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
"All dis time, Big Eye settin' up on dat lim' gorgin' hisse'f wid der fine
vit'als, an' mos' killin' hisse'f laffin' 'bout how fokes loves ter be
fool'd. He know hits 'bout time fur him ter be gittin' well, an' he set
an' studdy how he gwine git de money ter keep up wid de hifalutin' a'rs
dese fine fokes puts on. Long 'bout dat time, Sis' Cow's cousin take an'
die. Dey keeps her out er day er two, 'caze dey fixin' ter have er fine
fun'al. Big Eye git well soon es he heah 'bout dat dead cow. He flop his
wings an' fly back ter Dead Man's Mount'in, an' tell de buzzards he got er
fine piece er meat ter sell 'em cheap. Dey barg'ins right den an' dar
fur all de dead an'mals on Tink'r, an' Big Eye sign de corntrack part,
ef dey promise dey nuv'r is ter come on Tink'r ter git 'em, 'cep'n on de
dark er de moon."
[Illustration: "BIMEBY HE GIT AX'D TER BE ER PAWL B'ARER TER ALL UV 'EM."]
"Let 'em come in the daytime, Mammy, they can't see in the dark,"
suggested Willis.
"Big Eye know dey'd run him clean off'n Tinker Knob ef dem fokes see he
git his livin' off'n der mis'ry. Nex' day hyah he come flyin' back wid er
big bunch er fun'al flow'rs wid ribbin streamers flyin' ev'y which er way.
Fokes wint ter de fun'al jes' ter see de flow'rs. Ev'ybody talkin' 'bout
de gran'nes' er Mist'r Mount'in Fowel, an' how he 'tend all de berryin's,
doan keer who 'tis. An' bimeby he git ax'd ter be er pawl b'arer ter all
uv 'em.
"Miss Chickin Hawk give er party long 'bout den, an' Big Eye he act mouty
nice ter her gals, tell Mist'r Turkey Gobl'r 'vite him ter his house, den
he fergit he ev'r heah tell er de Chicken Hawkeses. He runnin' ev'y minite
ter Mist'r Turkey Gobl'rs house, makin' like he wus dancin' 'tendance on
Mandy Gobl'r, an' all he wanter do is ter git er peep at Tishy Peafowel
dat live nex' do'. Oh, I tell yer he talk purty talk ter Mandy, but he
cas' dem sheep eyes at Tish. Bimeby, Mandy, she pass Big Eye de
'quaintance uv Tishy ov'r de fence, an' hit 'tain't long 'fo' Big Eye gits
er invite ov'r ter Majer Peafowel's. Whin dat hap'n, hit look like he done
fergit wharbouts Mandy live, an' po' Mandy she look out de wind'r an' see
Big Eye an' Tishy sashain' in de yard, lovin' harder'n er mule kin kick.
"Majer Peafowel say he want Tishy ter mar'y Johnny Squinch Owel, 'caze
he's de bigges' lawyer on Tinker. But Tishy say he too ugly ter look at,
let lone ter mar'y.
"Johnny Squinch ain' sayin' nuthin', he jes' keepin' er lookout fur Big
Eye. He see Big Eye go out sumwhars ev'y dark er de moon, an' he low he
gwine fol'r 'im an' see whut he do. 'Caze yer knows de dark'r hit gits, de
bet'rer Squinch Owels kin see."
"How can he see in the dark?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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