🧚 Opening, part 1

NEGRO MYTHS1

FROM2

THE GEORGIA COAST3

TOLD IN THE VERNACULAR4

BY5

CHARLES C. JONES, JR., LL.6 D.7

COLUMBIA, S. C. THE STATE COMPANY 19258

IN MEMORY9

OF10

MONTE VIDEO PLANTATION,11

AND OF THE12

FAMILY SERVANTS13

WHOSE FIDELITY AND AFFECTION CONTRIBUTED SO MATERIALLY TO ITS COMFORT AND HAPPINESS.14

PREFATORY NOTE15

Mr. Joel Chandler Harris has, in an admirable way, commended to public notice the dialect and folk-lore in vogue among the Negroes of Middle Georgia.16 With fidelity and cleverness has he perpetuated the legends and songs once current among these peoples, and now fast lapsing into oblivion.17 There is, however, a field, largely untrodden, in which may be found ample opportunity for the exhibition of kindred inquiry and humor.18 We refer to the swamp region of Georgia and the Carolinas, where the lingo of the rice-field and the sea-island negroes is _sui generis_, and where myths and fanciful stories, often repeated before the war, and now seldom heard save during the gayer moods of the old plantation darkies, materially differ from those narrated by the sable dwellers in the interior.19

In confirmation of this suggestion we record the following Negro Myths from the Georgia Coast.20

Augusta, Georgia, March, 1888.21

CONTENTS22

PAGE23

I. HOW COME BUH ALLIGATUR NEBBER SLEEP FUR FROM DE RIBBER BANK 124

II.25 BUH TUKREY BUZZUD AN DE RAIN 426

III.27 HOW BUH COOTER FOOL BUH DEER 528

IV.29 BUH WOLF, BUH RABBIT, AN DE TAR BABY 730

V. BUH FOWL-HAWK AN BUH ROOSTER 1231

VI.32 BUH TUKREY BUZZUD AN DE KING CRAB 1533

VII.34 DE KING, EH DARTER, BUH WOLF, AN BUH RABBIT 1835

VIII.36 BUH PATTRIDGE AN BUH RABBIT 2037

IX.38 DE OLE MAN AN DE GALLINIPPER 2239

X.40 BUH SPARRUH 2341

XI.42 BUH ALLIGATUR AN BUH MASH-HEN 2543

XII.44 BUH FOWL-HAWK AN BUH TURKREY BUZZUD 2745

XIII.46 BUH WOLF AN BUH RABBIT 2947

XIV.48 BUH WOLF AN DE TWO DINNER 3449

XV.50 BUH OWL AN BUH ROOSTER 3651

XVI.52 BUH LION AN BUH GOAT 3853

XVII.54 BUH BEAR AN BUH TIGER 3955

XVIII.56 BUH MONKEY AN DE BULL-DOG 4257

XIX.58 BUH ELEPHANT AN BUH ROOSTER 4559

XX.60 DE PO MAN AN DE SNAKE 4661

XXI.62 LEELY GAL, BUH ALLIGATUR, AN DE JAY-BUD 5163

XXII.64 DE CAT, DE RAT, DE CHEESE, AN DE FOX 5365

XXIII.66 BUH RABBIT AN DE TARRUH BEASTISES 5567

XXIV.68 BUH WOLF, BUH RABBIT, AN DE BUTTER 5969

XXV.70 DE EAGLE AN DE CHILLUN 6371

XXVI.72 CHANTICLEER AN DE BAN-YAD ROOSTER 6573

XXVII.74 BUH RABBIT AN DE GROUN-MOLE 6875

XXVIII.76 BUH RABBIT AN DE ROCK-SOUP 7177

XXIX.78 DE TWO FREN AND DE BEAR 7379

XXX.80 DE OLE MAN AN DET 7581

XXXI.82 DE KING AN EH RING 7783

XXXII.84 BUH LION, BUH RABBIT, BUH FOX, AN BUH ROCCOON 8285

XXXIII.86 BUH RABBIT, BUH WOLF, AN DE PORPUS 8887

XXXIV.88 DE DEBBLE AN MAY BELLE 9289

XXXV.90 DE OLE MAN AN DE COON 9991

XXXVI.92 BUH RABBIT AND DE CRAWFISH 10193

XXXVII.94 BUH RABBIT AND BUH ELEPHUNT 10295

XXXVIII.96 BUH RABBIT, BUH WOLF, AN BUH POSSUM 10597

XXXIX.98 BUH RABBIT, BUH WOLF, AN DE HOLLER TREE 10899

XL.100 BUH RABBIT AN DE CUNJUR MAN 111101

XLI.102 BUH RABBIT, BUH FOX, AN DE FISHERMAN 114103

XLII.104 BUH RABBIT, BUH WOLF, AN DE YEARLIN 118105

XLIII.106 BUH RABBIT, BUH WOLF, DE DOG, AN DE GOOSE 120107

XLIV.108 BUH SQUIRLE AN’ BUH FOX 122109

XLV.110 BUH RABBIT, BUH WOLF, AN DE BUCKRA MAN 124111

XLVI.112 BUH RABBIT AN BUH WOLF FUNERAL 127113

XLVII.114 DE NEW NIGGER AN EH MOSSA 130115

XLVIII.116 BUH RABBIT AN DE KING DARTER 132117

XLIX.118 DE SINGLE BALL 134119

L. BUH ROCCOON AN BUH POSSUM 136120

LI.121 BUH WOLF, BUH RABBIT AN DE RAIN 137122

LII.123 BUH ALLIGATUR, BUH RABBIT AN BUH WOLF 140124

LIII.125 DE DYIN BULL-FROG 144126

LIV.127 BUH RABBIT, BUH PATTRIDGE, AN DE COW 145128

LV. DE FIDDLER, BUH TIGER, AN BUH BEAR 147129

LVI.130 DE OLE KING AN DE NOUNG KING 149131

LVII.132 BUH GOAT AN BUH WOLF 151133

LVIII.134 DENTISTRY AT THE OLD PLANTATION HOME 155135

LIX.136 THE NEGRO AND THE ALLIGATOR 161137

LX.138 SPERITS 169139

LXI.140 DADDY JUPITER’S VISION 177141

NEGRO MYTHS142

I.143

HOW COME BUH ALLIGATUR NEBBER SLEEP FUR FROM DE RIBBER BANK.144

One time Buh Rabbit, him meet Buh Alligatur, an eh ax um: “Budder, you tek life berry onconsarne.145 Enty you come pon trouble some time?”146 Buh Alligatur, him mek answer: “No, Budder, nuttne nebber bodder me.147 Me dunno wuh you call trouble.148 Me hab plenty er bittle fuh eat.149 Me sleep an tek me pledjuh.150 Wuh mek you tink trouble kin come topper me?”151 Buh Rabbit, him berry cunnin.152 Eh yent say nuttne.153 Eh know Buh Alligatur blan come out de ribber an sun isself in de broom-grass fiel.154 Buh Rabbit, eh laugh oneside to isself an mek plan to pit trouble on Buh Alligatur.155

De nex day, wen de sun hot, Buh Alligatur come out de ribber.156 Eh so full er fish an crab eh casely kin crawl.157 Eh drag isself trugh de mash, an eh gone in de broom-grass fiel, and tretch isself in de grass, an fall fas tersleep.158 Buh Rabbit bin der watch um all de time.159 Buh Rabbit too scheemy.160 Now eh pick eh chance.161 Wen eh tink Buh Alligatur done gone tersleep, eh tiptoe ebber so sofe tell eh come right pon top er Buh Alligatur.162 Eh notice um close.163 Eh yeye shet.164 Eh duh sleep fuh true.165 Den Buh Rabbit slip back.166 Eh say to isself: “I guine mek Buh Alligatur know wuh call trouble dis day.”167 Eh trike fire.168 Eh light one fat pine tick, an eh set fire to de broom-grass all roun an roun de fiel.169 Buh Alligatur, eh day in de middle fas tersleep.170 Eh dunno wuh Buh Rabbit up teh.171 Bimeby de fire, eh biggin fuh roll.172 Buh Alligatur wake up.173 Eh see de smoke.174 Eh yeddy de fire duh commin.175 Eh dunno wuh fur do.176 De fire biggin fur bun um.177 Eh run dis way, de fire meet um.178 Eh lick back an try tarruh side.179 De fire meet um day too.180

Buh Rabbit, him duh tan off duh watch an duh half kill isself wid laugh.181 Buh Alligatur holler.182 Eh holler.183 Eh holler.184 Nobody yeddy.185 Nobody come.186 Fire ebry side.187 No way fur um fur go.188 Eh cant git out.189 Man! sir! eh mek up eh mine to bus trugh some how.190 Eh shet eh yeye.191 Eh cock up eh tail, an yuh eh come straight fur de ribber.192

Buh Rabbit, eh fall fur laugh.193 Eh hoop arter Buh Alligatur, an eh say: “Hey, Budder! wats de time er day?194 Enty you bin tell me you nebber meet up wid trouble?195 You run topper um to-day anyhow.”196

Buh Alligatur yent hab time fuh mek answer.197 Eh yent crack eh teet to Buh Rabbit.198 Eh jis is bex wid um is eh kin be.199 Eh yeye red.200 Eh tail swinge.201 Eh gone fuh de ribber, an eh fall in head ober heel.202 De water cool um.203 Eh ketch eh bref.204 Den eh raise isself on de top er de water an eh holler back to Buh Rabbit: “Nummine, Boy, golong dis time.205 Me know who mek all dis trouble fur me.206 Ef me ebber ketch you close dis ribber, me guine larne you how ter come fool long me.”207

Buh Rabbit faid Alligatur an ribber tell dis day.208 From dat day to dis you kin nebber ketch Buh Alligatur sleep fur from de bank; an de fus time eh yeddy bush crack, er anyting mek rackit, eh leggo eberyting an fall right in de water.209

II.210

BUH TUKREY BUZZUD AN DE RAIN.211

Buh Tukrey Buzzud, him yent hab no sense no how.212 You watch um.213

Wen de rain duh po down, eh set on de fench an eh squinch up isself.214 Eh draw in eh neck, an eh try fur hide eh head, an eh look dat pittyful you rale sorry for um.215 Eh duh half cry, an eh say to isself: “Nummine, wen dis rain ober me guine buil house right off.216 Me yent guine leh dis rain lick me dis way no mo.”217

Wen de rain done gone, an de win blow, an de sun shine, wuh Buh Tukrey Buzzud do?218 Eh set on de top er de dead pine tree way de sun kin wam um, an eh tretch out eh wing, an eh tun roun an roun so de win kin dry eh fedder, an eh laugh to isself, an eh say: “Dis rain done ober.219 Eh yent guine rain no mo.220 No use fur me fuh buil house now.”221 Caless man dis like Buh Tukrey Buzzud.222

III.223

HOW BUH COOTER[1] FOOL BUH DEER.224 [2]225

Buh Deer, him kin outrun all de tarruh creetur.226 Buh Cooter, him cant go fast no time.227 Him kin jis creep, an dat all; but him hab plenty er sense.228