64. Settling the Father's Debt.

64. Settling the Father's Debt.

Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.

A man owe another one five pounds, and the other called in and asked the son who was at home, "Where is your father?"--"Me father gone to break a new fence to mend a rotten one."--"Where is your mother?"--"Me mother gone to the market to sell sweet to buy sweet."--"Where is your older brother?"--"Gone to sea to catch what in catching will kill and what him don' catch will carry home alive."--"Where is your sister?"--"Me sister in the house weeping over what she was, rejoicing about last year."--"What are you doing?"--"Taking hot bricks out

{p. 70}

of oven."--"Now, me good boy, you give me some hard puzzle. If you tell me the meaning I'll give you five pounds."--"When I tell you me father gone to break a new fence to mend an old one, mean to say me father owe you five pound and gone to borrow five pound to pay you. When I tell you me mother gone to the market to sell sweet to buy sweet, gone to sell honey to buy sugar. When I said me brother gone to the sea to catch what in catching he kill and what him don' catch him bring home alive, I mean to say he goes to bed and he will catch the lice from his head and kill them; what he don' catch he mus' carry back in the head. When I said me sister was in the house weeping over what she was rejoicing over last year, she was rejoicing last year in getting her baby; she is weeping over it now because it is dying. When I tell you I'm taking hot bricks out of oven, I am pulling chiggers out of me feet."--"Now all your puzzles are put through, you are worthy of the five pounds."--"Please settle me father's debt, then." So he make a receipt and give his father five pounds.