Bypaths in Dixie: Folk Tales of the South — John Shaqi
Bypaths in Dixie: Folk Tales of the SouthCocke, Sarah Johnson
General
Bypaths in Dixie: Folk Tales of the South
Cocke, Sarah Johnson
African Americans -- Folklore; Short stories; Southern States -- Fiction; Tales -- Southern States
"Please, Mammy," laying a hand on her cheek in an effort to pull her face
to him, "m' billy goat's got his legs broke, an' I won't have any goat if
you don't be one."
"How come you don't tu'n one dem dogs in er goat?" suggested Phyllis, her
face obstinately averted.
"They haven't got any horns!"
"I ain't got no horns neether," asserted Mammy.
"But you can make some," persisted Willis.
"You think I'm gwineter pull dis bandanner off an' roll my ole gray wool
inter horns, does you?" chuckled the old nurse.
Willis nodded.
"Well, you foolin' yo'se'f, dat's all I got ter say." But when Willis
began to fret, Mammy relented: "I tell yer dat dog won't know 'esse'f fum
er goat, ef you calls him goat; 'caze I knows erbout er dog an' er goat
dat can't tell t'other fum which."
"No you don't," objected the tormentor tugging at her arm.
"I tells you I does, 'caze one day Mister Man went out ter hunt er dog an'
er goat fur his lit'le boy. He see Sis' Dog an' her fambly on de side er
de road, an' dey 'pears ter be in er mouty commotion 'bout sump'n. Mister
Man holler' an' ax whut ail 'em. Sis' Dog say she foun' one er Sis' Nanny
Goat's chilluns layin' out in de pastur' des er blatin' all by 'esse'f,
an' she dunno whut ter do wid it. Mister Man say, 'I'll take keer uv it,
an' I'd like moutily ter take keer er one er yo' chilluns, too.' Sis' Dog
tell him 'surtiny,' dat it 'ud make her turr'bul proud fur one er her
chilluns ter live up at his fine house. So Mister Man liftes de goat an'
de puppy up on Miss Race Hosses back 'long side er him an' flies 'crost de
country ter his house. When Mister Man's ole lady see him, she th'ow up
her han's an' say, 'Name er de Lawd, Mister Man, whut you specks ter do
wid dat goat?' Mister Man say: 'Oh! I'll des put it out hyah wid de puppy
an' raise 'em bofe tergether.'"
"Wasn't the little boy glad his papa kept the goat?" interrupted Willis.
"Is you glad I'm tellin' dis tale?"
"Yes'm."
"Dat's 'zackly de way Mister Man's boy feel, 'ceptin' mo' so. Dey puts er
pan er milk out in de cow house, an' bofe uv 'em eats outen it tergether.
When dey gits big ernuf ter eat like sho' nuf beastes, de little boy puts
goat feed fur de goat an' dog vit'als fur de dog."
"What's the dog's name?"
"He wus jes' name Collie Dog when he live wid his mammy, but when he start
ter livin' wid white fokes, de lit'le boy name 'im Ned."
"An' what's the goat's name?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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