84. The Hunter. [Story]
The story is popular in Jamaica and is told interchangeably of man or woman wooer.
Compare Barker, 123–128; Cronise and Ward, 261–262; Tremearne, 292–293; FL 22:457–458; Harris, Friends, 91–100; Parsons, Andros Island, 65 and reference note 3.
The point of the story is voiced in Nassau, 15; “If you find a friend, it is not well to tell him all the thoughts of your heart. If you tell him two or three, leave the rest.” In Cronise and Ward, the man reveals all his resources for transformation but the last, which is “dat t’ing wey turn fas’ fas’ pon top de wattah.” In Tremearne, FL 22, he starts to say the word for “ring” (zoba) gets as far as “zop” and is interrupted. In Barker there is a further Delilah turn to the story. He escapes twice by transformation; [272]finally the witch gets his god, while he sleeps with his head in her lap, and burns it. Before it is quite consumed, it turns him into a hawk and he flies away.
In Harris, the version follows the story of the witch and the three dogs as in number 82.