Alcée Fortier.
“V. The Irishman and the Frogs.”
L’IRLANDAIS ET CRAPAUDS.
Ein fois yavait ein l’Irlandais sou qui tapé révini village et té passé coté ein piti la rivire ou yé té gagnin boucou crapauds. Li tendé crapauds yé qui tapé dit : — Brum, brum, brum. Ah! dit l’Irlandais la, tapé dit: — Rum, rum, rum, tolé mo rum, mo va donnin toi ein pé, mais faut to promette moin rende moin mo jug. Mais di moin, estce que do l’eau la fond?
— Jou, jou, jou, dit crapauds yé. — Oh! dit l’Irlandais la ça pas ben fond. — Tien, voila mo rum. Li jeté so jug dans do l’eau et li tende ein bon moment, pi li dit: — Anon, Michié, voyé moin mo jug, li tard; faut mo retournin chez moin; yapé tende moin. Mais crapauds pas voyé arien. Alors l’Irlandais jété — li méme dans do l’eau qui té très haut et té vini jisqua so cou.
— Sacré menteurs, dit l’Irlandais la, — vous dit moin do l’eau la sré vini jisqua mo ginoux et li jisqua mo cou.
Comme li té sou li neyé li méme.
V. THE IRISHMAN AND THE FROGS.
Once upon a time there was a drunken Irishman who was returning to his village and who passed by a little river where were many frogs. He heard the frogs say: “Brum, brum, brum!” “Ah!” said the Irishman, “you want my rum; I shall give you a little, but you must promise me to give back my jug. But tell me, is the water deep there?”
“Jou, jou, jou!” said the frogs. “Oh!” said the Irishman, “that is not very deep. Here is my rum.” He threw his jug into the water and he waited a good while, then he said: “Well, gentlemen, send back my jug; it is late, I must go back home; they are waiting for me.” But the frogs did not send back anything. Then the Irishman threw himself into the water that was very deep and came to his neck.
“Confounded liars,” said the Irishman, “you told me the water would come to my knees (genoux), and it is up to my neck.”
As he was drunk, he was drowned.
Text prepared by:
- Lee Jackson
- Jonah Madden
- Bruce R. Magee
- Alycia Parker
- Joely Singley
Source
Fortier, Alcée, trans. “L’Irlandais et Crapauds” Louisiana Folk-Tales in French Dialect and English Translation. Ed. Alcee Fortier. Boston: American Folk-Lore Society, 1895. 20-21. Internet Archive. 2005. Web. 25 February 2014. http:// archive.org/ details/ ajs8769. 0001.001. umich.edu>.