De Old Witch come out. He turn a stallion, an’ two race fo’ it. An’ de mare up again a pigeon-hawk an’ she fly. De Old Witch turn a big fowl-hawk an’ dey sail in de air. De mare turn a dove an’ sail till she ’py a house wid glass windeh. De dove sail right t’ru de windeh, drop into a woman lap; de dove turn a ring, get on de woman finger. De fowl-hawk fly exactly to de door. When de hawk fly away, de ring come off de finger an’ turn de boy an’ tell de woman a man will come here in de mo’ning; he will have her marry fo’ dis ring, but don’ receive it. Nex’ day de boy turn de ring, get on de finger. De man dribe up an’ said, “You have a ring here?” De woman said yes. He said, “I give you one husband,” an’ de woman said yes and slipped off de ring to give to de man. De ring drop on de floor an’ turn a corn-grain. De man come out of de buggy, turn a rooster to pick up de corn-grain. De corn-grain jump up, turn a puss an’ wipe off de cock head. So dat de boy get up and tek de buggy an’ go to de Old Witch yard and tek all what he get.
So de boy learn one mark more dan de Old Witch.
121. The Language of Beasts. [[Note]]
Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
One boy was along wid a man. He was a shepherd boy; every Wednesday he go in de wilderness go look after his master sheep. He saw one snake. De snake said, “Do, I beg you carry me go to me fader; but when you go, if me fader give you money, don’ you tek it, but ax him to give you de knowledge of every animal.” So de boy tek de snake to his fader. When he go, de snake ax him if he want money. He said, “No, I wan’ to understan’ de knowledge of every animal.” De snake tol’ him to lie down, an’ he spit in his mouth an’ tol’ him whatever animal dat he hear talk he mus’ not tell it to nobody, fo’ de day he venture to talk it he shall surely die.
De odder Wednesday he went de same place, he saw some [[155]]pigeon on one tree. De pigeon was cooing, an’ de pigeon tell him he mus’ come an’ dig under de tree an’ he will fin’ a lot of money. De boy went an’ dig, an’ he fin’ de money. He tek it home to his master. His master deliver all dat money to him, he tek it, settle himself an’ married a wife.
One evening him an’ his wife went for a ride. He was before, de lady was behin’. De horse turn round and whicker to de mare which de lady was riding. De mare answer him an’ said, “I kyan’ go wid you; for you, it is two of you, but me, it is four of us. I have to carry meself an’ me colt, de missis an’ de missis baby in her, so I cannot walk fas’ as you.” De man turn roun’ an’ laugh. De lady said, “Why de reason let de two animal whicker an’ you look pon me an’ laugh? Der is somet’ing in dis matter!” She nag her husband to tell her de meaning why mek him laugh. De husband said to her, “De day dat I tell you, I will surely die. Sen’ for a carpenter mek me box an’ den I wi’ tell you!” De carpenter come mek de box, an’ he went an’ lie down in it.
He got one rooster in his yard. De rooster come near de box an’ begin to crow. De missis said, “Oh, go away! makin’ such a noise over yo’ master head!” De master said, “Let de bird stay!” De rooster said to his master, “Master, you fool to gi’ up yo’ life fo’ de count of woman! Look how much wife I have in de worl’, an’ de least nonsense all of dem come round me, I begin to peck ’em an’ walk away from dem. So, Master, you come out of de box an’ tek yo’ supple-jack an’ go in de house give yo’ wife two good lick, an’ den you fin’ if she would ’noy you again.” De man do so. He got up, he went in de house, he tek de supple-jack an’ hit her t’ree lick over de shoulder; an’ from dat day de woman never ax him a word again.