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FOUR FOLK-TALES FROM FORTUNE ISLAND, BAHAMAS.1

BY W. T. CLEARE.

I, 2. BARTERING MOTHERS; THE BURIED TAIL.2

ONCE upon a time there were two good old friends, b'o Boukee and b'o' Rabby. The times were so hard, that they couldn't get anything to eat. B'o' Rabby say to b'o' Boukee, "Let us sell our moders." B'o' Boukee say, "All right." B'o' Rabby say, "You tie your moder with chain, and I tie my moder with string." After doing this, they started off. When dey arrived in de bush, b'o' Rabby say, “B’o' Boukee, beat your moder, make her walk faster, and I will beat my moder." B'o' Rabby got one stick and beat his moder, and de string broke and his moder run away. B'o' Rabby commenced to cry, and say, "My moder gone." And he told b'o' Boukee go sell his moder. B'o' Boukee say, "All right. You stay here until I comes back."

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B'o' Boukee sold his moder for a horse and cart loaded with provisions, and he start back to b'o' Rabby. B'o' Rabby say, "B'o' Boukee, you hear de news?" B'o' Boukee say, "I ain't hear no news." B'o' Rabby say, "One big ship come in the harbor dere. You go run, and leave de horse and cart with me. I will mind it fur you go You can run furder than me." So B'o' Boukee started to run, and b'o' Rabby jump in cart and make horse run for his house. He chop up the cart for fire-wood, he put provisions under the bed, and cut off the tail of the horse and make him run away. He took the tail and a pick-axe and shovel, and went back where b'o' Boukee started to run. When b'o' Boukee come back, he find b'o' Rabby digging. "What you doing?" he say. "Digging you horse," b'o' Rabby say. "See his tail I holding on to?" B'o' Rabby and b'o' Boukee dug and dug, but the tail broke whenever they pulled. B'o' Rabby say, "I tired. I going home. You come with me, b'o' Boukee, and I will give you some flour I have." B'o' Boukee went, and b'o' Rabby gave him some flour from under the bed. B'o' Boukee look. He say, "Dis looks like my flour." B'o' Rabby say, "You got mark on your flour. I gib you a little flour to eat, and you 1 These tales were told by Da Costa, a Negro about thirty years of age. He and his people are natives of Long Cay, Fortune Island.

2 Compare Harris 1: XX; Harris 2: XXXIX; G. W. Dasent, Tales from the Norse, App. "Anansi and Quanqua" (New York and Edinburgh, 1904); for Italian and Norse variants, Jahrbuch f. Romanische v. Englische Literatur, VIII (1867): 249-251; see also this number, pp. 230-231. — E. C. P. For fuller titles see Bibliography on. p. 170.

say this is your flour. I'se no t'ief. Get away from my door!" He then kicked b'o' Boukee, and b'o' Boukee run, and see me, and told me that b'o' Rabby stole his grub.

3, 4. DEAD OR ASLEEP;1 GETTING THE OTHER FELLOW TO TAKE YOUR PLACE.2

B'o' Rabbit and b'o' Bear fell out, so b'o' Bear say when he met b'o' Rabbit there would be trouble. When b'o' Rabbit saw b'o'Bear coming, he move along. One day b'o' Rabbit was going down de road. He met one hoss sleeping. He look, and see b'o' Bear way off. He holler, and say, "B'o' Bear, make haste, come so!" B'o' Bear walk fast. B'o' Rabby say, "B'o' Bear, come! I show you one dead hoss." B'o' Bear say, "The hoss be sleeping, sure." B'o' Rabbit say, "You stronger than me. You hold his tail, and I will beat him with stick." B'o' Bear got hold of de tail; but b'o' Rabbit B'o' Bear say, say, "De tail might slip. Let me tie your hands." "All right." B'o' Rabbit then went and cut stick and commenced to beat the hoss, and de hoss flew up and run with b'o' Bear to his tail. B'o' Rabbit he sing out, "Hold the hoss, b'o' Bear! Don't let him go!" But b'o' Bear could not hold the hoss. By-by the string broke and b'o' Bear let go of the hoss, and b'o' Rabbit run for the bush and hid close to a field belonging to one b'o' Nanza. Now b'o' Nanza had one trap set in de field, and b'o' Rabbit got B'o' Bear say, "Ah, I cot him now. Why he stand in the field? I go see."-"B'o' Rabbit," he say, "why you stand in de field?" B'o' Rabby say, "I watch dis field for ten pence an hour, but," he say, "B'o' Bear, I want go to dance. You want dis job?" B'o' Bear say, "Done." B'o' Rabbit say, "You pull dis t'ing open so I can get my leg out and then you can get in." B'o' Bear did so and the trap cot him, and b'o' Rabbit run away and go tell b'o' Nanza that t'ief stole his corn. B'o' Nanza run. He find b'o' Bear in de trap. "What you do here?" he say. "Watching dis field for ten pence an hour," he said. "All right," b'o' Nanza say, "you watch until I get back." B'o' Nanza went home, got a pot of hot water, and when he get back he threw de hot water over b'o' Bear, and b'o' Bear jumped and left his trousers and run home and say b'o' Rabbit stole 'em while he was in the sea.

cot.

FORTUNE ISLAND,

BAHAMAS.

1 Compare Harris 2: II, XXXVI. — E. C. P.

2 MAFLS 2: 89; Jones, LII; Harris 1 : XXIII, XXIX; Harris 2 : XXXI, XXXII; "Folk-Tales from Georgia" (JAFL 13: 22, IV); Folk-Lore Record, 3 [pt. 1] : 54 (Jamaica); "Stories from Tuxtepec, Oaxaca" (JAFL 25: 200-202); "Notes on Mexican Folk-Lore" (JAFL 25: 205, 236); E. Cosquin, Contes Populaires de Lorraine, X, XX, LXXI; Bolte und Polívka, Anmerkungen zu den Kinder- u. Hausmärchen der Brüder Grimm (Leipzig, 1913), LXI; this number, p. 237.-E. C. P.

TEN FOLK-TALES FROM THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS.

BY ELSIE CLEWS PARSONS.

THE following tales were collected from Portuguese-Negro immigrants resident in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. They represent a fragment of what may be called the Lob and Subrinh cycle of tales, the Cape Verde Islands variant of the familiar cycle of the ill-matched companions, the one, big, greedy, and dull; the other, little, temperate, and quick. Boukee and Rabbit of the Bahamas are exact counterparts, for example, of Lob and Subrinh.

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The Portuguese dialect is that of Fogo Island, my very helpful interpreter and teacher being a Fogo-Islander, Gregorio Teixeira Silva.

I-2. BARTERING MOTHERS; THE BURIED TAIL.

Un bes tenba grand' fom' na terr'. Lob' purgunta Pedr', "Pedr', milho' nu ba bend' nos ma' pa' milh'?"—"'Nhor', si'," e Pedr' cuntina, fral, "ma' de nho é mas fort' de qi de me. Nho marral na cord' de coc', me un ta marr' de me cu cord' de fale." Pedr' fra se ma', “Oh ma', un 'ranj' pa' nu ba cidad' bend' nos ma' pa' milh'. Oqi nu ba na sert' cab', nha ta puxa, nha ta scapa, nha ta ben cas'."

Depo's ma'

de Pedr' ja scapa, ell' corr'. Pedr' fra Lob', "Milh' qi nu bend' ma' de nho, nu ta usal prumer', depo's un ta ba pega' nha ma', nu ta ben bendel." 'Es ba na lugar unde qi staba pob'. Alli 'es bend' Lob' ma' pa' quat' sac' de milh'. Lob' pega burr'. Ell' caraga de milh' na cost'. Ell' fra Pedr' pa' ba pa' diant' cu burr'. Pedr' ba cu burr' pa' dent' de lam' na bera de riu. Ell' cort' burr' rab', ell' unterra na lam'. Ell' dixa pont' for'. Depo's ell' ben pa' traz, ell' chuma Lob' cuma burr' ja unterra dent' de riu. Lob' tra se casac'. “Un ta puxal for'," ell' fra. Ell' peg' na rab'. Pedr' peg' tambe'. Ell' fase cuma ell' sta judal, ma' Lob' ta puxa pa' riba Tubinh'1 ta puxa p'ra baxo. Assi' un poco Pedr' larg' rab' e Lob' tomba dent' de riu.

Ell' foga.

[Translation.2]

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Once there was a great famine in the land. Lob asks Pedr, "Pedr, shall we sell our mothers for corn? " "Yes, Sehnor;" and Pedr goes on to say, "Your mother is stronger than mine. Tie her with a rope. I'll tie mine with ravellings." Pedr says to his mother, "O mother! we have

1 See p. 233, note 2.

2 Informant, José Campinha of San Anton. See this number, pp. 228-229.

3 Variant: There was no rain. Lob and Tubinh gathered no crop, and they had been hungry for three days. (Fogo.)

4 Made of cocoanut-fibre.

made a plan to go to town to sell our mothers for corn. When we go a certain distance towards town, do you pull away, escape, go home." After Pedr's mother has run away and escaped, Pedr says to Lob, "The corn we get for your mother let us first use, then we will get my mother, we will sell her." They went on to a place where there were people. There they sold Lob's mother for four sacks of corn. Lob gets burros, he loads the corn on their backs. He tells Pedr to go ahead with the burros. Pedr goes with the burros to the mud on the side of the river. He cuts off the tails of the burros. He buries them in the mud, he leaves their tips out. Then he turns back. He calls to Lob that the burros are stuck in the river. Lob takes off his coat. "We'll pull them out," he says. He takes hold of a tail. But as Lob pulled

Pedr takes hold too, he makes out he is helping. up, his nephew pulled down. After a little Pedr let go the tail, and Lob fell into the river. He was drowned.

3-5. THE BIRDS TAKE BACK THEIR FEATHERS; THE INSULT MIDSTREAM; PLAYING DEAD.

Er' un lob' e un tubinh'. Tenba un' balh' na lheu. Tubinh' ungana Lob'. Ell' fral cuma er' fest' e ca balh'. Lob' pedi pas' pa' pistal penn' pa' ell' pode ba es' fest' na lheu. Pas' dal penn'. Ell' ba lheu. Nobe hor', balh' cunça. Lob' staba cu raib' pamode é balh' e ca fest'. Lob' purgunta Tubinh' se ca ten nad' qi cume? Tubinh' raspondel, "Nao, es' é ca fest', é balh'." Prumer' qi balh' é Corb'. Lob' cu raib' cunça cant',

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"Corb' pret'!

Bu cuda ma bo é gent'.

Bo é bunit'

Se bu ca ta staba

So ta grabata milh' de gent' na cob'."

Corb' tumal se penn'. Sugund' sahi ta balh' é Manelob'. Lob' cant',

"Manelob'!

Bu cuda ma bo é gent'.

Bo é bunit'

Se bu ca ta staba

So ta bisia burr' cu cabr' mort' pa' bu cume."

Manelob' tumal se penn'. Out'o ta balha é passadinh'. Lob' cant',

"Passadinh'!

Bu cuda ma bo é gent'.

Bu ca olh' pa' qel bu boc' brumelh'

Se ca hera pa' bu boc'

Bo hera bunit'."

1 Variant: Lob, who had his mother tied on a four-inch rope (or the biggest rope in the world), warns Tubinh his mother will jerk away. When she does, Lob says he is not going to give Tubinh any of the corn and beans he will get for his mother. He gets six sacks of (Fogo.)

corn.

Pasadinh' tumal se penn'. O't'o ta balha é Chinchirot',

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Chinchirot' tumal se penn'. Out'o ta balha é Sotador. Lob' cant',

"E bu Sotador!

Bu cuda ma bo é gent'.

Si bu ca ta staba traz de galinh' de gent' tud' hor'

Bo hera bunit'."

Sotador tumal se penn' que ell' daba ell'. Out'o ta balha é Galinh' de Gine. Lob' cant',

"Bu Galinh' de Gine!

Bu cuda ma bu é gent',

Ma' bu ca rapara pa' qel bu cabeç' sec'.

Se ca pa bu cabeç'

Bo hera bunit'."

Galinh' tumal se penn'. Seis hor' de palmanhan, balh' caba', tud' 'es ba pa' ses cas'. 'Es dixa Lob' ell' so' na lheu. Lob' cunça ta chora. Nes hor' ben ta passa Tia Peix' Caball'. Ell' purgunta Lob,' “Cusa qi bu ten?"-"Pas' pistan ses penn', un ben balh', ora qi manxe, 'es tuma ses penn', 'es ba, 'es dixan 'li me so'." Peix' Caball' fral, "Se bu ca hera malbad' un ta lebabo pa' terr'. "Lob' prometel, "Se nha leban pa' nha terr', un ta paga nha ben."—"Bon, salta na nha cost'." E peix' cunça ta nada' pa' terr'. Na metad' de caminh', Lob' fra, "O qi grand' mama! O qi un chiga terr', un ta rincal un del for'." Peix' Caball' purguntal, "Cusa qi bu fra?"—"Nada, un fra ma bu é nadader'." 'Sim qi 'es chiga terr', Lob' bua na terr', ell' rincal un mama sqerd' de Peix' Caball'.

Peix' Caball' fica detad' na prai', ta chora. Tubinh' ben ta passa, ell' purguntal cusa qi ell' sta chora'. Peix' Caball' fra Tubinh', "Un tras Lob' de qel lheu, 'sim qi ell' chiga terr' ell' rincan nha mama.” Tubinh' fral, "Se bu ta pagan algun cusa, un ta po nha Ti' Lob' dent' de bu mon." "Tia Peixe Caball' fral, "Se bu po Lob' na nha mon, un ta pagabo cusa qi bu pedin." Tubinh' ba pa' cas'. Ell' chiga pert' de cas', ell' chuma, se mulhe' rixo. Ell' fral, "Panh' fac', machad', tagara, nu ba pa' bera mar' mata' un bac' qi sta la detad'." Lob' staba pert', ell' obi, ell' fra, "Tubinh', qel bac' é de me e ca de bo, un dixal 'li. Se bu po mon nel, un ta dabo un tir'." Antan Lob' fra se mulhe', "Panh' nha fac', machad', tagara, nu ba pa' prai'." Ell' chiga prai', ell' subi riba de Peix' Caball' pel mata'. Peix' Caball' pegal na un pern', lebal pa' mar'. Mulhe' de Lob' bira ta chora,

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