ugly fe true=, exceedingly ugly. =The water cold fe true=, the water is very cold. =White yam burn fe true=, the white yam is sadly burnt. =Orange bear fe true=, the oranges bear heavily. =Puss catch ratta fe true=, the cat catches any amount of rats. =Him favour tiger fe true=, he looks for all the world like a tiger, said of a man who has a sullen expression. =Me head hurt me fe true=, I have a very bad headache. =Boot burn me fe true=, my boots gall me dreadfully.

=by get so frighten=, through fright; literally, owing to his getting so much frightened.

=must be have=, must have.

=sweet-mout'=, sweet-mouthed, greedy.

VII. THE THREE SISTERS.

There was t'ree sister living into a house, an' everybody want them fe marry, an' them refuse.

An' one day a Snake go an' borrow from his neighbour long coat an'

burn-pan hat an' the whole set out of clothing. Then he dress himself, an' him tell his friends that him mus' talk to those young lady. An'

what you think the fellow does? He get up a heap a men to carry him to the young lady yard. An' when him got there the door was lock with an iron bar. An' when he come he say:--"Please to open the door, there is a stranger coming in." An' he sing like this:--

[Music:

My eldes' sister, will you open the door?

My eldes' sister, will you open the door oh?

Fair an gandelow steel.]

An' the eldest one was going to open the door. An' the last one, who was a old-witch, say to her sister:--"Don't open the door," an' she sing:--

[Music:

My door is bar with a scotran bar, My door is bar with a scotran bar oh, Fair an' gandelow steel.]

Then the Snake ask again to the same tune:--

My second sister will you open the door?

My second sister will you open the door oh?

Fair an' gandelow steel.

An' the youngest, which was old-witch, sing again:--

My door is bar with an iron bar, My door is bar with an iron bar oh, Fair an' gandelow steel.

An' the Snake turn to a Devil, an' the t'ree sister come an' push on the door to keep it from open.

An' the Devil ask a third time:--

My youngest sister will you open the door?

My youngest sister will you open the door oh?

Fair an' gandelow steel.