Bunday! Old-Story Jack Tales from the Bahamas

In a latest collection of posts, we’ve got been exploring the American Folklife Middle’s collections of Jack tales. On this publish we’ll take a look at some tales from a group that options a few of our very earliest folktale recordings: the Alan Lomax, Zora Neale Hurston, and Mary Elizabeth Barnicle expedition assortment (AFC 1935/001). In some methods, the music on this assortment is so vital that it has overshadowed the storytelling, and the truth that this assortment is a vital supply of Jack tales and different narratives has due to this fact not often been acknowledged. Though the illustrious folklorist and novelist Zora Neale Hurston traveled with the expedition via Florida, and though she had recommended the journey to the Bahamas within the first place, for private causes she withdrew from the expedition earlier than the collectors left for the island nation. Due to this fact, the recordings and pictures have been made by 20-year-old College of Texas scholar Alan Lomax and his older and extra skilled mentor, the NYU professor Mary Elizabeth Barnicle.

In the middle of their Bahamas gathering, Lomax and Barnicle gathered primarily songs. I’ve offered and mentioned a number of of those earlier than, together with an amusing model of “Our Goodman,” in addition to quite a few songs within the “anthem” style, together with “I Bid You Good Night time,” which turned an unlikely pop track by Aaron Neville, the Unbelievable String Band, and the Grateful Useless. However additionally they collected folktales, and their recordings stand as a number of the earliest sound recordings of the distinctive Bahamian storytelling custom. Lots of the tales have intelligent and difficult protagonists, together with B’Rabby (The Bahamian model of Brer Rabbit), B’Bouki (one other animal character whose title in all probability derives from the Wolof phrase for hyena), and, after all, Jack. Though one informant for the folklorist Daniel Crowley acknowledged that of all these characters, Jack is the neatest, they’re additionally considerably interchangeable, in order that the identical plots would possibly characteristic B’Rabby because the central character for some tellers and Jack for others. However there are some tales which can be very distinctively a part of the Jack story custom, which should have been dropped at the Bahamas with English settlers. For instance, let’s begin with a story that has clear connections to English Jack tales: “Jack and his Little Tune-Tune Escape the Many-Headed Giants.”

Jack and his Little Tune-Tune Escape the Many-Headed Giants

Introduction and Abstract

On this story, advised by Zacharias Greene with a bunch of mates in Andros Island, Jack has a musical instrument that Greene says “goes by the title of Tune-Tune.” As we’ll see, Tune-Tune makes lovely music that pleases giants and convinces them to not eat Jack. Tune-Tune isn’t clearly described however, primarily based on inner and exterior proof, I’ll tentatively determine it as a fife. The inner proof is that Greene says it’s performed by blowing, and it appears like a fife or horn when Greene imitates its sound. The exterior proof derives from two different variations of this story collected in Andros Island, by Elsie Clews Parsons in 1912-14 and 1926. In a single, “Jack Performs Fife on the Large,” the musical instrument is clearly recognized as a fife, however just isn’t known as “Tune-Tune.” Within the different, which she known as “From Unhealthy to Worse,” the instrument IS known as “Tune-Tune” however not described in any respect. For causes I can’t fathom, Parsons determined Tune-Tune in “From Unhealthy to Worse” was a concertina, however there’s nothing within the story to point what sort of instrument it was. The truth that it’s a fife in at the least one earlier model of this story, mixed with the way in which Greene imitates its sound, suggests it’s a fife in our model too.

The language on this story could also be obscure, and the disc is broken close to the top so it’s laborious to listen to the end result. I can’t produce a full transcription right now, however I’ll summarize. For these not conversant in Bahamas storytelling, I’ll additionally clarify a number of the conventions.

First, “Bunday!” is an exclamation of unknown origin that introduces storytelling and gives emphasis. It might have its origins in an African language, or it may originate from “good day” in dialects of Spanish (bon día) or Portuguese (bom dia), and even from a French exclamation, “bon Dieu.” After an preliminary exclamation of “Bunday,” tales start with a gap method, which on this case is one thing like:

As soon as upon a time and a great previous time
Monkey chewed tobacco and spit white lime
Bullfrog go on the previous individuals’s home sit on the shade bushes, and
The previous individuals say it was a great season

One very last thing earlier than I summarize the story: Bahamian tales continuously are interspersed with songs (making them technically cantefables), which can be the case with this story.

Greene’s story begins “There was an previous girl and she or he began her boy within the fields and this boy has the title of…Jack!” Jack spends the entire day working within the fields, throughout which he spends a while taking part in with Tune-Tune. He inadvertently leaves Tune-Tune on a rock within the fields when he goes house to his mom. When he discovers that he has left Tune-Tune behind, he asks his mom to let him return for it. His mom asks him to not go as a result of at evening the realm is frequented by giants who would possibly kill Jack. Jack insists on going again to the fields, and his mom says he can be within the palms of the Lord. Within the fields, after taking part in Tune-Tune for some time, Jack is certainly attacked by giants a number of occasions, and every time sings or performs a track. The primary large (who Greene says has “one-head-and-a-half!”) makes Jack climb onto his lips to play and sing; he then praises Jack’s track and says “it’s possible you’ll go.” The second large, who has two heads, makes Jack stand on his higher lip. After Jack performs the second large says: “You’re somewhat bit too good, or I’d take you house to Miss Lizzie-Ann, however in spite of everything I’ll allow you to go, and also you’ll by no means cross the subsequent man.” Jack thanks him, however quickly encounters a three-headed large. Tune-Tune’s charms don’t work on this large, who places Jack in a cage and instructs “Miss Anna” (presumably both his daughter or his servant) to cook dinner the boy the subsequent day: “‘I would like you to bake some, roast some, stew some and boil some, smother some, parboil some,’ he mentioned, ‘and fricassee some!’” Within the morning Jack convinces Anna to let him out of the cage with a rope tied to him, and he goes outdoors after which returns to her (maybe after retrieving Tune Tune). He performs her a track. The disc is broken close to the top, however it appears the track convinces her to let him go; on the finish, Greene says “So the boy says, ‘madam,’ he says, ‘thanks ma’am.’” Jack then apparently needs her properly (although the precise phrases are vague, his method begins with “I hope”) earlier than Greene wraps up with a typical formulaic ending:

“So E Bo ben, that story’s finish, and if you happen to don’t imagine me, go to the captain of the longboat crew, and if he don’t let you know higher lies, then come again to me and I’ll inform it significantly better. Bunday!”

Hear the story within the participant under, after which I’ll current some concepts about its significance.

As you’ll have seen, “Jack and his Little Tune-Tune Escape the Many-Headed Giants” appears notably exceptional for preserving early traditions about Jack, which we mentioned on this earlier publish. Probably the very first look of the character that turned our folktale Jack, within the medieval story “Jack and his Step-Dame,” makes him a farm laborer and musician who performs music out within the fields for his personal amusement. Within the story he has a particular musical instrument which causes infectious glee, and this permits him to flee his enemies. The second look of Jack, in “Jack the Large-Killer,” makes him the opponent of vicious giants, a few of whom have two and even three heads. The Bahamian story “Jack and his Little Tune-Tune Escape the Many-Headed Giants” combines these two concepts: Jack is a farm laborer who performs out within the fields for his personal amusement. He has a particular musical instrument, which causes infectious glee. This permits him to flee vicious giants, a few of whom have two and even three heads. In different phrases, this story preserves the magical musical instrument from “Jack and his Step-Dame” alongside the theme of many-headed giants from “Jack the Large-Killer,” demonstrating that these motifs endured within the oral custom of Jack tales over a whole lot of years.

“Jack and his Little Tune-Tune” additionally sheds fascinating gentle particularly on the Island’s storytelling custom. The three variants of the story I’m conversant in, all collected within the 20 years between 1916 and 1935 throughout the small group of Andros Island within the Bahamas, characteristic three totally different endings. Within the one offered right here, Jack is captured and caged however apparently escapes with out ever being eaten. In “From Unhealthy to Worse,” he’s eaten and apparently killed. In “Jack Performs his Fife on the Large,” he’s swallowed entire, however then cuts his approach out of the enormous’s stomach and flees. He finally kills the enormous by getting his mom to rig a entice door to break down beneath him.

This variability documented for this single story goes a good distance towards explaining how these tales can flow into for many years or centuries inside small communities: the main points and even the outcomes are fluid, and storytellers have leeway to resolve how the story ends, so there’s nonetheless a measure of suspense even if you happen to’ve heard the story earlier than.

The identical statement goes for the subsequent story too, which as we’ll see, existed in lots of kinds within the Andros Island storytelling custom. Let’s hear “Jack Gambles with the Satan for his Daughter Greenleaf.”

Jack Gambles with the Satan for his Daughter Greenleaf

Introduction

The story of Jack wooing and successful the Satan’s daughter, Greenleaf, in identified in myriad kinds with many amusing motifs and plot twists that make every teller’s model distinctive. The one we’ll current was advised by certainly one of Lomax’s favourite informants, “Pappie,” which was the nickname of David Pryor. As each a singer and a storyteller, Pappie recorded 60 objects for Lomax and Barnicle in 1935, then visited the Library of Congress in 1943 and 1944 to document extra songs for Benjamin Botkin. (We’ll characteristic a few of his songs in a future publish!) Though Pappie was from Andros Island, by 1935 he had moved to Nassau, which is the place Lomax and Barnicle recorded him. The recording circumstances in Nassau appear to have been higher than these in rural Andros, and Pappie speaks very clearly, which made it attainable for me to transcribe the entire story.

Pappie had at the least one pal with him within the session, who sang bass on the story’s two songs, and who apparently knew a barely totally different model of the story. Often he echoed Pappie, or interjected a distinct model of a phrase in Pappie’s story. I’ve put these interjections in sq. brackets, and feedback in parentheses. Discover the story within the participant under, adopted by my transcription and at last my commentary.

So Jack begin on he approach going. He sing:
(Singing)
Properly, since I’ve been a roving gambler, gambler is my title
I used to be playing seven lengthy years, and I by no means lose the sport
And the individuals gave me a brand new title, Excessive-Low Jack and once more
However I give myself a brand new title, now Jack is the Sport

Then B’Satan sing:
(Singing)
Properly, since I’ve been a roving gambler, gambler is my title
I used to be playing seven lengthy years, and I lose each sport

Anyhow, I say he was playing seven lengthy years and he lose each sport.
So on…so Jack began going to get to this street to go to the river.
To get there, he stand and he look.
So he say, “anyhow,” he say, “I feel I’ll take this street.”
He take that street, he went to the river.
He met Greenleaf and Blossom, within the river bathing. So he took up their garments, and he received ‘em, and conceal ‘em.
And that point, he come right down to the riverside, whistling.

(Whistling.)

So when the ladies now seen Jack, all of them went down within the water.
And Greenleaf made a suggestion to Mister Jack.
She mentioned, “Oh Mister Jack, please convey me my garments right here for me, and I’ll marry to you.”
So Jack mentioned “Yeah, the place the garments is.”
She mentioned “Proper there, Mr. Jack.”
Properly he look all about, he look all about, he didn’t see ‘em, so he go on down till he get to the place he disguise these garments.
So he take ‘em up, he say “These them right here?”
So she mentioned “Yeah.”
So he come down the river facet, he come backward, he handed the garments, he wind up within the cornfield.
And after they placed on their garments, they got here out.
So she say, “Mr. Jack, ain’t you going to the home with me?”
Jack say “No, I don’t care to take a stroll with you all. I can discover the home.”
“So that you suppose you may discover the home…our home right here?”
Jack say “Yeah, I may discover your own home proper right here on this metropolis.”
So the lady then gone, out of sight.

After which that point Jack begin. Jack begin down. And as he come to the crossroads, he ran into B’Satan. B’Satan mentioned “Hi there, hiya, hiya my boy!”
He mentioned, “huh, huh, huh, boy, the place you been?”
Jack mentioned, “oh,” he mentioned, “I ain’t been nowhere. Simply taking a stroll round.”
He mentioned “properly, ain’t you going to the home with me?”
He mentioned “sure, I’ll take a stroll with you. We’ll be going to the home.”
And after they get to the home, inform Jack “are available.” Jack went inside.
And he noticed a chair and sat down. T
Right here was Greenleaf and Blossom sitting there, out within the corridor.
So the Satan made reply, he mentioned, “Jack,”
he mentioned, “now Jack, that is my two daughters, and you may select anybody you need.”
So Jack get on up and get alongside Greenleaf and he says, “properly, I select this one.”
He says “no no my boy,” he says, “no no my boy,”
he say “how you may select that one?”
Jack mentioned “Yeah,” he mentioned, “I need to select that one, as a result of that’s the one you wager off of.”
“All proper.”

That point, now, they out to kill Jack.
In order evening time come, they make up somewhat mattress within the little entry for Jack.
They inform Jack, Jack can go in there and lay down and sleep.
Jack inform them “All proper.”
Jack went in there. For a very long time Jack lay down there, and Jack snore.
[Bunday!]
He snore very laborious.
[Yeah. Bunday!]
So that point, the Satan made reply. He mentioned “My spouse, carried out my boy”
[Done my boy]
She say, “sure, my husband! I would like his coronary heart!”
[Long for it]
Daybreak, and when it daybreak he shoved the room door open, and Jack stretch.
Jack say, “oh, my!”
He say “my boy, my boy,” he say, “you ain’t asleep but?”
Jack say “oh, no,” he say, “once I house, earlier than I am going sleep, my mom at all times make a sizzling, sizzling cup of tea and provides me. “
And very quickly, they’d the tea was carried out.
They carry it they usually give it to Jack.
Jack pour the tea via the cuphole…the keyhole, and he throw the cup within the nook. All proper.
Jack lay down there once more, for a protracted whereas he snore.
Mentioned, “My spouse, set on the boiler!”
[On the boiler]
Mentioned, “Oh sure, my husband, I would like his coronary heart!”
[Long for his heart!]
Sure, “Lengthy for his coronary heart!” Then he put his hand on the door like that, so he shove it open, Jack stretch once more, he mentioned “Oh my!”
He mentioned “My boy! So you continue to not asleep but, eh?”
He mentioned, “Oh, no, once I house, earlier than I fall asleep, my mom at all times give me a pleasant, thick, heat blanket to cowl up with.”
Properly, if I’m going to let you know the reality, the blanket what they gave Jack,
it might cowl Nassau.
And if I’m going to let you know a lie, it might cowl the world.
So anyhow, after they gave him that, Jack threw it within the nook.
Satan gone once more, he lay down…Jack lay down.
And for a protracted whereas, Jack snore once more.
(Loud night breathing noises.)
“My spouse! My spouse! Set on the boiler…he carried out my boy!”
“Oh sure, my husband, I would like his coronary heart!”
[Long for his heart!]
“Lengthy for his coronary heart!”
Then he go and he put his hand on the door like that, and he shove it open
Jack sat there and Jack say “Oh, my!”
He mentioned, “My boy, my boy, my boy!”
He say “what, you ain’t asleep but?”
Jack mentioned “Oh no, once I house, earlier than I fall asleep,
my mom at all times take a sieve and go to the properly and convey me good cool water to wash with!”
(The disc is modified, and the lead-in to the brand new disc is scratchy)
The Satan…went right down to the properly along with his sieve,
however discovered he couldn’t dip the water along with his sieve, all come out.
Noticed the dip all come out, and he begin to get his sieve and attempt to plug up the holes however it make the holes larger.
He mentioned, “my spouse, my spouse, my spouse, how we going to handle?”
She mentioned, “oh, my husband, I don’t know!” Say “I don’t know.” She mentioned “strive it once more!”
Properly, he dip once more, all of the water come out once more.

Now that point, Jack was house, he had an excellent huge bunch of bananas.
A tree within the yard.
And Jack reduce it down, fairly simple…
and chip off all of the leaves.
And he carry it into the room,
and lay it within the mattress, put the bunch of bananas on high of the pillow,
and canopy it up fairly good with the blanket.

And Greenleaf gone, and get all of the silver and gold and the quickest horse
that her pa had there,
and the prettiest carriage he had,
and she or he put all her issues inside,
and away she went.

After the Satan come house…didn’t introduced no water, trigger he didn’t carry nothing to convey water in. When he went within the room, he mentioned “my spouse, my spouse, set on the boiler, he carried out.”
She mentioned, “oh sure, my husband, I would like his coronary heart”
[“Long for his heart”]
“Lengthy for his coronary heart.”

Very quickly, the boiler was boiled,
so he draw his sword, and he nick the sword within the mattress, whack!
“Yeah,” he mentioned. “My spouse! All house, all house, I say I received the boy, I received the boy.”
[All home!]
So he take up the mattress,
and he carry the mattress outdoors, and he lay it down earlier than the boiler.
And when he throw the blanket off,
it was an excellent huge bunch of banana tree he had there.
Oh he get mad now, and he begin to crying.
(Pryor speaks as if via tears, and his pal likewise makes crying sounds)
“Oh, you recognize now that’s the boy!
Now that’s the little boy!
That’s the unhealthy boy come reduce down my banana tree!
Boy! I’ll by no means have that boy boiled!”
And when he go to the pasture,
the quickest horse he had there was gone.
The prettiest carriage he had, gone.
All of the silver and gold he had, gone.
He get mad now, and begin to crying once more.
Anyhow, he get so mad now, he nick he spouse head off.
He nick his spouse head off and he eat her!
Properly, he holler for Greenleaf.
No Greenleaf!
He mentioned, “Blossom, the place is Greenleaf?”
She say, “Papa, I don’t know the place Greenleaf is!”
“Hey Greenleaf!”
“Papa I don’t know.”

That point Jack, Jack was house.
Along with his new girl spouse.
Him and his brother John.
So anyhow, whereas they’d the primary…down the street yonder.
So Jack and his spouse, they house, so Jack says,
“Now my brother,” he mentioned,
“we was arguing, in our rising up, who would get the prettiest spouse.
Now, you introduced house a good looking spouse, and…” he say, “…I simply the identical.”
He say “however now, I would love for you, to let your spouse step off right here for me please.
I wish to see her step.”
So John says, “all proper, dearest,” he says, “will you step off right here for me please?”
She says sure, and she or he will get proper up and stepping, faucet, faucet, faucet, faucet.
He says “Is your spouse stepping now?”
He say “Inform your spouse step!”
She step off once more, faucet, faucet, faucet.
He say “Man!”
He mentioned “inform your spouse to step down and ask me to let my spouse step off.”
He mentioned, “all proper then, let your spouse step dance.”
He mentioned, “Stunning doll, will you step off there for me please?”
She stand up.

(Singing):
Redeem, redeem, redeem.
Each step I step
Prince George’s merry diamonds.

He says, “step off once more, lovely doll.”

(singing):
Redeem, redeem, redeem,
Each step I step
Prince George’s merry diamonds.

And when John and his spouse vanish out the home, no one didn’t know the place they gone.

And that point, I used to be coming down the street in a haste
I heard the information, coming down the street in a haste
and once I get there I mentioned
“Now Jack.” I mentioned “Not since you named Jack and also you very robust,”
I say “now, you shouldn’t do your brother like that.”
I say, “if that was me….”
(Disc runs out)

Jack Gambles with the Satan for his Daughter Greenleaf: Commentary

This story is widespread within the Andros Island custom through which Pappie Pryor was reared. Elsie Clews Parsons collected 4 variants in Andros, two below the title “Greenheart Er Data” in her 1918 assortment (the second model instantly follows the primary), and two in her 1928 assortment–one known as “Greenleaf” and numbered story 6, at this hyperlink, and one other known as “Variant (Greenleaf)” and numbered story 23, at this hyperlink. Typically phrases, the story is a variant of the story typically referred to as “The Satan’s Daughter,” which as Carl Lindahl factors out is likely one of the most typical magic tales amongst African American storytellers. Within the Jack Story repertoire of the southern Appalachians, together with in Richard Chase’s e book “The Jack Tales,” it’s typically referred to as “Jack and King Marock.” In much more normal phrases, it’s a variant of the story identified to folklorists a as ATU 313A, “The Woman as Helper within the Hero’s Flight.” In Pappie’s model, Greenleaf helps Jack by stealing the horse and carriage, in addition to the gold and silver. In lots of different variations, numerous objects she has stolen from the Satan are thrown behind the carriage and magically turn out to be enormous obstacles to the pursuers. On this case, although, the couple will get away extra cleanly!

This model of the story will be divided into a number of episodes. The primary includes Jack’s argument along with his brother John, John’s marriage, and Jack’s determination to depart his mom’s home. This harkens again to the custom of “Jack, Will, and Tom” tales like “Hardy Arduous Again” and “Previous Hearth Dragon,” through which Jack is in competitors along with his older brothers to win the prettiest spouse. It due to this fact connects deeply with the Jack story custom. As regards the plot, it units up Jack’s quest as part of his lengthy sibling rivalry with John. Regardless of his declare to his mom that he’s going to hunt his “livelihood,” it establishes that his final aim is to marry an exquisite lady.

The second episode, through which Jack gambles with the Satan by taking part in playing cards, can be shared with different Jack tales, together with “The Inexperienced Man of Data,” a Scottish model of the identical story sort. It might have had particular resonances for Bahamians, nevertheless: in 1935, playing was unlawful within the Bahamas however the authorities had lengthy been wanting the opposite approach for a small on line casino in Nassau (the place Pappie then lived), which catered to vacationers. Playing continued to be unlawful for Bahamians after waivers have been granted for vacationer institutions in 1939. Thus, when Pappie advised this story, playing was a political challenge. It was successfully authorized for vacationers however unlawful for strange Bahamians, which many discovered unfair; on the similar time, it was related to city life, lawlessness, wickedness, and the encroachment of foreigners on Bahamian tradition.

Jack’s defeat of the Satan, a global determine of lawless and depraved habits, establishes Jack as a trickster, not strictly lawful himself, and thus able to beating the Satan at his personal sport. It additionally establishes the Satan as a surprisingly silly and incompetent character, which he typically is in Bahamian folklore. When Jack sings a track about by no means having misplaced a sport, the Satan pathetically echoes it along with his personal track about by no means having gained one! With reference to Jack’s ongoing quest, this episode establishes that Jack has grudging parental consent to marry Greenleaf, which is a vital step towards marriage. I’ll point out too that Jack addresses the Satan as “B’Satan,” which like “B’Rabby” and different such names is a well-recognized type of deal with, which means “Brother Satan.” In some tales Jack is even known as “B’Jack.”

The third episode consists of Jack wooing Greenleaf by stealing her garments, which she left on the riverbank when she went to wash within the river. This motif will be traced all the way in which again to Hindu mythology, and is thought in European and American folklore research as motif K1335: Seduction (or wooing) by stealing garments of bathing lady. In our story it additional establishes Jack’s ability as a trickster: he apparently at all times meant to offer Greenleaf her garments, however by stealing and hiding them first he is ready to seem intelligent and resourceful in Greenleaf’s eyes by “discovering” one thing she didn’t know he had hidden. By approaching her backwards to return the garments, so there isn’t any probability of seeing her nakedness, he is ready to seem gallant. By refusing the ladies’s provide to stroll him to the home, he establishes his confidence in his personal capability to search out it. Though Greenleaf has theoretically agreed to marry Jack earlier than all of this, his actions might serve to additional persuade her that he’s a worthy husband and deserving of her love and loyalty–which all pays off when he wants her assist to flee.

The fourth episode is the central motion of the story, through which Jack defeats the Satan and escapes with Greenleaf. First, Jack meets the Satan once more and proceeds to the home, lastly formally claiming Greenleaf. This causes the Satan and his spouse to resolve to kill Jack whereas he sleeps. The Satan appears motivated by wanting to maintain Greenleaf at house, whereas the spouse has the added incentive of wanting Jack’s coronary heart, both as meals or for some ritual goal. (Human hearts have been reportedly utilized in some Obeah rituals; whether or not this was really true or not, the story may very well be depicting a fictional model of this concept.)

Jack makes use of three ploys on the Satan and his spouse, which thwart their makes an attempt to kill him. The ploys additionally purchase Jack and Greenleaf time to arrange their escape. First, Jack asks for a cup of tea. The truth that he doesn’t drink the tea signifies that he already suspects the Satan’s intentions, whereas the truth that he hides the cup within the nook turns into important later. His second ploy is to ask for a giant, thick blanket. As soon as once more, this turns into important later. His third ploy is to ask the Satan to convey him cool water in a sieve. The duty of bringing water in a sieve typically figures in variations of this story, however it’s often a activity given by the ogre to the individual who should escape; European legends, nevertheless, do embrace examples of the Satan being thwarted by being given this activity. On this model, the Satan and his spouse are proven to be comically incompetent, unable to determine tips on how to proceed. The truth that Jack has hidden their cup additionally results in their lack of ability to fetch any water, offering payoff for that earlier plot level. The very long time this takes them provides Jack and Greenleaf time to flee.

Whereas the Satan and his spouse are occupied, Jack units up his escape. The trick he makes use of comes straight from seventeenth-century variations of “Jack the Large-Killer,” demonstrating once more the affect of English Jack tales on the Bahamas custom. As in these English tales, Jack cuts down a tree and arranges the logs below the blanket to appear like he’s sleeping so the Satan will assault the logs as an alternative of killing Jack. This additionally gives the payoff of Jack’s earlier request for a blanket, displaying that after once more Jack was steps forward of the Satan.

Greenleaf, too, makes use of this time to organize, stealing the quickest horse, greatest carriage, and most useful possessions from her father. Though she is the least developed of the foremost characters, she nonetheless has an important position to play.

The Satan’s response to having been fooled reveals him to be each foolish and depraved. Pappie amusingly makes the Satan sound like he’s lamenting Jack’s demise (“Now that’s the boy/ That’s the little boy!”) when he’s actually lamenting that Jack has NOT been murdered. By casting the Satan’s response this manner, Pappie reveals him to be the alternative of human…and positive sufficient, the enraged Satan kills and eats his personal spouse. The story leaves the Satan a lot worse off than earlier than, solely via his personal incompetence and rage, whereas Jack and Greenleaf escape.

The ultimate episode reveals Jack and Greenleaf again in the home Jack shares along with his brother John. Since each wives are lovely, Jack decides to settle the query of which is best by having Greenleaf compete with John’s spouse at “stepping off” or dancing. The dancing track, “Redeem Redeem Redeem,” which has additionally been collected as a part of different tales, suggests Greenleaf’s dancing is so magical it produces “Prince George’s merry diamonds.” Greenleaf’s victory within the dance-off causes John and his spouse to flee.

As you heard (or noticed within the transcript), the recording ran out at this level, considerably earlier than the top of the story. Nevertheless, the narrator recounting his personal interactions with the opposite characters is usually a sign {that a} story is ending imminently. It’s due to this fact possible the story was solely one other sentence or two lengthy, through which Pappie satisfied Jack to reconcile along with his brother and sister-in-law so that everybody may dwell fortunately ever after. 

E Bow Ben, This Story’s Finish.

I hope you’ve loved these two tales! We’ll have extra on Jack tales, the 1935 Bahamas expedition, and Pappie Pryor in future posts.

As at all times, thanks for studying and listening!