Ballinder Bull

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Der is a bull de name of Ballinder Bull, but dem right name King Bymandorum. It is a wicked bull. De king said whoever kill Ballinder Bull, he will get his two daughter to marry to. All de men in de worl’ try, an’ couldn’t kill him. One day, an’ ol’ lady stood by an’ a woman was breedin’ go to de horsepon’ to tek water. De bull buck out de baby out of her an’ went away. De ol’ lady tek de baby an’ rear him. When him come a good-sized boy, he send him to school. Every twelve o’clock when dey play marble, he lucky to win. De res’ a chil’ tell him said, “A da you mek so!” Four o’clock when him coming home, him say, “Ma, why de reason when I win doz odder chil’ sai, “A da you mek so?” Him ma tell him tomorrow twelve o’clock get one switch play wid de least one an’ after you win him tell you “A da you mek so!” gi’ him two good lick an’ you will come to know why dey use de word. So twelve o’clock he play an’ win, an’ tell him “A da you mek so!” He gi’ him de two lick, an’ after he give him de lick he said, “Hit let Ballinder Bull buck you out of you mudder belly.” When de boy return home he said, “O mudder, you is not me right mudder!” De ol’ lady said no, begun to tell him all dese t’ings were happen. De boy said, “Anywhere Ballinder Bull, a gwine kill him!”

Dis bull got gol’en tongue an’ gol’en teet’. When de boy gwine along, him meet some noblemen and said, “My little boy, where am you goin’?” An’ said, “I gwine a fight Ballinder Bull.” De men said, “Boy, we after Ballinder Bull fe dis many year an’ kyan’t ketch him; what you t’ink upon you?” De boy said, “Never min’, I gwine fight him!” De boy went where him feedin’. Bull never see him, go drink water. De boy go to de cotton-tree an’ say, “Bear down, me good cotton-tree, bear down!” De cotton-tree bear down. Said, “Bear up, me good cotton-tree, bear up!” When de bull was coming, he hear de singin’,

“Anywhere Ballinder Bull, De’ will kill him to-day!”

Ballinder Bull say, “What little boy up in de air jeering me as dis?” When he come, he fire bow an’ arrow; de boy catch it. Him fire anodder one, an’ he fire out de seven; de boy caught every one. De boy look on him an’ sen’ one of de bow an’ arrow, peg down one of de han’. An’ tek de odder one an’ sen it t’ru de odder han’. He sen’ anodder an’ peg down one of de foot. He sen’ anodder an’ peg down de odder foot. He sen’ anodder, he peg down one of de ears. He sen’ anodder an’ peg down de odder ear. De las’ one, he sen it t’ru de head. An’ he say, “Bear down, me good cotton-tree, bear down!” When de cotton-tree bear down, he catch de ears an’ pinch it an’ fin’ dat de bull was dead. An’ he came off an’ say, “Bear up, me good cotton-tree, bear up!” an’ de cotton-tree bear up. An’ tek a knife an’ tek out de teet’, tek out de tongue an’ travel.

De same day, he never went to de king yard. Hanansi goin’ to ground an’ saw de bull an’ said, “Buck, Ballinder Bull! buck, Ballinder Bull!” De bull don’ shake. Hanansi said, “You damned son of a bitch, you won’ get me fe kill to-day!” an’ tek up de stone an’ stone him an’ fin’ out dat de bull dead. De gladness in Hanansi! He went up chop off de bull head, bear it on to de king. When he go he said, “I kill Ballinder Bull, Sir!” De king say, “Oh, yes! you shall be my son-in-law tomorrow morning.” Now der is a bell, every gate has a bell. So Hanansi gettin’ ready to go to church, dey hear de bell ringin’ at de gate an’ dey sing,

“A who a knock a Nana gate, bing beng beng? A who a knock a Nana gate, bing beng beng?” [58]

When de boy come, de king say “What you want?” An’ say, “I kill Ballinder Bull, Sir.” Hanansi come out. (King says) “You’s a little liar! Little boy like you couldn’t fight Ballinder Bull!” An’ Hanansi run in, said, “Der is de head!” De boy put his han’ in his pocket said, “Der de tongue an’ de teet’!”

Dey ketch Hanansi an’ ’tretch him out on a ladder, an’ beat him. After dat, dey sen’ him to look wood fe de weddin’. Dey sen’ Dog to watch him. Hanansi carried de wood, carry about ten bundle. Ev’ry trip, Dog go wid him. When him come back, ’im say, “Brar Dog, you love meat? I hear one hog over yonder; run go see if we kyan’ get little!” By time Dog return back, Hanansi gwine under wood ’kin an’ hide, an’ all de hunt Dog hunt, kyan’t fin’ him till dis day.