Jamaica Anansi Stories/Tacoomah Makes a Dance

Tacoomah make a dance, get Anansi for de fiddler, an' Grass-quit was coming as a fiddler too. Robin Redbreast was to play de music, Monkey was to blow de bugle. Well, after de night de dance commence. Anansi gwine to play,


 * "Queena bunna, ring-ki-ting,
 * You sen' fe great Grass-quit,
 * You don' sen' fe me!
 * Anansi draw bow so sweet, ring-ki-ting,
 * Anansi draw bow so sweet, ring-ki-ting."

Tacoomah say,


 * "You ya, you ya, so ya, me ya,
 * Wid a fort tumba like a tenky bunna,
 * Wid a jump, wid a jump, like a tenky bunna."[1]

[1. The tune is that of the Devil in the Cock and Corn story, number 85.]

Robin Redbreast say,


 * "Jock, Jock, when you coming home?"

Jock said,


 * "Tomorrow evening."
 * "What in your right?"
 * "Boot an' spur."
 * "What in your left?"
 * "Bow an' arrow.[1]"

Jock[2] said,


 * "Robin redbreast
 * Was pretty well dressed,
 * And he was into his nest,
 * And a puppy went into his nest
 * And broke his neck t'ru distress."

Well, den, Turtle an' Duck goin' in de river fe go an swim, an' dem is to run to a hill-side in de river. An' Cock is de judge. Den Cock went to sing fe dem--


 * "Co co re co."

Duck an' Turtle swim--


 * "Shekey, shekey, shee-e-e."

[1. The dialogue is taken from a popular game.

2. I asked, 'Who is Jock?"--"Jock man dora."]