a. Timbo Limbo.
Thomas White, Maroon Town.
A man had one daughter an’ de daughter was name’ Lydia. An’ him wife
die an’ him married to anudder woman. An’ she have some chil’ren fe de
man, an’ she like fe him chil’ren more ’n de daughter-in-law. Mostly
it’s de daughter-in-law she impose upon to do de work. An’ she sen’
Lydia fe water, give him a big jug fe go to de ribber; an’ de jug is
mor’n Lydia weight, dat she alone can’t help up de jug, an’ de
mudder-in-law won’t sen’ none fe him pickney fe go an’ help up Lydia.
When Lydia get to de ribber-side, Lydia was crying dat de jug is too
hebby an’ him kyan’t get no one to help him up. An’ a Jack-fish was in
de ribber hear de lament, an’ went up an’ said to de young woman if him
wi’ be a wife fe him he wi’ help him up when him come to de
ribber-side. An’ Lydia consent to de Jack-fish to be a wife to him, an’
Lydia fill him jar wid water an’ de Jack-fish help him up an’ ’he went
to de yard.
De mudder-in-law ask him who ’he had a ribber-side to help him up wid
de jar, an’ Lydia says dat ’he has no one. De mudder-in-law says, “Yes,
you mus’ have some one!” She says, “No, mudder-in-law, I had no one to
help me but me alone; it’s me alone helping up myself.” An’ one mo’ning
Lydia tek up de jug an’ went to de ribber-side. An’ what de
mudder-in-law did, him sen’ one of him chil’ren to follow Lydia an’ to
watch him at de ribber-side to see who help him up wid de jar. An’ when
Lydia go, him had to sing to call de Jack-fish; when de Jack-fish hear
de voice of Lydia, him will come up to help her. De fish name is Timbo
Limbo an’ de song is dis,
Timbo, Limbo, Timbo, Limbo, Timbo, Limbo,
Same gal, Lydia, Timbo, Limbo, Timbo Limbo,
An’ de little child do see de Jack-fish dat were helping up Lydia, an’
went back home an’ tell him mamma, “Mamma, me sister Lydia do have a
man-fish at de ribber-side fe help him up.” At night when de man come
from work, him wife said to him dat Lydia have a big Jack-fish fo help
him up at ribber-side. So de man tell him wife, “When daylight a
mo’ning, you mus’ get Lydia ready an’ sen’ him on to Montego Bay an’
buy black pepper an’ skelion.” In de mo’ning, mudder-in-law call de
girl fe sen’ him on to de Bay. Lydia start crying, for Lydia mistrus’
dat is somet’ing dey gwine do in de day. When him gone, de fader load
him gun an’ him call de little girl fe dem go to de ribber-side. De
little girl gwine sing, sing t’ree time, change him voice,—
“Timbo Limbo,
Same gal Lydia,
Timbo Limbo o-o-o!”
An’ de water go roun’ so, an’ de Jack-fish come out. An’ de fader shoot
him eh-h-h-h, an’ de Jack-fish tu’n right over; an’ de fader tek off
him clo’es an’ jump in de water an’ swim an’ tek out de Jack-fish an’
carry to de yard.
An’ as him begun to scale de fish, one of de scale fly all de way some
two miles an’ go an’ meet Lydia an’ drop at Lydia breast. An’ when
Lydia tek off de scale of de fish an’ notice de fish-scale, him fin’ it
was Timbo limbo scale. An’ she start crying an’ run on to de yard, an’
didn’t mek no delay, only tek up him jar an’ went to de ribber an’ him
’tart him song,—
“Timbo Limbo,
Same gal Lydia,
Timbo Limbo o!”
De Jack-fish didn’t come up. An’ ’tart a-singin’ again,
“Timbo Limbo,
Same gal Lydia,
Timbo Limbo o-o!”
De water stay steady. An’ tek up de song again,
“Timbo Limbo,
Same gal Lydia,
Timbo Limbo o-o-o!”
An’ de water tu’n blood. An’ when him fin’ dat Timbo Limbo wasn’t in de
water, Lydia tek up himself an’ drown himself right in de water.
Jack man dory, choose none!
b. Fish fish fish.
Florence Thomlinson, Lacovia.
It was mother and two daughters. One of the daughters go to river-side
worship a little fish. She commence to sing and the fish will come up
to her,
Fish, fish, fish, fish, pengeleng, Come on the river, come pengeleng.
So the little fish come to her and she play play play, let go the fish
and the fish go back in the river.
An’ when she go back home, her mother quarrel, say she wait back so
long. Next day, wouldn’t send her back to river, send the other
daughter. So when the other daughter went, she sung the same song she
hear her sister sing,—
“Fish fish fish fish, pengeleng,
Come on the river, pengeleng.”
She catch the fish, bring it home, they cook the fish for dinner and
save some for the other daughter. When she came, she didn’t eat it for
she knew it was the said fish. She begin to sing,
“Fish fish fish fish, pengeleng!”
The other sister said, “T’ank God, me no eat de fish!” The mother said,
“T’ank God, me no eat de fish!” She go on singing until all the fish
come up and turn a big fish, and she take it put it back in the river.
c. Dear Old Juna.
Richard Pottinger, Claremont, St. Ann.
A man and a woman had but one daughter was their pet. The girl was
engaged to a fish, to another young man too. She generally at ten
o’clock cook breakfas’ for the both. That man at home eat, then she
took a waiter wid the fish breakfas’ to the river. When she go to the
river, she had to sing a song that the fish might come out,—
“Dear old Juna, dear old Juna,
Oona a da vina sa,
Oona oona oona oona,
You’ mudder run you fader forsake you,
You don’ know you deh!”