Pea-fowl as Messenger

a. John Studee.

Matilda Hall, Maroon Town.

The husband and wife married people, and the husband a great gambler, never at home with the wife; until the wife going to have a baby, and the ninth month come now. So they send for the mid-wife; so when the mid-wife come, there is no husband in. She said she want some one to go call the husband, name of him is John Studee. So she call for all the thing they have in the yard. She call for a fowl, a cock, and say, “What will you say to call the husband?” The cock crew,

“Ko ku ru ku-u-u!” “You won’t do.”

She calls for the dog and says, “What will you say?” Dog says,

“Hoo-oh!” “No, won’t do.”

Said to Puss what he will say. Puss says,

“Me-oo!” “Won’t do.”

Then ’he call for the pea-fowl now; ’he provide a quart of corn for the pea-fowl, ask what he will say. Pea-fowl sing,

“You John Studee, you John Studee, Fe me master, John Studee, There’s a pretty gal from Silo, There’s a handsome gal from Silo, Want the care of a new John bwoy, ’t almost deh.”

“Yes, you’ll do!”

Then when the pea-fowl fly miles off, he didn’t see the master, John Studee. He fly, he fly away now, take up the quart of corn and fly away. Then he pitch upon the house-top, sing,

“You John Studee, you John Studee, Fe me master, John Studee! There’s a pretty gal from Silo, There’s a handsome gal from Silo Want the care of a new John bwoy, ’t almost deh!”

The people say, “John Studee, was here, but jus’ gone away,—that great gambler!” He fly about a mile off again, go to another great house, go upon the house-top. He sing loud of voice now,

“You John Studee, you John Studee, Fe me master, John Studee! There’s a pretty gal from Silo, There’s a handsome gal from Silo Want the care of a new John bwoy, ’t almost deh!”

John Studee come now, say, “Who call my name?” See the bird up on the house-top, say, “Well, he want me!” Then he took up the fowl an’ get the buggy in haste; and take off his gold chain off his neck an’ put it on the pea-fowl. Pea-fowl have the golden feather round his neck on account of that gold chain. So when the feather came home, he got a boy chil’ an’ call his name John Studee after him.

b. Contavio.

Oliver D. Witter, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Miss Nancy married Contavio. One day, Contavio went to market, but before he left home he locked up Miss Nancy till he came back. He did not come back that day, and as Miss Nancy was hungry and saw a sheep passing she said, “Do, my dear sheep, call Contavio for me and I will throw a lump of gold on your head.” Bra Sheep goes, “Bep, baah baah baah.” She said, “No, my dear Bra Sheep, that will not do.” Soon after she saw a billy-goat and said the same thing to him. Bra Billy said, “Bep, bep, ba, ba, ba, bep-ba-ba-bep, bah, bah.” She said, “No, my dear Bra Billy, that will not do.” She then saw Bra Peacock coming up an’ she said, “Bra Peacock, if you call Contavio, my husband, for me, I will give you a lump of gold,” and Bra Peacock flew right away until he saw Contavio, and he picked him in his head and picked off all the feathers, and spurred him the whole way home until all Bra Peacock’s spurs dropped off. When he got Contavio home, Miss Nancy flung the lump of gold on Bra Peacock’s head and that’s why the feathers on a peacock’s head look like gold. That’s also the reason why it has no spurs, and a crow has no feathers on its head.