141. Tacoomah makes a Dance.
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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."]
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