Bull as Bridegroom

a. Nancy.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Deh is one woman get a daughter. One day in de yard ’he saw a man, big stout man. He put co’tin’ship to her. De woman said yes. When de man come to de yard breakfas’ time, he didn’t eat; always went away where some clean grass is. ’he got a brudder watchin’ him all ’e time. When he go, de man begin to sing,

“See me, Nancy, a wind, T’ink a me, Nancy, me come.”

De man tu’n bull an’ eat his belly full o’ grass. When he eat done, he sing again,

“See me, Nancy, a wind, T’ink a me, Nancy, me gone.”

Den he tu’n de shape a de man back.

When day of de wedding, de boy said, “Sister, you know wha’ dat man coming here is? Dat man a bull.” His sister said, “O bwoy, go ’way! Where you ever hear cow can tu’n a living soul?” Dey come home from church, sit roun’ de table, everybody giving toast. Dey call upon de woman brudder to give toast. De brudder said, “I won’ give toas’, but I wi’ sing.” De man said, “No, give toas’ better ’an de sing!” De guest said dat dey would like to hear de sing as much as toast; so de little boy commence to sing,

“See me, Nancy, a wind, T’ink a me, Nancy, me come.”

De man begin to bawl out an’ knock his head, call out fe toast. De boy begun to sing again,

“See me, Nancy, a wind, T’ink a me, Nancy, me come.”

De ha’r of de cow grow, an’ de four foot, an’ de big bull begun to jump an’ buck down all de people in de house, an’ he gallop an’ dey never see him no more again. [56]

b. The Play-song.

George Parkes, Mandeville.

Deh was an ol’ woman who had a daughter an’ a son. De son was an Ol’ Witch, an’ de girl was well kep’ up by de ol’ woman. Deh were several gentlemen who make application fo’ de girl to marry, but de mudder refuse dem. At las’ de debbil dress himself nicely an’ went, an’ he was accepted by de ol’ lady, an’ begun to co’t de girl.

De boy, being an ol’ witch, know dat it was de debbil. He tol’ de mudder not to allow his sister to marry to de man, for de man is de debbil. De mudder said, “Go ’way, sah! what you know? You can call a gentleman like dat de debbil?” So when de debbil walking, his knee sing a song like ringing a bell. It go like dis:

“Dirt i’ room a yerry, double bing, double bing, Dirt i’ room a yerry, double bing, double bing, Dirt i’ room a yerry, double bing, double bing, Belling belling beng, bell i’ leng beng.”

De boy overhear de debbil knee singing. But, now, anybody else sing de song, de debbil clo’es will drop off, a horn grow on head, an’ tail grow out on him too. So one night while he was in de house talking, de little boy was underneat’ de table singing de song quietly:

“Dirt i’ room a yerry, double bing, double bing.”

When de debbil hear dat he say, “Look heah, mistress, stop dat bwoy from singing dat song! I don’ like it.” De ol’ woman say, “Massah, me kyan’ stop him singing, because it mus’ of been his little play-song [57] what he have singing.” So de debbil say, “Well, I don’ like to hear it!”

De boy now sing de song much louder, an’ de debbil knee begin to sing it very loud—

“Dirt i’ room a yerry, double bing, double bing!”

an’ de clo’es drop off an’ de tail an’ horns grow out. So de boy say to de mudder, “Didn’t I tell you dat man was a debbil, an’ you would not believe it!”

c. Gracie and Miles.

Florence Thomlinson, Lacovia.

There was once a girl by the name of Gracie and a man Miles. They were engaged. And Miles always came to see Gracie most every evening, and he would always sing for her. Song was about Gracie; says that Gracie is a fine girl, but he is going to kill her.

Me a Miles a moo me a Miles a moo Fe me Gracie is a fine gal Fe me Gra-cie have a kill her. Pong, me la-dy, pong moo! Pong, me la-dy, pong moo! Me a Miles a moo me a Miles a moo. Fe me Gra-cie is a fine gal Fe me Gra-cie have a kill her.

She didn’t know he would kill her fe true.

She has a little brother stop in the yard with her. (Miles) worked in the field every day; they would send his breakfast by the little boy to him. When (the boy) nearly got to him, he wasn’t a man; he was a bull. When he see the boy coming, he turn a man. The boy tell his sister, “You know that man is not a man, he’s a bull!” and she said, “Oh, cho! nonsense! How you could expect that?” The little boy said, “If you think it is not true, you go with me, stop back.” Next day she went after the boy and stay far back and see it was a bull eating grass, not a man. He sing,

“Me a Miles a moo, me Gracie is a fine girl, Me Gracie me wi’ kill her.”

She know it is a bull now. When he come, the sister say tomorrow evening must have a ball now. So he says he will come. So she get up a lot of men with ropes and have music and all in the house. So the little boy begin to sing the song now:

“Me a Miles a moo, me Gracie is a fine girl, Me Gracie me wi’ kill her.”

Miles said, “Oh, where that little boy come from? Turn him out!” Hoof begin to grow, horn begin to grow, tail begin to grow and he get a big bull, and they toss him and rope him and pole him, turn him out.