Jamaican Song and Story Part 38

=ahm=, him, it.

=true him voice=, really his voice sounds very well. Only, =true= means what it says, =truly=, and does not imply the reservation at which it _really_ hints. Tiger's voice did sound very well.

=duckanoo=, a kind of mango.

=going to do=; eating the fruit is not going to do my voice any harm.

=until he unrestful.= He ate too much.

=groun' t'under=, ground thunder. It is often difficult to distinguish between distant thunder and an earthquake.

Tiger growls on a low note, and says the words very fast.

=H! H!= French as in wh and d.

=groun'shaking=, earthquake.

=from do so=, refuses to do what she asks.

=down him t'roat back=, down his throat again.

Blacksmith was vexed because Tiger had eaten fruit on the previous occasion. His ears had been hard, _i.e._ he had acted against orders.

=make him yeye pa.s.s it=, let his eye run over it without desiring to eat it.

=take the whole a road=, staggering along, first to one side and then to the other.

=a pa.s.s=, in the path, on the journey.

=put him hand on him head=, an expressive action indicating horror and bewilderment.

=bahl=, bawl, cry out.

=me no min tell=, me no been tell, didn't I tell you?

=you will have fe find ahm gi' me=; when anything is lost, they say:--You will have to find it and give it to me.

=a him, etc.=, it is that (their ears being so hard) that makes this sort of thing happen.

x.x.xVII. TIMMOLIMMO.

Once there was a Bull live in a pastur'. He make a law that every young Cow born, if it is a Bull, they must kill it. So the Cow them hear what the master said. The Bull name was Timmolimmo.

So one day one of the Cow have baby an' find out that this child was a boy. She take him an' go to a deep bush an' hide her child in a stone-hole, an' feed him till him was growing an' begun to talk.

The place where the mother was taking water when she was at the pastur' was a mile from the hiding hole, an' she has nowhere to take water but there.

So every day she go an' fetch water to her son.

One day when the boy was six months old she carry him to the place where she taking water, an' hide till the master come drink an' gone.

Then she give her son water, and after she take him home back.

An' when another six month come she take him back to the place an'

show him the father footprint, an' commence to tell the son why him have to hide in the bush is because the father would kill you if he see you.

The boy said to his mother:--"A so all right, when me come big man I going to go an' have a fight with him."

The mumma say:--"No, me son, n.o.body can't fight him."

So the mother take the boy home back till another six months when the boy catch a year an' a half.

Then they go again an' the boy ask if he no can fight.

The mother say:--"Come, make me measure you foot."

When he go put his foot in his father footprint it was about two inch short.

He go home.

After six month more he come back, he alone, measure his foot in his father one. It want half inch to catch.

Him gone home back for six more month.

So one day him get up, tell his mumma that I am going to fight me puppa.

The mother say "No," but him rist an' go.

When him go to the place he measure his foot. It was one inch wider.

Him say:--"I am going fe the battle."

Him come back, tell his mumma that him going to fight puppa. So him go on till him get where his father can hear him, an' sing out:--

[Music:

Timmolimmo, man dere, Timmolimmo, man dere, Come down make we battle, man dere.]

One of the Cow call say:--"Master, Master, I hear some one calling your name."

"No, no, not a man can call my name."

The son give out again:--

"Timmolimmo, man dere, Timmolimmo, man dere, Come down, make we battle, Man dere."