Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
A boy an’ a girl made match to marry, an’ doze people who dey call de
fairy t’ief away de girl from Jack. But dey give one anodder different
name; dis girl name ‘Catch ’em’ an’ dis boy name ‘If-you-can’.
An’ Jack was travelling. When he get part of de way, he see whole heap
of people beatin’ a dead man. He say, “O my! what de reason dey do
dis?” Dey said, “De man owe me a lot of money!” Jack pay all de money
an’ bury de man. He went a little furder an’ see anodder an’ he do de
same. He went a little way off again, he see anodder, he do de same.
So he get broke now. He hear dat de fairy want a servant. De fairy
said, “Yes, I want a servant!” an’ gi’ him every key open all de door
excep’ one room. Jack said, “All right, sir!” De fairy is a people dey
go out every day. Jack open every door, an’ after him open de las’ door
he fin’ de girl in dat room. An’ ’he say, “Jack, what you open dis door
for? De fairy bin goin’ kill you, for dey dey got me here an’ fatten to
kill.” Jack said, “I am jus’ as smart as dem!” an’ tek down de girl an’
comb her hair, ketch her louse, gi’ her somet’ing to eat an’ hang her
up same way. When de fairy come an’ say, “Jack, you goin’ into dis
room?” Jack said, “No, sir.” De fairy tek de key, he walk in de door
an’ fin de girl same way as he leave her.
Every day Jack do de same t’ing, till de las’ day he took down de girl
an’ dey walk. He goin’ in a vessel. De girl was so pretty, one of de
men dat in de vessel grudge Jack an’ fling Jack overboard. Anodder
little boy, gi’ de name of Jack, he t’row one piece of board, said,
“Poor man! paddle on dis.” An’ de girl is de king daughter who was
going to marry to Jack de nex’ day. An’ Jack paddle till him get one
part of de sea upon some stone an’ sit down hol’ing his head. Dat was
night. Pelican fly an’ pick him in his head, gi’ him a piece of bread,
tek him up an’ sail wid him drop him into anodder place. Anodder
pelican tek him an’ sail wid him drop him into anodder place again. De
las’ pelican gi’ him somet’ing to eat, fly wid him right into town. So
dat was de t’ree dead men he buried; dat t’ree dead save his life.
Nex’ morning in de whole town nobody to be found in de street. An’ when
Jack couldn’t get a house to rent, all de house was rented, one woman
said ’he don’ get nowhere only a loft to de roadside. Jack said, “Dat’s
de place I want!” an’ was dere until de couple going to church. Den,
after she come at de said place, Jack look out an’ saw her, an’ Jack
said, “Catch him!” De girl said, “If-you-can!” an’ she call to de
coachman to turn back home to de yard. An’ after she went home, she
sent a constable t’rough de whole town, an’ everyone he bring she said
no. De las’ one de ol’ lady said, “Only one man lef’ here an’ he drunk,
for he drink a great bottle of rum!” but Jack do dat in gladness as he
saw de girl. An’ de girl said, “Bring him come!” An’ after him come, he
catch him an’ kiss him an’ goin’ in de house bathe an’ shine himself
an’ tell all what distress happen to him.
Dey catch de man what do dis t’ing, hang him by de p’int of his tongue.