Part 1 — XL. SEA-MAHMY.

One day, height a hungry time, Blackbird have a feedin' tree in a sea. An' every day Blackbird go an' feed.

Annancy say unto Blackbird:—"Please, Bro'er Blackbird, please carry me over a you feedin' tree."

Blackbird say unto Annancy:—"Bro'er Annancy, you so cravin' you goin' to eat every bit from me."

He say:—"No, Bro'er Blackbird I won' do it."

Brother Blackbird say unto Annancy:—"A you no have no wing, how you a go?"

Well! Blackbird take out two of him tail feather, 'tick upon Annancy. He pick out two of him wing feather, 'tick upon Annancy. He take two feather out of him back again, 'tick upon Annancy; two feather out of him belly feather, 'tick upon Annancy.

Well! Blackbird an' Annancy fly in a the sea upon the feedin' tree.

Every feedin' Blackbird go fe pick, Annancy say that one a fe him.

Blackbird go upon the next limb, Annancy say a fe him.

Blackbird go upon the t'ird limb, Annancy say a fe him.

Till Annancy eat a good tummy-full.

Annancy drop asleep upon the tree.

Well! Blackbird take time, pick out all the feather back, an' Blackbird fly away.

When Annancy wake out of sleep he say:—"Make me fly."

He can't fly.

He broke a branch off a the tree, t'row in the sea. The branch swim.

Annancy say if the branch swim him will swim, an' he jump off a the tree, drop in the sea an' sink.

An' when he go down a sea bottom he meet Sea-mahmy.

He said to Sea-mahmy:—"Mumma, mother tell me me have a cousin down a sea bottom, ya."

Sea-mahmy say:—"I going to see if me and you are cousin."

Sea-mahmy put a pan of sand in the fire for well hot. When him get hot he take it off a the fire, give to Brother Annancy for drink it off.

Brother Annancy say:—"Cousin Sea-mahmy, it don' hot enough. Put it out a de sun fe make it hot more."

After him put it out a the sun then he say:—"Cousin Sea-mahmy, I think it hot now."

An' Sea-mahmy say:—"Well you must drink it off an' make I see if you an' me are cousin."

An' Annancy do drink it off.

Annancy spend t'ree day down a sea bottom.

Well! the next day Sea-mahmy said to him:—"Whé you going to come out."

Him said:—"Cousin Sea-mahmy, sen' one of you son fe carry me out a lan'."

Sea-mahmy give him one of him son, the name of that son call Trapong.

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

Sea-mahmy call:—

[Listen] [XML]

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 shore.

When they go to shore he say:—"Bro'er Trapong, take dis bag weigh me, see whé 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.

Whé you going. Whé (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.