Jamaica Anansi Stories/Tacoomah Makes a Dance

by Martha Warren Beckwith

141. Tacoomah makes a Dance.

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

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."]