139. The Fifer. [[Story]]

The story is common in Jamaica. See Jekyll, 98–99. It was told me as a “speak-acting” story, but as I could get no other of exactly the same character, I do not know how common it used to be to present a Nansi story in this way. The Nansi story is now given in the form of a dramatic monologue or rehearsed simply as a tale.

For the story of “The Fifer,” six actors were required, one to represent the boy, one the father, and four others the “wild beasts.” “Anansi,” “Dry-head,” “Tacoomah” and “Tiger” were the “beasts.” Roe said that “the one who takes the son’s part tells the story.” The dramatization went on much like a school exercise performed by grown men, with improvised action and (probably) extemporized dialogue. It ended in a dance in which all six joined.

Compare Tremearne, 301; Harris, Nights, 370–373; Edwards, 87–88; Parsons, Andros Island, 137–138. [[287]]

The story seems to be drawn from such prohibitions against whistling at night or whistling more than twice when walking at night or through a haunted forest as are quoted by Sebillot, Le Folk-lore de France 1: 159, 283. He tells a Breton story of a lad who forgot the prohibition and found himself mocked and followed by the Devil, who bore him off just as he had reached home. Compare number [66], note.

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141. Tacoomah makes a Dance. [[Story]]

Medleys of this character seem to have been a popular form of entertainment and may still be common, though the examples I have were given me in every case by old men. They are composed of scraps of song or whole scenes from well-known Nansi stories, together with game-songs, imitations of animal sounds, and “rhyming,” strung together much like our own musical medleys—the last line of one suggesting the first of the next. In this example, story-songs from numbers [97] and [86] are followed by a game dialogue; next by some animal imitations; last, by a specimen of Jamaica “rhyming.” Other examples of this kind of improvised “rhyming” are:

“Mr. Might, jump up a height, after a kite,

And knock his eye, upon his hog-sty, and cry out ‘hi!