a. Crossing the River.
George Barrett, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.
De chil’ren was gwine to school an’ ev’ry day de ol’ man tek de chil’ren dem ober de ribber. De ol’ man ax dem fe some of ’em breakfas’. All de chil’ren gi’ him some but one don’ gi him some. Till he ’point a day come, de ol’ man say he wan’ somet’ing from him, an’ he wouldn’t gi’ it. When he coming back, de ribber come down. Tek ober de rest of de chil’ren an’ wouldn’t tek ober dat. Little boy sing,
“Mudder Galamo,
I gwine dead t’-day!”
De ol’ man says, “Stop singin’.” Eb’ry time sing, de water come up a little higher. Jus’ to heah, dat time his mudder comin’. Ol’ man say, “I mus’ hev two pounds.” She say all right, an tek him ober. An’ dat time, eb’ry day he offer de ol’ man breakfas’.
b. The Plantain.
Philipp Brown, Mandeville.