The Jamaica version of this wide-spread tale (Grimm 3, discussed in
Bolte u. Polívka, 1: 9–13), has no local peculiarities. Compare
Parsons, Sea Islands, 5–9 and references; also Frobenius 3: 13–16.
It consists of two parts. (1) A rascal excuses himself three times for
leaving his companion, on the plea of a summons to a christening, in
order to rob a tub of butter which the two hold in common. (2) By
smearing the innocent companion with the butter, he makes him appear
the guilty one.
The first part is the distinguishing feature of the tale. A stolen
food-supply is one of the commonest episodes in negro trickster stories
and common tests to detect the thief occur:—(a) Taking a purge to
detect stolen food as in Dennett, 92. (b) Jumping over a fire, as in
Harris, Uncle Remus, 84; Nights, 253–254; JAFL 30: 193; 32: 394; and
numbers 21 a and 36. (See Bolte u. Polívka 1: 39). (c) Jumping over, or
walking, a string, as in Theal, 115; Junod, 105; Boas and Simango JAFL
35: 193; Compare also Monk Lewis’s story of the test in crossing a
river, 253–254, illustrated in number 80.
The trick to “incriminate another fellow” is, regularly, to smear the
innocent victim with food while he sleeps. Compare: Bleek, 18;
Callaway, 169; Theal, 93–97; Junod, 102; Dayrell, 53–54; Harris, Uncle
Remus, 83; Parsons, Sea Islands, 8–14; also, Haida Indians, Swanton 113
(Bur. of Am. Ethn. Bull. 29).
The blood-smearing of the innocent victim in Leopard’s Marriage
Journey, Nassau, 85–95, is a particular instance of the same motive.
The sheep-skin suit and the song in the mouth of the unsuspecting
victim, serve as witty substitutes for this common device for the
incriminating of an innocent person by the guilty.
In Arcin, 473, the common food-supply is stored in a granary of which
Rabbit steals the key, eats the food, and scatters the remains in the
house of the guardian Hyena.