Note 69. Grandy Do-an'-do.

69. Grandy Do-an'-do.

In a Jamaica version by P. Smith, the story takes the form of the transformed mistress (numbers 84, 87). Toad betrays the witch to her suitor and teaches him the name by pronouncing which he discovers her true nature. In another Jamaica story (P. Smith, 38-40), the monster does not harm the woman who knows his name.

[1. See supplementary note, p. 290.]

{p. 264}

The story belongs to the group of fatal-name stories so popular in Jamaica. See numbers 14, 17, 23, 31, 44, 75, 88, 87, 89, 92, 93. All turn upon name customs and superstitions such as are touched upon in Tremearne, 178-182; Renel, 2: 39-40; Theal 2:214; and discussed in Clodd's Magic in Names, New York, 1921; Frazer's Golden Bough (1911) 3:318-418. See also Bolte u. Polívka 1:490-498, on Grimm 55.

Compare Junod, 309-313; Tremearne, 274-278; 349-350; Dayrell, 79-80; Parsons, Andros Island, 114-115; Sea Islands, 22-23.

In this story, (1) a servant, refused food unless she tells the name of her mistress, learns the secret from a friendly animal; (2) the mistress discovers the traitor and avenges herself upon him or is herself vanquished.

(1) In some African versions, girls come to wed a desirable suitor, who kills them if they cannot tell his name. One girl is polite to an old woman, who tells her the secret.

(2) In some African versions, as in number 93, the name is fatal. In Jamaica, its possession wins a reward, and the interest is likely to turn upon an explanatory ending. For the incident of singing the name, see Musgrave, FLR 3: 1:53-54. For the bullfight, see number 88, and compare Cronise and Ward, 55-65.