De daughter-in-law come, her an’ her husban’, drive into de yard see mudder-in-law. She expec’ de Ol’ Witch kill de gal didn’t know she was living. So she sen’ fe her own daughter, sen’ a Bosen Corner fe water, say de udder one go get fe her riches, so she mus’ get riches too. De gal tek a gourd an’ going now fe water too. Go long an’ see so-so head an’ say, “Ay-e-e! from me bo’n I nebber see so-so head yet!” So-so head say, “Go long, gal! better day befo’.” An’ go long an’ meet upon so-so foot, an’ say, “Eh! me mamma sen’ me fe water I buck up agains’ all kind of bugaboo, meet all kin’ of insect!” An’ say, “Go long, gal! better day befo’.” An’ go de ol’ lady house now. De ol’ lady go tek de ol’ bone go putty on de fire again, an’ say, “Nana, you gwine tell me so-so bone bile t’-day fe me dinner?” An’ when she see de four grain of rice she say, “Nebber see fo’ grain of rice go in a pot yet!” Till it boil de pot full de same wid rice an’ meat. De ol’ lady share fe her dinner give her, an’ she go tu’n a puss an’ come back in. When de puss beg fe little rice, de gal pick her up fling her out de door. Ol’ lady call her fe come, ’cratch him back too, an’ put him han’ to ’cratch him back, draw it back say, “Nebber see such a t’ing to ’cratch de back an’ cut han’!” Nex’ mo’ning, de ol’ lady tell her mus’ look in back of de house tek egg. De big egg say, “Tek me! tek me!” mus’n’t tek dem; de little [[96]]egg say, “No tek me! no tek me!” mus’ tek four. She don’ tek de small one, tek four of de big egg. De firs’ cross-road she break one an’ see a whole heap of snake. At de secon’ cross-road she break anudder an’ see a whole lot of insect. At de las’ cross-road she massoo one, an’ see a big Ol’ Witch man tear her up kill her ’tiff dead in de road.
82. The Three Dogs. [[Note]]
a. Boy and Witch Woman.
Thomas White, Maroon Town.
Olden time it was a young man an’ him brudder. Dem two of ’em was bred up on a property penning cow. Eb’ry morning dat dey wan’ to pen, carry dem breakfas’ an’ carry dem fire. An’ one morning dat dem going, ’em carry food but dey didn’ carry no fire. An’ dem pen cow until twelve o’clock in de day an’ de smaller one feel hungry. He say, “Brar, me hungry! how we gwine to get fire?” An’ dey look ’pon a hill-side,—jus’ as out deh, an’ see a smoke an’ de smaller one go look fe fire. An’ he go right up de hill an’ see a big open house; lady in open kitchen. An’ she was Old Witch. An’ he frighten an’ come back. So now de bigger brudder go, name of William. An’ as he go up, stop behin’ one big dry ’tump, stan’ up deh an’ look what de Ol’ Witch do. An’ dis Ol’ Witch got on a pot on fire, an’ tek off de pot an’ him dish out all vessels right t’ru, de boy don’ see no pickney in kitchen, only de Ol’ Witch. An’ Ol’ Witch knock on side, pon pon pon, an’ all pickney come out, twenty big man and small children, women and boy pickney. An’ dey all sit down deh an’ eat. When dey done, who fe smoke de pipe dem smoke. An’ Ol’ Witch get up an’ knock, pon pon, an’ all de chil’ren go up in him back.
An’ den de boy call to him now, say, “Mawnin’, Nana!” She frightened and ask if he been deh long time an’ he say, “No, jus’ come up to beg fe fire.” An’ she says, “Tek fire, but don’ tek me fire-stick;” an’ de boy tu’n back an’ break a piece o’ rotten wood an’ hol’ it ’gainst de steam of de fire an’ ketch de rotten wood. An’ Ol’ Witch say to him, “Boy, you jus’ a good as me!” Boy said, “No, Nana, I’m not so good!” An’ de boy go down in cow-pen an’ when in de height of penning up de cow, tell de smaller brudder not to mek up fire, pen de cow an’ go home quick quick. An’ dis bigger brudder was a witch himself an’ know all about what come after him, an’ when he go home, go inside de house, fawn sick. [[97]]