Document text
Accession no.
WPA L. C. PROJECT UNIT
Form —a
W 3716
Date received
10/1C/40
Consignment no.
1
Shipped from
Wash.. Office
Label
Amount
lop
(or Type)
Title filuat, talk flia*,-iza3j Mud _111....rsat _damn_
Place of origin.Chicit II) 1 n0.1.fi
Project worker_ hi
Project editor
Remarks
Page One
(Ghost talk)
Folk Stuff
Betty Burke,
Used t' row down Bayou Bartholomew 'long
Free Nigger Bend. Only negro famlies farmin'
the lane thereabouts, reason 'twuz so named.
They wuz an 01' house 'bout ready t' go
t' pieces, way on back in the bend there.
One o' the farmers had it fez' t' store cotton
in. Weeds so thick an' heavy, growin' eight
feet high, look like a swamp, an mighty
hard te git through.
Reason me an' John 'd go there, well,
luz a sugar cane patch nearabouts that ol'
shack, you see. We'd go there an' git us
some sugar cane an' go on in the or place.
We'd lay 'round on th' cotton bales, eatine
cane an' stories, ghost stories,
you know.
Listen, one time we wuz layin' erount
like that. Well, we heard somebody beatin'
in the back wall. Noise sounl like somebody'd
got a hammer an' wuz beatin' it on thl wall.
First beat on the wall John raise up. Said,
IN 3716
Page Two Betty Burke
(Ghost talk)
Folk Stuff
,"Whutts that!"
We listen,an' there it go agin. Look like
somebody tryin' t' scare us. Seen th' back
wall boards tremblin'oanl dust asettlinl, been
hit such a hard lick.
'Must be a ghost, didn' like whut ah
John he had been tellin' a tale, you know.
Well, he 'gip tl git scared an' started t' go
on home. Wanted me to come on with him, but
ah said no, less'n held come with me roun'
back an' fin' out who doin' that knockins.
Ah say when he left, wouldn' do it nohow,
say it wuz mighty still an' scary an' all.
But ah did mean t' see if Itwuz reely a ghost
chasin' us out a there er otherwise.
Went on out th' front door an' stole 'ro'
th' side. Peeked Iroun' th' corner an' seen
a big black snake, look like a moccasin, shape
of its head, abangin' away at till wall with
his tail. Just blammint away, an' don' know
why tt this day. Ten feet long if he wuz an
Page Three
(Ghost talk)
Folk Stuff
Betty Burke
inch. Well, ah felt some better, yet an' still
ah lei" there in a hurry, an' unbeknownst tl
that big 01' snake abangin' at th' cabin. Didn'
have no stick er such fer t' take on ,a bugger
like that.
Well, knew 'twuz no ghost an' toll John so,
but just-th' same we ain't never gone back t'
th' ol' house t' tell stories an' eat sugar
cane after that happen. Mn' scared o' ghostes,
but never did care t' tangle.with snake size o' that one.
End
Page One
Betty Burke
rolk Stuff
Well, they wuz an old man, an old slave, you know.
01' Mae never would give 'im any kin' o' meat excep'
01' salt pork. Never give none o' his slaves fresh
meat:-)
01' Mae he had a great lot o' hogs. F' that
reason he useter keep a watchin' eye on 'is pens,
igainst th' time one o' th' slaves mought git so he
try t' make away wid a pig o' hien.
01' slave Flowers, he useter git 'im fresh meat,
jue th' same. Way he could slip pas' ol' Mae wuz
a cryin' shame:
Said one time, ol' slave Flowers he got moughty
hongry. He spit in is hands, pick up 'is axe an'
stole on out to th' hog pen. Hit a big ol' hog on
its head wid d' blunt side of his axe, 'chunk: like
that, an' slung 'im over 'is shoulder. Jae' ez he
wuz comm' out tl take that pig on home he see or
Mae' walkin' down th' road at' comini his way.
Well: Poor or Flowers. Ain' nuthin' he could
do, noplace he could hide, then. Ha' ter stan' there
an' wait fer de judgement, sho' he via' t' catch
fifty lashes in de stocks, er have 'is work doubled
in d' fiel's, anyway.
There he stan1, when all of a sudden de hog on
Page Two Betty Burke
Folk Stuff
'is shoulder steted twistin' an' sqUirmin'. It had
done woke up outen its stun, you know, an' Flowers he
quick t' let go his bolt.. Hog slid down his back an'
don' take 'im but a Bacon' 'til he back in de pen wid
de ree'o' de hogs.
NOW you know that wuz a close call. 01' Nas'
sin' see nuthin' o' that hog, it bein' dusk an' him
too fur up de road. Flowers he jus' walk up an'
pass ol' Mao', innercent as de Lamb uv Gawd, 'tendin'
like he just out t' chop him, some cordwood.
"Now that must uh been Gawd," Flowers say. "Th'
Lawd luz with me that day:
Yet an' still, thought o' th' Lawd couldn't
seem t' boll 01' Flowers did he git 'is app'tite
whet too long.
One dark night he got moughty, moughty hongrY.
Went on out an' bought a hog back with 'in, 'spite
0 all. Got 'in 'bout a peck or sweet p'taters.
01' Mae' hog, or Mae' sweet pltaters.
'Twuz two or three o'clock, somewhere abouts.
Pot wuz aboilin', taters bakin' in de ashes.
Page Tree
Folk Stuff
Betty Burke
Time Ilaters git done, good an hot, he pick 'em
outen de ashes, brush 'em off good an' lay 'em long
de rafter, say, "Cool off, now. Ain' fixin' t' be long."
01' slave Flowers bwelin' moughty good. Settin'
up there, so happy he go t' singin' sot' an' pattin'
'is feet. P'taters they ready, an' meat near about
done.
well, he beard feet ascufflin'. Somebody knockin'
at his do'. Said he could tell th' way his heart
jump 'twuz Mae'. Say listen he rreely felt
bad. Still he anwer,beins he had to, you know.
Said, "Who dat!"
"It's me, come t' pay you a ii']. visit." 01' Mae'
she' enough.
"Well, come in, do come in, Mae'. Make yosseif
t' home. Here, take die cheer an' set." Slave get
up an' make fer t' give 'im 'is chair.
Mae' wave 'la way, say he'd druther keep t'
'is feet an' not set. 01' Mae stan' an' look
eroun' de cabin, asniffin' away. Seen de pot.
Said, "Flowers, what's that you got acookin' 1"
"Mae', theys peas."
"Peas, smell like that? Firs' I ever know peas t'
smell so good!"
Page Fbur Betty Burke
Folk Stuff
They jus' peas. ;Jug' measly black eye peas,
don't 'mount t' nuthin', Masi."
Sho' would like t' taste them peas. Nits like
this I git hungry walkin' 'round, Flowers. a
01' slave gittin' scared, gittin' weak ez water.
But he say, "Mae', theys jus' pease You don'
want or mealy peas •thout no kin' o' seasonin' to
emoven. Ah know you don' like or cow. peas.
They am' rightly fitten to' you t eat."
"That's all right, I am' so p'tieler juts' now.
Dish o' them peas would suit me fine if I had 'em
01' Mae go t' walkin' here an' there, asniffin'
an' asnoopin' like a houn dawg on de trail. Looked
up an' spy dem sweet p'taters on de rafter, long row
of 'em, settin' up there an' smellin' sweet. Mae' say,
"Whut's all this up here? Look t' me like you
been scrabblin' at my sweet pltaters, look like."
Well! 01' Mae' he knew he had lim caught an'
couldn't git loose.
"Yes, Mae', ah'm uh stumpr: Mae', ah got so ah
jus' had t' have me a couple o"taters, ah had
such a greathankerin' after a li'l bit o' sweet
p'tater." 01' slave am' know nUthin' more t'
say, jus' wait to' whut shot tl come.
Page Five Betty Burke
Fdlk,Stuff
"Oh, that's all right, I don' min' You
kin 'joy yo'se'f mid 'es." 011 Mas' 'tend
like he don' keer mush erbout them sweet
rtaters. Then he say, "But if you got other
than jug' that o' mine, 'twont be none o' my
fault. Listen t' de devil, statue t git
He stan' there erwtile, watchin' 01' slave
Flowers, playin' cat an' mouse wid ol' slave
Flowers.
Fintly he say, "I'm curious 'bout What I
smell in th' pot, never smelled nuthin' so
good. Boun' t' have me a dish, whatever."
"Them peas, Mast. Bho"tough 01' slave
keep asayin'.
Gobi' t' have a look at 'em, see what
kin' 0' peas smell so sweet, then." 01' Mas'
went on over an' lit' de cover off quick. Said
"Come here, Flowers, dese peas look moghty curious."
Flowers come an' look in de pot, look at
Mas' an' flung up his hands. Said, "Lawd ha' mercy,
them peas done tu'ned t' fresh meat:
No, now, he didn' git away dat time, he never.
Page Six Betty Burke
Folk Stuff
Took 'in an' give 'in fifty lashes.
012 Mae' say, "Now you kin have you some o' that
fresh meat an' taters if you still want 'em, lessIn
maybe they done turned back into black eye peas, Flowers."
Flowers he wuz hurt too bad t' be thinkinl 'bout
eatin' that night yet awhile. Tell you though, next
night he shot flew into Said almost paid to'
th2 beatin2 he got. Yes, he did.
End
Material gotten from Leo King, son of a Negro farming
family. Mother and father still farming near Sunshine,
southeastern Arkansas. Graduate of a southern Negro
college, now working in a chain drug store as pantry
man or something like that. Friend of the writer's.
Address, 5958 S. Parkway.
B. Burke