Thomas White, Maroon Town.
It was a man didn’t have no wife an’ he was a hunter-man; he hunt in de
bush all day. An’ one day he go in de bush, go an’ shoot, an’ when he
coming home, him saw a pretty tree name of Jessamy, an’ he say, “O me
biddy boy, das a pretty tree!” An’ he says, “If dis tree could tu’n a
wife to me, I would like to be marry to him!” An’ so he said, it done
de very same as what him said; de tree do tu’n a wife for him. De woman
was naked, an’ he lef’ him at de said time an’ went home back, an’ he
get some clot’ing for de woman, an’ got him dress up nicely an’ carry
him home at house.
An’ deh he an’ de woman was fo’ a long time until one day he were gwine
out a bush fe gwine shoot, an’ leave him wife a house. Him go an’ sleep
an’ never come home till de nex’ day. An’ after he gone to de wood,
it’s anudder man go dere an’ inveigle him wife an’ tek’ him away from
him house an’ go to dis man house. An’ when de poor man come home from
bush de nex’ day, he couldn’t fin’ him wife. An’ what de wife did,
after de wife come out dis man’s house go to de nex’ house, she was
frighten how him husban’ gwine fin’ him. An’ de nex’ man house about a
two mile off him husban’ house, an’ as she leaving for him house, she
spit all de way until she ketch to dis odder man’s house.
An’ de man was into a rage dat him couldn’t fin’ him wife an’ didn’t
know what was to ever do. An’ him sing, [48]
Jesta be-yo, eh-e-eh-eh-eh-o—— Jesta be-yo,
A, a wi’ die, oh, wi’a go die, oh, fe trees bear-e, oh,
A, a wi’ die, oh, wi a go die, oh, fe trees bear-e, oh.