a. John Studee.
Matilda Hall, Maroon Town.
The husband and wife married people, and the husband a great gambler,
never at home with the wife; until the wife going to have a baby, and
the ninth month come now. So they send for the mid-wife; so when the
mid-wife come, there is no husband in. She said she want some one to go
call the husband, name of him is John Studee. So she call for all the
thing they have in the yard. She call for a fowl, a cock, and say,
“What will you say to call the husband?” The cock crew,
“Ko ku ru ku-u-u!”
“You won’t do.”
She calls for the dog and says, “What will you say?” Dog says,
“Hoo-oh!”
“No, won’t do.”
Said to Puss what he will say. Puss says,
“Me-oo!”
“Won’t do.”
Then ’he call for the pea-fowl now; ’he provide a quart of corn for the
pea-fowl, ask what he will say. Pea-fowl sing,
“You John Studee, you John Studee,
Fe me master, John Studee,
There’s a pretty gal from Silo,
There’s a handsome gal from Silo,
Want the care of a new John bwoy,
’t almost deh.”
“Yes, you’ll do!”
Then when the pea-fowl fly miles off, he didn’t see the master, John
Studee. He fly, he fly away now, take up the quart of corn and fly
away. Then he pitch upon the house-top, sing,
“You John Studee, you John Studee,
Fe me master, John Studee!
There’s a pretty gal from Silo,
There’s a handsome gal from Silo
Want the care of a new John bwoy,
’t almost deh!”
The people say, “John Studee, was here, but jus’ gone away,—that great
gambler!” He fly about a mile off again, go to another great house, go
upon the house-top. He sing loud of voice now,
“You John Studee, you John Studee,
Fe me master, John Studee!
There’s a pretty gal from Silo,
There’s a handsome gal from Silo
Want the care of a new John bwoy,
’t almost deh!”
John Studee come now, say, “Who call my name?” See the bird up on the
house-top, say, “Well, he want me!” Then he took up the fowl an’ get
the buggy in haste; and take off his gold chain off his neck an’ put it
on the pea-fowl. Pea-fowl have the golden feather round his neck on
account of that gold chain. So when the feather came home, he got a boy
chil’ an’ call his name John Studee after him.
b. Contavio.
Oliver D. Witter, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Miss Nancy married Contavio. One day, Contavio went to market, but
before he left home he locked up Miss Nancy till he came back. He did
not come back that day, and as Miss Nancy was hungry and saw a sheep
passing she said, “Do, my dear sheep, call Contavio for me and I will
throw a lump of gold on your head.” Bra Sheep goes, “Bep, baah baah
baah.” She said, “No, my dear Bra Sheep, that will not do.” Soon after
she saw a billy-goat and said the same thing to him. Bra Billy said,
“Bep, bep, ba, ba, ba, bep-ba-ba-bep, bah, bah.” She said, “No, my dear
Bra Billy, that will not do.” She then saw Bra Peacock coming up an’
she said, “Bra Peacock, if you call Contavio, my husband, for me, I
will give you a lump of gold,” and Bra Peacock flew right away until he
saw Contavio, and he picked him in his head and picked off all the
feathers, and spurred him the whole way home until all Bra Peacock’s
spurs dropped off. When he got Contavio home, Miss Nancy flung the lump
of gold on Bra Peacock’s head and that’s why the feathers on a
peacock’s head look like gold. That’s also the reason why it has no
spurs, and a crow has no feathers on its head.