Nights with Uncle Remus (7 page)

The student of folk-lore, who will take into consideration the widely differing peculiarities and characteristics of the negroes and the Indians, will have no difficulty, after making due allowance for the apparent universality of all primitive folk-stories, in distinguishing between the myths or legends of the two races, though it sometimes happens, as in the case of the negro story of the Rabbit, the Wildcat, and the Turkeys, that the stories are built upon until they are made to fit the peculiarities of the race that borrows them. The Creek version of the Rabbit, Wildcat, and Turkey story is to the effect that the Wildcat pretended to be dead, and the Rabbit persuaded the Turkeys to go near him. When they are near enough, the Rabbit exclaims “Jump up and catch a red-leg! jump up and catch a red-leg!” The Wildcat catches one, and proceeds to eat it, whereupon the Turkeys pursue the Rabbit, and peck and nip him until his tail comes off, and this is the reason the Rabbit has a short tail. The Creeks, as well as other tribes, were long in contact with the negroes, some of them were owners of slaves, and it is perhaps in this way that the animal stories of the two races became in a measure blended. The discussion of this subject cannot be pursued here, but it is an interesting one. It offers a wide field for both speculation and investigation.

The “Cutta Cord-la” story (p. 241) of Daddy Jack is in some respects unique. It was sent to the writer by Mrs. Martha B. Washington, of Charleston, South Carolina, and there seems to be no doubt that it originated in San Domingo, or Martinique. The story of how Brother Rabbit drove all the other animals out of the new house they had built, by firing a cannon and pouring a tub of water down the stairway, has its variant in Demerara. Indeed, it was by means of this variant, sent by Mr. Wendell P. Garrison, of “The Nation” (New York), that the negro story was procured.

In the introduction to the first volume of Uncle Remus, a lame apology was made for inflicting a book of dialect upon the public. Perhaps a similar apology should be made here; but the discriminating reader does not need to be told that it would be impossible to separate these stories from the idiom in which they have been recited for generations. The dialect is a part of the legends themselves, and to present them in any other way would be to rob them of everything that gives them vitality. The dialect of Daddy Jack, which is that of the negroes on the Sea Islands and the rice plantations, though it may seem at first glance to be more difficult than that of Uncle Remus, is, in reality, simpler and more direct. It is the negro dialect in its most primitive state—the “Gullah” talk of some of the negroes on the Sea Islands, being merely a confused and untranslatable mixture of English and African words. In the introductory notes to “Slave Songs of the United States” may be found an exposition of Daddy Jack's dialect as complete as any that can be given here. A key to the dialect may be given very briefly. The vocabulary is not an extensive one—more depending upon the manner, the form of expression, and the inflection, than upon the words employed. It is thus an admirable vehicle for story-telling. It recognizes no gender, and scorns the use of the plural number except accidentally. “ 'E” stands for “he” “she” or “it,” and “dem” may allude to one thing, or may include a thousand. The dialect is laconic and yet rambling, full of repetitions, and abounding in curious elisions, that give an unexpected quaintness to the simplest statements. A glance at the following vocabulary will enable the reader to understand Daddy Jack's dialect perfectly, though allowance must be made for inversions and elisions.

 

The trick of adding a vowel to sound words is not unpleasing to the ear. Thus: “I bin-a wait fer you; come-a ring-a dem bell. Wut mek-a (or mekky) you stay so?” “Yeddy,” “yerry.” and probably “churry” are the result of this—heard-a, yeard-a, yerry; hear-a, year-a, yerry; chur-a churray. When “eye” is written “y-eye,” it is to be pronounced “yi.” In such words as “back,” “ax,”
a
has the sound of
ah
. They are written “bahk,” “ahx.”

Professor J. A. Harrison of the Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia has recently written a paper on “The Creole patois or Louisiana,”
²¹
which is full of interest to those interested in the study of dialects. In the course of his paper, Professor Harrison says: “Many philologists have noted the felicitous αίθιoπίξειν of Uncle Remus in the negro dialect of the South. The Creole lends itself no less felicitously to the
récit
and to the
conte
, as we may say on good authority. The fables of La Fontaine and Perrin, and the Gospel of St. John have, indeed, been translated into the dialect of San Domingo or Martinique; lately we have had a Greek plenipotentiary turning Dante into the idiom of New Hellas; what next? Any one who has seen the delightful ‘Chansons Canadiennes' of M. Ernest Gagnon (Quebec, 1880) knows what pleasant things may spring from the naïve consciousness of the people. The Creole of Louisiana lends itself admirably to those
petits poèmes
, those simple little dramatic tales, compositions, improvisations, which, shunning the regions or abstraction and metaphysics, recount the experiences of a story-teller, put into striking and pregnant syllabuses the memorabilia of some simple life, or sum up in pointed monosyllables the humor of plantation anecdote.” Professor Harrison alludes to interesting examples of the Creole negro dialect that occur in the works of Mr. George W. Cable, and in “L'Habitation Saint-Ybars,” by Dr. Alfred Mercier, an accomplished physician and
litterateur
of New Orleans. In order to show the possibilities of the Creole negro dialect, the following
Conte Nègre,
after Dr. Mercier, is given. The story is quoted by Professor Harrison, and the literal interlinear version is inserted, by him to give a clue to the meaning. The Miss Meadows of the Georgia negro, it will be perceived, becomes Mamzel Calinda, and the story is one with which the readers of the first volume of Uncle Remus are familiar. It is entitled “Mariage Mlle. Calinda.”

1. Dan tan lé zote foi, compair Chivreil avé compair Dans temps les autres fois, compère Chevreuil avee compère

2. Torti té tou lé dé apé fé lamou à Mamzel Calinda. Tortue étaient tous les deux après faire l'amour à Mademoiselle Calinda.

3. Mamzel Calinda té linmin mié compair Chivreil, cofair Mlle. Calinda avait aimé mieux compère Chevreuil, [pour] quoi faire

4. li pli vaïan; mé li té linmin compair Torti oucite, le plus vaillant; mais elle avait aimé compère Tortue aussi,

5. li si tan gagnin bon tchor! Popa Mamzel Calinda di li: il si tant gagner bon cœur! Papa Mlle. Calinda dire lui:

6. “Mo fie, li tan to maïé; fo to soizi cila to oulé.” Landimin, “Ma fille, il (est) temps te marier; faut te choisir cela tu voulez.” Lendemain,

7. compair Chivreil avé compair Torti rivé tou yé dé coté Mlle. C. compère Chevreuil avec compère Tortue arriver tous eux de côté Mlle. C.

8. Mamzel C., qui té zonglé tou la nouite, di yé: “Michié Chivreil avé Mlle. C., qui avait songé toute la nuit, dire eux: “Monsieur Chevreuil avec

9. Michié Torti, mo popa oulé me maïe. Mo pa oulé di ain Monsieur Tortue, mon papa vouloir me marier. Moi pas vouloir dir un

10. dan ouzote non. Ouzote a galopé ain lacourse dice foi cate dans vous autres non. Vous autres va galopper une la course dix fois quatre

11. narpan; cila qui sorti divan, ma maïe avé li. Apé dimin arpents; cela qui sortir devant, moi va marier avec lui. Après demain

12. dimance, ouzote a galopé.” Yé parti couri, compair Chivreil dimanche, vous autres va galoper.” Eux partier courir, compère Chevreuil

13. zo tchor contan; compair Torti apé zonglé li-minme: son cœur content; compère Tortue après songer lui-mème:

14. “Dan tan pacé, mo granpopa bate compair Lapin pou “Dans temps passé, mon grandpapa battre compère Lapin pour

15. galopé. Pa conin coman ma fé pou bate compair Chivreil.” galopper. Pas conner (=connaître) comment moi va faire pour battre compère Chevreuil.”

16. Dan tan cila, navé ain vié, vié cocodri qui té gagnin Dans temps cela en avait un vieux, vieux crocodile qui avait gagné

17. plice pacé cincante di zan. Li té si malin, yé té pélé li plus passé cinquante dix ans. Lui était si malin, eux avaient appelé lui

18. compair Zavoca. La nouite vini, compair Torti couri trouvé compère Avocat. La nuit venir, compère Tortue courir trouver

19. compair Zavoca, é conté li coman li baracé pou so compère Avocat, et conter lui comment lui embarrasser pour sa

20. lacourse. Compair Zavoca di compair Torti: “Mo ben la course. Compère Avocat dire compère Tortue: “Moi bien

21. oulé idé toi, mo gaçon; nou proce minme famie; la tair vouloir aider toi, mon garçon; nous proche même famille; la terre

22. avé do lo minme kichoge pou nizote. Mo zonglé zafair avec de l'eau même quelquechose pour nous autres. Moi va songer cette affaire

23. To vini dimin bon matin; ma di toi qui pou fé.” Toi venir demain bon matin; moi va dire toi que pour faire.”

24. Compair Torti couri coucé; mé li pas dromi boucou Compère Tortue courir coucher; mais lui pas dormir beaucoup,

25. li té si tan tracassé. Bon matin li parti couri lui était si tant tracassé. Bon matin lui partir courir

26. coté compair Zavoca. Compair Zavoca dija diboute apé côté compère Avocat. Compère Avocat déjà debout après

27. boi co café. “Bonzou, Michié Zavoca.” “Bouzou, mo boire son café. “Bonjour, Monsieur Avocat.” “Bonjour, mon

28. garçon. Zafair cila donne moin boucou traca; min mo garçon. Cette affaire cela donne moi beaucoup tracas; mais moi

29. cré ta bate compair Chivreil, si to fé mékié ma di toi. crois toi va battre compère Chevreuil, si toi fais métier moi va dire toi.

30. “Vouzote a pranne jige jordi pou misiré chimin au ra “Vous autres va prendre juge aujourd'hui pour mesurer chemin au ras

31. bayou; chac cate narpan mété jalon. Compair Chivreil a bayou; chaque quatre arpents mettez jalon. Compère Chevreuil va

32. galopé on la tair; toi, ta galopé dan dolo. To ben compranne galopper en la terre; toi, tu va galopper dans de l'eau. Toi bien comprendre

33. ça mo di toi?” “O, oui, compair Zavoca, mo ben cela moi dire toi?” “O, oui, compère Avocat, moi bien

34. couté tou ça vapé di.” “A soua, can la nouite vini, écoute tout cela vous après dire.” “Le soir, grand la nuit venir,

35. ta couri pranne nef dan to zami, é ta chaché aine dan toi va courir prendre neuf dans tes amis, et toi va cacher un dans

36. zerb au ra chakène zalon yé. Toi, ta couri caché au ra herbe au ras chacun jalon eux. Toi, toi va courir cacher au ras

37. la maison Mamzel Clainda. To ben compranne ça mo di toi?” la maison Mlle. Calinda. Toi bien comprendre cela moi dire toi?”

38. “O, oui, compair Zavoca, mo tou compranne mékié ça vou “O, oui, compère Avocat, moi tout comprendre métier cela vous

39. di.” “Eben! couri paré pou sové lonnair nou nachion,” dire.” “Eh bien! courir prèparer pour sauver l'honneur notre nation.”

40. Compair Torti couri coté compair Chivreil é rangé tou Compère Tortue courir côté compère Chevreuil et arranger tout

41. kichoge compair Zavoca di li. Compair Chivreil si tan sire quelquechose compère Avocat dire lui. Compère Chevreuil si tant sûr

42. gagnin lacourse, li di oui tou ça compair Torti oulé. gagner la course, lui dire oui tout cela compère Tortue vouloir

43. Landimin bon matin, tou zabitan semblé pou oua Lendemain bon martin, tous habitants assembler pour voir

44. gran lacourse. Can lhair vivé, compair Chivreil avé grande la course. Quand l'heure arriver, compère Chevreuill avec

45. compair Torti tou lé dé paré. Jige la crié: “Go!” é yé compère Tortue tous les deux préparés. Juge là crier: “Go!” et eux

46. parti galopé. Tan compair Chivreil rivé coté primié partir galopper. Temps compère Chevreuil arriver côté premier

47. zalon, li hélé: “Halo, compair Torti!” “Mo la, compair jalon, lui héler: “Halo, compère Tortue!” “Moi là, compère