quelquechose compère Avocat dire lui. Compère Chevreuil si tant sûr
gagnin lacourse, li di oui tou ça compair Torti oulé.
gagner la course, lui dire oui tout cela compère Tortue vouloir.
Landimin bon matin, ton zabitan semblé pou oua
Lendemain bon matin, tous habitants assembler pour voir
gran lacourse. Can lhair rivé, compair Chivreil avé
grande la course. Quand l'heure arriver, compère Chevreuil avec
compair Torti tou lé dé paré. Jige la crié: "Go!" é yé
compère Tortue tous les deux préparés. Juge là crier: "Go!" et eux
parti galopé. Tan compair Chivreil rivé coté primié
partir galopper. Temps compère Chevreuil arriver côté premier
zalon, li hélé: "Halo, compair Torti!" "Mo la, compair
jalon, lui héler: "Halo, compère Tortue!" "Moi là, compère
Chivreil!" Tan yé rivé dézième zalon, compair Chivreil
Chevreuil!" Temps eux arriver deuxième jalon, compère Chevreuil
siffle: "Fioute!" Compair Torti réponne: "Croak!" Troisième
siffler: "Fioute!" Compère Tortue répondre: "Croak!" Troisième
zalon bouté, compair Torti tink-à-tink avé compair
jalon au bout, compère Tortue tingue-à-tingue avec compère
Chivreil. "Diâbe! Torti la galopé pli vite
Chevreuil. "Diable! Tortue là galopper plus vite
pacé stimbotte; fo mo grouyé mo cor." Tan compair
passé steamboat; faut moi grouiller mon corps." Temps compère
Chivreil rivé coté névième zalon, li oua compair Torti
Chevreuil arriver côté neuvième jalon, lui voir compère Tortue
apé patchiou dan dolo. Li mété ton so laforce
après patchiou! dans de l'eau. Lui mettre toute sa la force
dihior pou aïen; avan li rivé coté bite, li tendé
dehors pour rien; avant lui arriver côté but, lui entendre
ton monne apé hélé: "Houra! houra! pou compair Torti!"
tout monde après héler: "Hourra! hourra! pour compère Tortue!"
Tan li rivé, li oua compair Torti on la garlie apé
Temps lui arriver, lui voir compère Tortue en la galerie après
brassé Mamzel Calinda. Ca fé li si tan mal, li
embrasser Mlle. Calinda. Cela faire lui si tant mal, lui
sapé dan boi. Compair Torti maïé avé Mamzel Calinda
s'échapper dans bois. Compère Tortue marier avec Mlle. Calinda
samedi apé vini, é tou monne manzé, boi, jika
samedi après venir, et tout monde manger, boire jusqu'à
y tchiak.[22]
eux griser.
It only remains to be said that none of the stories given in the present volume are "cooked." They are given in the simple but picturesque language of the negroes, just as the negroes tell them. The Ghost-story, in which the dead woman returns in search of the silver that had been placed upon her eyes, is undoubtedly of white origin; but Mr. Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) heard it among the negroes of Florida, Missouri, where it was "The Woman with the Golden Arm." Fortunately, it was placed in the mouth of 'Tildy, the house-girl, who must be supposed to have heard her mistress tell it. But it has been negroized to such an extent that it may be classed as a negro legend; and it is possible that the white version is itself based upon a negro story. At any rate, it was told to the writer by different negroes; and he saw no reason to doubt its authenticity until after a large portion of the book was in type. His relations to the stories are simply those of editor and compiler. He has written them as they came to him, and he is responsible only for the setting. He has endeavored to project them upon the background and to give them the surroundings which they had in the old days that are no more; and it has been his purpose to give in their recital a glimpse of plantation life in the South before the war. If the reader, therefore, will exercise his imagination to the extent of believing that the stories are told to a little boy by a group of negroes on a plantation in Middle Georgia, before the war, he will need neither foot-note nor explanation to guide him.
In the preparation of this volume the writer has been placed under obligations to many kind friends. But for the ready sympathy and encouragement of the proprietors of "The Atlanta Constitution"—but for their generosity, it may be said—the writer would never have found opportunity to verify the stories and prepare them for the press. He is also indebted to hundreds of kind correspondents in all parts of the Southern States, who have interested themselves in the work of collecting the legends. He is particularly indebted to Mrs. Helen S. Barclay, of Darien, to Mr. W. O. Tuggle, to Hon. Charles C. Jones, Jr., to the accomplished daughters of Mr. Griswold, of Clinton, Georgia, and to Mr. John Devereux, Jr., and Miss Devereux, of Raleigh, North Carolina.
J. C. H.
Atlanta, Georgia.
I
MR. FOX AND MISS GOOSE
It had been raining all day so that Uncle Remus found it impossible to go out. The storm had begun, the old man declared, just as the chickens were crowing for day, and it had continued almost without intermission. The dark gray clouds had blotted out the sun, and the leafless limbs of the tall oaks surrendered themselves drearily to the fantastic gusts that drove the drizzle fitfully before them. The lady to whom Uncle Remus belonged had been thoughtful of the old man, and 'Tildy, the house-girl, had been commissioned to carry him his meals. This arrangement came to the knowledge of the little boy at supper time, and he lost no time in obtaining permission to accompany 'Tildy.
Uncle Remus made a great demonstration over the thoughtful kindness of his "Miss Sally."
"Ef she aint one blessid w'ite 'oman," he said, in his simple, fervent way, "den dey aint none un um 'roun' in deze parts."
With that he addressed himself to the supper, while the little boy sat by and eyed him with that familiar curiosity common to children. Finally the youngster disturbed the old man with an inquiry:
"Uncle Remus, do geese stand on one leg all night, or do they sit down to sleep?"
"Tooby sho' dey does, honey; dey sets down same ez you does. Co'se, dey don't cross der legs," he added, cautiously, "kase dey sets down right flat-footed."
"Well, I saw one the other day, and he was standing on one foot, and I watched him and watched him, and he kept on standing there."
"Ez ter dat," responded Uncle Remus, "dey mought stan' on one foot an' drap off ter sleep en fergit deyse'f. Deze yer gooses," he continued, wiping the crumbs from his beard with his coat-tail, "is mighty kuse fowls; deyer mighty kuse. In ole times dey wuz 'mongs de big-bugs, en in dem days, w'en ole Miss Goose gun a-dinin', all de quality wuz dere. Likewise, en needer wuz dey stuck-up, kase wid all der kyar'n's on, Miss Goose wer'n't too proud fer ter take in washin' fer de neighborhoods, en she make money, en get slick en fat lak Sis Tempy.
"Dis de way marters stan' w'en one day Brer Fox en Brer Rabbit, dey wuz settin' up at de cotton-patch, one on one side de fence, en t'er one on t'er side, gwine on wid one er n'er, w'en fus' news dey know, dey year sump'n—blim, blim, blim!
"Brer Fox, he ax w'at dat fuss is, en Brer Rabbit, he up'n 'spon' dat it's ole Miss Goose down at de spring. Den Brer Fox, he up'n ax w'at she doin', en Brer Rabbit, he say, sezee, dat she battlin' cloze."
22