Grandy-do-an’-do

a. Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.

There was an old woman, a witch, but she was very wealthy. She lived quite to herself. Plenty of stock—horses, cows, sheep, mules, each kind kept by itself in a separate pasture. The old lady’s name was Grandy Beard-o, but nobody knew that name. She wanted a person to sup with her. She came across a little girl one day. Then took that girl home. After she prepared her meal, she called the girl and asked her if she knew her name. The girl said, “No, ma’am.” She said to the girl, “Unless you tell me my name, I will not give you anything to eat.”

She started out the girl to go and fetch some water. The girl had to go through all the pastures to get where the water was—mules to themselves, cows to themselves, horses to themselves, sheep to themselves. She went along crying, being hungry. So she got into cow-pasture—that was first pasture. The cow said to her, “What’s the matter with you, me baby?”

The girl said, “The old lady will not give me anything to eat except me can tell her her name!” Cow was afraid to tell her.

From there she went into mule pasture, crying all the same. Mule said, “What’s the matter, me baby?”

The girl said, “The old lady will not give me anything to eat, except me can tell her her name!” Mule wouldn’t tell her.

She got into horse pasture, crying all the way. Horse said, “What’s the matter, me baby?”

“Old lady in there won’t give me anything to eat except me can tell her her name!” Horse wouldn’t tell her.

From there she went into bull pasture, still crying. Bull said, “What’s the matter, me baby?”

“Old lady won’t give me anything to eat except me can tell her her name!”

Bull says, “Cho! when you go home, tell her her name Grandy Beard-o.” Bull was a mighty man; he didn’t care!

The girl was so glad, hastened home so as to get something to eat. Old lady said, “You can tell me my name make me give you something to eat?”

The girl said, “Your name Grandy Beard-o, ma’am.”

Old lady got so indignant! She gave the girl a good feed and after that she started to find who told the girl. Went into cow pasture.

“You cow, you cow, you cow, Why you tell the girl Me name Grandy Beard-o?”

Cow said,

“A ring ding ding, mamma, ring ding ding; A ring ding ding, mamma, ring ding ding; No me tell.”

She jump into horse pasture now.—

“You also horse tell the girl Me name Grandy Beard-o?”

Horse said,

“A ring ding ding, mamma, ring ding ding; A ring ding ding, mamma, ring ding ding; No me tell him.”

She got into bull pasture now.—

“You bull, you bull, you bull, Why you tell the girl Me name Grandy Beard-o?”

Bull said,

“A ring ding ding, mamma, ring ding ding; A ring ding, ding, mamma, ring ding ding; Damme, me tell ’m!”

The old lady gripped the bull and tossed him in the air. The bull dropped; nothing happened. The bull tossed her in the air now, and she dropped; one leg broken. She tossed the bull again; the bull came down unhurt. The bull tossed her up again; she came down, another leg was broken.

She tossed the bull; nothing happened. The bull tossed her; she came down, one arm broken. She tossed the bull again; the bull came down unhurt. The bull tossed her again; she came down, the other arm was broken.

She tossed the bull again; the bull came down unhurt. The last toss the bull made, her neck broke. That was the end of her. The girl became mistress of all she possessed, and that is why the land goes from hand to hand in legacy up to to-day.

Jack man dory!

b. Julia Gentle, Malvern, Santa Cruz Mountains.

A very bad woman have only one daughter an’ say, “Go to the river for water an’ when you come back, if you cannot tell my name I will destroy you.” When him goin’ fe water see Crab. An’ Crab axin’ where him go. An’ say, “Grandy sen’ me go a river fe water an’ say when me come back, if me cannot tell him name, her will kill me.” The Crab tell him say, “When you go, tell her dat her name Grandy Do-an-do.”

So when she come back, she forget the name. An’ she say mus’ kill him, so dash away the water an’ send him back. Then when she go back, the Crab say, “Sing it all the way!” Then when the girl go back she sing,

“You name Grandy-do-an-do. You name Grandy-do-an-do.”

Then the woman mad when she hear it an’ she travel. An’ she meet Cow, an’ say,

“You Cow, a you tell de girl a name Grandy Do-an-do?”

Cow say,

“No, no me tell him so you name Grandy Do-an-do!”

She travel an’ she meet Sheep, an’ say,

“You Sheep, a you tell de girl a name Grandy Do-an-do?”

Sheep say,

“No, no me tell him so you name Grandy Do-an-do!”

Meet Horse, say,

“You Horse, a you tell de girl me name Grandy Do-an-do?”

Horse say,

“No, no me tell him so you name Grandy Do-an-do!”

Meet Duck, say,

“You Duck, a you tell de girl a name Grandy Do-an-do?”

Duck say,

“No, no me tell him so you name Grandy Do-an-do!”

Meet Crab, say,

“You Crab, a you tell de girl a name Grandy Do-an-do?”

Crab say,

“Yes, a me tell him a you name Grandy Do-an-do!”

An’ tak de machete an’ chop after de Crab, an’ Crab sink in de hole an’ stay in de hole till now.