Leap, Timber, Leap

a. Old Conch.

Emanuel Johnson, Brownstown, St. Anne.

There was a king have a lumber to bring into the palace, an’ that lumber was one mile in length and there was not one man could carry it except one old man name of Old Conch. The king sen’ for him; him tek five days to do one mile. Anansi hear, an’ he can walk a little faster than him, an’ went to the king an’ say he will go an’ the king say if he can carry it quicker than Old Conch, he can go. Anansi mek a cotta an’ travel for the lumber, an’ when Old Conch ketch up the five days, fin’ Anansi beside the lumber trying to lift it up and couldn’t lift it. Old Conch were beside the timber an’ commence a song,—

Fol-low, timber, follow, fol-low ’long road, timber follow. Leap, timber, leap, leap tim-ber, leap. Follow, timber, ’long road fol-low, fol-low, timber, follow. Leap, tim-ber, leap, leap, tim-ber, leap. Fol-low, ’long road, timber fol-low, fol-low, ’long road, tim-ber, fol-low. Leap, tim-ber, leap, leap tim-ber, leap.

Timber pick up himself an’ mek a leap in two mile.

Anansi went on before an’ stood beside the timber trying to help it on again. Now when Old Conch went up and see Anansi by the timber again, Old Conch go beside the timber an’ say,

“Follow long road, timber, follow! Follow long road, timber, follow! Follow long road, timber, follow! Leap, timber, leap! leap, timber, leap! Leap, me timber, leap! leap, timber, leap!”

Timber pick up himself mek one jump two more mile; that’s four miles timber gone now. Now go on, an’ fin’ Anansi beside it again, an’ start him song say,

“Follow long road, timber, follow! Follow long road, timber, follow! Follow long road, timber, follow! Leap; timber, leap! leap, timber, leap! Leap, me timber, leap! leap, timber, leap!”

The timber pick up himself two more miles an’ drop in the king yard now.

Then Old Conch go on, an’ Anansi run ahead an’ say, “King, I brought de timber!” King were very glad to see the timber come an’ say, “You done well, Anansi!” an’ say, “I wan’ de timber in dat corner.” Anansi go beside the timber an’ couldn’t fix it in; were trying an’ frying an’ couldn’t fix it in. Now Old Conch come, says, “King, I brought de timber.” King says, “No! Anansi brought it; but, however, I wan’ de timber to go in dat corner, an’ I’ll prove out of de two of you which bring it!” Anansi first go to the timber, an’ couldn’t manage it. Now Old Conch start an’ say,

“Follow long road, timber, follow! Follow long road, timber, follow! Follow long road, timber, follow! Leap, timber, leap! leap, timber, leap! Leap, me timber, leap! leap, timber, leap!”

The timber pick up himself an’ fall in the corner. Now the king tek after Anansi was to kill him, couldn’t catch him, run under a stone an’ by the time they get up the stone, slip beneath the door crevice!

Jack man dora!

b. Grass-quit (fragment).

Howard Robinson, Retirement, Cock-pit country.

Grass-quit went to the bottom place an’ he haul a little grass-straw an’ tak a knife an’ slit the timber-head like this an’ he fix the grass-straw into it, an’ he say, [60]

a) Come, lit-tle tim-ber, fol-low me, hur-rah me a lay.

b) Come, lit-tle tim-ber, fol-low me, hur-rah me a lay, Big tim-ber, fol-low me, hur-rah me a lay. Lit-tle tim-ber, fol-low me, hur-rah me a lay. Big tim-ber, fol-low me.

An’ the timber follow him right into man yard, an’ as it catch into the yard, the daughter marry Grass-quit same time. An’ he sen’ for a police an’ tak up Anansi same time. When Anansi come out of prison, he make Grass-quit ride grass-straw until to-day.