The Dumb Child

George Parkes, Mandeville.

There was once a little child born into a country, born with golden tongue an’ golden teet’, an’ from de day she born, nobody see de teet’ excep’ de mother an’ de father; she never talk for no one to hear her nor to see neither the teeth nor the tongue. Now the king of the country hear of it, an’ he offer a gran’ reward for anyone who would get to make the chil’ talk, because he, the king, never seen a golden tongue an’ teet’ yet. So lot of men went to the house an’ try all sort of mechanic; the chil’ wouldn’t talk.

So Anansi heard off it, went to the king an’ tol’ the king that he would make the chil’ talk; an’ the king say if Anansi make the chil’ talk before him, he will make the reward much larger, but if he don’t make the chil’ talk before him, he, the king, will kill Anansi. So Anansi went away, got his fiddle, cord it up, an’ went to the place of the little chil’; an’ he played on his fiddle to make the chil’ hear,—

“Poly don ya sin do, Poly don ya sin do, Poly don ya sin do, Merry day t’-day ya, Merry day t’-day ya, Sin do, sin do-o!”

The chil’ look upon Anansi an’ smile; Anansi shake his head. He play the tune again—

“Poly don ya sin do, Poly don ya sin do.”

The chil’ laugh; Anansi get to see de teet’. Now Anansi play stronger again de same t’ing,—

“Poly don ya sin do, Poly don ya sin do.”

The chil’ begin hum it now,—

“Poly don ya sin do, Poly don ya sin do.”

Anansi play again harder now,

“Poly don ya sin do, Poly don ya sin do, Poly don ya sin do, Merry day t’-day ya, Merry day t’-day ya, Sin do, sin do-o!”

The chil’ make,

“Poly don ya sin do, Merry day t’-day ya.”

Anansi shake de head an’ laugh an’ he play much stronger now,

“Poly don ya sin do, Poly don ya sin do.”

The chil’ now sing louder,

“Poly don ya sin do! Poly don ya sin do!”

As the chil’ sing that time, Anansi pick up the chil’, run right away to the king palace, call for the king, put the chil’ in the chair, tol’ the king he make the chil’ sing, see tongue an’ teet’. The king wouldn’t believe him. Anansi play him fiddle before the king, play the same tune,—

“Poly don ya sin do, Poly don ya sin do, Poly don ya sin do, Merry day t’-day ya, Merry day t’-day ya, Merry day t’-day ya, Sin do, sin do-o!”

Chil’ begin now,

“Poly don ya sin do, Merry day t’-day ya!”

And the king was very glad, an’ Anansi was nicely rewarded and the king took the child in his own home, an’ dere she live wid de king forever.