Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
One boy was along wid a man. He was a shepherd boy; every Wednesday he
go in de wilderness go look after his master sheep. He saw one snake.
De snake said, “Do, I beg you carry me go to me fader; but when you go,
if me fader give you money, don’ you tek it, but ax him to give you de
knowledge of every animal.” So de boy tek de snake to his fader. When
he go, de snake ax him if he want money. He said, “No, I wan’ to
understan’ de knowledge of every animal.” De snake tol’ him to lie
down, an’ he spit in his mouth an’ tol’ him whatever animal dat he hear
talk he mus’ not tell it to nobody, fo’ de day he venture to talk it he
shall surely die.
De odder Wednesday he went de same place, he saw some pigeon on one
tree. De pigeon was cooing, an’ de pigeon tell him he mus’ come an’ dig
under de tree an’ he will fin’ a lot of money. De boy went an’ dig, an’
he fin’ de money. He tek it home to his master. His master deliver all
dat money to him, he tek it, settle himself an’ married a wife.
One evening him an’ his wife went for a ride. He was before, de lady
was behin’. De horse turn round and whicker to de mare which de lady
was riding. De mare answer him an’ said, “I kyan’ go wid you; for you,
it is two of you, but me, it is four of us. I have to carry meself an’
me colt, de missis an’ de missis baby in her, so I cannot walk fas’ as
you.” De man turn roun’ an’ laugh. De lady said, “Why de reason let de
two animal whicker an’ you look pon me an’ laugh? Der is somet’ing in
dis matter!” She nag her husband to tell her de meaning why mek him
laugh. De husband said to her, “De day dat I tell you, I will surely
die. Sen’ for a carpenter mek me box an’ den I wi’ tell you!” De
carpenter come mek de box, an’ he went an’ lie down in it.
He got one rooster in his yard. De rooster come near de box an’ begin
to crow. De missis said, “Oh, go away! makin’ such a noise over yo’
master head!” De master said, “Let de bird stay!” De rooster said to
his master, “Master, you fool to gi’ up yo’ life fo’ de count of woman!
Look how much wife I have in de worl’, an’ de least nonsense all of dem
come round me, I begin to peck ’em an’ walk away from dem. So, Master,
you come out of de box an’ tek yo’ supple-jack an’ go in de house give
yo’ wife two good lick, an’ den you fin’ if she would ’noy you again.”
De man do so. He got up, he went in de house, he tek de supple-jack an’
hit her t’ree lick over de shoulder; an’ from dat day de woman never ax
him a word again.