INTRODUCTION.
I. THE TALES.
It is very difficult to make a complete collection of the negro tales, | as the young generation knows nothing about them, and most of the old people pretend to have forgotten them. It is a strange fact that the old negroes do not like to relate those tales with which they enchanted their little masters before the war.j It was with great trouble that I succeeded in getting the following stories. ^
While reading these talesjone must bear in mind that most of them were related to children by childlike people ; this accounts for their naïveté. The Louisiana folk-tales were brought over to this country by Europeans and Africans, and it is interesting to note what changes have been made in some well-known tales by a race ^ , c^ta rude-*b»d-4gnorant, but not devoid of imagination and poetical feeling. It is important to give the variants of popular tales principally to indicate the different characteristics of the human race. The study of folk-lore is interesting to the anthropologist and psychologist. Both may follow the workings of man's mind, of man's feeling, through a number of countries and in primitive people. If we take any popular tale, we shall always find some difference in the impression created on the audience* That impression reacts on the story itself and modifies it to a great extent. The plot of a popular tale seems to be the common heritage of a number of countries which may have derived it from the same source, but the motives are often inspired by local customs.
In Louisiana we have three kinds of tales : the animal tales, of which some are, without doubt, of African origin ; fairy tales or mârchen, probably from India ; and tales and songs, real vaudevilles, where the song is more important than the plot» In this connection a negro dancing song or ronde may be mentioned as illustrating the way in which the tale with a song is related. In the ronde accompanying the tale one man sings these almost meaningless words : "Crapaud entré on nid bourdon, et lapé chanter: 'Yapé piqué moin, yapé morde moin ; Doune, ah ! doune goule ! Doune, ah t doune
goule !'" "A frog enters into a hornets' nest and he is singing: 'They are stinging me, they are biting me : Doune, ah ! doune goule ! Doûne ah ! doune goule ! ' " While singing he writhes in a horrible manner and gesticulates wildly, rubbing his shoulders against all the persons present, who sing with him the refrain and dance to the tune of a most primitive music. !
II. THE CREOLE DIALECT.
The dialect spoken by the negroes in Lower Louisiana and known by philologists as the Creole dialect is an interesting subject for study. It is not merety a corruption of French, .that is to say, French badly spoken, it is a real idiom with a morphology and grammar of its own._ Jt is curious to see how the ignorant African slave transformed his master's language into a speech concise and simple, and at the same time soft and musical. The tendency was, of course, to abbreviate as much as possible, both in the form of the words and in the construction of the sentence, The word arrêté becomes rété '; appelé* pelé; all parts of speech, not absolutely necessary to the meaning, are thrown out of the sentence. There is hardly any distinction of gender, and the verb is simplified to a wonderful degree. The sounds of the French words vary considerably in the dialect ; the principal change^ being the frequency in the dialect of the nasal sound in and of /. The process of agglutination is very common, as in larie, in dézo, a street, a bone.
The first story of the collection will be used as a basis for the explanation of a few peculiarities of the Creole dialect. For a more complete treatment of the subject, see my "Louisiana Studies," Hansell, New Orleans, 1894.
NOTES.
|. Néléphant, example of agglutination, from un éléphant; plural des nélé* phant.
2. jûu lor jour, last consonant generally omitted in the dialect.
3. compair, the spelling generally adopted for compere in writing the dialect.
4. // apé voyagé, the imperfect, était après voyager. The tenses of the verb are formed from that construction, après contracted into apé with té {été) ox gain-gnin {gagner for avoir)*
5. ensembe, pou, toujou, for ensembleppour, toujours.
6. yé rivé, the perfect for // rivé (étaient arrivés). Yé is personal pronoun plural. The other forms are mo, to, li, nous, vous.
7. bord lamer; the de for the genitive does not exist; as in Old French, the Creole patois says : fille {le) roi.
8. quichoge, a curious transformation of quelque chose.
9. ben drole, ben for bien; drole f o pronounced like o in robe; the Ô does not exist.
io. étonné yé, personal pronouns, objects, are moin, tot, li, nou, vous, y é. M. yé rété, present indicative, contracted from yé apé rété, y apé rété.
Introduction* xî
t2. yé na, for il y a } impersonal,
13, ladjeule, one word, from la gueule*
14. anon, for allons, I changed into n.
1$. vancé, coûté, abbreviations of avancé, écouté.
16. mo co?nmere, possessive adjectives are mo, to, so, nous, vous,yé, for both genders and numbers.
17. na tchué yé, future for nous va tchué y é.
18. anon court, for allons court, strengthens the expression.
19. ta oua, future for to va oua.
20. ma rangé, future for mo va rangé.
21. mafé court, present indicative for mo apé (après) court.
22. to si capon, to béte; notice conciseness through omission of verb.
23. li porté, li caché, preterit, lui porta, lui cacha.
24. ti service, ti tor petit
25. va sorti, future for vous va sorti.
26. paré for prêt.
27. zami, agglutination of j of mes amis.
28. haler for tirer, found often in Acadian dialect
29. mo vini, past tense îot je suis venu.
30. pasqué, softening and abbreviation of parce que.
31. tchombo, from tiens bon, hold fast.
32. en haut so côté y on his side ; en haut contracted into on and used for sur and de.
33. plis miéj note double superlative, common in the patois.
34. escousse, metathesis for secousse.
35. dolo, one word, from de Veau.
36. Qui ça çayét What is the matter? French, qu ) est-ce f A curious expres« sion.
37. au Heur, for au lieu.
38. comme ça, meaningless expression used continually by the negro narrator.
39. qua oua li, future for qui va le voir.
40. chivreil or chévreUj i or / often used indifferently ; u and e are very rare.
41. ga, for garde, a good example of the abbreviation so common in the Creole dialect.
LOUISIANA FOLK-TALES.
PART FIRST. ANIMAL TALES.
a Louisiana Folk*TaU$.
L
NÉLÉPHANT 1 AVEC BALEINE,
Ein jou 2 Compair Lapin et Compair 3 Bouki té apé voyagé 4 en-sembe. 5 Compair Lapin souvent té ménin li pou 5 fait paillasse avec Ii et pi en même temps Compair Lapin té toujou 5 au courant toute sorte nouvelle que Compair Bouki té raconté li. Quand yé rivé 6 au bord 7 la mer yé oua ein quichoge 8 qui té ben drôle. 9 Ça té si tellement étonné 10 yé que yé rété n pou tende et guetté. C'était ein néléphant avec baleine qui té apé causé ensembe.
— To oua, dit Bouki, c'est dé plis gros bétes que yé 12 na dans moune et c'est yé qui plis fort que les otes zanimaux.
— Paix to ladjeule, 13 dit Compair Lapin, anon 14 vancé 15 et pi coûté, 15 mo oulé connin ça yé apé dit.
Yé vancé proche. Néléphant dit baleine comme ça : — Mo commère, 16 comme c'est vous qui plus gros et plis fort dans la mer et moin qui plis gros et plis fort en haut la terre, faut nous fait la loi, et tout ça yé qui révolté na tchué yé.
— Oui, oui, Compair Néléphant, gardé la terre et moin mo va gardé la mer.
— T6 tende, dit Bouki, anon couri, 18 pasqué na sorti sale si yé oua nous zotes apé coûté yé conversation.
— Ah ouache, dit Compair Lapin, mo fout pas mal yé, mo plis malin que yé. Ta oua 19 comme ma rangé 20 yé tout les dé tout a l'haire.
— Non, dit Compair Bouki, mo pair, mapé couri. 21
— Eh ben, couri, d'abord to si capon, 22 bon a rien. Parti vite mo lasse tende toi a force to béte. 22
Ça fait Compair Lapin couri cherché ein la corde qui té longue et ben fort et pi li porté ** so tambour et li caché ^ li dans grand zèbe. Li prend la corde dans eine boute et pi li proche coté Néléphant et li dit : — Michié, vous qui si bon et si fort, vous doite ben rende moin ein ti service, 24 va sorti 25 moin dans grand tracas et péché moin perde l'argent.
Néléphant té content tende ein si joli compliment et li dit Compair Lapin : —. Tout ça to oulé ma fait li pou toi, mo toujours paré a pou obligé tout mo zami. ^
— Oui, dit Compair Lapin, mo gagnin ein lavache qui bourbe au ras la mer, vous connin mo pas assez fort pou halé 28 li. Mo vini 29 coté vous pou vous idé moin ; prend la corde dans vous latrompe, ma couri marré lavache et quand va tende moin batte tambour va haler
I.
THE ELEPHANT AND THE WHALE.
One day Compaîr Lapin and Compair Bouki were going on a journey together. Compair Lapin often took Bouki with him to make fun of him, and to hear all the news which Bouki knew. When they reached the seashore, they saw something which was very strange, and which astonished them so much that they stopped to watch and listen. It was an elephant and a whale which were conversing together.
"You see," said Bouki, " they are the two largest beasts in the world, and the strongest of all animals/'
" Hush up," said Lapin, " let us go nearer and listen. I want to hear what they are saying."
The elephant said to the whale : " Commère Baleine, as you are the largest and strongest in the sea, and I am the largest and strongest on land, we must rule over all beasts ; and all those who will revolt against us we shall kill them, you hear, commère."
"Yes, compair; keep the land and I shall keep the sea."
" You hear," said Bouki, " let us go, because it will be bad for us if they hear that we are listening to their conversation."
"Oh ! I don't care," said Lapin ; "I am more cunning than they ; you will see how I am going to fix them,"
" No," said Bouki, " I am afraid, I must go/'
" Well, go, if you are so good for nothing and cowardly ; go quickly, I am tired of you ; you are too foolish."
Compair Lapin went to get a very long and strong rope, then he got his drum and hid it in the grass. He took one end of the rope, and went to the elephant: "Mister, you who are so good and so strong. I wish you would render me a service ; you would relieve me of a great trouble and prevent me from losing my money."
The elephant was glad to hear such a fine compliment, and he said: "Compair, I shall do for you everything you want. I atn always ready to help my friends."
" Well," said Lapin, " I have a cow which is stuck in the mud oh the coast ; you know that I am not strong enough to pull her out ; I come for you to help me. Take this rope in your trunk. I shall tie it to the cow, and when you hear me beat the drum, pull hard on
fort en haut la corde. Mo dit vous ça pasqué 30 la vache bourbe fond dans la boue.
— C'est bon, dit Nélépbant, mo garanti toi ma sorti lavache la ou ben la corde a cassé.
Alors Compair Lapin prend I'ote boute la corde la, li qouri au bord la mer, li fait Baleine ein joli compliment, li mandé li même service la pou débourbé so lavache qui té pris au ras ein bayou dans bois. Compair Lapin gagnin la bouche si tellement doux que personne pas capab réfisé li arien. Baleine fait ni eine ni dé, li prend la corde la dans so Iadjeule et li dit Compair Lapin : — Quand mo va tende tambour ma halé.
— Oui, dit Compair Lapin, commencé halé doucement et pi plis fort en plis fort.
— To pas besoin pair, dit Baleine, ma sorti to lavache quand même Djabe apé tchombo 81 li.
— Tant mié, dit Compair Lapin, tout a l'haire na ri, et pi li batte so tambour.
Nélépbant prend halé, halé, la corde la té raide comme ein barre fer, li té apé craqué. Baleine la en haut so coté 32 li aussi té apé halé, halé. A la fin li té apé couri au ras la terre pasqué Néléphant té boucou plis mié 88 placé pou halé. Quand Baleine oua li té apé monté en haut la terre, cré mille tonnerre li batte so la tcheu raide et pi li piqué au large. Li fait ein escousse M si tellement raide que li té trainin Néléphant au ras dolo. 85 Néléphant dit comme ça : — Aie, mais qui ça ça yè® tout ça, c'est ein lavache qui joliment fort pou trainin moin comme ça. Rété ein pé, laissé moi accroupi moin et mette mo dé pié devant dans la boue. La, mo a genoux asteur.!' Et li commencé tortillé la corde la avec so la trompe. Li torde la corde la et a la fin li réissi halé Baleine au ras la terre. Ça té étonné li, au lieurein 87 lavache c'était so commère Baleine, Alors li dit comme ça: 88 — Mais, mais, qui ça yé, mo commère? Mo té crai c'était lavache Compair Lapin mo té apé débourbé.
——Aïe! dit Baleine, Lapin dit moin même quichogela, mo croi ben li té oulé fout nous zotes.
— Alors li gagnin pou payé ça, dit Néléphant, mo défende li mangé ein brin zèbe en haut la terre pasqué li moqué nous zotes.
— Moin aussite, dit Baleine, mo défende li boi ein goutte dolo dans la mer, faut nous surveillé li et premier qua oua li, 39 faut pas nous raté li.
Compair Lapin, qui té apé coûté, dit Compair Boukî : — Li temps nous parti, fait chaud pou nous zotes.
— To oua, dit Bouki, to mette nous zotes dans grand tracas. Jamais ma couri avec toi nille part.
— Oh! paix to Iadjeule, dit Lapin, mo pas fini avec yé, rété ein pé, ta oua comment mo va rangé yé.
the rope. I tell you that because the cow is stuck deep in the mud."
" That is all right," said the elephant. a I guarantee you I shall pull the cow out, or the rope will break."
Compair Lapin took the other end of the rope and ran towards the sea. He paid a pretty compliment to the whale, and asked her to render him the same service about the cow, which was stuck in a bayou in the woods. Compair Lapin's mouth was so honeyed that no one could refuse him anything. The whale took hold of the rope and said : " When I shall hear the drum beat I shall pull."
"Yes/' said Lapin, "begin pulling gently, and then more and more."
"You need not be afraid," said the whale; "I shall pull out the cow, even if the Devil were holding her."
" That is good," said Lapin ; " we are going to laugh." And he beat his drum.
The elephatit began to pull so hard that the rope was like a bar of iron. The whale, on her side, was pulling and pulling, and yet she was coming nearer to the land, as she was not so well situated to pull as the elephant When -she saw that she was mounting on land, she beat her tail furiously and plunged headlong into the sea. The shock was so great that the elephant was dragged to the sea. " What, said he, what is the matter ? that cow must be wonderfully strong to drag me so. Let me kneel with my front feet in the mud" Then he twisted the rope round his trunk in such a manner that he pulled the whale again to the shore. He was very much astonished to see his friend the whale. "What is the matter," said he. "I thought it was Compair Lapin's cow I was pulling."
"Lapin told me the same thing. I believe he is making fun of us."
" He must pay for that," said the elephant. " I forbid him to eat a blade of grass on land because he laughed at us."
" And I will not allow him to drink a drop of water in the sea. We must watch for him, and the first one that sees him must not miss him."
Compair Lapin said to Bouki : " It is growing hot for us ; it is time to leave."
" You see," said Bouki, "you are always bringing us into trouble."
u Oh ! hush up, I am not through with them yet ; you will see how I shall fix them/*
— Ça fait yé couri yé chimin, chaquène gagnin so coté. Quand Compair Lapin rivé dans ein bois li trouvé ein ti chivreil *° qui té mouri, a force chien té massacré li li té plein bobo et dans plein place so poil té tombé. Compair Lapin corché li et li mette so la peau en haut so dos ; li vlopé li ben la dans, ça fait li té sembe ein ti chivreil. Alors li prend boité en haut trois pattes et pi li passé proche coté. Néléphant qui dit li ; — Mais pove piti chivreil, qui ça to gagnin ?
— Oh ! oui, mapé souffri boucou, vous oua c'est CompairLapin qui poisonin moin et pi li voyé so malédiction en haut moin, jiste pasqué mo té oulé comme vous té dit péché li mangé zèbe. Prend ga 41 pou vous, Michié Néléphant, Compair Lapin engagé avec Djabe, la servi vous mal si vous pas fait tention.
Alors Néléphant té pair, li dit: — Ti chivreil, ta dit Compair Lapin moin c'est so meilleur zami, dit li mangé zèbe tant li oulé. Pas blié, non, et fais li compliment pou moin.
Ti chivreil la passé so chimin et quand li rivé au bord la mer Baleine dit li;-— Mais pove ti chivreil, tapé boité, qui ça ça yé ? mo croi to boucou malade.
— Oh oui, mapé souffri boucou, c'est Compair Lapin qui mette moin dans nétat la, prend ga pou vous, commère Baleine. Li aussite li ié pair, ça fait li dit : — Ti chivreil, mo pas oulé gagné zaffaire avec Djabe, ten prie, dis Compair Lapin boi tout dolo li oulé, mo va laissé li tranquille.
Ça fait Compair Lapin continié so chimin, et quand li rivé au ras Compair Bouki li oté la peau la et li dit comme ça : — To oua ben que mo plis malin que yé et mo capab fout yé tout temps et yé dé ensembe. La ou moin mo va passé ein lote va trouvé li pris.
— Vous ben raison, dit Compair Bouki.
IL
COMPAIR TAUREAU ET JEAN MALIN.
Quand Jean Malin té piti li té norphelin et li té pas connin ou couri ou ça pou fait. Ein jou li oua ein riche madame qui té apé passé dans so bel carrosse. Li mandé madame la pou prend li. Comme madame la oua que li té ein joli ti garçon et li té gagnin boucou l'esprit li mandé Jean Malin qui l'âge li té gagnin. Jean Malin té pas capab dit li jiste, mais li réponde madame la que li té tende so moman dit comme ça li té né quand pêchers té en flairs même Tannée que la neige té tombé. Ça fait madame la prend li dans so bel carrosse et ménin li dans so la maison pou fait so commission et servi a tabe.
They went on their way and after a while they separated. When Compair Lapin arrived in the wood, he found a little dead deer. The dogs had bitten him so that the hair had fallen off his skin in many places. Lapin took off the deer's skin and put it on his back. He looked exactly like a wounded deer. He passed limping by the elephant, who said to him : " Poor little deer, how sick you look."
u Oh ! yes, I am suffering very much ; you see it is Compair Lapin who poisoned me and put his curse on me, because I wanted to prevent him from eating grass, as you had ordered me. Take care, Mr. Elephant, Compair Lapin has made a bargain with the Devil ; he will be hard on you, if you don't take care."
The elephant was very much frightened. He said, " Little deer, you will tell Compair Lapin that I am his best friend ; let him eat as much grass as he wants and present my compliments to him."
The deer met a little later the whale in the sea. " But poor little deer, why are you limping so ; you seem to be very sick."
u Oh ! yes, it is Compair Lapin who did that. Take care, Commère Baleine/' The whale also was frightened, and said : " I want to have nothing to do with the Devil ; please tell Compair Lapin to drink as much water as he wants."
The deer went on his way, and when he met Compair Bouki hé took off the deer's skin and said : " You see that I am more cunning than all of them, and that I can make fun of them all the time* Where I shall pass another will be caught."
" You are right indeed " said Compair Bouki*
II. COMPAIR TAUREAU AND JEAN MALIK
When Jean Malin was small he became an orphan, and he did n#t know where to go or what to do. One day he saw a rich lady who was passing in her beautiful carriage, and he asked her to take him with her. As the lady saw that he was a pretty little boy and that he appeared to be very smart, she asked him how old he was. Jean Malin could not say, but he answered the lady that he had heard his mother say that he was born when the peach-trees were in bloom the year the snow fell. The lady took him in her fine carriage to her house, to be her messenger bôy and to wait at table. The little fellow swm
Ti bougue la prend l'aimin madame la autant que so défint moman et même li té jaloux ein michié riche qui té vini rende visite tous les jous pou marier avec madame la.
Mais i faut mo dit vouzotes que michié la c'était ein taureau qui té connin tourné n'homme dans jou pou vini fait l'amour madame la, et pi les soirs li té tournin taureau encore pou couri manzé zherbe dans parc. Jean Malin té rémarqué que quand michié la té au ras madame so l'amoureuse n'avait pas taureau dans la plaine, et quand taureau té dans parc michié l'amouré té pas la. —I faut mo guetter, dit Jean Malin, yé na quichoge qui ben drôle, que mo pas comprende. Jean guetté, guetté, mais li té gagnin ben soin pas laissé taureau la oua li. Ein jou, bo matin quand Jean Malin té couri cherché di bois pou limin di fé, li oua Compair Taureau dans parc qui té a genoux et pi li té apé dit : — Bouhour, madjam, fat madjam, djam, djam, djara, djara, et pi tout d'ein coup taureau tourné n'homme et li prend marché vini coté so madame. Ah ! mo dit vouzotes Jean Malin té pair, li té tremblé comme quand moune fraite.
Ça fait même jou la n'amouré la té déjénin avec madame la et ti Jean Malin qui té apé servi a tabe té couri tantôt ein coté tantôt ein lote. Li té comme ein papillon a force li té pair. Quand yé mandé li ein l'assiette li donnin di pain ou ben ein fourcette. Madame la babillé li et pi quand so l'amouré té parti li dit Jean Malin li sré renvoyé li si li té pas fait mié et pi madame la té oulé connin qui ça Jean Malin té gagnin.
— Oui, mo connin to pas l'aimin mo l'amouré, cofaire ? .Qui ça li fait toi ?
— Eh ben, mo va dit vous, maîtresse, pou vrai mo pair et si vous té connin ça moin mo connin, vous té pair aussite et vous té pas quitté n'homme la vini dans vous la maison.
— Qui ça yé, mo oulé to dit moin tout suite ou ben mo va taillé toi et mette toi dihors pou la gniappe.
Alors Jean Malin prende crié et pi li dit madame la : — Vous va connin que vous l'amouré c'est gros taureau la qui dans parc et que li connin èhangé en n'homme et tournin taureau encore pou couri manger zherbe.
Ah la ! di fé té manqué prend a force madame la té colaire, li té oulé bimmé Jean Malin, mais pove ti garçon la dit : — Maitresse, coûté moin, quand vous l'amouré a vini encore si mo pas prouvé vous tout ça mo dit vous c'est la vérité, alors va renvoyé moin et fait ça vous oulé avec moin.
— C'est bon, dit madame la, na oua ça, mais rappelé toi to va payer ben cher tous to menteries.
Quéque jours après ça, michié l'amouré vini ; li té faraud. Jean Malin té pensé en li même: — Jordi na oua la farce, pas quéli té
began to love the lady as if she were his mother, and he was jealous of a rich gentleman who came to court the lady every day and wished to marry her.
But I must tell you that the gentleman was a bull who could change himself into a man in the daytime, to come and court the lady, and in the evening he became a bull again to go and eat grass in the park, Jean Malin had noticed that when the gentleman was near his lady love there was no bull in the prairie, and when the bull was in the prairie there was no lover in the parlor. ■ " I will have to watch," said Jean Malin, "there is something strange which I don't understand." He watched, watched, but he took good care not to let Compair Taureau see him. One day, early in the morning, when Jean Malin went to get some wood to light his fire, he saw Compair Taureau on his knees, and saying: "Bouhour, Madjara, fat Madjam, djam, djam, djara, djara," and then, all at once, the bull became a man, and went to see his lady. Ah! I tell you, Jean Malin was afraid, he shivered as if he was very cold.
That very morning the lover took breakfast with the lady and Jean Malin waited on them. He ran sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other, as a butterfly, he was so frightened. When they asked him for a plate, he gave bread on a fork, and the lady scolded him. She told him, when the lover left, that she would send him away if he did not do better, and she wanted to know what was the matter with him.
" I know you don't like my lover, but why ? What did he do to you ? He always treated you well."
"Well, I will tell you, mistress. I am afraid; and if you knew what I know you would be afraid also, and you would not let that man enter your house."
" What is the matter ? Tell me immediately or I shall whip you, and put you out for la gniappe."
Jean Malin began to cry, and he said to the lady : " Know then that your lover is the great bull which is in the park, and that he can change himself into a man and become a bull again to go and eat grass."
The lady was very angry and wanted to beat Jean Malin ; but he said : " Mistress, listen to me. When your lover will come again, if I don't prove to you that all I say is true, you can send me away and do what you please with me."
" All right," said the lady ; " but remember tt*at you will pay dear for all your lies."
A few days after that the lover came. He was dressed in great style, and Jean Malin said to himself : " I will see the fun tô-day,"
connin qui paroles li té doit dit pou fait michié Tamoiiré la vini taureau encore.
Pendant yé té apé dinin madame la té apé gardé Jean Malin pou oua ça li sré fait. Dans même moment que Tamouré la prend la main madame la pou bo so joli doigts Jean Malin qui té apé vidé divin dans so gobelet dit comme ça même paroles la yé li té tende taureau la dit pou tournin n'homme. Li té pas fini dit so dernier mot, <:ré mille tonnerres ! si jamais vous tende vacarme, c'était jou la. Chapeau, quilottes, linettes, n'habit michié la, tout so butin tombe par terre, et Tamcuré la tournin taureau dans la salle a manger; H quilbité la table, cassé la vaisselle avec gobelets et bouteilles ; li défoncé la porte vitrée pou chapper et pi li prend galpé dans la plaine.
— Eh ben, vous content asteur ? dit Jean Malin.
Madame la dit : — Oui, Jean Malin, to té raison, to sauvé moin, mo va gardé toi toujou comme mo prope piti, pasqué to rende moin ein grand service.
Vouzote croit c'est tout ? Ah ben non, vouzote allé oua comment Jean Malin sorti clair avec Compair Taureau qui té fait serment li sré tripe ti bougue la qui té trahi li. Jean Malin té toujou pair, li té gardé partout avant li té fait ein pas, pou pas Compair Taureau té surprende li. Ça fait ein jou Jean Malin té couri coté Compair Lapin pou mandé li ein conseil, li conté li comment li té dans ein grand n^em barras.
Alors Compair Lapin dit li comme ça : —- Coûté ben tout ça mo va dit toi : couri dans bois, to va chercher ein nique hibou qui gagnin dézef ; ta prend trois dans nique la ein vendredi après soleil couché et pi to va porté yé coté moin pou mo drogué yé. Après ça ta fait ça to oulé avec Compair Taureau.
Alors Jean Malin trouvé trois dézef hibou et li porté yé coté Compair Lapin qui fait so grigris avec di lait ein femelle cabri noir et pi li donnin yé Jean Malin et li dit li ça pou fait avec dézef la yé. — Va, asteur, mo garantis toi, Compair Taureau a chagrin quand la fini avec toi.
Quand Jean Malin té apé tournin coté so maîtresse li prend raccourci pou pas contré Taureau, pasqué li té gagnin ein ti méfiance malgré Compair Lapin té assiré li li té pas besoin pair. Dans même moment la li . tende Compair Taureau apé béglé et gratté la terre et voyé la poussière en haut so dos. — Mo fout pas mal toi, dit Jean Malin, " viens, ta oua comme mo va rangé toi. Aussitôt Compair Taureau oua Jean Malin apé vini li foncé dret en haut li. Yavé ein nabe auras la et Jean Malin grimpé, li té pensé c'était plis sire. Leste comme ein cureuil dans ein ti moment li té dans la tête nabe la, Li té temps, Compair Taureau rivé proche en même temps.
— Han, han, mo gagnin toi a la fin, to va bligé descende ou ben crever en haut la.
Compair Taureau et Jean Malin. n
because he knew what to say to make the lover become a bull again.
While they were dining the lady kept looking at Jean Malin to see what he would do. When the gentleman took the pretty fingers of the lady to hiss them, Jean Malin, who was pouring wine into her glass, said the words he had heard the bull utter. Well, if ever you heard a big noise it was on that day: the hat, the trousers, the speeches, the coat, all the clothes of the gentleman fell on the floor, and he was changed into a bull in the dining-room. He upset the table, broke the plates, the dishes, the glasses, the bottles ; he broke down the glass door to escape, and ran into the prairie.
"Well, are you satisfied ? " said Jean Malin. "Yes," said the lady; "you rendered me a great service, and I shall always treat you as my son."
You believe that this is all ? Oh no. You will see how Jean Malin got along with the bull which had sworn to kill the fellow that had betrayed him. The boy was always afraid, and whenever he went out he would look around to see if the bull was not there. One day he went to see Compair Lapin, to ask his advice, and told him in what a bad fix he was.
Compair Lapin said : " Listen to what I am going to tell you. Go into the woods and look for an owl's nest. Take three eggs on a Friday at sunset and bring them to me for me to charm them. Then you will do all you want with Compair Taureau."
Jean Malin found the three owl's eggs and carried them to Com-pair Lapin, who made his grigris on them with the milk of a black goat, and told Jean Malin what to do.
When Jean Malin was going back to the house of his mistress, he looked around for the bull, for he felt a little anxious, in spite of what Compair Lapin had said. There was the bull, bellowing and looking furious. " Come," said Jean Malin, " you will see how I am going to fix you." Compair Taureau galloped straight at him, and Jean Malin climbed up a tree, for he thought it was more prudent. In one minute, like a squirrel, he was at the top of the tree and the bull stood underneath.
" Now I have you at last : you will have to come down," and he began to strike at the tree with his horns.
Li prend donnin coup corne après nabe la et Jean Malin té pas rire tout temps la. Oui, taureau la té colère quand li oua li té pas capabe fait Jean Malin descende, Li mette li a genoux et pi li dit oo paroles yé pou tournin n'honme. Li paraite alors comme ein n'homme avec ein la hache dans so la main.
— Descende, descende, pas quitté moin coupé nabb la pasqué mo va fini toi, ti coquin.
— Biche, biche, Compair Taureau, mo oulé oua ça vous capabe fait. Alors taureau la biche : gip> gop ;gip> gop. Vouzote té capabe tende
la hache la résonné et nabe la té tremblé. Alors Jean Malin dit : — Li temps. Li voyé ein dézef hibou en haut n'épaule Compair Taureau, so bras avec la hache tombé par terre. N'homme-la ramassé la hache la avec la main qui resté : gip, gop ; gip, gop, li apé biche toujou.
— Anon oua, dit Jean Malin. Li voyé dézième dézef la en haut l'ote bras, li aussi li tombé avec la hache comme premier la. N'homme la baissé, li prend la hache la avec so dents: gip, gop ; gip, gop, li apé biche toujou.
— Han, han, dit Jean Malin, asteur to compte clair. Li voyé troisième dézef la en haut la tête n'homme la — la tête tombé par terre. Bras yé avec jambes yé et pi so corps prend tortillé comme ein serpent dans di fé. Alors Jean Malin descende et pi li dit: — I faut to tournin taureau encore pasqué nous besoin toi. Alors li dit paroles yé, la tête et pi bras sauté après corps la et n'homme la tournin taureau encore. Li prend galpé dans dans la plaine jisqua li té tombé, a force li té lasse. Dipis jour la li jamais tracassé Jean Malin qui té gagnin ein meillaire drogue que li.
III.
COMPAIR LAPIN ET VER DE TERRE.
Tout moune connin que tous les ans au mois de mai lapin gagnin ein maladie ; c'est ein ver de terre qui morde li dans so cou en bas so mâchoire et sicé so disang comme pou de bois. Ça rende li faible, faible, et pendant ein mois ver la tchombo li bien et resté croche dans so cou anvant li tomber. Lapin yé croi quand yé couché dans grand zèbe que dé ver sorti dans la terre et grimpé en haut yé. Ça fait yé pair tout qualité dé vers, et si yé oua ein c'est assez pou fait yé galpé tout la journin comme si yavait ein bande chiens darrière yé. Si mo dit vous zotes tout ça c'est pou raconter vous ein zaffaire que Compair Lapin té gagnin avec ver de terre.
Jean Malin laughed at him, and the bull was so angry that he knelt down and said the words to become a man. He immediately was changed into a man with an axe in his hand.
u Come down ! don't let me cut the tree ; for I will kill you, little rogue."
" Cut, Compair Taureau ; I want to see what you can do." The bull struck with his axe : "gip, gop." You* might have seen the tree tremble at every blow. Then Jean Malin threw one of the owl's eggs on Compair Taureau's shoulder, and his arm fell down on the ground with the axe. The man picked up the axe with his other hand, and " gip, gop," on the tree.
Jean Malin threw the second egg on the remaining arm of the man, and the arm fell on the ground. He picked up the axe with his teeth, u gip, gpp," again.
"Now," said Jean Malin, "I will finish you." He threw his third egg on the man's head, and the head fell on the ground. The arms, the legs, the head, the body of the man, began to wriggle like a snake in the fire. Then Jean Malin said : " I want you to become a bull-again." He said the magic words, and the head and the arms jumped to the body, and the man became a bull again and galloped away in great haste. From that time he never worried Jean Malin again, for his grigris had not been as strong as that of Compair Lapin.
III.
COMPAIR LAPÏN AND THE EARTHWORM.
Everybody knows that every year in the month of May Compair Lapin is sick ; it is an earthworm which is in his neck, biting him and sucking his blood like a leech. That makes him weak, weak, and for a month the worm holds on to him, hooked in his neck, before it falls. Rabbits believe that when they lie down in the grass the worms come out of the grass and climb on them. They are, therefore, very much afraid of worms, and if they see one, they run as if they had a pack of hounds after them. If I tell you that it is because I want to relate to you a story about Compair Lapin and the worm.
Ein jour, c'était dans printemps, tout ti zozos té apé chanté, papillon té apé voltizé et pi posé en haut flairs ; té semblé comme si tout zanimaux té apé mercié Bon Djé. Jis ein piti ver de terre qui té apé crié et babillé, li apé dit li té si piti, pas gagnin pattes ni la main, ni zaile et li bligé resté dans so trou ; ti zozo, lézard et même froumi té tracassé li et manzé so piti. Si sélement Bon Djé té fait li gros et fort comme lote zanimaux, li seré content, pasqué li seré capabe défende li même, mais li té sans défense et bligé resté dans so trou. Li crié boucou et pi li dit li seré content si li té pou Diabe. Li té pas fini dit tout ça quand li oua Diabe au ras li.
—~ Eh bien, mo tende tout ça to dit et mo vini mandé toi qui ça to oulé, mo va accordé toi li et to sera pou moin quand ta mouri.
*— Ça mo oulé, mais mo oulé la force, mo oulé vini gros, gros, pou mo capab bimin nimporte qui qua vini bété moin ou tracassé moin. C'est tout, jis ça, mo va content.
— C'est bon, dit Diabe, laissé moin couri, dans ein ti moment to va content.
Aussitôt Diabe la parti ver de terre trouvé li même gros et fort* ça té vini tout d'ein coup, et so trou ou li té coutime resté vini grand et fond comme ein pi. Cré matin ! a force ver de terreté content li té apé ri et chanté. Dans même moment la Compair Lapin trouvé passé tout proche. Yapa arien dans moune qui té fait li plis pair que ça. Li prend galpé jisqua li té lasse. Quand li rété, li soufflé : — Fouiff ! jamais mo té pair comme ça ; si mo pas mouri, jamais mo gagnin pou dormi encore tant gros ver de terre la a resté dans pays icite. Si mo té pas si béte couri vanté moin mo té capab bimin nélé-phant mo seré couri oua li. Mo connin li colère après moin, c'est Bouki qui couri répété li ça ; mais pététe si mo parlé avec li bien, ma capab rangé tout ça. Mapé couri oua li, pététe ma seyé fait yé batte ou bien contré ensembe, mo pense ça va fait ein joli bataille et pététe mo va débarrassé tout lé dé a la fois. Encore ver de terre la dit moin quand mo passé que li té gagné pou réglé mo compte. Oh ! non, mo pas capab vive comme ça, qui ça ma fait Bon Djé, Seigneur. Faut mo couri oua néléphant, mo laimin rnié risqué li, pasqué si mo parlé avec li bien, pététe mo gagnin la chance gagnin mo procèâ. Laissé moin rangé dans mo la tête ça malé dit li pou fait li content.
Alors Compair Lapin prend marché jisqua li contré néléphant ; li salie li et fait li ein joli compliment* Néléphant réponde li poliment 3t mandé li comment ça va.
— Oh ! mo bien malade, dit Compair Lapin, ein lote fois ma vini pou sayé mo la force avec vous, pasqué mo croi mo capab bimin vous.
— To tein sotte, réponde néléphant, couri, mo pas oulé fait toi mal, mo gagnin pitié on toi.
It was a day in spring, the little birds were singing, the butterflies were flying about from one flower to another. It seemed as if all animals were rendering thanks to God for his kindness to them. A little earthworm was the only one which was crying and complaining. He said he was so small, he had neither feet, nor hands, nor wings, and was obliged to remain in his hole. The little birds, the lizards, and even the ants were troubling him and eating his little ones. If God would make him big and strong, like other animals, then he would be contented, because he would be able to defend himself, while now he was helpless in his hole. He cried and cried and said that he would be glad if he belonged to the Devil. Hardly had he spoken when he saw the Devil at his side.
" Well, I heard all you said ; tell me what you want ; I shall grant it to you, and you will belong to me when you die."
" What I want ? — Yes. — I want strength, I want to become big, big, and beat everybody who will come to trouble and bother me. Give me only that and I shall be satisfied.*'
" That is all right," said the Devil ; " let me go, in a short while you will be contented,"
As soon as the Devil had gone, the worm found himself strong and big. The change had come suddenly, and his hole had become large and as deep as a well The worm was so glad that he began to laugh and tu sing. At that very moment Lapin passed, and he was terribly frightened. He ran until he was unable to go any farther, and, when he stopped, he whistled, " fouif." " Never," said he, " was I more frightened. I shall never sleep again as long as that big earthworm will remain in this country. If I had not been so foolish as to boast that I could beat the elephant, I should go to him. It is Bouki who told on me ; but perhaps if I speak to him I shall be able to fix up matters. I must try to make them meet and fight, and perhaps I shall get rid of both at the same time. It would be a pretty fight. Let me go and see the elephant, or I won't be able to sleep to-night. Besides, the earthworm $?id that he would fix me. I can't live that way. Good gracious ! what am I to do ? Let me arrange in my head what I am going to tell the elephant in order to please him."
He went on until In met the elephant. He bowed very politely, and the elephant did likewise, and asked him how he was.
." Oh ! I am very sick," said Compair Lapin ; " another time I shall come to try my strength with you ; I think I can beat you."
"You are a fool," said the elephant. "Go away, I don't want to harm you ; I take pity on you."
— Ma fait vous ein pari mo capab bimin vous,
— C'est bon, quand ta ouié.
—- Plis tard, sélement mo conin vous bon, mo té vini mandé vous ein piti service.
*— C'est bon, qui ça yé ?
«— Ceté pou aidé moin, donne moin ein coup de main pou charrier di bois pou bâti mo cabane.
— Anon tout suite, si to oulé.
Compair Lapin, qui té porté so la hache, biche ein gros nabe. Quand li tombé par terre, li dit néléphant prend gros boute coté la quilasse. — Moin mo va soulever branche derrière et na va porté li dans place ou mo gagnin pou fait mo cabane.
Néléphant chargé nabe en haut so l'épaule sans garder derrière et Compair Lapin monté dans branche yé et pi li assite et quitté néléphant traîné tout. Quand ciîa té lasse li té rété pou posé ein pé. Compair Lapin sauté par terre et pi li vini divant pou encouragé néléphant et li dit : — Mais, compair, vous déjà lasse ? Mais c'est pas arien ça, gardé moin qui forcé autant que vous, mo pas senti la fatigue.
— Foutrou, ça lourd comme Diabe, dit néléphant, anon parti
— C'est ein pé plus loin.
Gros béte la chargé li même encore avec gros di bois la et pi parti. Lapin apé fait semblant poussé dans branche ; quand li oua néléphant pas apé gardé derrière, li sauté dans branche encore et pi li bien assite et li dit : — Plis loin, encore plis loin, passé a droite, passé a gauche.
A la fin néléphant rivé au ras trou ver de terre, — La, c'est bon, mette Ji la. — Néléphant jeté nabe la droit en haut trou ver de terre qui té apé dromi. Alors ver de terre sorti, li poussé nabe la comme ein la paille et pi li prend insiîté néléphant. Lapin pendant temps la té caché dans ein place ou li capab oua et tende tout. Néléphant perdi patience, li fout ver de terre ein coup avec so la trompe. Alors ver de terre sauté en haut néléphant et yé prend batte.
Yé batte comme ça pendant dé zeures jisqua yé té proche mouri. A la fin ver de terre couri caché au fond dans so trou et néléphant couché par terre pou mouri a force li té massacré. Compair Lapin asteur monté en haut néléphant et li fini bimin li. Li halé so zoreille, li fout li des tapes et li dit comme ça : — Mo té pas dit vous mo seré bimin vous ?
— Oui, oui, dit néléphant, mo gagnin assez, Compair Lapin, mapé mouri.
Alors Compair Lapin quitté li et pi li prend ein gros baton et li entré dans trou ver de terre. Li cassé so la tête, li fini tchué li. — Comme ça, li dit, mo débarrassé tout les dé.
" I bet you/* said Compair Lapin, " that I can beat you."
" All right, whenever you want."
" A little later ; but as I know that you are good, I had come to ask you a favor."
«What is it?"
" It is to help me, to give me a hand to carry lumber to build my cabin."
" Let us go right off, if you want."
Compair Lapin, who had carried his axe with him, cut down a big tree, and said to the elephant : " Take it by the big end. I shall raise the branches, and we shall carry the tree to the place where I wish to build my cabin."
The elephant put the tree on his shoulder without looking behind him, and Compair Lapin climbed into the branches, and let the elephant do all the work. When the latter was tired he would stop to rest a little, and Compair Lapin would jump down and run up to the elephant to encourage him. u How is that, compair, you are already tired ; but that is nothing. Look at me, who have been working as much as you. I don't feel tired."
" What ! that is mightily heavy," said the elephant.
" Let us go," said Lapin ; " we have not far to go."
The big animal put the load again on his back and Compair Lapin appeared to be lifting the branches. Whenever the elephant would not be looking Lapin would sit on a branch and say: "A little farther ; go to the right, go to the left."
At last they came to the hole of the earthworm, and Lapin told the elephant to put down the tree. He let it fall right upon the worm who was sleeping. The latter pushed out the tree as if it were à piece of straw, and coming out he began to insult the elephant. Compair Lapin went to hide in a place where he could see and hear all. The elephant lost patience and struck the worm with his trunk.
The worm then climbed up the back of the elephant, and there was a terrible fight for more than two hours, until they were nearly dead. The worm finally hid in his hole and the elephant lay down dying. Compair Lapin mounted upon him, pulled his ears and beat him, and said to him : " Did n't I tell you I would beat you ? "
" Oh ! yes, Compair Lapin ; I have enough ; I am dying."
Lapin then left him, and, going into the worm's hole, he broke his head with a stick. " Now," said he, " I am rid of both of them/*
Ein ti moment après li contré compair Bouki et li raconté li comment li fait néléphant avec ver de terre batte jisqua yé té tchué ein a lote. — To oua mo camarade, rao va dit toi, quand dé bougue apé géain toi, faut to fait yé batte et tchué yé entre yé. Ça fait ta toujou sauvé to la peau.
IV. COMPAIR LAPIN ET COMPAIR L'OURS.
Ein jou Compair l'Ours invité Compair Lapin et Compair Bouki pou dinin chez li. Li dit yé li té acheté di beurre, fromage et biscuit, mais li dit: — Anvant dinin faut vous vini idé moin cassé maïs pou mo choal.
Compair Lapin et Compair Bouki accepté n'invitatïon Compair l'Ours, et yé tous les trois parti dans champs avant soleil levé.
A nef heures yé oua Compair Lapin dressé so zoreilles. — Ça ça yé, dit Compair TOurs.
— Mo jamin oua arien qui bétant comme moune chez moin, Yapé pelé moin et dérangé moin dans mo nouvrage.
— Mo pas tende arien, dit Compair l'Ours.
— C'est pasqué vous et Compair Bouki gagnin si piti zoreilles vous pas capabe tende. Mo zoreilles yé si longues mo tende des milles.
Li parti et li révini ein moment après et li dit c'était pou so fame qui té gagnin ein commencement maladie. Li fait même manège la trois fois dans la journin. A midi li dit so fame té au milieu so maladie ; a trois heures li révini tout triste et dit sélement : — Tout fini.
Compair l'Ours et Compair Bouki plainde li boucou pasqué yé té cré c'était so fame qui té mouri. Au lieu ça chaque fois Compair Lapin té dit H té couri chez so fame li couri chez Compair l'Ours et manzé ein pé so provision, et quand li dit : — C'est fini, li té fini manzé tout.
A cinq heures trois zamis yé quitté l'ouvrage et couri chez Compair l'Ours. Vous capabe pensé comment Compair l'Ours té colère quand li oua so provision té disparaite. Tout suite li accusé Compair Lapin, mais li jiré c'était pas li.
— Ma connin tout suite, nouzotes trois va couché en haut la planche la qui dans do l'eau dans soleil et voleur la va malade sire. Compair Lapin, qui te fronté comme tout, dit oui, pasqué li compté couché dans l'ombre Compair l'Ours qui té boucou plis gros que li. Compair Bouki dit oui aussi.
A little later Compair Lapin met Compair Bouki and told him how he had made the elephant and the earthworm fight until they had killed one another. " You see, my friend, when two fellows are in your way, you must make them fight, then you will always save your skin."
IV. COMPAIR LAPIN AND COMPAIR L'OURS.
One d^y Compair l'Ours invited Compair Lapin and Compair Bouki to dine with him* He told them he had bought butter, cheese, and biscuits, but he said : " Before dinner you must come to help me break some corn for my horse/'
Compair Lapin and Compair Bouki accepted the invitation of Compair l'Ours, and all three went into the field before daybreak.
At nine o'clock they saw Compair Lapin prick up his ears. "What is the matter ? " said Compair l'Ours.
" I never saw anything so annoying as the people at my house. They are calling me and disturbing me in my work."
"I don't hear anything," said Compair l'Ours.
" It is because you and Compair Bouki have such small ears that you can't hear. My ears are so long that I hear miles away."
He went away and came back a moment later, saying it was for his wife who was beginning to be sick. He did the same thing three times during the day. At noon he said his wife was in the middle of her sickness, at three o'clock he came back very sad, and said merely : " All is finished."
Compair TOurs and Compair Bouki pitied him very much because they thought it was his wife who was dead. Instead of that, each time Compair Lapin had said he was going to his wife's house he went to the house of Compair l'Ours and ate a little of his provisions, and when he said : " It is finished," he had finished eating all.
At five o'clock the three friends left their work and went to the house of Compair l'Ours. You may imagine how Compair l'Ours was angry when he saw that all his provisions had disappeared. Immediately he accused Compair Lapin, but he swore it was not he.
" I shall know right off ; all three of us will go and lie down on that plank which is in the water in the sun, and the thief will surely be sick." Compair Lapin, who was very impudent, said yes, because he expected to lie down in the shade by the side of Compair l'Ours, who was much larger than he. Compair Bouki said yes also.
Yé couri coté la planche la, et Compair Lapin té pas content quand li oua c'était ein stage bateau et li sré pas capabe collé contre Compair l'Ours pou trappe so l'ombre. Yé couché en haut la planche loin l'ein de l'ote, et pas plitot yé té la que Compair Lapin té ben malade a cause do l'eau et soleil et li commencé rejeté tout ça li té manzé.
— Ah mo trapé toi, mo compair, dit Compair l'Ours. To va payer moin ça et mo va pende toi.
— Pende moin si to oulé, ça pas fait moin arien, dit Compair Lapin, mais si to oulé mo va donnin toi ein bon moyen. Fais ein trou dans la muraille, passez la corde ladans ; toi et Compair Bouki vous pas dans soleil pou tirer la corde la et pende moin. Tout temps vous sra apé pende moin ma crié, et quand mo sra pas crié ça sra signe mo pas gagnin la voix et mo sra mouri.
Compair l'Ours fait ça Compair Lapin té dit et taché li, mais quand Compair l'Ours et Compair Bouki té dans la maison, li détaché li même et pende so patte yé. Compair l'Ours tiré la corde la, Compair Lapin crié fort, pi si faibe que Compair l'Ours et Compair Bouki té cré li té mouri et yé couri oua lote coté. Yé jiste oua la poussière Compair Lapin tapé fait et yé tende so la voix qui tapé dit : — Vous oua mo plis smart que vous, et mo remercié vous pou bon dinin la mo fait chez vous.
L'IRLANDAIS ET CRAPAUDS.
Ein fois yavait ein l'Irlandais sou qui tapé révini village et té passé coté ein piti la rivière ou yé té gagnin boucou crapauds. Li tende 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, est-ce 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 F 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 jeté - li même 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 même.
They went to the plank, and Compâir Lapin was not pleased when he saw that it was the stage of a boat, and he would not be able to stick to Compair l'Ours to be in the shade. They lay down on the plank, at a distance from one another, and no sooner were they there when Compair Lapin felt very sick on account of the water and the sun, and he began to throw up all that he had eaten.
"Ah ! I have caught you, comrade," said Compair l'Ours. "You will pay for that, and I am going to hang you."
" Hang me if you wish, I don't care," said Compair Lapin ; " but if you want I shall give you a good way. Make a hole in the wall, pass the rope through it, you and Compair Bouki will not be in the sun to pull the rope and hang me. While you will be hanging me I shall cry, and when I shall not cry it will be a sign I have no voice left and I shall be dead."
Compair l'Ours did what Compair Lapin had said and tied him, but when Compair l'Ours and Compair Bouki were in the house, he untied himself and hung by his feet Compair l'Ours pulled on the rope, Compair Lapin cried loud, then so low that Compair l'Ours and Compair Bouki thought he was dead, and they went to see on the other side of the wall. They only saw the dust Compair Lapin was making, and they heard his voice saying: "You see I am smarter than you, and I thank you for the good dinner I had at your house. 19
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 ray neck. M
As he was drunk, he was drowned.
VI. COMPAIR LAPIN ET MADAME CARENCRO.
Est-ce que vous connin pouquoi carencro yé chove ? Non, et ben mo va dit vous,
Ein fois yavait ein dame (Carencro qui té apé couvé dans ein chêne. Li té gagnin ein bon arien mari et té toujou apé mouri faim. Au pied chêne 3a yavait ein gros trou et dans trou la ein lapin té resté. Compair Lapin té gros et gras et té donnin Mme. Carencro envie manzé li chaque fois li té oua li. Ein jou li profité ein ti moment ou Compair Lapin té apé dromi et li prend la mousse et des briques et bouché trou la. Alors Compair Lapin sré pas capabe sorti et li sré mouri faim.
Quand Compair Lapin réveillé et li oua li même fermé li sipplié Mme, Carencro laissé li sorti, mais li réponde chaque fois : — Mo faim et faut mo manger la viande en haut to dézos.
Quand Compair Lapin oua que la prière té pas fait arien li paix, mais Mme. Carencro té si content li té prend Compair Lapin que li tapé liché so la lèvre comme li jonglé quel bon dinin la fait. Comme li pas tende Compair Lapin remué li cré li té mouri touffe et li enlevé la mousse et les briques qui té fermé trou la. Li commencé descende dans trou, mais Compair Lapin fait ein bond et sorti dehors. Quand li té loin li dit comme ça : —To oua, c'est toi qui pris et ma vengé moin.
Li parti et li couri resté chez ein so zamis pasqué li té pair ré-tournin dans chêne la coté Mme. Carencro. Quéque jous après ça Mme. Carencro, qui té blié Compair Lapin, couri promenin avec so pitî qui té tous sorti dans yé coquille. Compair Lapin té content et li pensé comment li sré prend rivanche en haut Mme. Carencro. Li couri dans la quisine, li prend ein grand f erblanc plein la braise et la cende chaud, et quand Mme. Carencro et so piti passé coté la garlie li jeté en haut yé tout ça li té gagnin dans ferblanc pou brûlé yé. Mais vous connin carencro gagnin la plïme épais cepté en haut yé la tête. Ye secoué vite mais pas assez vite pou pécher la plume en haut yé la tête brûler jisqua la peau.
Voila pouquoi carencros choves, et que yé jamin manzé dézos lapin.
VI. COMPAIR LAPIN AND MADAME CARENCRO.
Do you know why buzzards are bald ? No. Well, I am going to tell you.
Once upon a time Mme. Carencro was setting upon her nest on an oak-tree. Her husband was a good-for-nothing fellow, and she was always starving. At the foot of the tree there was a big hole in which a rabbit dwelt. Compair Lapin was large and fat, and every time Mme. Carencro saw him she wished to eat him. One day, while Compair Lapin was sleeping, she took some moss and bricks and closed the hole in the tree. Then Compair Lapin would not be able to get out and would die of hunger.
When Compair Lapin woke up and he found out that he was shut up in the hole, he begged Mme. Carencro to let him out, but she replied each time: " I am hungry and I must eat the flesh*on your bones."
When Compair Lapin saw that it was of no use to beg, he stopped speaking, but Mme. Carencro was so glad she had caught Compair Lapin that she licked her lips when she thought of the good dinner she would make. As she did not hear Compahr Lapin move, she thought he was dead, smothered, and she took away the moss and the bricks which closed the hole. She began to go down the opening, but Compair Lapin made one jump and got out. When he was at some distance he said : " You see, it is you who are caught, and not-1."
He ran away and went to stay at the house of one of his friends, because he was afraid to go back into the oak-tree near Mme. Carencro. Some days later Mme. Carencro, who had forgotten Compair Lapin, went to take a walk with her children, who had all come out of their shells. They passed near the house of Compair Lapin's friend. Compair Lapin was glad, and he thought how he could take vengeance on Mme. Carencro. He ran into the kitchen, he took a large tin pan full of burning embers and hot ashes ; and when Mme. Carencro and her children passed near the gallery, he threw down on them all that he had in the tin pan, in order to burn them. But you know that buzzards have thick feathers except on the top of their heads. They shook off the embers and ashes, but not quick enough to prevent tfye feathers oh their heads to burn down to the skin.
This is why the buzzards are bald and Jiever eat bones of rabbits.
VII. COMPAIR LAPIN ET MICHIÉ DINDE.
Tous les soi quand Compair Lapin té révini so louvrage li té traversé ein lacou ou yé té gaingnin ein gros dinde qui tapé dromi on so perchoir, et comme tous lé zotte dinde cila té mette aussite so Jatéte en bas so zaile pou couri dromi.
Tous les soi Compair Lapin té rété gardé dinde la, et li té mandé li même ça li té fait avec so latéte. Enfin ein soi li té si quirié li rété en bas perchoir la et li dit : — Bonsoi, Michié Dinde*
— Bonsoi, dit dinde la sans levé so latéte.
— Est-ce que vous gaingnin ein latéte, Michié Dinde ?
— Oui, mo gaingnin ein latéte.
— Ou li yé ?
— Mo latéte la.
Compair Lapin té beau chercher li té pas oua latéte Michié Dinde.
Comme li oua dinde la té pas oulé causer avec li ni montré li ou li mette so latéte, li couri chez li et li dit so sère : — Est-ce que to connin que pou couri coucher dinde oté yé latéte? Eh ben, mo cré malle fait même quichoge, pasqué c'est moins tracas dromi sans latéte, et moune capabe parlé sans latéte, pasqué dinde la parlé avec moin.
Avant so sère té gaingnin temps dit li arien, li prend ein lahache, et li coupé so latéte. So sère sayé tout quichoge pou coller latéte so frère, mais li té pas capabe, pasqué li té tchué li même.
VIII.
COMPAIR BOUKI ET MACAQUES.
Bouki mette di fé en bas so l'équipage et fait bouilli dolo ladans pendant eine haire. Quand dolo la té bien chaud Bouki sorti déyors et li commencé batte tambour et hélé Macaques yé. Li chanté, li
chanté :
Sam-bombel ! Sam-bombel tam ! 'Sam-bombel ! Sam-bombel dam !
Macaques yé tende et yé dit :— -Qui ça? Bouki gaignin quichoge qui bon pou manzé, anon couri, et yé tous parti pou couri chez Bouki. Tan yé té apé galpé, yé té chanté: — Molési, cherguinet,
VIL COMPAIR LAPIN AND MR. TURKEY.
Every evening when Compair Lapin returned from his work he passed through a yard where there was a large turkey sleeping on its perch, and like all other turkeys that one also had its head under its wing to sleep.
Every evening Compair Lapin stopped to look at the turkey, and he asked himself what it had done with its head. Finally, one evening, he was so curious that he stopped underneath the perch, and said : " Good evening, Mr. Turkey."
"Good evening," said the turkey, without raising its head
" Do you have a head, Mr. Turkey ? "
" Yes, I have a head."
«Where is it?"
" My head is here."
Compair Lapin looked in vain, but he could not see Mr. Turkey's head. As he saw that the turkey did not want to talk to him or show him where was its head, he went to his house and said to his sister: "I)o you know that to go to sleep turkeys take off their heads ? Well, I believe I shall do the same thing, because it is less trouble to sleep without a head, and one can speak without a head, for the turkey spoke to me."
Before his sister had the time to tell him anything, he took an axe and cut off his head. His sister tried in every way possible to stick it on again, but could not do so, as her brother had killed himself*
VIIL
COMPAIR BOUKI AND THE MONKEYS.
Compair Bouki put fire under his kettle, and when the water was very hot he began to beat his drum and to cry out :
Sata-bombel ! Sam-bombeî tarn ! Sam-bombel ! Sam-bombel dam !
The monkeys heard and said : " What ? Bouki has something good to eat, let us go," and they ran up to Bouki and sang : " Molési cher-
chourvan l Chéguillé chourvan Quand Bouki oua yé li té si content li frotté so vente. Bouki dit Macaques :— Ma lé rentré dans chaudière la, et quand ma dit mo chuite, oté moin. Bouki sauté dans chaudière, dans ein piti moment li hélé: — Mo chuite, mo chuite, oté moin, et macaques halé li déyors. Quand Bouki té déyors li dit Macaques : — Astère ce ouzotte tour rentré dans chaudière. Quand ouzottes va hélé mo chuite ma oté ouzottes. Macaques yé rentré. Dolo la té si chaud, si chaud, sitôt yé touché li, yé hélé : — Mo chuite, mo chuite. Mais Bouki prend so grand couverti et couvri so chaudière serré, et tan li tap'é ri li dit pove macaques yé : — Si ouzottes té chuite ouzottes té pas capabe dit ouzottes chuites. Quand macaques yé té chuites pou même Bouki découvri so chaudière. Asteur ein tout piti macaque, qui té dans ein piti coin, chape sans Bouki oua li. Asteur, Bouki assite, et li mangé, mangé jouqua li té lasse. Mais ein jou li fini mangé dernier macaque et li di : Fo mo trappe lotte macaques. Li prend so gros tambour, li couri on haut la garli et li batte, li batte et li chanté :
Sam-bombel ! Sam-bombel tam I Sam-bombel ! Sam-bombel dam I
Et macaques commencé vini, et apé chanté: — Molest, cheriguillé! Molési, cheriguillé, chourvan ! Quand tous macaques yé té la Bouki rentré dans dolo chaud qui té dans chaudière, et dit : — Quand ma dit : Mo chuite, oté moin. Dans ein ti moment Bouki hélé : — Mo chuite, mo chuite. Ah oua, macaques yé prend gros couverti, et couvri pove Bouki et yé dit li : — Si to té chuite to sré pas hélé.
IX.
MICHIÉ MACAQUE, MARIÉ.
In fois yavé in macaque qui té lainmin in joli jène fille. Li biîlé comme in nomme et li couri oua li. Mamzelle la recevoir li si bien que li ménin so meilleur zami pou oua so namourése. Popa mamzelle la mandé zami michié Macaque question on namouré so fille. Zami la dit michié Macaque té bon et pi riche, mais li té gaingnin ein secret Popa la té oulé connin secret la, mais zami la dit li va dit li ein lote jou. Michié Macaque vini fiancé avec Mamzelle la, et soi so mariage li invité so zami pou souper la. Zami la té jalou michié Macaque, et quand soupe té presque fini li commencé chanté. C'était ein chanson pou fait macaque dansé, même si yé pas oulé, alorse michié Macaque gardé coté so zami et fait li signe rété chanté. Mais
guinet, chourvan ! Chéguillé, chourvan ! " Compair Bouki then said to the monkeys : " I shall enter into the kettle, and when I say ' I am cooked/ you must take me out." He jumped into the kettle, and the monkeys pulled him out as soon as he said " I am cooked."
The monkeys, in their turn, jumped into the kettle, and cried out, immediately on touching the water, " We are cooked." Bouki, however, took his big blanket, and covering the kettle, said : " If you were cooked you could not say so." One little monkey alone escaped, and Bouki ate all the others. Some time after this Compair Bouki was hungry again, and he called the monkeys :
Sam-bombel ! Sam-bombel tarn ! Sam-bombel ! Sam-bombel dam !
When the monkeys came, he jumped into the kettle again and said : " I am cooked, I am cooked." The monkeys, however, which had been warned by the little monkey which had escaped the first time, did not pull Bouki out, but said : " If you were cooked you could not say so."
IX.
MR. MONKEY, THE BRIDEGROOM.
There was a monkey which fell in love with a beautiful young girl. He dressed as a man and went to call on her. He was so well received that one day he took his best friend with him to see his lady-love. The young girl's father asked Mr. Monkey's friend some questions about his daughter's lover. The friend said that Mr. Monkey was good and rich, but there was a secret about him. The father wanted to know the secret, but the friend said he would tell him another day. Mr. Monkey was finally engaged to the young lady, and the night of the wedding he invited his friend to the supper. The latter was jealous of Mr. Monkey, and at the end of the supper he began to sing. This was a song that made all monkeys dance,
li continuai chanté et tout (Tin coup michié Macaque levé et li commencé dansé. Li sauté tellement que so la tchié sorti et tout moune oua li té ein macaque. Popa la comprende secret la et li batte Ii raîde. So zarai chappé apé dansé et chanté.
TORTIE.
In michié qui té vive on bord in bayou trappe in gros tortie et li invité tout suitte so zami pou dinin avec li. So ti garçon, quand li té pas la, couri coté laçage tortie la, et tortie commencé sifflé.
— Comme to sifflé bien, dit piti la. — Oh ! ça, ce pas arien, ouvri la cage la, et ta oua. Garçon la ouvri la cage et tortie sifflé mié que anvant. Garçon la té enchanté. — Mette moin on la planche et ta oua, dit tortie la. Garçon la fait ça, et tortie dansé et chanté.
— Oh ! comme to dansé et chanté bien, dit garçon la. — Mette moin on bord bayou, et ta oua, dit tortie. Garçon la ménin li au bord bayou, et tortie la dansé et chanté. Tout d'in coup li disparaite dans dolo et garçon la commence crié. Tortie levé dans milié bayou et li dit : — Apprende pas fié moune to pas connin.
Garçon la té pair so popa et li mette ein gros la pierre plate dans laçage. Cuisinier la té cré c'était tortie et li mette lapierre dans chaudière. Li té étonnin oua li resté dire si longtemps et li montré li so mai te. Li ordonnin mette tortie on la tabe et li prend so couteau la tabe pou coupé li. C'était pas la peine. Li prend couteau découpé, pas la peine. Li prend casse tête, pas la peine. Li prend lahache ; li cassé lassiette, la tabe, mais tortie la resté telle. Li oua alorse c'était ein lapierre, et jisqua, asteur li pas comprende comment so tortie té changé en lapierre.
whether they wished to or not, so Mr. Monkey looked at his friend and beckoned him to stop singing. He continued, however, to sing, and all at once Mr. Monkey got up and began to dance. He jumped about so wildly that his tail came out of his clothes, and every one saw that he was a monkey. The father understood the secret, and beat him dreadfully. His friend, however, ran off, dancing and singing.
X.
THE TORTOISE.
A gentleman who was living on the banks of a bayou caught a large tortoise, and went immediately to invite some friends to take dinner with him. His little boy, in his absence, went to the cage where was the tortoise, and the latter began to whistle. " How well you whistle ! " said the child. " Oh ! that is nothing ; open the cage, and you will see/' The boy opened the cage, and the tortoise whistled better than ever. The boy was delighted. " Put me down on the floor and you will see," said the tortoise. The boy did so> and the tortoise danced and sang. u Oh ! how well you dance and sing ! " said the boy. "Put me on the bank of the bayou, and you will see," said the tortoise. The boy took her to the bayou, and the tortoise danced and sang. . All at once she disappeared in the water, and the boy began to cry. The tortoise rose in the middle of the bayou and said : " Learn not to trust, hereafter, people whom you do not know."
The boy was afraid of his father, and put a large flat stone into the cage. The cook, thinking it was the tortoise, put the stone into the kettle. She was astonished to see it remain hard so long, and she called her master's attention to it. He ordered the tortoise to be put upon the table, and he took his table knife to cut it. It was in vain. He took the carving-knife, in vain. He took the hatchet, in vain. He took the axe, he broke the dishes, the table, but the tortoise remained intact. He then saw it was a stone, and to this day he has not understood how his tortoise was changed into a stone.
XL COMPAIR BOUKI, COMPAIR LAPIN, ET DÉZEF ZOZO.
Compair Bouki et Corapair Lapin té voisin. In jou Compair Bouki dit li même li té oulé oua ça Compair Lapin té apé tchui tous les soirs dans so cabane. Li couri coté cabane Compair'Lapin* et lî oua in gros chaudière on difé. — Oh ! comme mo gagnin mal aux dents î Compair Lapin, ça vous gagnin dans chaudière la ?
— Ça pas vous zaffaire, Compair Bouki.
— Qui ça qui senti si bon dans chaudière la, Compair Lapin ? Oh ! comme mo gagnin mal aux dents !
— Ce dézef 2020, Compair Bouki, pas bété moin.
— Oh ! comme mo gagnin mal aux dents ! Laissé moin goûté ça vous gagnin la, ça va guéri moin.
Compair Lapin donnin li quéque dézef, et Compair Bouki trouvé yé si bon li té oulé connin ou li té prend yé. Compair Lapin dit li li sré ménin li avec li lendemin matin.
Compair Bouki couri chez li et li dit so moman li té gagnin in bien bon souper chez Compair Lapin. So moman dit li ouvri so labouche pou li capabe senti qui ça li té mangé. Li prend alors in ti morceau dibois et gratté on dents Compair Bouki morceau dézef qui té resté la.
— Oh ! comme c'est bon, li dit. Faut to porté moin in pé. Compair Bouki couri bonne hère lendemin matin avec Compair
Lapin, qui montré li ou dézef yé té et dit li pas prende plis que inné dans chaque nique, pasqué zozo yé sré oua ça. Compair Bouki quand Lapin té parti, prend tout dézef dans chaque nique. Quand zozo révini et yé oua tout yé dézef té volé yé té firié et yé fait in plan pou vengé yé même. Yavé dans bois in bayou qui té séle place ou zanimo té capabe boi. Zozo yé placé yé même autour bayou la et yé oua ein bef vini.
— Compair Bef, est-ce que c'est vous qui mangé nous dézef ? -r- Non, mo zami, mo mangé jisse zerbe.
Choal dit li mangé jisse difoin ; Compair Lapin dit li mangé jisse carottes et laitues, mais quand yé mandé Compair Bouki, li réponde comme in béte : — Oui, c'est moin qui mangé vous dézef.
Pas plitot li té parlé que tous zozo tombé on li ; yé crevé so zié et presque mette li en pièces.
XL
COMPAIR BOUKI, COMPAIR LAPIN, AND THE BIRDS*
EGGS.
Compair Bouki and Compair Lapin were neighbors. One day Compair Bouki said to himself that he wished to see what Compair Lapin was cooking every evening in his cabin. He went to Compair Lapin's cabin and saw a big kettle on the fire. " Oh ! what a toothache I have ! . Compair Lapin, what do you have in that kettle?"
" It is not your business, Compair Bouki."
" What smells so good in that kettle, Compair Lapin ? Oh ! what a toothache I have ! "
" It is birds' eggs, Compair Bouki ; don't bother me."
«' Oh ! what a toothache I have ! Let me taste what you have here. It will cure me."
Compair Lapin gave him a few eggs, and Compair Bouki found them so good that he wished to know where they were to be found Compair Lapin told him he would take him with him the next day.
Compair Bouki went home and told his mother that he had a splendid supper at Compair Lapin's. His mother told him to open his mouth that she might smell what it was that he had eaten. She then took a small piece of wood and scraped off the teeth of Compair Bouki the small pieces of eggs that remained there.
"Oh ! how good it is," she said ; "you must get me some."
Compair Bouki went early the next morning with Compair Lapin, who showed him where the eggs were and told him not to take more than one from each nest, because the birds would perceive it. Compair Bouki, however, as soon as Lapin was gone, took all the eggs from every nest. When the birds returned and saw that all the eggs had been stolen, they were furious, and formed a plan to avenge themselves. There was in the wood a bayou which was the only place where the animals could drink. The birds placed themselves around the bayou and saw an ox coming.
" Compair Bef, was it you who ate our eggs ? "
"No, my friends, I eat nothing but grass."
The horse said he ate nothing but hay. Compair Lapin said that he ate nothing but carrots and lettuce ; but when they questioned Compair Bouki, he replied foolishly: "Yes, it is I who ate your eggs."
No sooner had he spoken when the birds fell upon him ; they put out his eyes and nearly tore him to pieces.
$2 Louisiana Folk-Tales*
XII.
CHIEN AVEC TIGUE.
In jou in chien acheté cent poules et in coq, et in tigue acheté cent coqs et in poule. Tous les soi chien la té trouvé in panier plein dézef dans so poulailler, et tigue la té trouvé jisse in dézet Tigue dit chien volé li, et li taché li, li mette li dans in brouette et li parti pou vende li. On chimin li contré in chévreil ;, li conté li so zaffaire et li mandé li si li pas raison vende chien la. Chévreil la dit non, alors tigue là tchué li. In pé plis tard li rencontré in lion et li raconté li so lhistoire. Lion la dit tigue té gagnin tort, et tigue la dit : — Vous parlé comme ça pasqué vous connin vous plis fort que moin.
Quéque temps après ça tigue couri dans bois et li laissé chien la seul quéque temps. Chassère passé et yé mandé chien la ça Tapé fait la. Li raconté so lhistoire, et chassère yé mandé li montré yé ou tigue la té. Tigue la té pair comme djabe, et dépi temps la chien jamin pair béte sauvage.
XIIL
FILLÈLE COMPAIR LAPIN.
In fois Compair Lapin té apé travaille pou Compair Bouki. Bouki té acheté in baril dibère et li té caché li dans so lacave. Dé compair yé té apé travaille dans clos ensembe, et tout d'in coup, Lapin levé so latéte, et li dit : — Yapé pelé moin pou batisé in pitL
Bouki dit : — Couri tout suite, faut pas to fait H attende.
Lapin parti couri et quand li révini, Bouki dit li : — Eh ben* to batisé piti la ? Coman to pelé li ?
— Mo pelé li Commencé.
— Non, ça ce in drôle nom.
In pé plis tard, Lapin, levé so latéte encore et li dit : — Yapé pelé moin encore pou batisé in lotte piti.
— Couri, dit Bouki, to pas capabe dit yé non.
Compair Lapin parti couri encore et li resté plis longtemps, que
XII. THE DOG AND THE TIGER.
A dog one day bought one hundred hens and one rooster, and a tiger bought one hundred roosters and one hen. Every evening the dog found a basketful of eggs in his chicken-house, and the tiger found only one egg. The tiger accused the dog of robbing him, and, tying him up, he put him in a wheelbarrow and took him along to sell him» On the way fie met a deer, and relating his story to him, he asked him if he was not right to sell the dog. The deer said "no," whereupon the tiger killed him. A little later he met a lion, and related his story to him. The lion said the tiger was wrong and the latter replied, " You speak in that way because you know that you are stronger than I."
After some time the tiger went into the woods and left the dog alone for a few minutes. Some hunters passed b) r , and they asked the dog what he was doing there. He related his story, and the hunters asked him to show them where the tiger was. The tiger was terribly frightened, and from that time dogs have never been afraid of wild beasts.
XIII. COMPAIR LAPIN'S GODCHILD.
Once upon a time Compair Lapin was working for Compair Bouki. The latter had bought a barrel of butter, and had hidden it in his cellar. The two companions were working one day in the field together, when, all at once, Lapin raised his head, and said : " They are calling me to be godfather to a child."
"Go immediately/' replied Bouki; "you must not make them wait."
Lapin ran off, and when he returned, Bouki said to him: "Well, did you baptize the child ? How did you call him ? "
"I called him* Begun/ "
" Indeed, that is a strange name/'
A little later, Lapin raised his head again, and said : " They are calling me again to be godfather to another child."
"Go," said Bouki ; " you cannot tell them no."
Compair Lapin ran off again, and remained away longer than the
premier fois. Quand li révini Com pair Bouki dit li:—Coman to pelé piti la fois cila ?
— Mo pelé li La Motchié.
— La Motchié, mais qui nom c'est ça. Mo jamin tende drôle nom comme ça to donnin piti yé to batisé.
In pé pli tard encore, pendant yé tapé travaille, Lapin levé so latéte et dit :— Eh ben, yapé pelé moin encore pou in lotte piti ; ça bétant, ma jamin fini mo louvrage,
Bouki dit li : — Couri, to pas capabe dit non.
Compair Lapin parti couri et li té pé ri li tout seul.
Quand li révini encore Compair Bouki dit li: — Coman to pelé cila ?
— Oh ! mo pelé li : Tout fini, pasqué mo vé pli batisé piti
Asteur Compair Bouki dit li même : — Faut mo régalé mo même, mapé couri rempli mo bérier avec mo bon dibère. Li vini gardé dans so baril ; pli arien. Lapin té chéché li nette.
— Ça c'est trop fort, dit Bouki, li va payé moin ça. Li trapé Compair Lapin et li taché li et li dit li : — Qui ça ma capabe fait avec toi asteur, ma jeté toi dans dolo.
— Ah ! oui, c'est ça mo laimitu
—- Non, to trop content, ma jeté toi dans difé.
— Ah ! oui, jeté moin dans difé.
— Non, to trop content, ma jeté toi dans zéronce.
— Oh ! pardon, mo cher Bouki, pas jeté moin dans zéronce. —- Oui* c'est la faut to couri.
Compair Bouki lancé Compair Lapin dans zéronce. Asteur, quand Lapin tombé li coupé so la corde avec so dent et li parti galpé et li crié ; *~ Merci, mo bon Compair Bouki, to mette moin jisse la ou mo moman resté.
XIV.
MAMZELLE MOQUÈRE, MICHIE MOQUÈRE, ET MICHIÉ HIBOU.
Eip fois Moquère et pi Hibou tapé fait l'amour même Mamzelle Moquère. Mamzelle Moquère dit yé : Ah bien, ma marié avec cila qui connin resté pli lontan sans mangé. Moin, ma resté en bas nabe la et vouzotte enho li.
Asteur Moquère gardé so namoureuse et li tapé descende nabe et apé chanté :
first time. On his return Bouki said : " How did you call the child this time ? "
«I called him 'Half.'"
"Half! But what name is that? I never heard such strange names as those which you give the children baptized by you."
A little later again, while they were working, Lapin raised his head, and said : "There, they are calling me again for another child ; it is very annoying ; I $hall never be able to finish my work."
" Go," said Bouki; "you cannot say no."
Lapin ran off, laughing to himself.
When he returned, Botiki said : "What is the name of the child ? "
"Oh! I called him 'All Finished/ because I do not want to be godfather to any other child."
Now, Bouki said to himself : "I must have a good dinner ; let me fill my butter dish with my good butter." He looked into his barrel, there was nothing in it. Lapin had eaten all the butter.
" Oh ! that is too much," said Bouki ; " he will pay me for that." He caught Lapin, he tied him with a rope, and said : " Now, what am I going to do with you ? I '11 throw you in the river."
"Ah ! yes, that is what I like."
*' No, you are too glad ; I '11 throw you in the fire."
"Ah ! yes, throw me in the fire."
" No, you are too glad ; I '11 throw you in the briers."
"Oh! I pray you, my dear Bouki, do not throw me in the briers."
" Yes, it is there you must go."
Bouki threw Lapin in the briers. As soon as he fell, he cut the rope with his teeth, and ran away, crying : " Thank you, my good Bouki 5 you placed me exactly where my mother resides."
XIV.
MISS MOCKINGBIRD, MR, MOCKINGBIRD, AND MR. OWL.
Once upon a time the Mockingbird and the Owl were courting Miss Mockingbird. She said to them: "Well, I shall marry the one who will remain the longer without eating. I shall remain under the tree and you upon it."
Now, the mockingbird looked at his lady-love and flew down to her, singing :
Chivi! Chivi! Ta la la! Chivi! Chivi! Ta la la! Hévé ! Ta la la !
Quand li rendi en bas li fait comme si lapé bo Mamzelle Moquère, et cila té gagnin mangé dans so bec et li tapé donnin li jène nomme Moquère la. Moquère monté dans so nabe encore.
Hibou oua tout, lorse li aussite parti pou descende, et tant li tapé descende li tapé chanté : —
Coucou ! Ta la la ! Coucou l Ta la la ! Hévé ! Ta la la !
Li rivé en bas, li vini pou bo mamzelle la, mais mamzelle la tour-nin so latéte et dit li : — Couri, couri, to lézailes fait mo la figure mal. Pove Hibou té pas gagnin arien pou mangé. Li té bo mamzelle la et mamzelle la té donnin li morceau mangé. Hibou descende aussite, mais li té pé commencé bien faim et ça fait so lavoix té vini faibe et triste, et li té pé dit : —
Coucou ! Ta la la la ! Coucou i Ta la la la ! Hévé! Ta la la la!
Mamzelle la té pas oulé gardé li ni donnin li mangé. Pove Hibou té gagnin pou monté dans nabe la so vente vide et Moquère té pé fait so vantor apé chanté si fort : —
Chivi! Chivi! Ta la la! Chivi ! Chivi ! Ta la la ! Hévé! Ta la la!
Pove Hibou apé mouri faim, yé té jiste capabe tende li chanté a force li té f aibe : —
Coucou ! Ta la ! Coucou ! Ta la ! Hévé! Ta la!
Li rivé en bas, li seyé bo mamzelle la encore, mais mamzelle la dit li :— Oh couri, couri, to grand lézailes fait mo mal, et mamzelle la donnin li in tape qui capoté li par terre at li té si faim que li mouri, et Michié Moquère parti volé avec so fame.
Chivi ! Chivi ! Ta la la ! Chivi! Chivi! Ta la la! Hévé! Ta la la!
When he reached Miss Mockingbird, he did as if he wanted to kiss her, and she gave him some food which she had in her beat Mr. Mockingbird flew back to his tree.
The Owl in his turn flew towards his lady love, and he sang :
Coucou ! Ta la la ! Coucou ! Ta la la ! Hévé! Ta la la!
He wished to kiss Miss Mockingbird, but she turned her head aside, and said : " Go away ; your wings hurt me," The poor Owl had nothing to eat, while every day the mockingbird flew down, and, kissing the young lady, got something to eat. The Owl came down also from the tree, but he was beginning to be very hungry, and his voice was very weak when he sang :
Coucou ! Ta la la la ! Coucou ! Ta la la la ! Hévé! Ta la la la!
Miss Mockingbird did not want to look at him or to give him anything to eat, and he had to go back to his tree with an empty stomach. Mr. Mockingbird, on the contrary, grew more boastful every day, and sang in a loud voice :
Chivi ! Chivi ! Ta la la ! Chivi! Chivi! Ta la la! Hévé! Ta la la!
The poor Owl was dying of hunger, and one could hardly hear his song:
Coucou ! Ta la ! Coucou ! Ta la ! Hévé! Ta la!
He tried to kiss Miss Mockingbird, but she said to him : " Go away ; your large wings hurt me," and she gave him a slap which threw him down. He was so weak from hunger that he died, and Mr. Mockingbird flew away with his bride.
XV. MARIAZE COMPAIR LAPIN.
— Tim, tim, bois sec, cré coton, Compair Lapin, c'est ti bonhomme qui connin sauté.
Vous zotes doit rappeler, que après yé té voyé Compair Lapin dans grands zerbes, comme li té chape raide et comme li dit c'était la même so moman té fait li. Pour lors donc mo va dit vous que même jou la "Mamzelle Léonine couri joinde li et yé parti voyagé. Yé marché longtemps, pendant au moin ein mois, a la fin yé rivé au bord ein la rivière qui té boucou fond ; courant la té fort, trop fort pou que yé té passé li a la nage. L'ote coté la rivière la té ein joli place, nabes yé té vert et chargé tout sortes fruits ; en bas nabe yé tout qualité flairs dans moune té la ; quand ein moune té respiré c'est comme si yé té débouché ein fiole lessence dans ein la chambre.
Mamzelle Léonine dit comme ça: — Anon couri vive la, dabord nous pas capabe tournin coté mo popa. La nous va héreux et personne pas allé tracassé nous zotes. Mais comment nous va fait pou traversé lote coté ?
— Rété, dit Compair Lapin, laissé moin jonglé ein ti moment, et pi li prend marché, alors li rivé au ras ein gros di bois sec qui té tombé dans dolo. — Ala nous zaffaire, li dit comme ça. Li coupé ein grand perche et pi li monté en haut di bois la et li dit Léonine suive IL Pove Léonine monté aussite et li té apé tremblé a force li té pair.
— Tchombo bien, ta oua comment na passé, et pi li poussé avec so baton. Di bois la prende descende courant et yé filé raide ; Lapin apé pagaye, pagaye. Yé navigué ein demi journin avant yé té capabe rivé l'ote coté ; courant la té si fort que di bois té toujou apé couri Li raclé la terre quand li passé au ras lécore. — Sauté, sauté, dit Compair Lapin. Quand li dit ça li même té déjà en haut la terre. A la fin Mamzelle Léonine sauté aussite et yé trouvé traversé. Ça fait yé té Content et yé commencé manzé plein bon kichoge yé té gagnin la, et pi yé posé bien.
Yé trouvé ein joli place pou passé la nouitte et lendemïn bo matin yé prend promené partout. Comme tout ça yé oua té vaillant, yé pensé yé sré resté la pou vive. Quand yé té chape, yé té pas capabe porté largent avec yé, ça fait yé trouvé yé a sec. Mais Bon Djé té
XV, MARRIAGE OF COMPAIR LAPIN.
Tim, tint ! Bois sec. Cré coton ! Compair Lapin is a little fellow who knows how to jump !
You all must remember, after they had thrown Compair Lapin into the briers, how quickly he had run away, saying that it was in those very thorns that his mother had made him. Now then, I will tell you that on the same day Miss Léonine went to meet him, and they started travelling. They walked a long time, for at least a month ; at last they reached the bank of a river which was very deep. The current was strong, too strong for them to swim over. On the other side of the river there was a pretty place : the trees were green and loaded with all kinds of fruits. Under the trees were flowers of every kind that there is in the world. When a person breathed there, it was as if a bottle of essence had been opened in a room.
Miss Leonine said : " Let us go to live there ; besides, we cannot return to my father's. There, we shall be happy, and no one will bother us ; but how shall we do to cross over to the other side ? "
"Stop," said Compair Lapin, "let me think a moment," and then he began to walk and walk, until he saw a large piece of dry wood which had fallen into the water. " That is what I want," said he. He cut a tall pole, and then he mounted on the log and told Léonine to follow him. Poor Miss Léonine mounted also, but she was so much afraid that she was trembling dreadfully.
" Hold on well ; you will see how we shall pass ;" and he pushed with his stick. The log began to go down the current ; they were going like lightning, and Lapin kept on paddling. They sailed for half a day before they were able to reach the other side, for the current was so strong that the log was carried along all the time. At last it passed very near the shore. "Jump, jump," said Compair Lapin, and hardly had he spoken than he was on shore. Miss Léonine finally jumped also, and they found themselves on the other side of the river. They were very glad, and the first thing they did was to eat as much as they could of the good things they found there. Then they took a good rest
They found a pretty place to pass the night, and the next day, at dawn, they took a good walk. As everything they saw was so fine, they thought they would remain there to live. When they had run away, they had not been able to take any money with them, so they
béni yé, yé té vini dans ein place ou yé té pas besoin boucou largent. Yavé déjà ein bon boute yé té dans place la, yé té tranquille et content et yé té cré yé tout seul, mais tout d'ein coup yé tende ein tapage, ein remu menage, ein train, comme si tonnerre té apé roulé en haut la terre.
— Qui ça ça, Bon Djé Seigneur, couri gardé, Compair Lapin.
— Moin, non. Comme si mo assez béte pou couri gardé et pététe trapé kichoge mauvais. Vaut mié mo resté tranquille, comme ça arien pas apé rivé moin.
Train la avec di bri la té augmenté toujou. A la fin, yé oua ein procession néléphants qui té apé vini. Comme yé té passé tranquillement sans taquer personne, ça donne Lapin ein pé courage, alors li vancé coté chef néléphants et pi li dit li mandé li la permission resté dans so pays, que li té sorti dans pays roi Lion, ou yé té oulé tchué li, que li té bligé chappé avec so fame.
Néléphant la dit li :— Comme ça, c'est bon, to capabe resté ici tant to oulé, mais pas ménin lote zanimo qui connin manzé yé entre yé. Tant ta comporté bien ma va protégé toi et personne pas allé vini chercher toi icite. Vini oua moin souvent et ma seyé fait kichoge pou toi.
Quéque temps après ça Compair Lapin couri oua roi néléphant, et lé roi té si content quand Compair Lapin té expliqué comment lé roi té capabe fait boucou largent que li nommé Lapin tout suite capitaine so la banque et gardien so bitin.
Quand Compair Lapin oua tout largent li té apé magnin tous les jou, ca proche rende li fou> et comme li té habitoué boi dipi yé té fouillé ein pi dans so pays que dolo la té soulé moune, li continié so vilain nabitude, chaque fois li té gagnin la chance li té soulé li bien.
Ein soir li té rentré tard bien piqué, li prend babillé avec so fame. Léonine fait ni eine ni dé, li bimin Compair Lapin si tant que li resté couché pendant trois semaines. Quand li vini gaillard, li mandé so fame pardon, li di li té soul, que cété dernière fois et pi li bo li. Mais dans so tcheur li gagné vous ein ranquine que li té pas capabe pardonné Léonine. Li fait serment quitté Léonine mais anvant ça li té gagnin donne li ein famé la trempe.
Ça fait ein soir Léonine té apé dromi Compair Lapin prend ein la corde, li marré so pattes devant et derrière, et comme ça li té sir so zaffaire et li prend ein bon fouette et li taillé so femme jisqua li té perde connaissance, et pi li quitté li et li parti voyagé, la ou yé sré jamis tende parlé li, pasqué li té pair Léonine sré tchué li, et li filé loin.
were without a cent. But God had blessed them, for they had come to a place where they did not need much money. They had already been there a good while, and they were quiet and contented, and they thought that they were alone, when one day, they heard, all at once, a noise, a tumult, as if thunder was rolling on the ground.
" What is that, my lord ? Go to see, Compair Lapin."
" I, no, as if I am foolish to go, and then catch something bad. It is better for me to stay quiet, and, in that way, nothing can happen to me."
The noise kept on increasing, until they saw approaching a procession of elephants. As they were passing quietly without attacking any one, it gave Compair Lapin a little courage. He went to the chief of the elephants and told him that he asked his permission to remain in his country ; he said that he came from the country of King Lion, who had wanted to kill him, and he had run away with his wife.
The elephant replied : " That is good ; you may remain here as long as you want, but don't you bring here other animals who know how to eat one another. As long as you will behave well, I will protect you, and nobody will come to get you here. Come sometimes to see me* and I will try to do something for you."
Some time after that, Compair Lapin went to see the king of elephants, and the king was so glad when Compair Lapin explained to him how he could make a great deal of money, that he named immediately Compair Lapin captain of his bank and watchman of his property.
When Compair Lapin saw all the money of the king it almost turned his head, and as he had taken the habit of drinking since they had dug in his country a well, of which the water made people drunk, he continued his bad habit whenever he had the chance.
One evening he came home very drunk, and he began quarrelling with his wife. Léonine fell upon him and gave him such a beating that he remained in bed for three weeks. When he got up, he asked his wife to pardon him ; he said that he was drunk, and that he would never do it again, and he kissed her. In his heart, however, he could not forgive Léonine. He swore that he would leave her, but before that he was resolved to give her a terrible beating.
One evening when Léonine was sleeping, Compair Lapin took a rope and tied her feet before and behind. In that way he was sure of his business. Then he took a good whip, and he whipped her until she lost consciousness. Then he left her and went on travelling. He wanted to go to a place where they would never hear of him any more, because he was afraid that Léonine would kill him, and he went far.
Quand Léonine réveillé li pelé, li pelé, moune vini oua ça té yé et yé trouvé li bien marré. Alors yé démarré li et Léonine parti tout suite. Li quitté so la maison, li voyagé longtemps jisqua li vini coté même rivière li té traversé avec Compair Lapin en haut ein di bois. Li fait ni éin ni dé li sauté dans dolo. Courant la té si fort ça té souteni li bien. A force débatte, nager, nager, li traversé lote coté. Quand li monté en haut la terre li té bien lasse et té gagnin pou posé ein bon boute et pi li parti pou tournin coté so popa.
Quand so popa oua li li bo li et li caressé li, mais so fille prend crié et li di li comment Compair Lapin té traité li. Quand so popa tende ça a force li té colère tout ça yé qui té au ras li prende tremblé.
— Vini icite, Compair Renard, ta couri trouvé lé roi néléphant et ta dit li comme ça si li pas voyé moin Compair Lapin icite plis vite que li capabe ma va couri dans so pays tchué li" et tout lote nélé-phants et tout ça qui yé dans so pays. Parti tout suite.
Compair Renard voyagé longtemps et a la fin rivé dans pays la ou Compair Lapin té caché. Mais li pas oua li, li mandé pou li mais personne té pas capabe donné so nouvelle. Compair Renard couri trouvé lé roi et li dit li ça so tchenne roi té voyé dit li. Néléphant qui haï Lions réponde : — Va dit to maite si li envi mo cassé so la djole li jis seyé vini. Mo pas apé voyé arien ni personne et commencé par foute to camp. Si to oulé ein bon consçil resté coté toi. Si jamais Lion seyé vini, ma donné li ein lagniappe que pas eine dans vous zotes gagnin pou tournin dans vous zote pays.
Compair Renard pas mandé so restant, li parti mais li té pas bou-cou envi tourné chez li, li té pair Lion sré tchoué li si li té vini sans Compair Lapin. Li marché plis doucement que li té capabe et tout di long chemin li oua yé té apé préparé pou fait la guerre. Li pensé que pététe néléphants té oulé couri taqué lions, li continié so chimin, quand li rivé dans ein la plaine li oua Compair Lapin qui té apé galopé en zigzag, tantôt ein coté tantôt lote et pi li té rété quand li rencontré zanimo, et pi li parlé avec yé et pi li parti encore aussi raide comme anvant. A la fin yé fini par contré, mais Compair Lapin té pas recorçnaite so vie padna.
— Ou tapé couri comme ça, galopé, galopé tout temps ?
— Ah, réponde Compair Lapin, vous pas connin mauvais nouvelle que Lion déclaré ladjerre tous néléphants et mapé verti tous milets, choals et chameaux yé pou yé fou camp.
When Miss Leonine came back to herself, she called, she called ; they came to see what was the matter, and they found her well tied up. They cut the ropes, and Léonine started immediately. She left her house, she travelled a long time, until she came to the same river which she had crossed with Compair Lapin upon the log. She did not hesitate, but jumped into the water. The current carried her along, and she managed, after a great many efforts, to cross over to the other side. She was very tired, and she had to take some rest ; then she started to return to her father.
When her father saw her, he kissed her and caressed her, but his daughter began to cry, and told him how Compair Lapin had treated her. When King Lion heard that, he was so angry that all who were near him began to tremble.
"Come here, Master Fox; you shall go to the king of elephants, and tell him, that if he does not send Compair Lapin to me as soon as he can, I shall go to his country to kill him and all the elephants, and all the other animals, and everything which is in his country Go quick!"
Master Fox travelled a long time, and arrived at last in the country where Compair Lapin was hidden. But he did not see him ; he asked for him, but no one could give him any news of him. Master Fox went to see the king of elephants and told him what King Lion had said. The elephants hate the lions, so the king replied: "Tell your master that if he wishes me to break his jaw-bone, let him come. I shall not send anything or anybody, and first of all, get away from here quick. If you want good advice, I can tell you that you had better remain in your country. If ever Lion tries to come here, I shall receive him in such a manner that no one of you will ever return home."
Master Fox did not wait to hear any more; but he had no great desire to go back to his country, for he thought Lion would kill him if he returned without Compair Lapin. He walked as slowly as he could, and all along the road he saw that they were making preparations for war. He thought that perhaps the elephants were going to attack King Lion. He went on his way, and on arriving at a prairie he saw Compair Lapin, who was running in zigzags, sometimes on one side of the road, sometimes on the other. He stopped whenever he met animals and spoke to them, and then he started again as rapidly as before. At last Master Fox and Compair Lapin met, but the latter did not recognize his old friend.
" Where are you going like that, running all the time? "
"Ah!" replied Compair Lapin, "you don't know the bad news. Lion has declared war against all elephants, and I want to notify all mules, horses, and camels to get out of the way."
— Mais to même qui zaffaire to gagnin pou galopé, yé pas apé prend toi pou fait soldat avec toi ?
— Non, to croi ça, réponde Compair Lapin, ah bien, to pas connin arien avec tout to malin. Quand n'officier lé roi a vini chercher choals et milets pou la cavalerie pou fait la djerre yé va dit comme ça : Ala ein bougue grand zoreille, c'est ein milet, anon prend li, et quand même mo réclamé et dit moîn c'est ein lapin yé va dit : Oh non, gardé so zoreille, vouzote oua ben c'est ein milet, et mo sra fouti, yé vd enrôlé moin et mo va bligé marché. Mais semblé moin mo connin vous, mais si longtemps mo pas oua vous. Bon Djé tende moin, c'est Renard, mo zami lézotes fois.
— Oui, oui, c'est moin, mo vie. Eh ben, ça vous dit pou tout vilain zaffaire yé ?
—* Tout ça pou ein femme, dit Compair Lapin, faut nous seyé, mo zami, pas trouvé nouzottes dans yé procès.
— Mais comment na fait, dit Renard, yé va forcé nouzotes la dans.
— Non, dit Compair Lapin, faut to conseillé Lion, mo va conseillé Néléphant, alors comme ça nous va resté gardé et laissé ye batte tant yé oulé.
— To connin, dit Renard, Léonine tournin coté so popa et comme vouzotes té pas marié devant léglise mo croi ben Lion en train marié so fille avec ein dans so voisin ; ça pas fait toi la peine, Compair Lapin, tende tout ça ?
— Non, ça zié pas oua tcheur pas fait mal.
Dé malin yé causé bon boute, yé té si content, navé si longtemps yé té pas contré. Dans même moment yé té paré pou parti yé oua dé chien qui tapé grongnin nez a nez et pi yé senti ye même partout.
— Vous, Compair Renard, qui connin tout quichoge, vous capabe dit moin cofaire chien gagnin vilain nhabitude la ?
— Mo va dit vous, Compair Lapin, cofaire yé fait ça. Les otes fois, yéna longtemps, dans temps yé navé jis ein Bon Djé qui té pelé Michié Zipiter, tout chien té trouvé yé sort té malheureux, alors yé voyé ein délégation, ein bande chien pou mandé Bon Djé pou li méli-orer yé condition. Quand yé té rivé au ras la maison Michié Zipiter dans ciel tout la restant chien yé té pair, yé parti, jis Brisçtout, plis gros chien la bande qui resté. Li té pas pair arien, li vancé au rais Michié Zipiter, et pi li dit comme ça : — Mo nation voyé moin coté vous pou mandé vous, qui maite tout ça yéna en haut la terre, si vous croi na va gardé nous maites yé tout la journin et tout la nouite, jappé tout temps, trappe coups pied, pas mangé arien. Nous trop
" But you, why are you running so ? They are surely not going to make a soldier of you ?"
" No, you believe that. Ah, well, with all your cunning you know nothing. When the officers of the king will come to get the horses and mules for the cavalry to go to war, they will say: 'That's a fellow with long ears ; he is a mule ; let us take him.' Even if I protest, and say that I am a rabbit, they will say ': * Oh, no ! look at his ears ; you see that he is a mule/ and I should be caught, enlisted, and forced to march. It seems to me that I know you, but it is such a long time since I have seen you. May God help me, it is Master Fox, my old friend ! "
" Yes, yes, it is I, my good fellow. Well ! what do you say about all that bad business ? "
" All that is for a woman/' said Compair Lapin ; "we must try, my friend, to have nothing to do with that war/'
"But what shall we do?" said Master Fox. "They will force us into it."
"No, you must be King Lion's adviser, and I will be that of King Elephant, and in that way we shall merely look on and let them fight as much as they want"
" You know," said Master Fdx, " Léonine has returned to her father ; and as you were not married before the church, I believe that Lion is about to marry her to one of his neighbors. Does it not grieve you, Compair Lapin, to think of that ? "
"Oh, no; ça zié pas oua tcheur pas fait mal (we feel no sorrow for what we do not see)."
The two cunning fellows conversed a long time, for they were glad to meet after such a long absence. As they were about to part, they saw two dogs, that stood nose to nose, growling fiercely, and then turned around rapidly and began to smell each other everywhere.
" You, Master Fox, who know everything, can you tell me why dogs have the bad habit of smelling each other in that way ? "
" I will tell you, Compair Lapin, why they do that In old, old times, when there was but one god, called Mr. Jupiter, all the dogs considered their lot so hard and unhappy that they sent a delegation to ask Mr. Jupiter to better their condition. When they arrived at the house of the god in heaven, all the dogs were so frightened that they ran away. Only one remained ; it was Brisetout, the largest dog of the party. He was not afraid of anything, and he came to Mr. Jupiter, and spoke thus : ' My nation sent me to see you to ask you whether you think that we are going to watch over our masters all day and all night, bark all the time, and then be kicked right and left and have nothing to eat We are too unhappy, and we want to
malheureux et nous oulé connin si nous pas capabe temps en temps manzé moutons nous zotes maites ; nous pas capabe travaille comme ça pou arien, ça vous dit, Michié Zipiter ?
— Attende ein ti moment, mo va donnin toî ein réponse que jamin vous zotes a envie vini bété moin encore, mo lasse tende tout sortes plaintes, to tende.
Alors li parlé ein langage personne té capabe comprende et ein dans so commis sorti pou couri cherché quichoge. Li dit Brisetout assite et chien la resté en haut dernier marche l'escalier. Li té cré Michié Zipiter té gagnin pou régalé li, mais premier quichoge li té connin, commis la tournin avec lote moune, yé prend Brisetout, yé marré li ben, ensuite yé prend ein pote ferblanc yé mette ladans piment avec télébentine et yé frotté chien la partout. A force ça té bourlé li, li hélé, li béglé et pi yé lâché li. Alors Michié Zipiter dit li comme ça : — Va porté ça to camarades et chaque dans vous zotes qua vini plainde, ma va traité yé pareil, to tende, hein ?
Ah non, li pas tende, pasqué Brisetout galopé dret devant li, sans connin ou la couri. A la fin li rivé devant ein bayou, li tombé ladans et li neyé.
Quéque temps après ça Michié Zipiter té pas senti li bien, li pensé li sré quitté ciel, vini promenin ein pé en haut la terre. Dans so chimin li contré ein pommier qui té chargé avec belle dépommes, li commencé *nangé et pendant temps la ein bande chien vini jappé après li. Li commandé so Baton fout yé ein bon trempe et Baton la prend tournin a droite et a gauche. Li bimin tout chiens yé et paillé yé tout, jis ein pove chien gale. Li mandé Baton la pardon, alors Baton la poussé li divant Michié Zipiter et li dit comme ça : — Chien cila té si maigre mo té pas gagnin courage bimin li. — C'est bon, dit Michié Zipiter, laissé li couri, mais si jamais chien vini jappé après moin mo va détruit yé tout Vous zotes déjà voyé ein délégation coté moin et mo traité li bien pou pas li vini encore et vous zotes déjà blié ça. Pove chien maigre la dit li : — C'est vrai ça vous dit, mais nous pas jamin oua commissionaire nous té voyé coté vous, napé tende li toujou. Alors Michié Zipiter dit: — Mo va dit toi comment vous zotes sra capabe reconnaite H : si vous zotes senti lein a lote, cila qui senti télébentine, c'est li vous zotes té voyé coté moin.
— Vous oua asteur, Compair Lapin, cofaire chien senti ein a lote,
know if you will allow us once in a while to eat one of the sheep of our masters. We cannot work like this for nothing. What do you say, Mr. Jupiter ? '
"'Wait a moment- I shall give you such a reply that you will never wish to annoy me any more. I am tired of hearing all sorts of complaints. I am tired, do you hear ? '
" Then Mr. Jupiter spoke a language that no one could understand, and one of his clerks went out to get something. He told the dog to sit down. Brisetout remained on the last step of the staircase. He thought that Mr. Jupiter was going to give him a good dinner ; but the first thing he knew, the clerk returned with another man. They took hold of Brisetout, they tied him well, then they took a tin pan in which they put red pepper and turpentine. They rubbed the dog all over with the mixture ; it burnt him so much that he howled and bellowed. When they let him go, Mr. Jupiter told him : * You will give my reply to your comrades, and each one that will come to complain will be received in the same manner ; you hear ? '
** Ah, no, Brisetout did not hear ; he ran straight ahead without knowing where he was going. At last he arrived at a bayou, fell into it, and was drowned.
" Some time after that, Mr. Jupiter did not feel well. He thought he would leave heaven and take a little trip to earth. On his way he saw an apple-tree which was covered with beautiful apples. He began to eat some ; and while he was eating, a troop of dogs came to bark at him. Mr. Jupiter ordered his stick to give them a good drubbing. The stick began to turn to the right and to the left, and beat the dogs so terribly, that they scattered about in a minute. There remained but one poor dog, who was all mangy. He begged the stick to spare him. Then Stick pushed him before Mr. Jupiter, and said : ' Master, that dog was so thin that I did not have the courage to beat him.' ' It is very well/ said Mr. Jupiter, ' let him go ; but if ever any dog comes to bark at me again, I shall destroy them all. I don't Avant to be bothered by you, I say. You have already sent me a delegation, and I received them so well that I don't think they will like to come back to see me. Have you already forgotten that ? ' The poor lean dog replied : ' What you say is true, but we never saw again the messenger we sent you ; we are still waiting for him/ Mr* Jupiter then said : ' I will tell you how you can find out the messenger you had sent to me : let all dogs smell one another, and the one which will smell turpentine is the messenger.'
" You see now, Compair Lapin, why dogs smell one another. It
c'est Michié Zipiter qui fait ça. Pove vieux Michié Zipiter li perdi tout so pratique pasqué pape ordonnin tout moune quitté li et ii té bligé fermé so boutique. Li parti et personne pas connin ou li couri. Vous comprende, Compair Lapin, toujou même quichoge, ein moune fini par dégoûté, alors yé prend ein lote Bon Djé et ein lote religion. Cila nous gagnin asteur mo croi li bon.
— Merci, merci, Compair Renard, et pou prouvé vous nous toujou bon zamis mo va dit vous ça nous capab fait Comme mo déjà dit vous na va resté tranquille. Comme Néléphant yé oulé couri taqué Lion chez li même na va fait en pont pou passé larmée et sitôt li va fini na va marché dret sans rété nille part jisqua nous rendi coté Lion. Nous oulé surprende li ; pas dit ça personne, vous tende.
Yc serré la main et yé séparé. Renard prend so chimin et Lapin couri trouvé Roi Néléphant et pi li dit tout charpentier et forgeron dans pays faut yé coûté li. Quand tout zouvrier té réini Compair Lapin commencé fait so pont qui té vite fini. Au boute pont la, coté yé, li fait ein grand parc. C'était barre di fer qui té planté dans la terre disse pieds haut et pi si pointi au boute que ein démouche té pas capabe posé sans li resté pris ; et pi li couvri tout barre di fer avec la liane et tout quichoge qui té vert comme si c'était ein grand talle zéronce, pou yé douté c'était ein la trappe. Alorse li prend quatre lavache avec yé piti veaux et marré yé dans bo milié la» Après ça li mette piment, la cendre et la prise que li paillé partout dans la trappe la. Li mette aussi plein baille dolo avec ein drogue qui té connin endormi tout souite. — La, Compair Lapin dit, nous paré, laissé Lion vini taqué nous zotes.
Renard té apé voyagé toujou pou couri rende compte so commission, mais li té si pair couri coté Lion sans Compair Lapin que li pensé li té vaut mié pas couri ditout. Dans so chimin li contré ein poule, li tchué li, li prend so disang et barbouillé ein vie linge. Li marré so patte darriere et li prend boité, sauté en haut trois pattes A la fin li rencontré Bourriquet et li dit comme ça : — Mo cherzami, rende moin ein ti service, to oua comme mo malade. Tant prie, couri coté Lion et dit li mo pas capabe vini. Yé cassé mo patte coté néléphant pasqué mo té couri réclamé Compair Lapin.
— Oh, non, dit Bourriquet, to té toujou conte moin avec Compair Lapin, couri to même.
was all Mr. Jupiter's doing. Poor old fellow, he has now lost all his clients, since the pope ordered everybody to leave him, and he has had to close his shop. He left the heaven, and no one knows where he went to hide. You understand, Compair Lapin, people get tired ôf having always the same thing ; so they took another religion, and I think that the one we have now is good."
" Thank you, thank you, Master Fox, for your good story ; and in order to show you that I am your old friend, I will tell you what we can do. As I told you already, we must remain very quiet. As the elephants want to go to attack King Lion in his own country, they will make a bridge for the army to pass. When the bridge will be finished they will go straight ahead, without stopping anywhere, to attack King Lion, for they want to take him by surprise. Don't you tell that to anybody, you hear."
Compair Lapin and Master Fox then shook hands, and they parted. Master Fox went on his way, and Compair Lapin went to the king of elephants and asked him to give orders to all the carpenters and blacksmiths in the country to obey him. When all the workmen were assembled, Compair Lapin began to make the bridge, and soon finished it. On the side of the river which was in the country of the elephants, he made at the end of the bridge a large park. These were bars of iron planted in the earth ; they were at least ten feet high, and so sharp that a fly could not touch one without being pierced through. Compair Lapin then covered the bars ôf iron with branches and brambles to make it appear like a patch of briers, in order that they might not know that it was a snare. Th£n lie took four cows with their calves, and tied them in the very middle of the pit. Then he put in it red pepper, ashes, and tobacco snuff. Then he placed in the trap a great number of tubs of water, in which there was a drug that made people go to sleep right off. After he had finished all this, Compair Lapin said : " Now let King Lion come to attack us."
Master Fox was still travelling to render an account of his errand to King Lion; but he was so much afraid to return without Compai* Lapin, that he concluded that it was better not to return at all. On his way he met a hen ; he killed it, and covered an old rag with the blood. He tied his hind paw with the rag, and he began to limp> and jump on three feet. At last he met Bourriquet, to whom he said : "My dear friend, fender me a little service ; you see how sick I am. I pray you to go to King Lion, to tell him that I cannot come tô see him. The elephants broke my leg because I had come to claim Compair Lapin. 1 '
"Oh, no!" said Bourriquet; "you were always against me witïl Compair Lapin. <îo yourself."
— C'est bon, dit Renard, c'est pas jis einfois la bouche besoin manger, ta va besoin moin avant longtemps, si to té connin ça mo oua et ça mo connin, to té coûté moin.
— Eh ben, dis moin tout, mo va couri, dabord vous pas capabe marcher.
— C'est ben, coûté alors : Néléphant conté vini taqué Lion chez li ; pou ça yé fait ein grand pont pou passer et yé va vini tout sûuitfc surprende Lion. Si Lion connin quichoge, la fait mié couri taqué néléphant avant yé vini soulever li sans li douté arien.
Alors Bourriquet parti grand galop et quand li rivé coté Lion li dit tout ça Renard té conté li. Lion té si content li dit ein so moune donnin Bourriquet ein pé lapaille pou mangé. Bourriquet té pas content, li babillé ein pé, alors cila qui donne li la paille dit li : — To connin que ein choal donnin to doitepas gardé la bride.
— Mo té croï, dit Bourriquet, mo sré gagnin meillère récompense, mais ma prend ça toujou, pasqué ein ti zozo dans la main vaut mié que plein ti zozos quapé voltigé dans bois.
Tout dein coup yé tende ein grand boulvari. C'était Lion avec tout so zanimo, tigue, lours, loup et tout ça li té capabe ramassé. Renard té déjà tournin pou verti Compair Lapin yété apé vini.
Léonine té dans la bande et a tout moment so popa té apé dit li : — Mo content to vini, Compair Lapin gagnin pou payer tout so farce, faut to traité li comme li traité toi.
Lion té en tête la bande ; quand yé té proche pont la li contré Compair Renard qui té couché dans chimin avec so patte cassé.
— An, an, dit Lion, c'est comme ça yé traité toi, yé gagnin pou payé tout ça
— Couri vite, dit Renard, pas attende yé vini taqué vous zotes, passé pont la tout souite, vous zotes va dérouté yé.
Yé continué yé chimin, yé tout té apé galpé et yé prend pou passé pont, Lion en tête avec so fille. Quand yé vini coté la trappe la et yé oua lavache layé qui té apé béglé, Lion et so la bande mangé yé tout. Ensuite yé prende batte et yé voltigé la cendre et piment et la
"That is good/' said Master Fox ; " c'est pas jis einfois la bouche besoin manger (I shall have my chance again, you will need me again). If you knew what I have seen and what I know, you would listen to me.
"Well, tell me all," said Bourriquet; "and I will go, since you cannpt walk."
" That is all right ; listen well The elephants intend to come to attack King Lion in his country. They are making a bridge to cross the river, and as soon as the bridge will be finished they will come immediately to surprise Lion. If the king understood his business, he would hasten to attack the elephants in their own country, before they come to lift him up before he knows it."
As soon as Master Fox had finished speaking, Bourriquet galloped away and went to King Lion, to whom he said what Master Fox had related to him. The king was so glad that he ordered some one to give Bourriquet a little hay to eat. Bourriquet was not very much pleased, and he began grumbling. " Don't you know, Bourriquet," said the king's servant, " que ein choual donnin to doite pas gardé la bride (that you must not look at the bridle of a horse which was given to you)."
" Well/' said Bourriquet, " I had expected a better reward, but I *11 take that anyhow, because ein ti bozo dans la main vaut mié que plein ti zozos quapé voltigé dans bois (a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush)."
All at once they heard a dreadful noise. It was King Lion, who was starting for the war with all the animals which he could find : tigers, bears, wolves, all King Lion's subjects were there. As to Master Fox, he had run back to notify Compair Lapin that the enemies were coming.
Miss Léonine was with the army, and her father used to tell her all the time : " I am glad that you came ; Compair Lapin will have to pay for all his tricks ; you must treat him as he treated you."
King Lion was at the head of the army, and coming near the bridge he saw Master Fox, who was lying in the road with his leg broken.
" Oh ! oh ! " said Lion, " this is the way they treated you ! They shall have to pay for all that."
" Make haste," said Master Fox ; " don't wait till they come to attack you ; pass the bridge immediately ; that will throw them in confusion."
The army went on. They all ran to pass over the bridge, King Lion at the head, with his daughter. As soon as they arrived at the place where was the snare, and they saw the cows and their calve$, King Lion and his troops killed them and began to eat them. Then
prise et ça té aveuglé yé. Yé batte, yé massacré yé même et pi ça yé qui té resté boi dolo la. Dé zère après ça yé tout té apé dromi.
Alors néléphant vini tchué yé et jeté yé dans dolo. Yé corché Lion, yé prend so lapeau et coude Bourriquet ladans. Yé mette ein tas la paille avec godron après so la tcheu, et yé mette di fé ladans et pi yé lâché li pou couri porté la nouvelle dans pays Lion*
Quand Bourriquet passé en haut pont, a force li galpé vite moune té cré c'était tonnerre qui té apé roulé plis dé cent charretées. Quand Bourriquet rivé dans pays Lion so boute la tcheu té tombé a force li té bourlé, li dit c'était dans ein bataille yé té donne li ein coup sabe. Malgré li té porté ein triste nouvelle yé ri après li pasqué li té trop drôle comme ça.
Quand tout ça té fini, Compair Lapin couri trouvé Compair Renard et li ménin li coté Roi Néléphants. Compair Lapin présenté li et dit lé roi que Renard té ein so bon zamis et li sré content si Roi té accepté li et yé dé sré rende bande services. Roi néléphants dit yé : — Mo croi vous zotes ce dé malin, dans zaffaire nous té gagnin avec Lion mo croi Compair Renard té galpé avec chévreil et chassé avec chien. Enfin c'est bon, li capabe resté icite. Tant qu'a pou toi, Compair Lapin, mo ouié to marié, ala ein Mamzelle Lapin BlanC qui riche, c'est to zaffaire, demain mo oulé la noce la.
Lendemin tout moune té réini et yé célébré la noce Compair Lapin avec Mamzelle Lapin Blanc et Compair Renard té so premier garçon d'honnair. Trois semaines après la noCe Madame Compair Lapin gagnin dé piti, ein té blanc, lote té noir comme la souie chimiiiin. Compair Lapin té pas content, li couri oua Roi néléphant pou dit li ça.
— Ah bah, dit lé Roi, to pas connin arien, to bien marié devant léglise, mo pas capabe donnin toi divorce, et pi mo va dit toi, c'est nhabitude dans famille Madame Compair Lapin gagnin piti qui noir» c'est quand madame yé pair la nouitte, ainsi consolé toi.
Ça fait Compair Lapin consenti resté avec so femme iisaua Ji mouri et c'est comme ça li marié avec tout so fredaine.
Comme mo té la quand tout ça rivé mo vini pou conté vous ça,.
they quarrelled among themselves and began to fight. They scattered about the ashes, the red pepper, and the tobacco snuff, and were completely blinded. They fought terribly; they massacred one another ; then those that were left drank the water in the tubs. Two hours later they were all sound asleep.
The elephants, which had remained prudently at a distance, hearing no more noise, came to the bridge. They killed all the animals that were left in Lion's army, and threw their bodies in the river. They flayed King Lion ; they took his skin and sewed Bourriquet into it ; then they tied some straw, covered with pitch, to Bourriquet's tail ; they put fire to the straw, and they let him go to announce the news in Lion's country.
When Bourriquet passed on the bridge, he was galloping so fast that one might have thought that it was thunder that was rolling on the bridge, as if it were more than one hundred cart-loads. When Bourriquet arrived in his country his tail was entirely consumed by the fire, but he said that he had lost it in a battle. Although he announced very sad news, no one could help laughing at him : he was so funny without his tail, and so proud of his glorious wound.
As soon as all was over at the bridge, Compair Lapin went to get Master Fox, and took him to the king of the elephants. He presented him to his majesty, and told him that Master Fox was his good friend, and if the king wanted to accept his services, they would both be his very faithful subjects. The king of elephants said to them : " I believe that you are two cunning rascals, and that in my war with King Lion, Master Fox té galpé avec chévreil et chassé avec chien (had been on both sides of the fence) ; but all right, he may remain here, if he wants. As for you, Compair Lapin, I want you to get married. Here is Miss White Rabbit ; she is rich, and will be a good match for you. To-morrow I want to dance at the wedding/*
The next day all the people assembled, and celebrated with great splendor the marriage of Compâir Lapin with Miss White Rabbit. Master Fox was the first groomsman. Three weeks after the wedding, Mrs. Compair Lapin gave birth to two little ones ; one was white and the other as black as soot. Compair Lapin was not pleased, and he went to see the king of elephants.
" Oh ! you know nothing," said the king ; " you are married before the church, and I will not grant you a divorce. Besides, I must tell you that in the family of Mrs. Compair Lapin it happens very often that the little* ones are black. It is when the ladies are afraid in a dark night; so console yourself, and don't be troubled."
Compair Lapin consented to remain with his- wife until death should part them, and that is how he married after all his pranks.
As I was there when all that happened, I ran away to relate it to you.
PART SECOND. MÂRCHEN.
$6 Louisiana Folk-Tales.
XVI. LÉ ROI PAN.
In fois yavait in madame qui té si joli, si joli, que li té jamin oulé marié, Tou cila qui té vini, li té trouvé quichoge pou di — Ob, toi to trop laide — Oh, toi, to trop piti. Oh, toi, to la bouche trop grand. Enfin chacunne té gaingnin quichoge qui té pas dréte. As-teur ein jou in vaillant michié vini Li té dans in carrosse tout en or, et yavait huite choals blancs qui té apé trainin carrosse la. Li mandé madame la pou marié. Li té jamin oulé. Michié la té si en colère, li dit madame la que dans in an li sré gaingnin in fille qui sré boucou, boucou pli joli que li. Madame la di li couri, que li té pas oulé mette so giés enho li encor.
Asteur, jisse in an après ça madame la té gaingnin in joli joli piti fille. Quand li oua li té si joli li frinmin li dans in lachambe au boute so la maison : et }i mette so nourice, pou gardé. Ti fille la vini grand, et plis li té pé grandi, et plis li té pé vini joli. Jamin so nourice té laissé li sorti dans lachambe la. In jou, li té pé balayé, fille la gadé déyors, et li oua in gros zozo.
— Oh, moman Tété, li di, comment to pelé zozo la, li si joli ?
— -Ça, mo piti, c'est in pan.
— Oh, li di li, moman Tété, si mo jamin marié, mole marié lé roi Pan.
— Lors so gadgienne di li : — Bon Djié tende toi, mo piti.
Jou la même moman la vini, li pelé gadgienne la dans in coin, li tiré en bas so romaine in gros couteau et li di li : — Mole to tchijé mo fille. Lapé vini plis joli que moin.
Gadgienne la parti crié, mandé pardon pou so pove piti, mais ça té pas la peine, caire noir la té pas tende arien. Asteur quand lé soir vini, gadgienne la di so fille : — Mo pove piti, fo mo tchué toi, to moman oulé ça.
Pove piti, la té si bon, li di : — Ah ben, moman Tété, fé li, pisse moman oulé ça.
Mais li di fille la : — Mo pas gaingnin courage fé sorte louvrage la, mo piti. Tiens, ala trois graines, ta jette to même dans pi et pi ta neyé. Mais avant to tombé dans pi valé inné dans graines yé, to va pas souffri ditout comme ça.
Fille la. bo so moman tété et li prend so chimin pou couri. Li marché jouqu'a li rendi coté in grand pi Li descende ladans, et
XVI.
KING PEACOCK.
There was once a lady who was so pretty, — so pretty that ôfte never wanted to marry. She found something to criticise in all tt*6 suitors who presented themselves, saying of them : " Oh, you are too ugly/' " You are too small." " You have too large a mouth." One day a fine man came ; he was in a golden carriage, drawn by eight horàes. He asked the lady to marry him, but she, refused. He fell into a passion, and told her that in one year she would havfc a daughter that would be much, much prettier than herself. The lady sent him away with scorn.
Well, a year later she had a pretty little girl. When she saw that, the child was so pretty, she shut her up in a room at the furthèf end of the house, with her nurse to attend to her, As the girl gre\# up she became handsomer every day. The nurse never allowed her to leave her room, or even to look through the window. One day, however, while the old woman was sweeping the floor, she left thfc door open, and the young girl saw a large bird.
"Nurse/' said she, "how do you call that bird which te so pretty ? "
The woman was obliged to reply, and said : " That is a peacock/*
" If ever I marry, I want to marry King Peacock,"
" May God hear you, my child."
That very day the mother came, called the nurse into a carter, drew from under her skirt a great knife, and said, " I want you t& kill my child. She has become prettier than I."
The nurse began to cry, and begged the lady to spare the pôô* child, but all in vain ; that black heart could not be softened. Whéô night came, the nurse said to the girl: "My poor child, I have té kill you, your mother wants you to die."
The girl was so good that she replied : " Well, kill me, nuf ée; îf my mother wants it to be so."
But the nurse answered: "No,T have not the heart to do any such thing, my little one. Here, take these three seeds, throw ytfu*» self in the well and drown yourself ; but before jumping in the wdt swallow one of these seeds, and you will not suffer at all."
The girl thanked the nurse, and went to drown herself. She walked until she arrived afc a large well. She threw herself ÎAÉ© it,
avant H rivé coté dolo, li jette in graine dans so la bouche. Mais au lieu H couri dans so labouche li tombé dans dolo. Asteur pi li vini tout sec. Mamzelle la té si chagrin. Li sorti dans pi et li marché,, marché loin dans bois, jouqu'a li tombé enho in piti la maison. Li cognin enbo la porte» et in vie femme vini ouvri. Li jette in cri quand li oua joli mamzelle la. — Oh bon Djié Seigneur, mo piti, ça to vini fait icite. To pas connin que mo mari c'est in norgue, li mangé moune.
Alors fille la di li:— Ah ben, madame, c'est ça mole, mo moman dit fo mo mourL
Lors vie femme la di li : — Si c'est ça, entré, mo pove piti, mais ça bien dommage.
Pove piti la assite apé crié et apé tende norgue la. Tout d'in coup yé tende in gros pas fc[ui té apé marché. Sitôt la porte la ouvri, norgue crié : — Oh, mo femme, mo senti la vianne fraîche, et ou ça yé ? Li gardé coté fille la, qui jisse gardé li avec so grand giés et norgue la tchullé, et li di : — Oh, mo femme, esqué to croi que mo capabe mangé in joli fille comme ça? Non, li jisse bon pou yé gardé li.
Fille la di li li té si lasse, alors li minnin li dans in joli îachambe, et li cou chaché in ventail avec déplime pan et li di so femme vanté li tout temps H dromi.
Alors pove fille la di: — Vo mié mo mouri einne foi, pasqué pété té dinmain norgue la va envie mangé moin. Li prend so piti graine, li mette li dans so labouche et pi li parti dromi, dromi, et femme norgue la té pé vanté li tout temps. Yavait trois jours li té pé dromi, norgue la vini gadé li et li di so femme: — Mo croi li mouri, et c'est dommage. Li couri laville, et li porté in cercueil tout en or. Li mette fille la ladans et li posé li enho flève. Asteur cercueil la parti descenne, descenne flève. Rivé loin, lé roi Pan té pé pranne la fraîche enho la levée avec tout so prince yé. Quand li oua ça qui té pé claire enho flève, li di so moune yé, couri bien vite oua qui ça. Yé tout prend skif et yé parti. Yé crié : — Ce in cercueil, et yé minnin li coté lé roi. Quand li oua joli mamzelle la qui té jisse sembe apé dromi, li di : — Minnin li coté mo Iachambe, mole seyé pou réveillé IL Li fermin li même dans so Iachambe, li frotté mamzelle la avec dolo cologne, mais ça té pas fait arien. Alorse li ouvri so labouche, et li té pé gardé comme li té gaingnin joli dents. Li oua quichoge qui té rouge dans so dent devant, li prend in épingle en or, et h oté ça. Li jisse ote ça, fille la ouvri so gié et li dit : — Mo con-tent oua vous.
Alors li roi dit li : — Moin, ce lé roi Pan, et mole marié avec vous.
but before touching the water she took one of her seeds to put it in her mouth. The seed, however, fell in the water, and immediately the well dried up. The young lady was very sorry to see that there was no water left in the well, and getting out she walked as far as a wood, in which she found a small house. She knocked at the door, and an old woman showed herself. When she saw the pretty young girl, she said : "Oh ! my child, what do you come to do here ? Don't you know that my husband is an ogre ? He will eat you up!"
Then the girl answered : " That is what I want. My mother wants me to die."
The woman replied : " If that is the case, come in, but it is a great pity."
The poor girl sat down in a corner, and cried while she was waiting for the ogre. All at once they heard big footsteps, and as soon as the door was opened, the ogre said : *' My wife, I smell fresh meat in here," and he ran towards the young girl. She, however, merely looked at him with her large eyes, and he stepped back, saying to his wife : " Do you think that I can eat such a pretty girl ? She is so beautiful that I want to look at her all the time."
The girl said she was tired, so the ogre took her to a beautiful room, and ordered his wife to fan her with peacock feathers while she would be sleeping.
The young lady said to herself : " It is better for me to die now, for perhaps the ogre will change his mind to-morrow and will eat me." She put one of her seeds in her mouth, and fell in a deep sleep. She slept and slept, and the ogre's wife was fanning her all the time. When three days had passed, and she did not awake, the ogre looked at her, and said : "It is a great pity, but I believe she is dead/' He went to the town, and brought a coffin all made of gold. He put the girl in it, and placed it on the river. The coffin then went floating down the river. Very far away, King Peacock was one day on the levee, with all his princes, to enjoy the cool breeze, when he saw something shining in the river. He ordered his courtiers to see what that was. They took a skiff, and exclaiming, " It is a coffin," they brought it to the king. When he saw the pretty young girl, who appeared to be sleeping, he said, " Take her to my chamber," for he wished to try to awaken her. He put her on a bed and rubbed her hands and face with cologne water, but to no avail. Then be opened her mouth to see what pretty teeth she had* He saw something red in her front teeth, and tried to take it off with a golden pin. It was a seed which fell on the floor. The young girl awoke and said, u I am so glad to see you." The king replied: "I am King Peacock, and I want to marry
Mamzelle la dit : — C'est ça, et yé fait in gros la noce* et yé di moh* couri conté ça partout, partout.
XVII.
DES OS QUI CHANTÉ.
Yavait eine fois ein n'homme et ein fame qui té gagnin vingt-cinq pitis. Yé té très pove, n'homme la té bon, fame la té mauvais. 'Tous les jous quand mari la té révini so louvrage fame la té servi H dinin, ifcais toujou la viande sans des os.
— Comment ça fait la viande la pas gagnin des os ?
— Pasqué des os ça pesé, et c'est meilleur marché sans des os. Yé donnin plis pou largent.
Mari la mangé et pas dit arien.
— Comment ça fait to pas mangé la viande ?
— To blié me pas gagnin dents. Comment to lé mo mangé la viande sans dents ?
— C'est vrai, dit mari la, et li paix pasqué li té pair fait la peine so fame qui té aussi laide que li té méchant.
Quand moune gagnin vingt-cinq pitis moune pas capabe pensé yé tout temps et moune pas oua si yé na ein ou dé qui manqué. Ein jou après so dinin, mari la mandé so pitis. Quand yé té coté li li compté yé et jiste trouvé quinze. Li mandé so fame ou té disse les otes yé. Li réponde yé té chez yé grandmoman et tous les jous li voyé ein lote pou yé changé l'air. Ça té vrai, tous les jous yavait eine qui manqué.
Ein jou mari la té on so pasporte dîvant ein gros la pierre yé té gagnin la. Li tapé pensé so pitis et li té oulé couri chercher yé chez yé grandmoman, quand li tende des lavoix qui tapé dit :
Nous moman tchuê" nous, Nous popa manzé nous. Nous pas dans la bière, Nous pas dans cimetière.
En premier li té pas rende compte ça ça té, mais E levé la. pierre la et li oua ein grand quantité des os qui recommencé chanté. Li comprende alors c'était des os so pitis so fame té tchué et que li té manzé. Alors li té si en colère li tchué so fame et terré des: os so pitis dans cimetière et li couri. resté sel chez li. Dipi temps l&li jamais manzé la viande pasqué li* té toujou cré. c'était so pitis, K té apé manzé.
you." The young girl said " yes/' and there was such a wedding that they sent me to relate the story everywhere, everywhere.
XVII. THE SINGING BONES.
Once upon a time there lived a man and a woman who had twenty-five children. They were very poor ; the man was good, the woman was bad. Every day when the husband returned from his work the wife served his dinner, but always meat without bones.
** How is it that this meat has no bones ? "
"Because bones are heavy, and meat is cheaper without bones. They give more for the money/'
The husband ate, and said nothing.
" How is it you don't eat meat ? "
" You forget that I have no teeth. How do you expect me to eat meat without teeth ? "
** That is. true/' said the husband, and he said nothing more, because he was afraid to grieve his wife, who was as wicked as she was ugly.
When one has twenty-five children one cannot think of them all the time, and one does not see if one or two are missing. One day, after his dinner, the husband asked for his children; When they were by him he counted them, and found only fifteen. He asked his wife where were the ten others. She answered that they were at their grandmother's, and every day she would send one more for them to get a change of air. That was true, every day there was one that was missing.
One day the husband was at the threshold of his house, in front of a large stone which was there. He was thinking of his children, and he wanted to go and get them at their grandmother's, when he heard voices that were saying :
Oulr mother killed us, Our father ate us. We are not in a coffin, We ara not in the cemetery.
At first he did not understand what that meant, but he raised the stone,, and saw a great quantity of bones, which began to sing again. He then understood that it was the bones of his children, whom his wife had killed, and whom he had eaten. Then he was so angry that he killed his wife ; buried his children's bones in the cemetery, tod Stayed alone at Ms house. From that time he never ate meat, because he believed it would always be his children that he would eat.
XVIII.
JEAN SOTTE.
Yavait eine fois ein bougue a force li té béte tout moune té pelé H Jean Sotte. Lï té si simple que tout moune té foute dé li. Li té coutume Hmin la lampe lé jou et teigne li lé soi. Jamin li té pas prend so parasol dans jou, jis la nouitte, quand li té fait ben noir. Dans l'été li té mette so gros capot et l'hiver li té couri tout ni et prend ein grand vantail ; li té fait tout quichoge a la rebours bon sens. Ça fait lé roi Bangon qui té laimin fait farce tende parlé tout faits et geste Jean Sotte, alors li voyé chercher li pou amuser tout so camarade. Quand Jean Sotte rivé coté lé roi yé prend ri a force Jean té paraite gauche. Lé roi mandé li comme ça si li té connin compter. Jean réponde li té connin compter dézefs, que hier îi trouvé quatre et pi dé. — Combien ça fait en tout ? dit lé roi Jean compté en haut so la main et pi li dit ça fait quatre et pi dé.
— C'est ça même, dit Bangon ; yé dit moin c'est Compair Lapin qui to popa ? "
— Oui, dit Jean Sotte, c'est li même.
•—Non, non, dit ein lote moune qui té la, mo croi plitot c'est Compair Bouki.
— Oui, oui, dit Jean, li aussite.
— Non, dit ein vie fame qui té apé passé, c'est Renaid qui to popa.
— Oui, oui, dit Jean Sotte, tout ça yé, c'est tout mo popa, chaquénc dans yé quand yé passé dit moin : — Bonjou, mo piti, alors mo croi yé tout c'est mo popa.
Moune yé ri boucou après Jean Sotte, alors lé roi dit li : — Mo oulé to porté moin demain matin ein bouteille di lait taureau, c'est pou fait rérnéde pou mo fille qui malade, li gagnin ein point coté dans dos.
— C'est bon, dit Jean Sotte, demain matin bonne haire ma porté li.
Et pi roi Bangon dit li comme ça :
— Premier avril prochain dans ein mois, ta vini, na .gagnin pou dévinin ein quichoge. Cila qua trouvé gagnin pou marié avec mo fille, mais cila qui seyé troi fois, si li pas trouvé, mo bourreau gagnin pou coupé so cou.
— C'est bon, ma seyé, dit Jean Sotte, et pi li parti, soi disant pou chercher di lait taureau.
Quand li rivé coté li, li raconté tout ça so moman, et vie femme prend
XVIIL JEAN SOTTE.
There was once a fellow who was so foolish that everybody called him Jean Sotte. He was so simple that every one made fun of him. He would light the lamp in daytime, and put it out at night ; he would take an umbrella with him only when it was very dark. In summer he would put on a great coat, and in winter he would go nearly naked. In short, he did everything contrary to common sense. King Bangon, who loved to play tricks, heard of the sayings and deeds of Jean Sotte, and sent for him to amuse his friends. When Jean came to the king all began to laugh, as he looked so awkward. The king asked him if he knew how to count. Jean replied that he knew how to count eggs ; that yesterday he had found four and two. " How much does that make ? " said the king. Jean went to count the eggs, and on returning said there were four and two.
"Exactly," said the king, "but tell me, Jean Sotte, they say that Compair Lapin is your father ? "
" Yes, he is."
" No, no," said some one else ; " I think it is Compair Bouki."
"Yes, yes," said Jean Sotte ; "it is he also."
" No, no," said an old woman who was passing ; " it is Renard who is your father."
"Yes," said Jean Sotte, "all of them; they are all my fathers. Every time one of them passes by me he says, ' Good-morning, my child.' I must believe, then, that they are all my fathers." . Everybody laughed at Jean Sotte; then the king said: "Jean Sotte, I want you to bring me to-morrow morning a bottle of bull's milk. It is to make a drug for my daughter, who is sick, and has a sideache in her back."
"All right," said Jean Sotte, "to-morrow morning early I shall bring it."
King Bangon then said : —
"On the first of April, in one month, you will come. I want you to guess something. If you guess, I will give you my daughter in marriage, but if you try three times, and do not succeed, my executioner will have to cut your neck."
" All right," said Jean Sotte, " I will try." And then he went away, pretending to go and get the bull's milk.
When he reached home, he related to his mother all that had hap-
crié, crié, pasqué tout sotte so garçon té yé moman la té laimin H quand même, pasqué c'était jisse ein piti li té gagnin. Li défende Jean Sotte couri, menacé li marré li ou ben fait sheriff jeté li dans prison. Jean Sotte té fout ben tout ça ; li parti anvant jou, li prend so la hache et anvant li té fait clair li té devant la maison lé roi. Li grimpé dans la tête ein chêne qui té devant la maison et pi li commencé :— Caou, caou, biche, biche. Comme ça té fait train et réveillé tout moune ein domestique lé roi sorti et vini oua. Quand li jeté Se zié en haut Jean Sotte, li dit comme ça : — Mais que commerce tapé mené, bowgue d'animal, réveillé tout moune comme ça ?
Ça pas gardé toi, to tende, dit Jean Sotte, toi c'est chien pou jappé dans la cour. Quand to maite, lé roi Bangon, a vini, mo va dit li ça mapé fait ici.
Alors lé roi vini oua, H gardé li longtemps et pi li mandé li ça îi té apé fait dans la tête nabe la. Jean Sotte réponde li té apé biche l'écorche chêne pou fait la tisane pou so popa qui té malade, li té accouché la veille, so popa té fait dé jumeaux.
— Aïe, dit lé roi, mais pou qui to prend moin, Jean Sotte, ou ça to déjà tende ein n'homme accouché ? Mo pensé to oulé foute toi dé moin.
— Comment ça fait vous mandé moin hier ein bouteille dit lait taureau, réponde Jean Sotte, si vous té gagnin raison, moin aussite.
Alors lé roi dit li comme ça : — Mo pas croi to aussi sotte que to oulé sayé fait nous zotes croi. Couri la quisine, ya donne toi to dé-jéner et pi couri coté to la maison et pas blié vini premier avril pou oua cila dans nous zotes qua mangé posson d'avril la.
Quand Jean Sotte tournin coté so moman li raconté tout ça. Vie femme la prend crié et pi li; défende Jean couri coté roi encore, li té pair yé sré coupé cou so pove piti. Quand jou la vini Jean monté eft haut so choal et li parti sans so moman té connin. Compair Bouki qui té traite et malfaisant, dit comme ça : — Moin mo va péché Jean Sotte couri dévinin, pasqué rao connin li si sotte yé va coupé so cou et pi g^rdé so choal, vaut mié moin mo profité et prend choal la, pas dit arieii, ta oua ça ma fait.