And the Old Witch man says to her, “Your head and your lights is for my dog, and your liver is for my supper!” So the girl started a song,—
[[audio/mpeg]] | [MusicXML]]
Why, why, why, my Jug-gin Straw Blue, No Mam-my don’ know, No
Dad-dy don’ know, This rot-ten stuff, this stink-in’ stuff, then
[[93]] car-ry me down to gul-ly True Blue, you’ll see me no more.
So as this girl was courting by Juggin Straw Blue, his mother was an Old Witch too. And the courtyer’s mother waked him up and gave him eight eggs; for the Old Witch man has seven heads and seven eggs, and each egg is for one of the Old Witch head. Well, the boy went after the Old Witch man and overtake him and mash one of the egg, and day light. And he cut off one of the head. An’ the Old Witch man mash one of his egg and night came back. An’ the boy mash the next one of his, and day light again; an’ the Old Witch man mash one of his egg and night come back again. And so they went on that way until the boy mash seven egg and cut off the Old Witch seven heads and take away his girl. And he went home with his girl and marry.
80. The Witch and the Grain of Peas. [[Note]]
Thomas White, Maroon Town.
It was a man were married to a woman first and he had one child wid de first woman he were married to. An’ de first woman dat he married to dead an’ he go married to anodder one; an’ de girl has to call her “mudder-in-law.” An’ de mudder-in-law doesn’t like de daughter-in-law. An’ one day de mudder-in-law go to him field gone work. In de morning she wash some peas an’ put on de peas on fire an’ went away to ground. An’ de daughter-in-law doesn’t live at dis house, live in house by herself. An’ de daughter-in-law come deh, ketch de daughter, louse and comb him hair. At de same time de mudder-in-law is Old Witch, know dat de daughter-in-law come to house. So as she was gwine away de eb’ning, de daughter said, “Look yeah, sister, mamma put on some peas on de fire; why don’ you tek one grain of de peas?” An’ she open de pot an’ tek out one grain of de peas. An’ when de Old Witch woman know dat de daughter-in-law tek out one grain of de peas, shet put up de hoe an’ went from ground an’ come back to house an’ tek down de pot an’ tu’n out all de peas in bowl, an’ she couple eb’ry grain of de peas until she fin’ one don’ have a match. And said to child, “Look yeah! you’ sister come to-day?”—“No, never come to-day!”—“Yes, don’ control me, for I see at de grain dat you’ sister come an’ tek out one grain from de pot.” An’ gwine to swear him at de river to drown her because she tek de peas. An’ she say, “If you don’ eat my peas [[94]]to-day you won’ drownded, but if you eat my peas you will drownded.” So de girl took up de song,—
