148. Wooden Ping-ping and Cock.
Matilda Hall, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit country.
Wooden Ping-ping (there’s a worm in the dirt name so) and Cock. So then Wooden Ping-ping hid in the earth and the Cock hunted for him, couldn’t find him. Wooden Ping-ping said (fine falsetto voice, rising inflection),
“Clay den, clay den, see me, ah?
Clay den, clay den, see me, ah?”
Cock answered,
“Na pullee theng theng,
Na pullee theng theng!”
They kept on singing, this in the earth, that outside; but Cock couldn’t find him. [[178]]
149. Animal Talk. [[Note]]
James Anderson Hilton, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.
Fowl tell de other fowl say, “Tell odder, one, odder one, odder one!” till it scatter over de whole worl’.
Cock say, “If it tre-ew, yes!”
Horse stamp him foot on de eart’, “What in my stomach, mak it stay in deah!”
Jack-ass say, “De worl’ don’ level!” (for if de worl’ level, don’ hav to wear crupper on his tail.)
Cow say (slowly and drawlingly), “Mas-sa wor-r-r-k ne-v-e-r don-n-ne!”
Mule say (quickly and with energy), “It will done! it will done! it will done! Massa work will done!”
Crab say, “Mustn’t trust shadder after dark!”
Ground Dove say, “My hears! my hears! my hears!” (won’t hear what his parents tell him).
Hopping Dick go up on sharp ’tump an’ White Belly go up on one tall tree an’ bet one bet who can stay de longest widout eat. Hopping Dick say, “Chem chem cheery o!”
White Belly say,
“Coo coo coo, me hearie you!
Coo coo coo, me hearie you!”
Hopping Dick go down to de groun’ pick up worm. White Belly stay up on tree all de time. White Belly fall down an’ die.
[[179]]