MAMMY MAMENAH AND HER FRIENDS
One evening, about a week after the burning of the farm, a little
company of women and children, in varying degrees of undress, was
gathered in the larger room of Mamenah's hut. A fire had been kindled
in the middle of the earthen floor; for the first showers, forerunners
of the coming rainy season, had fallen. The children amused themselves
as inclination led them, with sports ranging from gentle kitten-like
romps, to a genuine fight, with biting, scratching, and hair-pulling
accompaniments.
There was evident among the women, a feeling of abundant leisure, and
of relaxation from responsibility. The "planting" of the rice had been
completed. The seed had been scattered over the lately burned ground,
had been rudely scratched in with a very primitive hoe, and was now
awaiting germination under the moisture of the oncoming rains, and the
warmth of occasional sunshine.
So the women felt free to spend the hours in gossip, and in the
telling of tales. They chatted about personal matters, about the rice
just planted, and then about the precautions taken to ward off evil
influences, and to secure favorable conditions for their crops.
Mammy Mamenah told what a tempting bowl of rice she had prepared and
offered to the spirit that dwelt in the big cotton tree near the corner
of the farm, in order to enlist his kindly offices in guarding the rice
field.
Mammy Yamah had set up a stick at the edge of her farm, and placed on
top of it a bit of medicine wrapped in a leaf, which she had secured
for an exorbitant fee from a medicine man. She was sure that anyone
daring to molest would fall in spasms and die. Each had some specific
with which to avert harm, or to secure favor.
Mammy Magbindee had a bit of news that made Konah's eyes dilate with
wonder. It had been told in the village that very day by a person who
had it from one who saw the mound, and of course it was true. Besides
such occurrences had often been known before, and could not be doubted.
A rich man had died in an adjoining town a few years before, and had
been fittingly buried. Just now the grave had been accidentally opened,
and strange to relate, it was found that gold had grown out of the ears
of the man, and kept on growing until it filled the whole grave. But of
course gold grows this way, for gold is in the world, and if it does
not grow, where does it come from? Freaks of Nature can have but one
cause, the presence of some "devil," and this thought reminded Mammy
Mamenah of an old legend regarding another marvel of nature, which she
proceeded to relate much to the delight of the whole company.
A STONE THAT WORE A BEARD.
"One day Spider go fo' set trap inside one big bush (forest). He meet
one big stone wey duh get plenty bear'-bear'.[39] Dis not to true
stone, he nar one debble wey bin turn stone."
[39] Beard.
A prolonged "Y-a-h-oh!" of assent from the women squatted about on
the floor, accompanied by the swaying of bodies, and the exclamation
from some one: "Nar true word yo' duh talk," showed how heartily they
believed in the power of their devils to assume any form they willed,
in order to carry out their purposes. It was a sympathetic audience
that followed the remainder of the story. The children were listening
open-eyed in silent eagerness. Mamenah went on impressively.
[Illustration: The Stone with the Beard.
[_See p. 167._]
]
"Ef pusson say de stone get bear'-bear' (beard), he go fa' down de same
place close de stone, he go wan' die. So one day, w'en Spider go set
trap to dis place, he meet de stone. Now he say: 'L-a-w-cus! Dah stone
get plenty bear'-bear'.' So he fa' down de same place. He no able fo'
grap (get up) all day. W'en at las' he betty leelee bit, he go home.
"Spider wan' fo' make cunnie fo' yeat he cumpin (companion), en he come
fin' out say dis plan go be fine fo' get um. So one day he go to Deer,
he tell um, say:
"'Fren, come go follow me, I go look me trap.'
"Deer say: 'All ret.'
"All two dey walker half way, den Spider say:
"'Deer, make yo' go befo', I go show yo' de road; de road nar dis.'
"W'en dey done reach close de stone, Spider 'tan' up, he wait. Deer go,
him too big fool, him say: 'L-a-w-cus! Look dah stone, he get plenty
bear'-bear'.'
"Nar so he fa' down deh, he wan' die. Spider make hase come cut he
t'roat, he kare um go, he en he pickin en he wef. Dey yeat de Deer all.
"De odder tem he go call Feleentambo (gazelle), he say: 'Fren', come
go follow me, I go set me trap.'
"So w'en dey duh go, he 'tan' up one side, he tell Feleentambo make he
go befo'. W'en Feleentambo go he see de stone, he no keep he mout', he
say: 'Dah stone get plenty bear'-bear'.' So he fa' down deh. Spider
run, he cut he t'roat.
"Nar so he do _all_ dem odder beef. At las' he go call Cunnie Rabbit,
he say: 'Fren', come go follow me to me trap.'
"Well, dey go. W'en dey reach close de stone, Spider 'tan' up, he say:
'Fren', pass befo', look de trap ef he ketch.'
"Cunnie Rabbit go befo', he go see de stone heah, but he silence.
Spider wait, he wait fo' hearee ef he go talk, but he no talk. So he
call Cunnie Rabbit, he say: 'Wey t'ing yo' see?'
"Cunnie Rabbit say: 'I no see anyt'ing.'
"Spider tell um, say: 'Yo' no see yandah to dat stone?'
"Cunnie Rabbit say: 'Wey t'ing?'
"Spider put he han' to he chin, he say: 'Yo' daddy no get so?'
"But Cunnie Rabbit get sense, he no talk, so Spider tell Cunnie Rabbit:
'Make yo' mus' say "Stone get pl----"
"Cunnie Rabbit hese'f say: 'Stone get pl----'
"Spider vex, he say: 'Ah, me fren', yo' stupid! Make yo' mus' say: 'Dah
stone get plenty b--'
"Well Cunnie Rabbit say: 'Dah stone get plenty b--'
"Spider say: 'Ah, me fren', yo' no kin say de stone get plenty
bear'-bear'?'
"So Cunnie Rabbit hese'f say so, en dey all two fa' down de same place.
Dey wan' fo' die, dey no able fo' grap (get up). Nar deh, Trorkey go
meet dem. Well, because Cunnie Rabbit bin good pusson, Trorkey he hase
(raise) um up, en Cunnie Rabbit go 'way. Trorkey say: 'I bin go lif'
yo', Spider, but bimeby yo' go lie 'pon me; yo' go say yo' fine Trorkey
fa' down so heah, en yo' se'f bin he'p um.'
"Spider say: 'No, I no go do so.' He beg Trorkey sotay (till) Trorkey
he'p um, he hase um up.
"F'om dat day Cunnie Rabbit get sense. Spider hese'f no able um,[40] he
pass all odder beef."
[40] "No able um", _i. e._ Was not able to surpass him.
A delighted little exclamation from Konah greeted this praise of her
Cunnie Rabbit. For several minutes after the close of the narrative,
there was an indistinguishable jabber of voices, all eager to add some
"debble story", if possible more exciting than the one just told.
Finally Mammy Magbindee gained the right of way, and her story was:
THE GIRL THAT PLAITED THE DEVIL'S BEARD.
"One tem debble bin sit down to de road-side. Any pusson wey bin go nah
dat road, de debble bin yeat um. Well, one day, one girl say:
"'I go kill to-day dis debble heah.'
"W'en he go he meet de debble, he duh sleep close de road-side. De
debble get long bear'-bear' (beard). De girl go soffle, he hole de
bear'-bear', he duh plant (plait) um. Den he draw de debble go nah
town. He draw um, he draw um tay de people inside de town hearee wey de
girl duh draw um, en wey de debble duh sing:
"Tittie (sissy) duh kare me bear'-bear',
Tittie duh kare me bear'-bear'.'
"W'en de people hearee um, den go he'p de girl fo' draw. Dey go put de
debble nah big road en kill um. W'en dey done kill um, dey wan' 'plit
um, but somet'ing no bin deh fo' take. One leelee prophet bird[41] come
nah bush, he say:
"'Oonah mus' take dah leelee sharp t'ing nah bush (thorn), oonah kin
'plit um.'
[41] The prophet bird is about the size of a hummingbird. It utters
notes which are believed to indicate danger or success, especially when
heard at the beginning of a journey, or just preceding the beginning of
some task. The sounds from the tiny throat are sufficient to reverse
the best laid plans, or to establish greater confidence in them.
[Illustration: "De debble, he duh sleep close the road-side."
[_See p. 172._]
]
"Now dem people take dah bird, dey fling um far 'way, but he come agin
back, he say:
"'Oonah take dah leelee sharp t'ing nah bush, 'plit um.'
"Dey fling um agin, but de bird come back agin en sing de same sing.
Dah tem wey make t'ree, dem people say:
"'Make we try ef de t'ing true wey de bird bin talk; ef so, we go make
um fine present.'
"Den dey go take de sharp t'ing. W'en dey jus' touch de debble heen
body so, he 'plit. Wen he 'plit, all den people come out; dey no bin
die, dey bin make fa'm inside de debble; dey bin bu'n fa'm, make
ho'se, dey duh cook, dey duh yeat. W'en he done 'plit, all man come
out, plenty people come out."
Neither story-teller nor listeners realized that there was anything
preposterous in such a being as the one here described. On the other
hand, the gasps and groans that greeted each startling revelation,
contained not a tinge of incredulity, but only a kind of reverence
for this supernatural capacity so in accord with their conception of
spirits and devils.
The several steps leading up to the climax, were rolled off in rapid
succession; "W'en dey touch heen body so, he 'plit, w'en he 'plit
all dem people come out, dey no bin die, dey bin make fa'm inside de
debble, dey bin bu'n fa'm, buil' ho'se, dey duh cook en yeat; plenty
people come out," yet each was rounded off with such peculiar emphasis
of tone and gesture, that it came with a distinct impression of its
own, only heightened by the cumulative effect of succeeding revelations.
A pause of several minutes was necessary before the story could proceed.
"Well, one ole granny, w'en he come out, he say:
"'I fo'get me leelee pot, en me pickin, en me med'cin'.'
"Dem people say: 'No go agin inside dis debble heah!'
"He answer um back, say: 'I mus' go.'
"W'en he go inside, now de t'ing shut.
"Dis tem de bird done fly go, den done present[42] um money en plenty
fine t'ing. Dey try fo' 'plit de debble agin, lek how dey bin do fus'
tem, but dey no able, because de bird bin _make_ um open de fus' tem.
Wey t'ing fo' do? Dey try all kin' of sharp t'ing nah dis wuld, but den
no able. Dey go bury de debble so.
[42] The accent falls upon the first syllable of the verb, the
pronunciation being the same as that of the noun.
"Dat make 'tronger head no good. Ef pusson tell yo' say, make yo' no
mus' do anyt'ing, no do um."
Others were eager to relate stories to match the ones already given,
but quite naturally and woman-like, the one all were most ready to
hear was the one that smacked of romance, and promised to recount the
uncanny courtship and marriage of a beautiful young girl and the devil.
It was Yamah, the youngest woman present, who told the story, and
she told it with an earnestness that might have sprung from personal
experience.
MARRY THE DEVIL, THERE'S THE DEVIL TO PAY.
"Now one day, one mammy get girl pickin (pickaninny). Dis pickin he too
fine. Dem rich people en eberybody go ax fo' um fo' married, but he no
'gree. One rich man he deh down, down, _down_ (south), he get plenty
hoss, plenty people, plenty goat, en plenty t'ing wey I no able fo'
talk. Dis man come fo' see de girl he people, so he go get de girl, but
w'en de people tell dis girl, he no 'gree. De mammy bin tell de girl,
say:
"'Anybody yo' see wey (whom) yo' lek, anyt'ing wey (which) yo' see I
go kill um fo' present um. But de girl no see, anybody wey (whom) he
(she) lek.
[Illustration: Marry the Devil, the Devil to pay.]
"One day dah big, big, big, big debble, nah dah big, big bush, he
hearee dis news, fo' say nobody no able fo' get dis girl heah, en
dis debble he say: 'Nar me go married dis girl.' He grap, he go fix
hese'f good fashion lek pusson. Aintee yo' know say debble he able make
hese'f fine? He able fo' make hese'f fine pass anybody nah dis wuld.
He put on all de bes' clot' wey he kin get fo' len' (borrow). He len'
half side[43] head, half side body, all t'ing half side. So w'en dis
debble finis' fix hese'f good fashion, he call he hammock en four man
fo' tote (carry) um. He tell one man wey he lef' nah ho'se say: 'I duh
go married,' en he start fo' come see dis girl heah. W'en he come, he
reach nah de town wey de girl bin deh. De girl duh 'tan' up close de
windah, he duh look de road. W'en he see dis man yeah duh come, he tell
he mammy, say: 'I done see pusson wey I lek, nar he go marry me.'
[43] For explanation of "half side," see Introduction, page 21.
"W'en de debble come close de ho'se, de girl go meet um, he bring um
come inside.
"De debble say: 'I come fo' marry to yo'.' De girl say: 'All ret.'
"Now de girl go tell he mammy, he say: 'Mammy, dah cow wan' die.'
"Now de mammy say: 'Kill um fo' yo' man.'
"Now de girl say: 'Mammy, dem fowl dey sick.'
"De mammy say: 'Kill um fo' yo' man. Anyt'ing yo' wan', take um.'
"Dis girl yeah, w'en he go cook de beef en de fowl, wid ress en plenty
odder t'ing, he go gie um to de man nah heen ho'se.[44] But dis debble
yeah, he nebber yeat ress oh, he jus' duh yeat pusson, he nebber yeat
odder t'ing. W'en dis girl bin kare dis yeat nah debble heen ho'se,
w'en dah girl done go, de debble dig nah fireside, he put all dis ress
inside dah hole, he cover um. Bimeby de girl come, he t'ink say de man
jus' yeat leelee bit, he ax um, say:
"Wey t'ing yo' no duh yeat fo'?'
[44] The man's house signifies the hut assigned to him by the chief on
his arrival in the town. This custom supplies the lack of hotels.
"De debble say: 'I done yeat plenty.' But dis girl he (she) no know dis
nar debble, oh!
"Well, dis girl heah, he get one brudder wey sick wid craw-craw;
craw-craw[45] 'pon heen skin all. Dis boy wan' go tell dis debble 'How
do'. W'en he go, dis debble holler 'pon um. De boy 'fraid, he go sit
down.
[45] Craw-craw is a very prevalent skin disease, a species of itch not
very contagious.
"Well, dis debble wan' pass go home. De girl say he no go lef, he mus'
go wid de man. Heen people dey no 'gree make he go yet, but he say he
mus' go now, so dey say: 'All ret.'
"Dey gie um all t'ing fo' make um go. Dis same day dey lef de town fo'
go home. W'en dey go, dis boy wey (who) sick wan' fo' follow um. He say
he mus' follow he sister, but de debble no 'gree, he say because de
pickin too waw-waw (ugly).
"So w'en dey go, dah pickin duh follow um leelee (at a distance). Well,
dey walker all day. W'en de debble turn, he see dis pickin yeah, he
ketch um, he flog um, he say: 'No go follow we!'
"So de pickin go hide behine leelee bit, en de two pusson dey duh go.
Soon de debble duck heen han' nah heen pocket,[46] he pull
one white kola,[47] he open um; he gie de girl half, hese'f take half.
[46]When the men choose to clothe themselves further than with the
customary loin cloth, they wear a long loose gown of hand-spun and
woven cloth. Often this has a large pocket sewed on the front.
[47] The kola is eaten to still the pangs of hunger, and because an
appetite for it is easily acquired. Then its intense bitterness becomes
sweet. The white kolas are slightly preferred to the pink, either being
given as a token of friendship and hospitality.
"De pickin come meet dem agin. W'en de man wan' flog de pickin de ooman
say: 'Fren', no flog um, make he follow we.' 'Den de pickin follow
leelee, leelee. Well dey walker all day. W'en dey go, dis debble heen
one side head come out, fa' down. Well dis girl yeah say: 'Fren', look,
yo' head fa' down.'
"Well, de debble pull one sing:
'Lef um deh (there), lef um deh, Berkinee;
Lef um deh, oh Berkinee.'"
The song, a weird chant in the minor key, had a slow swinging movement,
and the whole company beat time with hand-claps, bringing the right
hand down slowly upon the left, and swinging the body in unison.
The song was given as a chorus, and served to quicken feeling and
to intensify the interest of the story. When it was ended, Yamah
proceeded:
"Dey go sotay (till) de one foot fa' down. De girl call um back, he
say: 'Fren', yo' foot fa' down.'
"Den de debble pull de same sing:
'Lef um deh, lef um deh, Berkinee;
Lef um deh, oh Berkinee.'
"Aftah he done finis' sing, dey go sotay (till) all t'ing nah heen skin
lef half. Dey reach evenin' tem nah (to) de man heen place, en dey come
see dis leelee brudder. Den cook, den yeat.
"Well, de net, w'en dis heen (his) wef done sleep, dis debble grap fo'
kill um, fo' yeat um. He take one big, big knef, he duh sharp um. But
dis pickin yeah, he no sleep, he jus' duh make lek pusson duh make nah
net (snore). W'en de debble finis' fo' sharp he knef, de pickin cry:
'W-e-y-ee! Me craw-craw duh kratch me oh?'
"Den de debble come to um, he say: 'Pickin, yo' no sleep yet?'
"De pickin duh say: 'No, sah, me craw-craw duh hurt me, en me nebber
sleep 'pon bed. I ken lay down 'pon pile country clo'es.'[48]
[48] One country cloth is thought to be sufficient bed for anyone. The
evident purpose of the little boy in asking for a "pile" of clothes is
to give the devil a task requiring much time, in order to delay his
designs against the young woman.
"De debble go bring plenty country clo'es, he make fine bed fo' um. He
put de pickin deh, make um sleep, so he kin yeat dis ooman. But dis
ooman duh sleep oh! He duh sleep, he no know anyt'ing wey duh go on.
"Well, de man mean say de pickin done sleep, en he take he knef, he duh
sharp, sharp um, make he come broke de ooman he head. He say: 'Fo' yeat
pusson, he good, he sweet, en dis ooman he fat.'
"But dat pickin no sleep oh! He cough en de debble say: 'Pickin, yo' no
sleep yet?'
"De pickin say: 'No, sah, hangry done ketch me.'
"De pickin know say dis man wan' yeat dah ooman, so he duh try make
he mus' get some way fo' sabe um (save her); dah make he duh talk all
light t'ing yeah. W'en dah debble gie um yeat, he go put de pickin
agin nah de bed, make he lay down sleep. De tem nar middle net. Well,
dis man yeah, w'en he done sit down long tem, he mean say de pickin
done sleep. He take he knef agin, he sharp um. Now de pickin duh
kratch, kratch he skin. De debble hebe he knef down quick, he go ax de
pickin: 'Wey t'ing make yo' no sleep yet? Wey t'ing dey kin do fo' yo'
craw-craw w'en yo' bin deh to yo' Mammy?'
"De pickin say: 'Dey kin take fis'-net, go take wattah nah wattah-side
fo' was' um. I wan' was', but I nebber was' wid wattah wey dey bin get
nah bowl, excep' de wattah fus' inside fis'-net, befo' dey turn um nah
de bowl.'
"So de debble he grap (get up), he go nah wattah-side, he kare fis'-net
en bowl. W'en he duh duck de fis'-net inside wattah so, en he hase de
fis'-net, de wattah all lef back. Because he wan' hurry yeat de ooman,
he stupid; he no wait t'ink he no able get wattah wid fis'-net. De
pickin bin ax dis t'ing wey hard fo' do, fo' make leelee chance fo'
sabe de ooman. He wake de ooman, he say: 'Yo' no know dat debble wan'
kill yo' dis net yeah? Nar lie I tell um, say he mus' get wattah wid
fis'-net befo' I kin was'. He done go. Grap (get up), make we come go;
ef no so, ef he meet yo', he go kill yo'.'
"Dis boy yeah en dis ooman dey start, dey walker hard dah net. Well,
dah debble, w'en he no able get dis wattah, he come nah ho'se, he meet
de ooman en de pickin done go. So he run go follow dem. He walker sotay
he wan' go meet dem, but dis pickin hearee de debble duh come behine,
he say: 'Come hide!' So dey hide. De debble go sotay he wan' reach nah
town, but he no meet dem, so he come back. Dis ooman en de pickin pass,
go home.
"De girl tell him people all t'ing wey he see, he say: 'Trongah yase
(ears)[49] no good. Ef I bin hearee oonah (you) w'en yo' bin say make I
no go wid dis man, I no fo' see all dis trouble yeah'.
[49] "Trongah yase," _i.e._, "strong ears," wilful disregard of advice.
"So now he make _so_. Ef yo' wan' go any place, ef any pickin wan'
follow yo', no deny. Sometem (perhaps) dis pickin yeah go sabe yo' f'om
big, big trouble."
By the time this story was ended, most of the children were asleep, but
Konah's insatiable hungering after the strange and mysterious, kept her
wide awake. Some of the women, too, were beginning to feel the drowsy
effects of the night, and especially of the close, smoke-laden air
within the over-crowded little room.
Magbindee went to the door, and seeing the moon just then peeping
through a rift in the clouds, rudely awoke her sleeping child, and
started with it to her own hut.
Others followed her example, and soon Sobah's hut was left to stillness
and to dreams.