Sacred Texts  Africa  Index  Previous  Next 
 [Note]

141. Tacoomah makes a Dance.

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Tacoomah make a dance, get Anansi for de fiddler, an' Grass-quit was coming as a fiddler too. Robin Redbreast was to play de music, Monkey was to blow de bugle. Well, after de night de dance commence. Anansi gwine to play,

"Queena bunna, ring-ki-ting,
You sen' fe great Grass-quit,
You don' sen' fe me!
Anansi draw bow so sweet, ring-ki-ting,
Anansi draw bow so sweet, ring-ki-ting."

Tacoomah say,

"You ya, you ya, so ya, me ya,
Wid a fort tumba like a tenky bunna,
Wid a jump, wid a jump, like a tenky bunna."[1]

[1. The tune is that of the Devil in the Cock and Corn story, number 85.]

{p. 171}

Robin Redbreast say,

"Jock, Jock, when you coming home?"

Jock said,

"Tomorrow evening."
"What in your right?"
"Boot an' spur."
"What in your left?"
"Bow an' arrow.[1]"

Jock[2] said,

"Robin redbreast
Was pretty well dressed,
And he was into his nest,
And a puppy went into his nest
And broke his neck t'ru distress."

Well, den, Turtle an' Duck goin' in de river fe go an swim, an' dem is to run to a hill-side in de river. An' Cock is de judge. Den Cock went to sing fe dem--

"Co co re co."

Duck an' Turtle swim--

"Shekey, shekey, shee-e-e."

[1. The dialogue is taken from a popular game.

2. I asked, 'Who is Jock?"--"Jock man dora."]


Next: 142. Anansi makes a Dance.