T. Brown, Claremont, St. Anne.
Der was a day Jack says he was a fortune-teller. De king call him dat
his wife los’ her marriage ring and he want him to tell him where it
go. Jack didn’t know not’ing all de same, but jus’ working his head. De
king got t’ree servant in his house. De t’ree of dem steal de ring. De
king give Jack four days to tell him. One mo’ning, one carry Jack
breakfas’. Jack says, “Praise de Lord, I got one!” Same day, one carry
his dinner; same day, one carry his supper. Jack says, “Praise de Lord,
I got de t’ree!” (Jack meant he get t’ree meals, but de servant think
Jack mean them.) One of the servant go in the house, say, “Let us tell
Jack we get de ring, for he know it.” De t’ree of dem come to Jack one
night and told Jack dat ’ey steal de ring. Jack said, “Oh, yes, I did
know a long time dat it you t’ief it!” Jack says, “If I tell de king
about de ring, king will behead de t’ree of you.” Jack says, “Make a
little ball and put de ring in it and put it down a big turkey’s
mout’.” De morning, nine o’clock, de king called Jack to tell him where
his wife’s ring goes; if Jack can not tell him, he will kill Jack. Jack
says, “If you want to know how you’ wife ring go, kill dat big turkey
an’ look in his craw.” Dey kill de turkey, an’ saw de ring; and from
dat day, de king believe what Jack do and give Jack his daughter to
marry. And I pass roun’ de house last week and I saw dem an’ dey give
me a good piece of beef-bone. Dear how Jack got his richness by working
his head!