AND OTHER SORCERERS. 215
lightnin' an' ride um too, leas'ways, she rid um wunst, an' den
she lit on de groun', an' w'en de stawm go by she des whirl in
an' buil' huhse'f er house, er mighty nice house, outen de fresh
green tree lim's.''
"AN' A-RIDIN' ON DE LIGHTNIN', WUT YO' RECKON KIM DOWN win
DE RAIN ?"
" I wish I could have a house like that. You must build me
one, Aunt Mymee."
2i6 OLD RABBIT, THE VOODOO,
" Suttinly, honey, dat des wut I a-layin' off ter do. Dat de
berry reason I name urn so 'tickler unter yo', but lemme wine
up dis hyeah tale 'bout de lightnin'-bugs fust."
u Well ! why don't you keep on till you finish it ? You just
keep fooling to worry me, I know you do. If you don't quit
it, I'll call you a ' pusson,' like Granny did one time."
" Don't yo' das ter ! ur nar nurr tale yo' gvvine ter git outen
me fum now twell de nex' week arter nebber ! " exclaimed
Aunt Mymee, with a flash of the eye that was for Granny, not
the child. " I 'clar' ter grashis, de impunce o' dem Ole
Feginny niggehs am 'miff an' er plenty, medout dey a-spilin' de
mannehs ob all de chilluns on de place. * Call me a pusson ! '
de chile I nussed ! de chile I far riz (fairly) fum de grabe !
Well, suhs ! /ain't gwine ter be s'prise wid nuttin fum dis out."
"I didn't say it, I only said I would if you didn't hurry,"
protested Tow Head, seeing the promised story vanishing as
the fire-flies do when a too-eager little hand is stretched
towards them. " How can I say it if you go on talking? Do
go on, Aunt Mymee. If you don't I know I'll cry, and if I cry
I'll be sick again, and then you will feel awfittfy."
Aunt Mymee was subdued.
" De witch stay in dat lil house, des lak er owl, an' mo'
wusser too, kase de owl run roun' in de night, but de witch
don' do dat, ef de moon a-shinin', she des set fo'th w'en hit wuz
ez brack ez er stack ob brack cats. Den, how she go ? She des
slip thu de woods mo' quick'n de win' an' she shine fum top-
knot ter toe-nail lak she all afiah.
(( Arter w'iles, she got er lot o' chilluns, an' dey shine dataway
too. Dey look mighty fine, but she ain't a-keerin', she ain't
sot on um (devoted to them) lak urr (other) mammies. She
ain't gin um no milk, she gin um blood, de blood o' de putty
deer. She cha'm dem deer, she do, an' dar dey stan' w'iles dem
fiah-chilluns hang on dey neck an' suck out all dey life. Dis
hyeah go on twell de wolves git ter noduss dat de deer a-gittin'
AND OTHER SORCERERS: 217
mighty skeerce. Den dey rowge up wolves mighty fon' ob
deer-meat an' dey say
" ' Shoh ! we kyarn' stan' dis, noways ; we fine de deer
a-stannin' up des ez daid an' dry ez fodder-stalks, and dey ain'
fit ter eat, and dey ain' no libe uns skusely lef . We boun'
ter stop dis bizniz ef we ain't want ter mek oweh nex' winteh
sassidge-meat outen oweh own tails."
" Dey ain' wanter do dat, foh sho," continued Aunt Mymee,
enjoying the litle girl's amusement, u so dey git er deer an kill
hit an' dreen out all de blood. Den dey fill it up wid sumpin
dat look lak blood, but 'tain't ; hit sumpin' dat de Ole Boy
kyarn't do nuttin 'bout. All de wolves kin mek hit, an' now-
an'-'gin, dey play turr'ble tricks wid hit. Wut 'tis, dis niggeh
ain't know, but hit turr'ble. Dey putt dat in, dey do, an' dey
cha'm dat deer so hit go - lak it a-libbin'. Hit go up ter de
witcher-ooman, an' she lay de han on it, and she fetch one
squall, an' dat de eend o' huh gwines-on. She swivel (shrunk
up, shrivel), she do. She swivel an' she swivel. She git ter de
size ob er HI ooman, lil chile, HI baby, HI pig, HI cha'm, HI pea,
den she gone ! No blood, no bone, no dut, no nuttin. Goo'-
bye, ole witch ! '' x
" What became of the little fire-children ? "
" Hole yo' hosses, honey. De chilluns, dey see dey mammy
go, an' off dey run. Dey ain't tech dat cunjer-deer, but hit got
de strenk ter pesteh um dough. Hit swivel um down ter
lightnin'-bugs, an' so dey is ter dis day, an' if yo' watch um,
yo' kin see um, wa'm nights, a-huntin' roun' foh de mammy
dey los', but, yo' hyeah me, dey ain' ne'er gwine ter fine ez
much ez de string ob 'er petticut."
" What are you stopping for ? "
" Dat's all, honey. I done fetch up ergin er bline wall."
" Oh, pshaw ! Why don't you have long stories."
1 This strangely resembles the artificial story of the Kalevalu, made by the
evil ones (wolves), whose first act is to kick over and scatter a fire. C. G. L.
218 OLD RABBIT, THE VOODOO,
" I hatter cut my coat 'cordin' ter my cloth, honey. Ef I
got shawt news, I boun' ter tell um shawt."
" Tell something else, then. Do you know any other bug
stories beside skeeter-bug stories and lightning-bug stories ? "
Aunt Mymee pondered, and her anxious expression was
reflected in the countenance of her young friend. Finally, her
serious, not to say care-worn, look was replaced by a smile that
came on gradually like a sunrise and, in time, was a very
brilliant illumination indeed. Tow Head marked, understood
and laughed aloud in pleased anticipation.
" Tell it."
" Hit 'bout dese hyeah hoppehgrasses."
" Oh ! I know that. Granny told me."
" Dat mighty fine. Mebbe, dough, hit aint des zackry de se'f
same tale. Des name it ovveh, chile."
" I'll sing it," said the little girl, gleefully. In a weak little
voice she chanted
" Hoppeh-grass a-settin' on er sweet-tateh vine,
A-kickin' up he heels an' a-feelin' mighty fine.
'Long come er gobbler a-steppin' up ahine.
1 Scuse me, hoppeh-grass, I boun' foh ter dine.*
An' picked 'im off dat sweet-tateh vine."
" Shuh ! dat tale ain't de one dat I wuz gwine ter tell, ain't
ez much ez elbow-cousin unter hit, dey ain't no kin 'tall.
Nemmine, dough, I ain't fo'ce no tale inter nobody's yeahs."
" Who said you would ? "
" Dey's mo' ways den one o' sayin'."
" I don't care if there's a bushel of hundreds ! I can't be
teased about them the doctor said so and if you don't go on,
I'll let my two bare feet get cold and I'll be sick again. There ! "
Aunt Mymee felt the force of the threat, and without delay
began the tale of the grasshoppers.
" In de ole, ole times, dem dat wuz ahead ob de mos' ob de ole
times, dey wuz er turr'ble witcheh man, an' dat witcheh-man,
AND OTHER SORCERERS. 219
he mammy wuz er witch an' he daddy, w'y, honey, he des wuz
de Old Boy hisse'f. Dis hyeah witcheh-man, he des natchelly
'spise all de folks in de worl', kase he wuz de mos' uglies' man
in de woiT, wid er whopple-jaw an' er har'-lip, sidesen er lop
side an' er crookid laig an' one eye dat wuz des lak fiah an' one
dat was daid."
" Oh, my !
" Uh-huh ! dat wuz de troof, an* he wuz mo* full ob mean-
ness den uggyness, an' he wuhk her heap o' sorrer an' debbil-
ment ter folks an' dumb crittehs, an' de grass an' de greens too,
but de wust wuz 'bout de chilluns."
" What did he do to the children ? " queried Tow Head,
languidly.
" Et urn."
" No, no, Aunt Mymee ; he didn't eat the children, the poor
little children, he didn't ! " cried the child, excitedly.
" He did, honey, fob troo," said the story-teller, "dat am, he
cotched urn an' sucked dey blood an' chawed um up an' spit
um out in de grass."
" Didn't anybody come along and bury them ? "
"Nuh. Kase w'y, dey wuzzen' dead, dey wuz moggerfied
(transformed). Dey wuzzen' daid, but, my Ian' ! dey own
daddies an' mammies ain't know um fum er side o' sole-leather.
Dey hop up an' they jounce roun', but dey ain't look lak chil-
luns, dey wuz des hoppeh-grasses."
" What a shame ! I shouldn't like to be a hopper-grass and
Papa and Mamma not know me."
" Dat wuzzen' de wust un hit," continued Aunt Mymee,
solemnly ; " dem chilluns wuz Injun chilluns, an' dey daddies
an' mammies, dey druv um inter hollers an' ketched um in bags
an' den roasted um an' pounded um inter dus' an' mek um
inter cakes an' et um dey own chilluns ! "
" O oh ! the poor little children were eaten twice ! "
" Some un um wuz, sholy, an' mo' un um would a-bin ef, one
220
OLD RABBIT, THE VOODOO,
time, er ole ooman, dat wuz a-huntin' roim' foh choke-churries
an' a-squattin' down dat low dat he ain' see 'er, ain' seed hm
spit out er chile an' seed de chile fly up er hoppeh-grass. My !
" AN' DEN SHE TUCK UE CHU'N AN* PO' OUT DE WHOLE MESS ON DE
YEATH."
she wuz des all in er trimmle an' goose pimples, but w'en he
go on, she mek out ter run home an' tell dem bad nooze unter
all de folks. Dat wuz mighty bad, mighty bad. Dem po'
AND OTHER SORCERERS. 221
folkses, dey dassent kill no mo' hoppeh-grasses, kase dey don*
kin tell noways de sho-nuff hoppehs fum de chilluns, an' so
dem mischevyous lil crittehs des et up de whole face ob de
yeath. Dey wuzzent er blade o' grass in de medders, ur er
leaf on de trees, ur er plum, ur er berry, ur nuttin. De po'
folks an' de beasteses wuz des styarvin' out. Dey wuz dat desput
dat dey go plum ter T'undeh-Lan' an' ax de witch un hit ter
sen' er big stawm an' kill off dem hoppeh-grasses, but she ain't
keer none, she des druv um off. De Jedgment Day a-comin',
dough, comin', comin'. Dat ole witcheh-man am dat sot up
an' free-feelin' fum high libbin' dat he spit dem hoppeh-grass
chilluns cl'ar 'crost T'undeh-Lan' right inter de ole witcher-
ooman's front do'. Dat rile 'er. She tromple dem hoppeh-
grasses down an' den she fetch out de chu'n -dasher an' de big
ole chu'n, an' she chu'n up the bigges' stawm dat e'er wuz, an'
den she tuck de chu'n an' po' out de whole mess and drownded
out dem hoppeh-grasses, an' she fetch de ole witcheh-man er
lick wid er streak o' lightnin', an' goo'-bye ole witcheh-man,
f revveh mo' ! "
" Then what ? "
" Den, w'en de stawm settle, de trees an* de grass an* de
collahds J an' de inguns grow 'gin an' de folkses an' de beasteses
git fat."
"But the little children the poor, eaten little children
didn't they come again like Little Red Riding-Hood ? "
There was a long pause.
" Didn't they come ? " insisted the child, anxiously.
" Honey," said Aunt Mymee, slowly and regretfully, " dem
chilluns ain't ne'er yit come back."
The little girl was so distressed and disappointed at this
unhappy ending of the story that Aunt Mymee thought it
advisable to cheer her with a little music, and without further
ado, sang, to a wild and rollicking air, these words which had
1 Collard, a kind of cabbage.
222 OLD RABBIT, THE VOODOO.
often roused her ire when any of the late partners of her
joys and sorrows had presumed to serenade her with them
" Ez I wuz gwi-in up de hill,
I met de Debbil's wife.
I grab my hat an' mek my bow,
Kase I don't want no strife.
No strife, no strife.
Kase I don't want no strife.
Howdy, Miss Debbil,' I holler out,
How am yo'se'f, dis day ?
Di.s weddeh mighty good foh cawn. 1
Not one t'ing do she say.
She say, she say.
Not one t'ing do she say.
De Ole Boy mus' a- tied 'er tongue.
Wish my wife done lak dat .
Oh ! I would spread my jaws out wide
An' tek on streaks o' fat.
O' fat, o' fat.
An' tek on streaks o' fat."
XVI.
SNAKE STORIES.
THE contrast between the rosy light flung over the cabin from
the fire-place and the cold white moonlight without was so
great that, as Aunt Em'ly said, " hit fa'r (fairly) mek er ole ooman
blink," and so confused her vision
that when she caught sight of a bit
of rope, the property of Tow Head,
lying at her feet, she uttered a
frightened scream of which she was,
the next moment, ashamed.
" Ise gittin' rickety, sho nuff," she
said, apologetically. " Dat am twiste
dis night dat I bin fool o' gittin'
skeered o' snakes."
" Snakes in de winteh ! " giggled
Aunt Mary.
" Yo' gotter look shahp ! Dey am er inmy arteh yo', unner
hans," growled Big Angy, in warning. " Dat seein' whah dey
ain', am comme de dream."
" Lor ! " exclaimed the frightened Em'ly.
" Ef dat count, w'y ain' hit count ter stop um de same ez ter
stop de libe snake fum a-bittin' by a-sayin', ' De seed o' de
ooman shill bruise de sarpint's haid'? Ef yo' keep a-sayin'
dat, de snake ain't hatch yit dat kin ha'm him dat say hit ; dat
THE CABIN.
224 OLD RABBIT, THE VOODOO,
we kin prube, pintidly, den whyso aint hit good foh ter kyore
de bad dream ? " Granny interrogated, with an anxious and
deferential look at Aunt Mymee.
" Dunno," was the short answer.
" Dey's some luck in de snake," said Big Angy, encourag-
ingly. " Bar's Gran'daddy Rattlesnake, dat bin sence de fus'
day an' am de king ob de Snake Kyentry. Me connaz de tale
o' de boy dat go ter dat kyentry an' 'joy life dar."
On being importuned, Big Angy told the following
There was once a little boy who had a bad stepmother. She
whipped him every day. One evening, when he was late in
bringing the cows home, she went out to meet him, and picking
up what she thought was a stick lying in the road, she struck
him a blow she thought would be very severe. The supposed
stick was in reality a snake. When she discovered it, she fled
screaming. The snake was left in the road, badly bruised.
The little boy stooped over it with words of pity. " We have
suffered together," said the snake, " we will recover together.
Come to the Snake Country. I will make you known to the
king. He will treat you better than that stepmother does."
The boy was not sure that it would be wise to go, but he was
desperate and went, reckless of consequences. The change was
for the better. Once he went home for a visit, and every one
saw that he was fat and dressed in fine clothes. Nothing could
persuade him to remain long in his father's house, he would go
back to the snakes and he would not promise to make another
visit.
u I know mo' biggeh tale den dat, 'bout de Snake Kyentry,"
cried Aunt Em'ly.
" Tell hit," said Big Angy, glumly.
Aunt Em'ly was too eager to practise her usual deprecatory
politeness, and at once told the tale of her little boy.
" Wunst on er time, hit wuz de ole time, berry ole, dey wuz
er lil boy dat los' he mammy. He daddy ain't noduss 'im
AND OTHER SORCERERS. 225
much, kase w'y he bin er gret hunteh an' he t'ink de mo' ob
de beasteses he ketch an' kill den he do o' dat peakeddy,
(peaked, or pale and thin) pindlin lil chile, so dat lil boy, in de
ways it fall out, des bleege ter be timbehsome (timorous) an'
low in he mine ef he don't mek no fr'en's mungs de crittehs,
kase in de woods dem's all de comp'ny dey is. Now den, the
crittehs, dey all know he daddy an' dey 'feard foh come roun'
an' ax 'im howdy an' pass de time o' day. Po' lil boy, he go
set on de big flat rock by de crik ; set dar an' cry kase he ain'
got no frens, no mammy, no nuttin.
" Snake-docteh x come a-flyin' by.
" ' Wut de matteh, lil boy ? ' Snake-docteh ax.
" Lil boy cry so de don' kin spik out 'tall.
" Snake-docteh try 'gin.
" Lil boy sniff an' snuff, shake an' heabe. Bimby, he git out
de wuhd
" 'I got no frens, I got no comp'ny, Ise honin' arter gittin
whurs my mammy gone ter.'
" * Shuh ! say de snake docteh, * yo' heap too young, foh
torkin' dat away. All yo' a-needin' am some un dat kin fall to
an' 'muse yo' wid de gwines-on ob de neighbehs, ur er (or a)
tale ur two 'bout somewurs, ur nowurs.'
" At dat de lil boy sorter kinder wipe de eye. an* cock up de
yeah an' look lak he wanter hyeah mo' bout de case.
"'Dat des all yo' a-needin, in de pints o' fack,' say de snake
docteh, sorter a-balluncin' hisse'f, lak he gwine ter fly off, *but
ef yo' don't keer foh dat, in co'se dat yo' bizniz an' none o*
mine.'
"Den de lil boy, he sorter fetch er lil oneasy grin, an 1 he 'low
he lak some comp'ny ter tok (talk) wid fust-rate.
" * My 'quaintence,' say de snake docteh, kinder fizzin* he
wing, lak he des a-stahtin', ' am mungs de folks dat I doctehs.
Dey's snakes, in co'se. Now, Ise gwine inter de Snake Kyentry
1 "Snake-doctor" Dragon-fly.
16
226 OLD RABBIT, THE VOODOO,
dis minnit. I bin sont foh in de bigges' kine ob er hurry,* sez 'e,
sorter struttin' up an' down in de a'r, ' but den dat's nuttin. Dey
allus 'low dey kyarn' git 'long bedout me ef dey's po'ly (poorly).
Oh, yes, I bin sont foh (sent for), an' I got my bag o' yarbs, and I
got my medsum pipe, an' I got my cunjer-bones 'long o' me,
dis minnit, I has so. I gwine dis time ter de fust fambly, shoh
nuff ; I bin sent foh ter Ole Gran'daddy Rattlesnake's ol'est
son's younges' darter's, I is. One o' de chilluns is mighty bad,
dey tells me, but dey 'lows I kin fetch um thu all right,
yessuh ! an' dat why I in sech er big hurry.'
a Dat soun' mighty fine, but de lil boy, a-studyin' all de time
whah he come in. He wiggle an' he twis' an' he open he mouf
an' he shet um 'gin, an' he feel sorter sheepy 'bout axin' ques-
chins, but w'en de snake docteh keep oil a-wizzen' he wing
an' braggin', wizzen' he wing an' braggin' an' lookin' lak he
gwine ter be off in er seckint mo', hit come obeh 'im so strong
dat he (was) a hyeahin' heap o' tork an' a gittin' no news, dat
he git desput, an' he whirl in an' say
" * Oh, say, Misteh Snake-Docteh, is yo' a-wantin' me ter go
'long an' tote de yarb-bag an' mek de 'quaintence o' de fambly
dataway, ur is yo' gwine ter fetch some un um back wid you ? '
" ' I wuz a-studyin' 'bout fetchin' some o' de chilluns hyeah,'
sez de snake docteh, mons'us stiff an' sollum. ' Ef ye' c'd a-
waited twell I wuz thu wid my disco'se, you'd a-larnt dat same,
but, Ian* sakes ! grown folks, speshul de ole, dey gits de wuhd
snatch right outen dey mouf, des days. Dat wuzzent de way
my mammy fetch me up, dat hit wuzzent I
' Spik w'en yo spoke unter,
Come w'en yo' call.
Ef yo' jump To' I show yo' t
Yo' git er bad fall.'
Dat wuz de princerpul / wus fotch up on. Dat de mannehs
wut she larn me, an' I was bleege ter foller um, chile.'
AND OTHER SORCERERS. 227
" Oh, dat snake docteh wuz mad 1 He mek lak he gwine
now, foh suttin.
" Lil boy 'gin ter cry.
" ( I wuzzent meanin' ter aggervax ye,' Misteh Snake-Docteh,'
he whimple out ; ' I dunne no betteh'n ter tork so. I ain't got
no mammy ter larn me nuttin. Prease, suh, don't fly off. I
ain't gwine do so no mo'.'
"Well, suhs ! dat sorter pacify de ole snake docteh, but he say
he bleege ter be a-gittin' 'long, all de same, but ef de HI boy be
in de same place bout sundown, he gwine ter come' long wid
two likely snake chilluns, an' dey des plum full ob fun, an'
dey'd go in wid 'im foh raisin' all de ruckshin he kin study up.
Hit tuhn out des dataway too. Dem young snakes des ez fat
an' slick an* sassy ez young shoats in er cawn-fiel'. Dey tell
'im riddles, dey 'splain he dreams, day teach 'im de chahm dat
ketch de buhds an' de molly-cotton tails, dey gin 'im whole
han'ful ob snake-rattles foh ter tie up in he ha'r to keep off de
haidache an' de sun-struck, w'en he run roun' in de hot noon
sun. Dey mek 'im sly, dey mek 'im sha'p, dey mek 'im gaily.
De HI boy feel mighty good. He laff, he sing, he mek de
laughin' tale hisse'f. Bimeby dough, he get a-studyin' 'bout
de tales dem two rattlesnakes tell 'bout der own ky entry, kase
hit wuz dishaways : sometime dey play wid de boy, but off an'
on dey wuz in dey own kyentry, an' den w'en dey git back, dey
wuz tellin' de big tale bout whah dey folks lib, an' 'bout de king
o' dat place wut hab hawns (horns) on hehaid an' er gole crown
wid red spots onter hit, an' he eyes wuz big ez waggin-wheels,
an' dey roll roun' an' roun' in de sockuts lak de wheels too, an'
de fiah spahks fly out en um. De ole king got er tongue lak
er pitch-fawk an' des ez big too, dey tell, an' he kin spit de
yalleh pizon er mile, an' de scales offen he las' yeah's skin, dey
kin chahm off de swamp-feveh an' de rheumatiz. Oh, yes ! dat
wuz er big tale dey tol dat HI boy, dough I hain't name but des
de leas'es' HI smidgin ob hit. Hit des 'stractid dat boy, an' he
228
OLD RABBIT, THE VOODOO,
baig an' he plead ter see dem t'ings, twell de snakes dey sorry
foh dat honin', an' git 'im er eenvite ter mek er stay in de
Snake Kyentry, an' dey gran'addy, he writ 'im er pass on er
dock leaf wid de eend o' he tail. He writ hit on de leaf, an'
he wrop hit up in grass, to-be-sho, but hit wuz er good pass,
an' tuck de lil boy 'long des ze slick ze grease on de waggin-
wheel. Wen dat lil boy git ter de aige o' de kyentry, suhs, he
wuz s'prise, an' dat ain't s'prisin. Dar de big brack snakes wuz,
all a-stannin' on dey tails des ez stiff an' straight ez de rushes
a-growin' 'long de side ob de ma'sh. Dey bat de eye at de lil boy
LIL BOY AND THE SNAKES.
an' don' stir, but ef dey ain't see dat pass dey'd a-quile (coiled)
roun' 'im an' squoge de bref o' life outen 'im. Dey do see de
pass dough, an' dey bat de eye an' dat mean, * Go 'long.' He
do go 'long twell he see de king an' de king' fambly an' all de
turr folks, an' dey wuz dat nice an' 'gree'ble dat he mek up he
mine dat he tek up he stan' dar foh good, so he des go ter de
cave ob de rattlesnakes an' mek hisse'f homefolks dar."
u How did he make himself homefolks with snakes ? "
queried Tow Head, looking rather incredulous.
AND OTHER SORCERERS. 229
. " Totin' wood an' fetchin chips an' runnin' arrints an' tendin'
de baby, I s'poge," said the narrator, with an assumption of
loftiness amusing even to a child. " Leas'ways, dat wut I
reck'n," was the qualifying afterthought, mildly expressed,
" but, nemmine, enny ways. Dar he wuz an' dar he stayed, an'
at de fust he daddy ain't miss 'im. Arter w'iles he' gin ter
mirate some, an' den he 'gin ter 'quire an' ax roun' mungs de
trees an' de grass an' de criks he ain't ax de crittehs, kase w'y
dey up an' git too quick ef dey seen sumpin o' dat triflin'
boy. He sorter s'pishin dat de chile fall inter de crik nigh de
cabin an' drownd hisse'f ter def, but de crik 'low dat ain't so,
kase ef 'twuz, hit 'ud a-knowed it. Dat crik know mighty well
whah dat boy gone, but 'tain't gwine ter tell kase hit none o'
hit's look-out.
" De trees, w'en dey bin axt, 'low dey got dey 'tenshun way
up in de sky an' dey ain't noduss no boys.
" De grass shuh ! de grass boun' ter tell ur die ; hit des
bleege ter tattle an' pack de news eroun', ur else dry up an*
blow off, so hit up an' tole de man de whahbouts dat boy use
ter set a-gassin' wid de snakes, 'an',' says dat grass, des a-wavin'
an' a swingin', hit feel so biggetty wid er tale ter tell,
'de ebenin' dat boy go off, de whole passel un um, boy
an' snakes, wuz des a-kyarin' on high, twell dey go off seput
ways.'
li W'en de man hyeah dat, he wuz pesteh in he mine. He
ain't pay no 'tenshun ter de boy hisse'f, but he 'spise ter b'liebe
dat de snakes et 'im, so he ax de way todes de Snake Kyentery.
No un own up dat he know, so de man, he watch he
chance an' ketch er snake wid er slip-knot. Man ax bout
de boy.
" Snake say
" * Yo' knows well nuff dat he go on HI ja'nt ter de Snake
Kyentry. He come back w'en he git he bisit (visit) out.'
" Man ain't b'liebe dat.
230 OLD RABBIT, THE VOODOO,
11 ( Show me de way ter de Snake Kyentry,' sez 'e. * Show it
dis minnit ! I boun' ter git dat boy back.'
" I show yo', in co'se', sez de snake, mighty sorf, ( but, Misteh
Man, I ain' kin trabble in nuttin lak dat hurry (de man wuz
des a-zoonin' er long), I bleege ter go slow, kase I ain't got no
footses.'
" ' Yes yo* is, 1 sez de man, sez 'e ; ' yes you' is got footses an*
Ise de one ter show um unter yo',' says 'e, an' wid dat he gin
de slip-knot er swing an' Ian' de snake on de fiah dey wuz er
good fiah o' bresh right dar handy an', bress de goodniss ! de
footses des corned a-stickin' out, an' de snake corned a runnin'
out o' dat fiah, quick ez er squirr'l and quicken.
" ' Now den,' say de man, ( I foun' de footses, now yo' bleege
ter fine de hurry.'
" An', mon, suz, de snake do fine de hurry, an' dat mighty
suddint, an' so dey git ter de aige ob de Snake Kyentry in des
no time 'tall, an' dar wuz de snakes a-stannin' on dey tails, an*
'fo' dey c'd do nuttin, de man he holler out
" * Hi, dar! ef yo' come a squeegin' roun' me, des dat minnit,
I pull de haid offen yo' bruddeh hyeah dat I got a-holt ob,
mine dat! Lemme thu ter fine my son, ef yo' know wut's
good foh de hecilt' o' de fambly.'
" So dey seen how 'twuz an' lef 'im thu, an' he went
a-huntin' an' a-huntin', up an' down, right an' lef, foh dat boy,
an' all de time, mine yo', he. wuz a-holin' dat snake by de neck
in de slip-knot.
" Bimeby, he fine de ole king an' he tell he tale, an' he lay
he gwine ter grab de haid offen dat snake he got in de slip-knot,
ef he die foh hit de nex' minnit, ef he don't putty soon ketch
sight o' dat boy.
" ( Come on,' sez 'e, * come on ; but I lay dey '11 be one daid
snake 'fo' I fall in my tracks ! '
" At de wuhd, de ole king, he call up de crowd in de rattle-
snake den, an' dey fetch de boy up 'long wid um. Gorry ! dat
AND OTHER SORCERERS. 231