75. Asoonah. [Note]
Philipp Brown, Mandeville.
Asoonah is a big skin t’ing. When it come in you’ yard it will sink de whole place. One day, de lady have t’ree chil’ren an’ leave dem out an’ him go to work. An’ den dis Asoonah comin’ in eb’ry day, an’ de chil’ren know what time it comin’ an’ deh ’tart a singing—
“Hol’ up fe me ’coolmaster tail,
Limbo, Limbo, Limbo,
Hol’ up fe me ’coolmaster tail,
Limbo, Limbo, Limbo.”
An’ come again, he ax de small one, “Whar yo’ mudder?” An’ say, “Gone a washin’-day.” An’ ax, “Whar de pretty little one?” Tell him, “Inside de room.” Ax, “Whar de house whar’s de guinea corn?” an’ holla out, “Whar’s de mortar?” Tell him, “Inside de kitchen.” So one day now when de mudder come, de chil’ren say, “Eb’ry day a big t’ing come in yeah an’ kyan’t tell what is what.” De mudder said to de husban’, “Well, you better ’top an’ see a wha’ come yeah a daytime.” Got de gun an’ go off in de [87]loft in de kitchen-top an’ sit. When him see Asoonah come, he was so big he get frightened an’ dodge behin’ de door soon as Asoonah mount de hill.… As he reach de gully, he fire de gun and Asoonah fall down in gully an’ break him neck.
An’ de king hear about dis Asoonah, but he couldn’t tell what it is. De king say anybody can come in dere and tell what is dis, he give t’ree hundred pound. De little boy hear about it an’ he was so tear-up about it. An’ de ol’ lady keeping a jooty at de king gate said, “What way Asoonah ’kin a go bring in yeah t’-day?” When de king ax eb’rybody an’ couldn’t tell what is it, he went an’ call up de little boy. De boy went to tek it up an’ de king ax him if he know what is it. An’ him hol’ it up like dis an’ say, “Eh! no Asoonah ’kin?” Eb’rybody got frightened and come right out, an’ de king offer de boy t’ree hundred pound and give a plenty ob clo’es an’ got de boy work again.