Once there is Dog, Monkey, Tiger, Puss and Cockroach. So Christmas coming and hear them playing all about music and them has none. An’ said, “We have to make up to make a drum now, then how will we manage?” So they says, “The only way, we have to cut a little little of our skin to make a drum.” The Roach said, “I have none”, so them drive him out of the company and he got into a banana tree to live; then he turned round to them and said, “I first will play that drum!”—“How will you get it to play?” them ask him, an’ said, “I first will play it!”
Well, them fit up the drum now with the skin, hang it up to get cure. So Christmas eve fall now. Then going to the market to buy up all them things, catch about three quarter of a mile they heard the drum playing, said, “Biddy bwoy! who playing our drum?” So it is Roach took down the drum, put it between his feet and began to play;
“Kelly money better kelly better,
Kelly money better kelly better,
Tira coota na tira ding ding,
Tira coota na tira ding ding!”
is the Roach singing. The Puss come see him and kill him, and Puss eat Roach until this day. [[63]]
[1] This is a reference to the common saying, Cockroach never so drunk, no walk a fowl yard. [↑]