🧚 Opening, part 8 · page 2

De po ooman tenk um berry much, an dem gone back an nobody bin know bout dis plan.64 De nex mornin wen de Debble, wuh bin him husbun, leff de house an gone fuh mine eh bidness, eh wife fine de nail dis es de horse bin say, an eh pit um een eh pocket.65 Den eh call fuh him ridin horse same luk eh ebber done, an eh gone down de road fuh ride.66 Soon es eh git outer de sight er de house, de good horse eh men eh pace; an, befo de middle er de day, eh tell eh missis fuh drap one er dem nail een de road.67 Eh missis did drap um, an right off one big bank er san riz up clean cross de road, so nobody could dribe ober.68 Wen night come on dem drap anurrur nail, middle night anurrer, an es de sun duh rise dem drap de las one.69 Ebry time de nail drap, de big bank er san rise up an shet up de road.70 De horse run so fas eh retch de ooman farruh house by brukwus time een de mornin.71 Eh fambly stonish fuh see um, an wen eh tell dem wuh mek eh come back, eh farruh an eh bredder git dem gun fur shoot de Debble ef eh come fuh tek de gal back.72

Wen de Debble fine out say eh wife yent come back from ride, eh biggin fuh spicion someting; an arter dinner eh git een eh carriage fuh hunt eh wife.73 Eh tek de big road, an eh mek eh driber pit de lick ter de horse, but eh cant see ner yeddy nuttne bout eh wife.74 Bimeby eh come pon topper de fus bank er san een de road, an den him bin know right off wuh happne.75 Eh mek eh horse grabble tru, an den eh dribe straight fur eh farruh-een-law house.76 Eh blow eh hot bref behine eh horse, an eh mek um run lucker de win.77 Eh haffer stop fuh git tru dem tarruh bank er san wuh de edder nail bin mek, an so eh loss eh time an nebber did obertek eh wife.78 Wen eh tun een de abnue wuh lead ter eh wife farruh house, eh see eh wife an all eh fambly day een de piazza duh watch de road.79 Eh farruh-een-law an eh bredder-een-law hab gun een dem han.80 De Debble, him no faid gun, an eh dribe right up, an eh ax eh wife wuh mek um run way.81 Befo eh kin answer, eh tell um fuh git right een de carriage an go back home long um.82 Eh wife say eh wunt, an eh hole on ter eh farruh.83 Den de Debble git berry bex an schway say him gwine cahr um any how.84 Wid dat, eh light outer de carriage an mek fuh de piazza fuh graff eh wife.85 Eh farruh an eh bredder tell um fuh tan back an leh de gal lone.86 De Debble wunt yeddy dem, an es eh rise de step de farruh an de bredder er de noung ooman shoot de Debble long buck-shot.87 De shot drap offer um dout hot um, an eh come right on.88 Dist es eh bin guine tek de gal eh change eh mine, an eh tun ter eh old self, wid eh forky tail, an eh claw, an eh batwing, an eh owl yez, an eh blow fire outer eh mout, an eh bun up eh wife, an him farruh, an him murrer, an him bredder, an de house, an ebry ting wuh day een um.89 Not a ting leff fuh show way de house bin.90 Eh bun up de horse too wuh bin help eh wife fuh run way.91 Den eh change back ter de shape er a man dist es befo, an eh git een him carriage, an eh dribe back ter him house same luk nuttne bin happne.92

“De Debble,” added Daddy Cudjo, as he concluded this story, “duh de wus ting een dis wul an de nex.93 Me nebber gwine hab nuttne fuh do long um.94 Me faid um wus den rattlesnake; an dat ting wuh dem call Hell, me nebber wan shum ner go nigh um.”95

XXXV.96

DE OLE MAN AN DE COON.97

One time er rich Buckra hab er senserble ole man serbant wuh come from Afreka.98 Dis ole nigger bin know ebryting bout ebryting.99 Nobody could tun um wid questun.100 Eh Mossa try um heap er time, an eh ebber did mek right answer.101 Eh fren try um too, an dem nebber ketch um duh miss.102 De Buckra brag heaby on de ole man, an berry offne eh win bet topper um.103 One day de Buckra man gen er big dinner, an eh eenwite heap er fren ter him house.104 Eh lay er wager say nobody kin ax eh ole serbant er questun wuh him couldnt answer, an eh gie eh fren lief fuh try de ole man any fashion dem want.105 De money pit up, an de fren call one boy, wuh bin er wuk bout de lot, an dem sen um der wood fuh ketch one coon.106 De boy gone wid eh dog.107 Wen dinner done ober, an de gentlemans duh set een de piazza duh talk, de boy come back wid er roccoon.108 Dem call fuh er barrel, an dem tek de coon an pit um een an head um up complete, so nobody kin see wuh day eenside.109

Den dem sen fuh de ole Afreka nigger.110 Eh bin er hoe cotton der fiel, an nobody bin tell um wuh mek dem sen fuh um.111 Eh come; an den eh Mossa say: “Ole man, we sen fuh you fuh tell we wuh day een dis barrel.”112 De ole man look at um, an walk roun um, an notus um close, an listne fuh see ef eh could yeddy anyting duh mobe.113 All de gentlemans duh watch um.114 Wen de ole man mek up eh mine eh couldnt fine out wuh day een de barrel, eh stop, eh study, eh cratch eh head, an den eh mek answer: “Mossa, hoona done head de ole coon dis time.”115

Eh no bin know say him bin er speak er true wud bout wuh bin een de barrel.116 Eh bin er talk bout ehself wen eh say dem bin head de ole coon dis time, but eh Mossa an de tarruh gentlemans no know, and dem all gie de ole man big praise.117 Eh Mossa win de bet, an eh share de silber money wid de ole man.118

XXXVI.119

BUH RABBIT AN DE CRAWFISH.120

Arter Buh Wolf bin lick Buh Rabbit an trow um een de brier patch case eh ketch um der tief water outer him spring, Buh Rabbit faid fuh meet Buh Wolf, an him leff an gone buil ehself new house een Buh Bear settlement.121 Buh Bear, him hab well, an steader Buh Rabbit fine him own water, eh blan slip ter Buh Bear well an tief water outer um.122 Buh Bear fine dis out, but Buh Rabbit so scheemy Buh Bear couldnt pit eh han topper um fuh ketch um.123 So eh git one big crawfish an eh pit um een de well, an eh tell um fuh gard de well, an fastne ebrybody wuh come day fuh tief water.124