Page:Zora Neale Hurston - Lawing and Jawing.pdf/3

 JUDGE Seventeen years?

(to woman) You been tekin! keer of dis man for seventeen years?

WOMAN Naw, but he been so mean to me, it seems lak seventeen years.

JUDGE Now you tell me just where he hurt you.

WOMAN Judge, tell you de truth, I'm hurt all over. {Rubs her buttocks) Fact is I'm cut.

JUDGE Bid you git cut in de fracas?

WOMAN

(Feeling the back of her

left thigh below her

buttocks) Not in de fracas, Judge - just below it.

(She starts to show the

JUDGE where she has been

cut. He motions to stop her.)

JUDGE Stop! (to Officer Simpson) Grab him. Put him in de shade.

CLIFF Judge, I'm unguilty! I ain't laid de weight of my hand on her in malice. You got me 'cused of murder and I ain't harmed a child.

JUDGE Lemme ast you something. Didn't you know dat all de women in dis town belongs to me? Beat my women and I'll stuff you in jail. 90 years. Take ‘im away.

(CLIFF is led off to jail. JUDGE looks angrily at the boy who is holding hands with the pretty girl). You runs me hot and I'm just dyin' to sit gn yo ' case. Whut you in here for? :

BOY Nothin’.

JUDGE Well, whut you dobn' in my court, you gater-faced rascal?