30. Dry-Head and Anansi. [Note]
Reading edition
30. Dry-Head and Anansi. [Note]
a. Go-long-go.
George Parkes, Mandeville.
b. Dry-head.
Ezekiel Williams, Harmony Hall.
Brar Nansi trabble away. Him was a man very fond of duckano. So while he was going on, hear somet’ing drop “woof!” An’ say, “Makey stan’ deh!” fe him duckano. At de same time deh was Brar Dry-head drop off de tree. Brar Dry-head say, “Ef you tak me up, you tak up trouble; an’ ef you put me down, you put down yo’ luck!” So Brar Nansi never know what to do. Brar Nansi say, “Brar Dry-head, have big fat barrow in a stye; mak we go kill it!” An’ so dey do. Well, when de pot boil wid de barrow, Brar Nansi say, “Brar Dry-head, you know what we do? Who can’t eat wi’out spoon not to taste it.” So Brar Dry-head, he never have no hand, so Brar Nansi eatee off clean!
c. Brother Dead.
Emanuel Johnson, Brownstown.
Anansi run till he meet up Bredder Dead … Br’er Dead say, “If you pay me, I will save you.”—“Br’er, me have not’ing to gi’ you, but me have one cock a yard fe me wife, me tek him come gi’ you.” Br’er Nansi run to de yard, get de cock, meet Br’er Dead in de corn-piece an’ gi’ it to him. Now Br’er Dead goin’ to kill him jus’ de same. After Br’er Dead tie de cord gone away to odder side of de corn-piece, Anansi t’ief de cock back from Br’er Dead, get a hawk an’ put up de hawk. Hawk catch Dead now in de corn-piece. Anansi say,
Fly along, Brudder Hawk, fly a-long. Fly a-long, Brudder Hawk, fly a-long. Car-ry him go ’long, Car-ry him go ’long, Car-ry him go ’long, Brud-der Hawk, Car-ry him go ’long.