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no tops on de houses, fur de debil were  long an he onkiver  em, lack he de ever night,
an Unc  Jah see de white folks, des what dey doin , some uv em  sleep, some uv  em
drinkin , some uv  em dancin , an some uv  em playing cards, an er-doin all kinds er
devilment dey think nobody kin see stranglin wid ropes, an kullin in de dark, an sech
lack; but Unc  Jah he ain t say nuffin,  case hit wa n t none er his business. De debil he
were mighty peart, an ever time dey kim ter rinnin water he try ter shoot dat bat er-
crost hit,  case he know er hoodoo cain t cross er rinnin branch; but ever time dat bat
dive, Unc  Jah he spread he coat-tails wider an head  im off,  case he know what bre k
he charm, an de way dey kep er-duckin an er-divin when all hones folks was in dey
beds was des fa rly scand lous; but Unc  Jah were tryin ter set dat gal free fum de cuss
er de debil.
 Well, Unc  Jah he de so lack de bat dat he most furgit whedder he er bat er no,  case
he de dey ways an know dey talk  dout steddyin uv hit; but bimeby de debil he git tired
er dodgin Une  Jah,  case he done lef dat body so long already dat he know hit dry up
an crack, lack clay in de sun, an he know he gwine hab er power er trouble ter git back
inter hit; an he see de dodgin ain t de no good, an  pear lack he lef dat body  cross de
branch, so he mek de kin er breeze blow up dat allus mek Unc  Jah powerful sleepy.
Unc  Jah fit hit mighty hard, an he op n he eyes wide an cl ar he throat fur ter wake
him up when he feels  em shet, but Unc  Jah des couldn mek er stan  gin dat breeze,
an es he fly erlong he op n he mouf an  gin ter snore. Dat were enough fur de debil, an
de way he mek dat bat duck an dive an git  cross dat branch whilst Unc  Jah were
nappin would er mek yo head fa r swim. Well, when Unc  Jah wake up an fin hese f
on de groun , an de bat lyin dead an de debil  cross de branch, he sho were plum mad,
an he rub an rub he charm fur ter mek hit work.
 Dar sot Unc  Jah on one side de branch, an dar sot de debil on t other, an Unc  Jah
couldn cross hit,  case he er hoodoo, an dar hain t no hoodoo kin cross rrnnin water
 dout bre kin de spell. De debil he drag de body fum unner de trees, but hit were des es
dry es clay, an de debil tryin es hard es he could ter git back inter hit, an Unc  Jah des
er tryin fur ter keep him fum hit.
 But de charm ain workin good,  counter de rinnin water, dough de debil hab er
mighty hard time.
 De debil sot de body up  gin er tree, an he sot down er faein uv hit, an he try ter spit
hese f back inter de body; an he spit an spit twel he mouf plum dry, but dat body ain
move,  case de debil done been gone too long, an hit done git too dry.
 De debil hatter borry er body,  case he cain t mek one, an hit b long ter some low-
down man dat wand rin roun outen he skin; an de debil he hatter gib hit back, an he
kinder in er herry too,  case dat man gotter go ter work in de mornin .
 Well, de debil he spit an he spit, an  cross de branch Unc  Jah he work an he
work he tryin fur ter dry up de water so s his charm kin work on de debil.
 Hit  pear lack de debil gwine win,  case he done spit hese f  mos half inter de body;
an de body lif he arm an chuckle an laugh course hit were de debil chucklin an
laughin in him; but dat branch were er dryin up too, mighty fas , an dey bofe uv  em
herry, fur bit done  most day.
 De body lif t other arm; but de branch done plum dry now; an Unc  Jah he riz wid
he charm an jump  cross an lay he han s on de body; an de debil he pull, an Unc  Jah
he pull; but de debil cain t work  gin Unc  Jah s charm; an he howls lack er dog fur ter
skeer Unc  Jah off, but Unc  Jah ain t skeered; an he bark lack er wolf, but Unc  Jah
know him; an he roar lack er lion an holler lack er mad bull, but Unc  Jah keep he han
wid de charm in hit on de body.
 Den de debil shine he eyes at Unc  Jah lack er tiger-cat, an r ar an t ar an chaw de
ole coat plum offen Unc  Jah, but Unc  Jah got holt er de body yit. Den de debil he gin
hit up,  case he cain t work  gin seeh er powerful hoodoo, an draw de res uv he spent
outen de body, an gib one has awful howl,  case de day was bre kin now, an go des
er-limpin an er-yellin inter de wood in de shape uv er lame yaller dorg dat was er-
sniffin close by.
 Den unc  Jah go up ter de house an git some salt, fur salt hit mek de debil plum
miserbul, an he fill up dat ole body wid hit lack er sack, an tie hit up, an fling hit inter
de bayou.
 De debil he go erbout er-seekin fresh parsturs an er-feedin on new grass, fur he ain
nebber kim on dat place no mo ; an he ain pester de gal no mo arter Rube done marry
her; fur dat de way Unc  Jah git shet uv him, an dat de way ter git even wid him when
he pesters yo , if yo does hit lack Unc  Jah do, in de dark er de moon. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]