white folks, you got the old coon at last.”
He meant himself, but everybody hollered, “It’s a coon sure enough. John sure can tell fortunes!” So he won for Ole Massa.
Going back home he said, “Ole Massa, I am not going to tell any more fortunes.”
Massa said, “I don’t care if you don’t, because you have made me a rich man. Now I am going to New York and leave everything with you. So in the fall you can sell or keep everything until I come back.”
Him and his wife left for the train, went to the next station and got off.
So John told what niggers that was there to get on the mules and one to ride three miles north, the other one to ride three miles south, one to ride three miles west and the other to ride three miles east. “Tell everybody to come here; there’s going to be a ball here tonight. The rest of you go into the lot and kill hogs until you can walk on them.”
So they did. He goes in and dressed up in Ole Massa’s evening clothes, put on a collar and tie, got a box of cigars and put under his arm and one in his mouth. When the crowdcome that night and begin to dance, John told them he was going to call figures. * So he got the big old rocking chair and put it up in the bed and got up in the bed in the chair and began to call figures. “Hands up four! Circle right! Half back! Two ladies change!”
He puffed his cigar. When he went to say “Hands up four”, Ole Massa walked in and said: “John, look what you have done. You have on my evening suit, up in my bed, done killed all my hogs, and got all these niggers in my house. I am going to take you out to that persimmon tree and break your neck.”
“Ole Massa, can I have a word with Jack before you kill me?”
“Yes, but have it quick.”
So he called Jack and told him, “Ole Massa is going to break my neck. Get three matches and get in the top of that persimmon tree. When I pray and ask God to let it lightning I want you to strike the matches.”
So he got to the tree. Ole Massa had the rope around John’s neck and put it over a limb.
“Now, John, have you anything to say before I hang you?”
“Yes, sir. I want to pray.”
“Well, pray and pray damn quick.”
“O Lord, here I am at the foot of the persimmon tree. If you are going to destroy Ole Massa tonight, his wife and all he has, I want to see it lightning.”
Jack striked a match. Ole Massa said, “John, don’t pray no more.”
“Oh, yes, turn me loose so I can pray. O Lord, here I am at the foot of the persimmon tree. O Lord, here I am tonight calling on thee. If thou are going to destroy Ole Massa tonight, his wife and all he has, I want to see it lightning again.”
Jack struck another match and Ole Massa started to run. Herun so fast till it took an express train running at the rate of ninety miles an hour six months to bring him back home.
—J OE W ILEY.
During slavery time Old Marsa had uh slave name Jack an’ his desire wuz chicken. Dere wuz one ole rooster uster jump upon de fence right in front uh Jack an’ crow jes’ ’bout time he wuz knockin’ off. Jack wuz layin’ for ’im, too, but he couldn’t git uh good chance ’cause somebody wuz around. Old Marsa wuz watchin’ him whilst he wuz watchin’ de rooster, but he didn’t know it.
At las’ one evenin’ Jack got de ole rooster, and he said (sang): “Dat ole rooster sittin’ on de fence, got ’im in mah arms at las’.”
Ole Marsa come up an’ said, “Yes, an’ dat ole whip wuz hangin’ on de wall, Ah got it in mah hand at las’.”
—J AMES P RESLEY.
Ole John, you know, been stealing Massa’s hogs. Ole Massa said to ’im: “John, somebody been stealin’ my hawgs. I’d give a thousand to know who done it.”
“Massa, it musta been a bear. I goin’ ketch ’im.”
So next night ole Massa missed another hog. “John, I missed another hawg.”
“Massa, I sho goin’ git dat bear.” So dat night when John went out tuh git him a pig an’ there was a panter
He meant himself, but everybody hollered, “It’s a coon sure enough. John sure can tell fortunes!” So he won for Ole Massa.
Going back home he said, “Ole Massa, I am not going to tell any more fortunes.”
Massa said, “I don’t care if you don’t, because you have made me a rich man. Now I am going to New York and leave everything with you. So in the fall you can sell or keep everything until I come back.”
Him and his wife left for the train, went to the next station and got off.
So John told what niggers that was there to get on the mules and one to ride three miles north, the other one to ride three miles south, one to ride three miles west and the other to ride three miles east. “Tell everybody to come here; there’s going to be a ball here tonight. The rest of you go into the lot and kill hogs until you can walk on them.”
So they did. He goes in and dressed up in Ole Massa’s evening clothes, put on a collar and tie, got a box of cigars and put under his arm and one in his mouth. When the crowdcome that night and begin to dance, John told them he was going to call figures. * So he got the big old rocking chair and put it up in the bed and got up in the bed in the chair and began to call figures. “Hands up four! Circle right! Half back! Two ladies change!”
He puffed his cigar. When he went to say “Hands up four”, Ole Massa walked in and said: “John, look what you have done. You have on my evening suit, up in my bed, done killed all my hogs, and got all these niggers in my house. I am going to take you out to that persimmon tree and break your neck.”
“Ole Massa, can I have a word with Jack before you kill me?”
“Yes, but have it quick.”
So he called Jack and told him, “Ole Massa is going to break my neck. Get three matches and get in the top of that persimmon tree. When I pray and ask God to let it lightning I want you to strike the matches.”
So he got to the tree. Ole Massa had the rope around John’s neck and put it over a limb.
“Now, John, have you anything to say before I hang you?”
“Yes, sir. I want to pray.”
“Well, pray and pray damn quick.”
“O Lord, here I am at the foot of the persimmon tree. If you are going to destroy Ole Massa tonight, his wife and all he has, I want to see it lightning.”
Jack striked a match. Ole Massa said, “John, don’t pray no more.”
“Oh, yes, turn me loose so I can pray. O Lord, here I am at the foot of the persimmon tree. O Lord, here I am tonight calling on thee. If thou are going to destroy Ole Massa tonight, his wife and all he has, I want to see it lightning again.”
Jack struck another match and Ole Massa started to run. Herun so fast till it took an express train running at the rate of ninety miles an hour six months to bring him back home.
—J OE W ILEY.
During slavery time Old Marsa had uh slave name Jack an’ his desire wuz chicken. Dere wuz one ole rooster uster jump upon de fence right in front uh Jack an’ crow jes’ ’bout time he wuz knockin’ off. Jack wuz layin’ for ’im, too, but he couldn’t git uh good chance ’cause somebody wuz around. Old Marsa wuz watchin’ him whilst he wuz watchin’ de rooster, but he didn’t know it.
At las’ one evenin’ Jack got de ole rooster, and he said (sang): “Dat ole rooster sittin’ on de fence, got ’im in mah arms at las’.”
Ole Marsa come up an’ said, “Yes, an’ dat ole whip wuz hangin’ on de wall, Ah got it in mah hand at las’.”
—J AMES P RESLEY.
Ole John, you know, been stealing Massa’s hogs. Ole Massa said to ’im: “John, somebody been stealin’ my hawgs. I’d give a thousand to know who done it.”
“Massa, it musta been a bear. I goin’ ketch ’im.”
So next night ole Massa missed another hog. “John, I missed another hawg.”
“Massa, I sho goin’ git dat bear.” So dat night when John went out tuh git him a pig an’ there was a panter
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