Thomas White, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.
Der was once a woman dat have a child. Him name was Simon Tootoos. De
mudder him was a church woman, an’ him used to send de boy to church;
and after, de mudder come an’ die. An’ when de mudder die, he take de
world upon his head. And Simon Tootoos mek colbon [46] and set it on
Sunday day, and he go to wood on Sunday to go and search his colbon.
And when he go to catch him bird, he catch a snake in de colbon. When
he go to raise up de colbon an’ fin’ it was a snake, him leave it. An
de snake answer to him,
Come take me up, Come take me up, Simon Tootoos,
lennon boy. Come take me up, oh, lennon boy, Too na too.
It was his dead mudder cause de snake to sing like dat. And when he go
to leave—
“Come back you’ colbon, come back you’ colbon.
Simon Tootoos, lennon boy,
Come back you’ colbon, O lennon boy!
Too na too!”
make him come an’ tek him up carry him come back to yard. And him put
him down—
“Come ’tretch me out, come ’tretch me out,
Simon Tootoos, lennon boy,
Come ’tretch me out, O lennon boy!
Too na too!”