I & II. These old-fashioned slave stories are from old Vassel Edwards
at Retirement, in the Cock-Pit country. They belong to the
“nager-trick” stories quoted by Lewis.
III. The Congo negro is said to be duller-witted than negroes from the
Gold Coast. To call a man a “Congo” is hence a term of ridicule.
IV. This witticism is common. In one version, the man was said to be
“walking in Kingston.” Mrs. Elizabeth Hilton gave me a version she
learned from Henry Roe, school-master at Retirement, which bears the
marks of having been put together by some literary entertainer.
“Massa Peter was a funny sort of a buckra massa. He was “mustafenia”
(white by law). Massa Peter an’ me, we go to school together. We were
readin’ in a ‘pellin’ (book) an’ we were doin’ jumba fraction sum.
“From the day me leave school me never see Marse Peter any more till
one day we buck up. A glad to see him till a couldn’t glad any more.
Marse Peter went a tell me somet’ing, a laugh till me belly nearly pop.
“Marse Peter was the sort of boy used to go out after hours. Him ma
tell him if him (she) been dead before him, she will show him token
(frighten him). But Marse Peter never will believe her. One night,
Marse Peter go out. When him coming back, he catch right at the
cross-road where dem Taylor boy used to sit down a day-time, an’ smell
somet’ing funny, but he never know wha’. He been ’fraid, but afterward
he no ’fraid again. An’ see one man come wid litt’e fire. He say, ‘I
beg you a light, sah!’ The man give him a light. The man has some teeth
a his mouth, they long like a Jack-ass a laugh a sun-hot. Marse Peter
pass the man. He meet up another man. He say, ‘Look here, me frien’, I
meet a man jus’ roun’ the turning, have teeth long like a Jack-ass a
laugh a sun-hot.’ The man said, ‘Teeth like these do they long?’ Marse
Peter run an’ he run an’ never stop runnin’ till he meet up a mother
bed. From that, Marse Peter never go af’er no girl again. Marse Peter
behave a good buckra massa af’er this.”
V. The witticism is used in a good many connections. In one story, a
man finds a boy by the roadside and takes him home. When he asks the
boy to blow the fire, the duppy says, “Me kyant blow de fire, for me
dead long time an’ dirt eat out all me teet’.” The man beats him and he
runs away crying, “Lor! me dead two time.” In another version, “Rolling
Calf” takes possession of a house. While he is asleep, the owner makes
an iron fork red hot and catches him about the neck.