Jack as Fortune-teller

T. Brown, Claremont, St. Anne.

Der was a day Jack says he was a fortune-teller. De king call him dat his wife los’ her marriage ring and he want him to tell him where it go. Jack didn’t know not’ing all de same, but jus’ working his head. De king got t’ree servant in his house. De t’ree of dem steal de ring. De king give Jack four days to tell him. One mo’ning, one carry Jack breakfas’. Jack says, “Praise de Lord, I got one!” Same day, one carry his dinner; same day, one carry his supper. Jack says, “Praise de Lord, I got de t’ree!” (Jack meant he get t’ree meals, but de servant think Jack mean them.) One of the servant go in the house, say, “Let us tell Jack we get de ring, for he know it.” De t’ree of dem come to Jack one night and told Jack dat ’ey steal de ring. Jack said, “Oh, yes, I did know a long time dat it you t’ief it!” Jack says, “If I tell de king about de ring, king will behead de t’ree of you.” Jack says, “Make a little ball and put de ring in it and put it down a big turkey’s mout’.” De morning, nine o’clock, de king called Jack to tell him where his wife’s ring goes; if Jack can not tell him, he will kill Jack. Jack says, “If you want to know how you’ wife ring go, kill dat big turkey an’ look in his craw.” Dey kill de turkey, an’ saw de ring; and from dat day, de king believe what Jack do and give Jack his daughter to marry. And I pass roun’ de house last week and I saw dem an’ dey give me a good piece of beef-bone. Dear how Jack got his richness by working his head!