Anthology of Louisiana Literature

Alcée Fortier.
I. — Piti Bonhomme Godron.

Notes to the next group

Bonnefoi, Bonnefoi; Lapin, Lapin! Mo va or mo alé ⁴ vouzote ⁵ein kichoge ki ⁶ben drolle, com vouzote va oua, é ⁷ki té rivé yen a lontan, lontan.

Can zanimo té gagnin la terre pou yé minme é yé navé pa boucou ⁸moune encor, Bon Dgié té ordonnin yé ⁹ com ça pou pa manzé yé entre yé minme, pa détruit yé minme, mé ké yé té capab manzé zerbe avé tou qualité fri ké yè navé dan moune. Ça té vo mié, pasqué yé tou so criatire é ké ça té fé li la peine can yé té ¹⁰tchué leine à lote; mé ké aussi vite ké yé sré manjé zerbe avé fri, Li Bon Dgié, li sré pran plaisir pou té fé yé poussé encor aussi vite pou yé plaisir.

Mé yé pa couté le Maître! Michié Lion comancé ¹¹manzé mouton, chien manze lapin, serpent manze ti zozo, chatte manze dera, hibou manzé poule. Yé metté yé à manzé entre yé minme, yé sré fini par détruit yé minme, si Bon Dgié té pa vini rété tou ça. Li voyé ein gran ¹²la sécheresse pou pini yé dé yé criauté. Cété ein kichoge ki ti ben drole tou dé minme, com vouzote a oua.

¹³Lair té boucanin, com can yé api bourlé baton coton, té semblé com si yé navé ein ti brouillard. Après soleil couche, ciel té résté rouge comme di fé! Temps en temps kéke nétoile té tombé en ho la terre. Lamer, fleve, lac, bayou, tou té pran baissé, baissé, tou té baissé a la foi, jika yé navé pa ein goutte dolo ki té resté. Ni la rosée té pas tombé ¹⁴bo matin pou mouillé zerbe.

Ah! mo di vouzote, mo zami tou zanimo té trouvé yé dan ein grand nembara. Yé té apé ¹⁵navigué partou, yé lalangue té apé panne; yé té vini még, még.

Yé nave parmi yé ein doctair ki té pélé ¹⁶Michié Macaque, li té batar sorcier, batar voudou. Yé di li té connin boucou kichoge, mé cété ein ¹⁷grand parlair, piti faisair. Li di les ote zanimo ké cété aforce ké yé té fé péché, que Bon Dgié té voyé tou malhair layé pou pini yé, ké si yé navé parmi yé ki té oulé payé, li sré prié pou la pli té tombé. Li té dija réissi plein foi, can li té mandé kichoge; Bon Dgié dan ciel té toujou couté ¹⁸so priére à li.

Yé navé aussi ein famé volair la, cété I'Michié Rénard, ki té; manzé tou poule ké yé navé dan so voisinage. Li di les ote zanimno: "pas bésoin couté Doctair Macaque, cé ein coquin, la pran vou ]agent sans donnin vouzote arien pou ça. Mo connin li, cé ein canaille, vouzote pa apé gagnin la pli ditou. Vo mié nou fouillé ein pi nouzote minme. Cé pa la peine conté en ho lote kichoge. Anon! Hourrah ! tou souite, si vouzote comrn moin, pasqué mo ben soif."

Astér Michié Macaque di li. " Mo pensé ben ké to soif, pirate ké to yé, astér to fini manzé tou poule ké yé navé ici. ²⁰Tapé vini fé to vantor ici."

Maite Rénard di: " Pou ça, to ben menti, to connin ben ké hibou, fouine avé blette apé manzé tou poule, é to vini di cé moin. To connin si yé na ein volair, cé toi, marchand priére."

Tou lote zanimo, tig, lion, loup, néléphan, ²¹cocodri, serpent té apé navigué pou cherché dolo; yé to trouvé yé tou rassemblé pou tendé dispite Doctair Macaque avé Michié Rénard.

²²I fo mo di vouzote ké si ein cochon connin grognin, chien jappé, loup hirlé, lavache béglé, chaque qualité zanimo gagnin yé tchenne langage. Ein tig, ou ben lion, ou néléphant pa capab parlé la langue ein lote bétail, chakenne parlé so tchenne langage, mé can yé tou ensemb chakenne compranne lein a lote: cochon a grognin, chien a jappé, yé va compranne yé ben. Cé pa corn vouzote moune, si ein l'allenmand vini parlé avé ein Français ou ein Méricain, li pa lé compranne, pas plis ké si I'Anglais té parlé avé ein Pagnol ké pa compranne nanglais. Nouzote moune, nou bligé appranne la langue les ote nachion, si nou oulé causé ave yé. Zanimo, cé pa ça ditou; yé compranne yé minme corn si yé té tou parlé minme langage.

Astér, fo mo fini di vou Michié Rénard té prétende ké si li té fé ein si grand sécheresse, dipi ein an la pli té pas tombé en ho la terre, ké tou zerbe té grillé, é ké nabe té apé perde yé feile é ke yé navé pas ni flér ni fri, cé pasqué yé navé pas niage dan ciel pou donnin nouzote dolo, é ké yé navé pas ein prière ka fe la pli tombe. "Tou dolo la rentré dan laterre, i fo vou fouillé ein gran pi pou vou tou capab boi. Couté moin mo zami é vou va gagnin dolo.'"

²³Lion ki té le roi ouvri so la djole. Li rigi, la terre tremblé aforce li parlé fort; li batte so flan avé so la tchié, ça té résonnin com ²⁴ein gros papa tambour yé gagnin dan cirque. Tou lote zanimo couché por terre. Li di com ça: Cré mille tonnair ! prémier là ki va vini parlé moin pou la priére; mo va fout li ein kichoge ki li va connin moin. Comme si mo pa bon boug! Où ça mo déja manjé ein lote bétail? Cé ben menti é moin mo di ké ti navoca Rénard, ²⁵Cé ein vaillant ti boug; li raison, i fo vou fouillé ein pi pou vou gagnin dolo tou souite! Vini ici, toi compair Bourriquet, cé toi ki gagnin pli bel la voie ici; can to parlé ya di ein trompette soldat. Ta couri partout verti tou zanimo ké moin lé Roi mo di comrnca i fo yé vini fouillé et gratté la terre pou vou gagnin dolo. Ca yé qua pa oulé vini travail, ta rapporté yé, ²⁶ta vini drét pou mo forcé yé fé yé part louvrage ou ben payé lote zanimo dan yé place."

A force Bourriquet té contan cété li ki té gagnin pou servi gazette, li commencé braire ké ça té assourdi tou moune.

Alorse ²⁷Bourriquet la maté é pi corcobié, li té cré li tapé fé joli kichoge; ça té rende li tou fier 1é roi té metté so confiance dan li, é pi ça té metté li en position vini commandé les otevini au nom lé roi lé Lion. Can li parti, li baissé so la tête, pi li voyé vous ein démi douzaine paire cou pié; en minme tan li donnin vou ein pétarade, ça té pareil comme si yé té déchiré la cotonnade! Ça cé so maniére salié la compagnie can li contan.

Alors, tou zanimo Bourriquet rencontré li di yé ké yé té pa vini tou souite pou gratté é fouillé la terre pou fé ein pi pou yé gagnin do lo, pou sir, lé roi lé Lion té manzé yé tou cri. Yé té tou si tellement pair ké yé tou vini, jis compair Lapin ki tapé grignotté ein vié ti boute zerbe sec.-Pas vini couté ça mo di toi, resté toujou la, é pa vini tou souite, ta oua ça lé roi a fé avé toi.-²⁸Mo fout pas mal toi avé lé roi tou ensemb, vini tou les dé ta oua comme ma rangé vouzote. To capab couri au diab; esqué mo boi moin? Où ça mo té jamin bésoin dolo ? Pou sir, cé kichoge ki nonveau pon moin. To dija b;te, sotte animal bossale, Bourriquet ké to yé; mo jamin boi. Lapin pa boi, mo popa ni mo grand-popa té pa connin boi é corn moin cé ein vrai lapin, mo pa servi dolo. ²⁹Lapin pa jamin fé piti sans zoreille, to tendé. Si yé navé kéke monne ki té tendé toi yé sré capab cré ké mo tein batar! Couri, passé to chimin, gran zoreille, pasqué si mo pran toi a coup de fouette ici, ma montré toi to chimin, ma fé toi trotté pli vite ké to jamin galpé dan tou to la vie, si to té connin moin comrnm oin mo connin mo minme, to sré pa rété ici, ³⁰pou sire."

Bourriquet là oua cété pa la peine, li pran so chimin, mé mé li té pa si bête fé so fion avé so geste comme li té coutime. Li parti drét et can li rivé coté lé Lion, li di: " Mo maite, mo fé tou vou commission, tou zanimo ké yé na dan moune, tou jis compair Lapin ké pas oulé tendé raison. Li di li pa bísoin dolo é li fout ben tou dolo yé na dan moune. Ça yé ki bésoin dolo, yé capab couri cherché li. Dé plis ké si vou pa contan, la pran vou, a coup de pié é fé vou trotté raide. Vou pa gagnin droit commandé li, li libre, libre comrnla ir, ³¹li pu gagnin maite, jis ³²Bon Djié.'

Can lé roi tandSé ça li di ein tig ki té la avé ein l'ousse couri cherché compair Lapin, rété li, minnin li ici tou souite. " Pran garde, vouzote manzé li en route, pasqué vou va trapé ein tourné comme vouzote jamin trapé encor, mo garanti vouzote ké ³³ma montré vouzote coman cabri porté la tchié; vouzote tendé, hein ? Eh ben ! couri astér."

Yé parti, yé voyagé bon boute avan yé rivé. Tou tan la, les ote zanimo té apé fouillé dir, chakenne té gagnin so part louvrage, minme yé té quitté ein bon morceau, pou la tâche compair Lapin, avé ça yé ki té couri pou rété li. Yé cherché partout, dan la plaine, dan boi, en ho montague; à la fin ³⁴ye vini bitté en ho compair Lapin ki tapé manzé emn racine ³⁵zerbe coquin ki té gagnin plein dolo ladan.

Va connin ké lapin connin fouillé é crézé la terre, cé en ba la yé pran yé dolo dan racine.

Dan minme moment yé rivé coté li, compair Lapin té apé chanté ³⁶ein ti chanson li té fé en ho lé roi. Li té di ladan ké lé roi té ein fouti sotte, ké li pa capab gouverné, é so fame gagnin plein marn. (Compair Lapin té apé ri li tou seul) é ké pététe apr` yé sré fini fouillé pi la, li lé roi té fé tou zanimo payé taxe pou boi dan pi la ké yé té crézé avé yé la siér! Mo pa si sotte moin, mo pa apé couri travail. Rangé les ote si yé bête, moin mo fout ben lé roi corn chien fout ben dimanche. Trala la la etc." ......

Tig la proché tou doucement é pi li di li corn ça: " Bonjoo, compair Lapin, mo mandé vou ben pardon si mo dérangé vou, mé mo pa fé par exprés. Lé roi lé Lion ordonnin moin vini pou rété vou, mo bligé couté li, vou connin: ³⁷Ravet pa gagnin raison divan poule; cé pou ça mo conseillé von pa fé résistance, pasqué compair l'ousse et pi moin na va bligé manzé vou. Pran mo conseil, vini tou tranquillement, pététe va sorti clair; ³⁸vou gagnin la bonche doux, va capab gagé Michié Rénard pou défende vou, cé ein bon ti navoca, li pas pran cher; anon, vini !"

Cau compair Lapin oua li té pa capab fé autrement,li laissé nofficié lé roi rété li. Yé mette la corde dan so cou é pi yé parti.

Cau yé rivé proche la où lé roi té coutime resté, yé rencontré Doctair Macaque en route. Li di compair Lapin: Mo pense to teine élève Maite Rénard, to gagnin pou payé ça cher, va ! To fouti, mo vié ; coman to yé àstér ? To pa senti kichoge kapé frédi dan toi. Ça va montré toi lire gazette é oquipé toi la politique tou lé dimanche, au lié to couri tranquillement la messe.

Compair Lapin réponde li bréf: " Mo fout ben ça to capab di, vié Macaque ! E pi ta connin: ³⁹Béf dan poto pa pér, couto. Pai to la djole, fouti canaille, tapé sayé fé moin di tor, mé pét-éte ben la farce a resté pou toi, ⁴⁰mo pencor rendi au boute quarante narpen to tendé; ⁴¹pét-éte to minme avan lontan ta batte les taons. ⁴²Chaque chien gagnin so jou, cé tou ça mo gagnin pou di toi."

Alorse, corn yé té rivé coté ⁴³ein gros di boi ké di vent té getté par terre, Lion la té assite au ra Ia, Tig avé l'ousse, so dé nofficier ki tapé méré compair Lapin di li: Roi, corn ça ⁴⁴ala gaillard la, nou méné li."

Maite Rénard té proché tout doucement derrière compair Lapin, li di li dan so zoreille: " Can li va mandé toi ⁴⁵cofair to parlè mal en ho li, di li com ça cé pa vrai, cé Bourriquet la ki menti en ho toi pou fé toi di tor. E pi flatteé li plein, ⁴⁶fé li bande compliment avé kèke piti cado, ta sorti clair. Si to fé com mo di toi, ta trouvi toi ben, autrément, si to assé bête pou di tou ça ki dan to tchor, pran gar pou toi, ta sorti sale. Mo garanti toi lé roi va fé ein salmi avé toi."

" Vou pa bésoin pair, Maite Rénard, mo connin &ccedeil;a mo doi fé; merci pou vou bon conseil, mo tein navoca mo minme."

Compair Lapin ⁴⁷té gagnin doutance ké ye sré vini rété li pou tou ça li té di, li te parlé si mal en ho lé roi é gouvernément; cé pou ça li té metté so pli bel nabi avé gros la chaine en or dan so cou. Li té di ein so voisin yé ké ye pélé Michié Bouki, avé ki li té gran camarade, (li té lamouré so fame avé so fie é li té dan la mison compair Bouki com si li té ché li) oui, li di compair Bouki: " Vou mandé moin oé mapé couri faro comme ça; eh ben! mo va pa tardé couri coté lé roi et, com ⁴⁸cé la plime ki fé zozo, cé pou Ca mo billé moin faro comrnv ou oua; ça toujou fé bon effet avé moune ki fier é ki béte.

Can lé roi té paré pou comancé procés compair Lapin, li di so garde méné prisonnier la pou li jigé li.

Alorse compair Lapin vanceé, li di com ça: " O Lion, mo cher Maite, to fé di vini, ala moin, ca to oulé?

Lion la di li corn ça: " Mo gagnin pou condané toi, pasqu6é ⁴⁹to tro connin batte to la djole en ho moin, é pi to té pa oulé travail pou fouillé pi napé fé pou boi. Tou moune apé travail, jis toi, é can mo voyé Bourriquet cherché toi, to di li ké mo té ein bon arien é ké to sré méné moin a coup fouette. Ta connin ké si yé dja mette fouette en ho to do, moin mo té jamin taillé, minme mo défin moman té pa fouti touché moin. Ça to gagnin pou di, zoreille lorgue kapé pande; mo pense cé a force chien tayo coursé toi ké to zoreille si longue, parlé tou souite, ou ben ⁵⁰ma crasé toi com ein plaquemine ki ben mir."

Compair Lapin té pa perdi so sangfroid, li té connin tou ça ⁵¹cété ein gros di vent ki pa méné la pli ni tonnair. Li froté so né avé so dé patte, pi li grouillé so zoreille, li terné é pi li assite é li di: " Lé roi, cé la jistice en ho la terre, corn Bon Djié jiste dan so saint Paradis ! Gran roi, ⁵²vou ki brave passé nouzote tou ensemb, va tendé la verité: Can vou voyé Bourriquet coté moin, li ki plis Bourriquet ké tou Bourriquet yen a den moune; li vini la mison can mo té malade. Mo di li com ça: 'ta di lé roi ké mo ben chagrin mo pa capab couri astér, mé ala ein bel la chaine en or; ta porté ça lé roi en cado é ta di ⁵³ma gagé quarante donze lote zanimo pou travail dan mo place pasqué ta di li cé kichoge tro vécessaie gagnin ein pi, cé la vie ou la mort é nou pa capab fé sans ça. Yé na jis ein gran roi com li ki té capab gagnin ein pareil lidé é assé la tete pou sauvé nou tou. Ça vou cré li di moin? Li réponde moin ki li té fout ben la chaine l'or, li pas manzé ça li; ⁵⁴si mo té donnin li ein la manne mai ou ben di foin, oui li sré manzé, mé la chaine! pét-éte lé roi té attelé dan chari ave minuve la chaine la li ti ben faché porté li.' E pi li parti é li di moin: 'va toujou, popa, mo va rivé anvan toi; ta connin ké ⁵⁵Bef ki divan toujou boi dolo clair. I887.] Louisiana Folk-Lore. Io7 Mo pense Ii te oule di ké li sre parlé avan yé té gagnin la chance tendé moin. Com ⁵⁶mo lé lé roi cre mo pa apé fout li dé blague, mo gagnin ein temoin ki té la, ki tendé tou mo conversachion. Si 1é roi oule gagnin la bonte coute li, ⁵⁷1a tendé pareil com ca mo sorti di li.'" Alorsé compair Lapin salié lé roi é li vini mette la chatne lér dan so cou é pi li assite on coté é li souri, tan li té sir ke so cado té fe ein bon neffet pou idé li sorti clair dan so tracas.

Alorse Lion la di maite Rénard parlé vite: " Mo connin tou zaffair la, si to vini ici pou menti, ma cassé to cou, to pa bésoin balance to la tchié é fe la grimace, com si tapé manzé fourmi. Anon, hourra! parlé, mo pa gagnin tan."

" Mo cher Maite, di Renard, mo va di vou tou com Sa te; compair Lapin ké vou oua ici, cé rneilleir zami ké vou gagnin- La preve cé ké li porté ein gros la chalne l'or pou fé vou cado; jamin va oua ein Bourriquet fé ca, cé pa pet-ete. Mo di vou ké li ce pli gran paillasse dan moune; ⁵⁸Dan Rice pran virgt et un ans pou dressé ein Bourriquet. Li di can minme yé donnin li $Ioo,oco-⁵⁹li papé recommencé jamin encor, jamnin la entrepran ein pareil job; li lainnim mié dresse cirquante mille lion ⁶⁰pasqué ya manze li tou souite, ou ben la fé kichoge dé bon avé ye. Alorse, pou di vou, Michié Lion, vou ki roi tou zanimo, minme Bourriquet la, ké vou té voyé pou representé vou ninteret, ⁶¹vini menti en ho vou, é compair Lapin, li blan com la neige. Malgré Doctair Macaque dan vou confiance, cé li kapé gouvernin en cachette é consellé tou moune é metté yé en revolte contre lé vou pou fe ein ote gouvernernent, ou minme Doctair Macaque avé Bourriquet gognin pou gouvernin dan von place can ya reissi fou vou dihor. Cé ca yapé sayé dipi lantan, é cé ca moin avé compair Lapin té oule di vou."

Can lé roi tendé ça, li di: "Cé bon, mo contan vouzote di moin La. To capab couri toi avé compair Lapin, mo tchombo li quitte."

Mé pendau y? tapi fe procés la, Doctair Macaque avé Bourriquet té pensé La té pa sain pou yé tou lé de. ⁶²Ouchon ! yé té dija loin, y?é chappé can yé oua ça té apé chauffé manvais coté, ⁶³yé fout yé can raide, personne pa oua coté yé passe, aforce yé te ben cache.

Apris ça, compair Lapin é Maite Renard tou lé dé reste dan minme paroisse ou lé roi lé fé so residence. Maite Renard sé to depite ou so premié comis, é lote té ⁶⁴maite d'equipage; cé li ki commande tou monne é fe tou lesotes travail pou fini fouille pi la ave ye patte.

A la fin, pi la te fini net! Tou zanimo pran boi é ye tou te vini gaillard encor. Ça fe Lionne vini gaillard aussi, é keke tan apre ca, li fe douze piti ki te jaune com l'or, ye te tou pli joli l'ein ke lote. A force lé roi té contan, li pardonnin tou ca ki te condanné dan penitentiaire, Fa ye ki te exile aussi li permette ye vini encor. Cau li donnin ye la grace, li di ye couri boi dolo dan pi la.

Alorse, vou pet-y-cre ke Doctaire Macaque ave so complice Bourriquet tou lé de sorti dan ye trou é ye vini encor parmi les ote; me ye pran espionnin é djette tou ca ki te ape passe ou tou ça ye di. Ein jou ye sencontre Maite Renard ki te ape parle zaffair gouvernement pou augmente taxe. Li ave cornmpair Lapin, ye te trouve nave pa asse l'argent dan tresor piblic pou ye te vini riche vite.

Can Doctair Macaque oua ye tou lé de ensemb, li pran souri. Li vance cote ye, li salié, é pi li di: "Anon ! blié tou ca ki te passe. ⁶⁵Ce pa la peine nou couri cherche tou vie papier laye, annon fe camarade é vive tranquille comrnb on voisin." Vou te cre ye trop bon camarade can ye separe.

Doctair Macaque di so padna Bourriquet: " To oua, de boug laye, compair Lapin avé Maite Renard, cé de canaille, mo gagnin pou oua ye boute, ou ben ya bimin moin; ce tou ça mo connin.

Com compair Lapin te di li te pa jamin boi dolo, can Lion te jige li, lé roi te di li: " Pran gar to pa jamin saye boi dan pi la, molé oua si ce vrai ke to jamin boi, é mo ordonnin tou moune dyette toi."

Vouzote ⁶⁶palé cré moin si mo di vouzote ke cé la vérité Lapin pa jamin boi dolo, yen a toujou assé pou ye dan zerbe yé manzé. Me jis pasqué yé té defend li boi dan pi la, compair Lapin te envi. Toul es ote zanimo te tan vante dolo la cornli te clair, cornl,i te bon, ca té donnel i soif soif; tou moment, li té altere corn sil li té manzé ⁶⁷la vianne sale ki te ben pimente.

Alorse li di com La: "Mo fout pas mal, ma couri boi a soir minme, mo oulé oua La ka péché moin, mo assem alin pou yé pa trape moin. E pi si ye trape moin ma toujou trouvé ⁶⁸protection fie 16 roi; ce mo Dombo, la toujou trouve keke moyen pou pa ye tracasse moin, pasque li capab fe boucou ave so popa lé Lion."

Li fe com li di, tou lé soir, li te couri boi plain. Mé a la fin li ée oule boi dan jou aussi.

Ceté ein drole pi, so dolo te pa semb lote dolo, me li té connin soule pareille comrno uiski. Selement, au lie rende ein moune malade, apre chaque bitire vou te trouve vou boucou pli gaillard. ⁶⁹Tou Sa ye ki te vie te ape vini jene encor; minme leguime ke ye te rose dan jardin ave dolo la. aussi vite vou coupe ye, lendimin ye tou pousse encor pli bel ke jamin.

Can compair Lapin commence oua bon neffet dolo la, li di com ça: " I fo mo gagnin pou dan jou aussi, Sa fe boucou di bien, é com mo boucou pli vie ke fie lé roi, fo mo vini aussi jeine ke li. Laisse moin fe, mo va range La. Di pa arien."

&Cedil;a fe can li ti fe noir, li pran ⁷⁰so piti calebasse ki te tchombo a pe pres de bouteil, é li couri cote pi la, é li rempli so calebasse. Me li te pran si ben so precaution ke la gard ye te mette tou lé soir au ras pi te jamin oua arien.

Doctair Macaque ave Bourriquet te fe la gard tou tan pasqué ye te pa capab blie coman compair Lapin te trompe ye si ben dan so proces. Aussite ye té fe serment ke ye sre trape li. Mé tou La ye te fe ye perdi yé la peine é ve tan. Enfin ein bon jou Doctair Macaque vini trouve Bourriquet so camarade é li di li:

" Vini la mison cote moin, ma montre toi ein kichoge." Li fé li oua ein ti Bonhomme Godron. " Ce ave La mo 1é trape gaillard la. Foi cila, com mo va capab prouve ke li coupab, mo va gagnin tou so l'agent, ke lé roi sra confisque pou donnin nouzote, çi nous denoncin li."

Ye pran Ti Bonhomme la, ye mette li dan ti chimin ou compair Lapin te blige passe au ra, au ra do lo, é pi ye parti. Ye connin ye te pa besoin djette; Ti Bonhomme Godron te fe so zaffair san moune te besoin ide li. Mo pa connin si compair Lapin te doute kichoge, li vini ben tar soir la.

Jamin li te rive minme lhere, me li te toujou gagnin dolo, é ye te pa capab trape li. Can li rive soir la ye te pose Ti Bonhomme Godron, li oua ein kichoge ki noir. Li garde li lontan, li te jamin oua arien corn ca anvant. Li tournin tou dret é li couri couche.

Lendimin soir li vini oua encor; li proche pli proche, li garde lontan, ⁷¹li soucouye ⁷²so la tete. Dan minme moment ein ⁷³grounouille sotté dan dolo: ⁷⁴ Tchoappe. Compair Lapin crase a force li te pair: dan de sot li te rendi cote li. Li reste trois jou sans vini, é Doctair Macaque é Bourriquet te comance desespere, ye te comance cre ke cete vrai compair Lapin te pa boi dolo di tou. Me siffit li te prive ca té donnin li encor pli envi boi.

" Oh tiens! li di, mo fout ben! ma risque, mo gagnin ein pe l'agent ici, me ⁷⁵1a restan mo fortine caché dan ⁷⁶gran zer-once. Si ye trape moin ma paye la police é ye va lache moin, é pi mo gagnin la protection fille lé roi-tou lé soir, li vini dan mo la chambre-mo connin ⁷⁷li lainmin moin com cochon lainmin la boue. Si li pa fe kichoge pou moin, ça t ben drole. E pi mo toujou dresse la police pou li laché ein nomme can nomme la gagnin l'agent, é mo pensé ye va pa fe nexception pou moin, pasque ye sre perdi l'agent, mo sre donnin ye.

Alorse Sa te rassire li, li parti lé soir, li te fe ein bel clair la line; moune te promenin tar jou la, pasqué cété la fin printemps. ⁷⁵Chevrefeille te bome l'air, moquair te ap? chante dan pacanier; ye nave ein ti divent ki té fe feille nabe danse, Sa te peche personne tende li marche.

Can li parti, tou moune té couche, jis ⁷⁹chien ki tape jape apres gros niage ki te ape galpe divan di vent. " Ce mo tour aster, moin compair Lapin, mo gagnin pou boi, me ein boi complete.

Can li rive cote Ti Bonhomme Godron, vie Ti Bonhomme te toujou la. Li te fe chand dan la journin e godron la te mou. Compair Lapin garde li é li di: Hum ! Hum, ya assé lontan to dan mo chimin, mo pa vini pou boi, ce ein kichoge mo jamin fe, me mo lé baingnin a soir; sorti dan bmo chimin. To ve pa reponde, heiné Mo di toi mo oule baingnin, noiraud.

Bonhomme Godron pa reponde, La te fe compair Lapin en colhre; li fout li ein tape, so la main resté colle.

" Lache moin, ou ben mo va fout toi ave lote la main." Bonhomme Godron pa reponde, li fout li cam ave lote lamain, li reste colle aussite.

" Ma fout toi coup pie, si to pa lache moin, fouti coquin !"

Li fout li, me pie la reste colle aussite é pi lote pie aussite.

Alorse, li di: " Tape tchombo moirn pou yé fe mauvais kichoge ave moin; vouzote ape saye vole moinm; me arréte, ta oua, La ma fe ave toi. Lache moin ou ben mo va fout toi ave mo latete é ma crase to la djole."

Com li di La, hi fout li, é ein milet te pa fouti cognin fort com ca, aforce li te fache. Me so latete, mo cher zami te reste colle aussite. Li pri, hi ben pri.

Au jou, ein pe avan soleil leve, Doctair Macaque ave Bourriquet rive. Can ye oua compair Lapin la, ye ri, ye joure li. Yé pran ein charrete pou minnin li en prison. Tou di ion chimin, ye raconte tou moune corian ye te mette ein la trape pou trapé pli fame coquin ye nave dans l'inivers; cete ce fame compair Lapin ki te gate nom fie lé roi, ⁸¹li te sali so repitation hors service ke yénave pas ein prince ki te oule mamzelle Leonine, aforce compair Lapin te couri paille partout ke mamzelle Leonine té so Dombo.

Maite Renard, ki tape passe, tende tou manvais parole Doctair Macaque ave Bourriquet en ho compair Lapin; Sa fe, li di: " Oui, ce ben vrai, na pas comreni n volair peu trape ein lote volair."

Can charrette la te apé minnin compair Lapin en prison, tou Sa ye ki tape passe dan chimin voye la brique ave caillou, on compair Lapin, ye fe ein vrai paillasse ave li.

Can hi te divant lé roi, li di corm ça: " Mo oule connin La to gagnin pou di aster pou to capab sorti clair ici."

Lapin reponde: " Ça mo capab di; ⁸²can di boi tombe cabri monte! Mo connin mo gagnin pou mouri jis ein foi, mo fout ben. Si ce mo l'agent ye oule, tou Sa ye ki vini fe ein bande conte en ho moin, mo garanti vou, ye trompe. Tan mo te lib, jamin Bourriquet ni Doctair Macaque saye gagnin train ave moin, ⁸³cochon marron connin ou ye frotte. Mo garanti vou cé de fame scelera." " To pa doit parle corn ca divant lé roi, can mo la. Me lé roi va gagnin pou jige toi dan ein piti moment."

'' Ça mo di, li ben di, mo pare pou tende mo sentence." Apres lé roi ave tou so zami te consilte ensemb, ye trouve compair Lapin coupable, é ye condanne li a mort! Ye ordonin li sre couri en prison en attendan ye te capab trouve ein bourreau bonne volonte pou exequite li.

Le roi te pense li te debarrasse ein bougre ki trop malin pou li, é pi cété pou venge li de ce compair Lapin te compromette Mamzelle Leonine, so fie; cete ein vrai scandale. ⁸⁵Ein fie ki te mince, com ein di cane é dan cinq mois apre compair Lapin te sorti clair dan so proces, fie la té tournin gros com ein bari farine; You oua ben ye nave kichoge ladan ki té pas ben !

Pendan compair Lapin te en prison, li tape zongle coman li sre trouve jou pou sorti é chape pou toujou. Li pense so zaffair te ben sale é cete pli mauvais position li te jamin trouve li. LI di com ca li minme: " Diab, tou ca ⁸⁶ce pa bapteme catin, mo creben mo fouti! Enfin, com mo lasse boucou, si mo ⁸⁷dromi, La va fe moin di bien. Li couche pa terre, é ein piti moment apres li te ape ronflé. Li pran reve bel Leonine, fie lé roi tape fe li signe pou di li pa besoin pair, li va range tou ça; alorse li reveille contan.

⁸⁸A la barre jou, jolié la vini ouvri la porte so la prison, e pi li di li: " Ye trouve ein bourreau bon volonté pou exéquité toi, mé avan, ye gagnin pou coupe to zoreille, ce Bourriquet ki offri so service pou voye toi dan lote moune. Pran courage, mo vie; La fe moin la peine pou toi; to tein bon gaSon, me si to te pa risque si souvan, to té pa la ou to ye. To connin: ' pran gar vo mie passe pardon,' aster li trop tar. Bon voyage, mo camarade !"

Dan minme moment la, sherif la vini ave so depité pou menin li ou ye te doi fe li mouri. Ye rive au bor ein ti la riviere; l'ecore té apic é ye te gagnin gran nabe, zerbe é pi zeronce partou. Ye choisi ein ti place clair.

Can ye rive, nave plein mouve: Madame, Michie, plein nenfant. Tou te vini pou oua coman yé sre tchue compair Lapin. Roi té la ave so famille. Mamzelle Leonine, fie lé roi, té la aussite. ⁸⁹0h! me li te bel, ave so chive tou bouclé ki té claire comrnl' or dan soleil! Li te gagnin ein robe la mousseline blanc com la neige, ave ein cintire riban ble, é pi ein couronne de rose en ho so la tete. Zié tou moune te braque en ho li. A force li té bel. ye blie compair ⁹⁰Lapin net, ⁹¹ki te ape tremble com ein feille liard. ⁹³Oui, oua, li te chagrin fini quitte in si gran fortine é ein si joli fame com fie lé roi.

Ça ki té fe pli la peine, ce can li pran pensé pét-ete Doctair Macaque ou ben Bourriquet té maié ave Mamzelle Leonine sito li sre mouri, pasque tou lé dé te vante yé ke compair Lapin te dan ye chimin; sans li, ye te di pet-ete te na lontan zaffair te fe.

Alorse lé roi di: " Anon fini ave tou La; vance Bourriquet cote compair Lapin lire li so sentence."

Le roi te ⁹³donnin li so choix pou choisi so la mort com li te oule: neye dan riviere la ou ben bourle vivan, ou ben penne dan nabe, ou ben coupe so cou ave ein sabe.

" Oui, oui, di compair Lapin, ⁹⁴tou La ensemb, ou ben l'aine ape l'ote; si La fe vouzote tan plaisir mo mouri, mo ben, ben contan. Selement, mo té pair vouzote te jette moin dan gran zeronce; La té dechire mo la peau, no te soufri trop lontan, é pi serpen avé dgiepe té pique moin. Oh! non, non, pa La ditou ! Di lé roi fe tou, tou, cepte jette moin dangran zeronce pou l'amou Bon Djie dan ciel ki gagnin pou jige vouzote com vouzote jige moin.

"

Yé fe si bande di train: "⁹⁵Ça La ye, di lé roi ki te proche au ra ave Mamzelle Léonine, so fie, ki te vini pou oua si compair Lapin te mouri comrnei n brave, di moins, ce Sa tou moune te cre, me cete pou donnin li courage é rassire li. Can li te dan prison Mamzelle Leonine te fe di li, can minme la corde te dan so cou, li sre rive en tan pou ote li e sauve li, pasque li té linmin compair Lapin plis ke tou kichoge dan moune.

Ye raconte lé roi avé Mamzelle Leonine La compair Lapin te di é comrlni te pair ye jette li dan zeronce, li té pair tro souffri. ⁹⁶Mamzelle Leonine vance, li di: "Popa, mo gagnin ein grace pou mande vou, mo connin vou hai compair Lapin, é moin aussite, pasque li gate mo nom: eh ben! mo lé fe vouzote tou oua tou La ye di te menti. Mo lé oua li souffri pou tou so conte, é mo mande vou ke ye jette li dan zeronce é quitte li pourri la, ce ein asse bon place pou ein canaille com sa."

Alorse, tou moune batte ye la main, aforce ye te contan. " Fout li, fout li, ce la minme fo ye fout li," di lé roi, "fo li souffri, anon, vite, hourrah vouzote."

Aster ye pran compair Lapin a cate, ye balance li ein foi: pove djabe la te ape crie: " Non, non, pa dan zeronce, dan di fe, coupe mo cou, pas dan zeronce."

Ye di: " de foi."-"Jesus, Marie, Joseph, pa dan zeronce !"

Troi foi, Vap! ye voye li dan ein gran talle zeronce.

Com compair Lapin tombe dan so payis, li assite, li gratte so nin, soucouye so zoreille, é pi li di: " Merci, tou moune, mo te pa cre vouzote te si bete, me ⁹⁷ce la minme mo moman te fe moin, mo che moin ici, adieu, tou vouzote, mo connin ou mape couri."

Mamzlle Leonine aussite te contan, li té connin ou li sre contré compair Lapin.

Ca prouve vouzote ein kichoge, ke compair Lapin te ein niprocrite é li plaide faux pou gagnin vrai, ça prouve vouzote aussi ke can ein fame lainmin ein nomme, la fe tou La nomme la oule, é fe tou La li capab pou sauve nomme la, é nimporte ou nomme a couri fame a couri joinde li-Ce pou La ye di ke ⁹⁸nimporte kichoge emn fame oule, Bon Djie aussite.

⁹⁹Com moin mo te la can tou Sa rive, ye voyé moin ici pou raconte vouzote Sa.

¹⁰⁰Mo fini.

This tale was written in 1884 by MR. ZÉNON DE MORUELLE, of Waterloo, La., and communicated to me by my friend, DR. ALFRED MERCIER. It is a genuine negro story, and illustrates admirably the peculiarities of speech and the quaint and sometimes witty ideas of our Louisiana negroes. With the author's permission, I now reproduce it from the manuscript, slightly modifiying some expressions which appeared to me alittle too realistic, and changing the orthography to make it accord with my own ideas of the phonetics of the Creole patois, cf. TRANSACTIONS of the MOD. LANG. ASSO., 1884-5., page 103.

1. — Piti Bonhomme Godron. In French, this expression might be translated: "la Petite Sentinelle de Goudron," as the little black fellow placed by the well is really a sentinel, being left alone to guard the precious water.
   
   This tale is exceedingly popular among our negroes, and is related with many variants. In one of them Compair Lapin is caught while stealing vegetables, and in Mélusine for 1877 is another short variant taken from a Louisiana newspaper. In neither story, however, is the proverbial cunning of Brer Rabbit as well exemplified as in Mr. De Moruelle's, tale. Here also, we see a real intrigue, naive and rude, but interesting, and such as an uncultured narrator, with a vivid imagination, may have invented.
   
   Piti. — Note here how the mute e is rarely kept in Creole: it is either changed into i, as from petit to piti; or more generally it takes the sound of e fermé as ké for que, lé for le, thus losing one of the chief characteristics of the French language, the mute e, and rendering our Louisiana patois more akin to the other Romance languages, in this respect, than to French. This pronunciation of the e as é reminds us of the Gascon dialect.
   
   The e mute of the French, in words ending in -ne sometimes becomes nasal in Creole; as donnin, boucanin, from donne, boucane. The nouns, however, ending in -ne keep the French souand; as plaine, savane, laine. The negroes always dropping as many syllables as possible, the word piti is generally pronounced ti.
2. — Bonnefoi, Bonnefoi; Lapin, Lapin! The negro narrator begins his story with the words: "bonne foi, bonne foi!" good faith, good faith! which signify that what is going to be said is strictly true, and no one must doubt it. The auditors, in their turn, reply: Lapin, Lapin! implying that they are not dupes, and are like the rabbit, which is the emblem of cunning, while compair Bouki, (the goat), is the incarnation of stupidity and credulity.
   
   Often also, the narrator says; "Tim, tim," and all reply "bois sec, baton cassé dan .....macaque."
3. Mo va or mo alé, the future in patois, contracted into m. and malé, viz:
   
   
   
   In his article on "the Creole Slave Dances " in the Century for I886, Mr. Cable quotes Gottschalk's celebrated "Quand patate la cuite na va mangé li!" and says: "still the dance rages on, all to that one nonsense line meaning only, 'When that 'tater's cooked don't you eat it up!'" This is an entire misconstruction of the word na in the patois. It does not mean 'not' but is the future. The line is, therefore, far from being nonsensical.

— N. 4 : — Vouzote — Vous autres, pronounced as one word, with the r omitted. The process of agglutination is exceedingly common in the patois of the negroes; lari, dézef, déra, dolo.

— N. 5: — ein kichoge — peculiar expression for: une (qzueque) chose.

— N. 6: — ben drolle. — Adverbs of manner not formed by suffix -ment, but by ben or trè; trè is very rare.

— N. 7: — Ki té rivé yen a lontan — qui était arrivé il y a longtemps. The past tenses of the Indicative are always formed by té from été; except the imperfect which takes té apé, été après, to indicate progressive action. For the sake of concision, the té of the Preterit, etc., is often omitted, viz: mo té rivé, contracted into mo rivé; mo té apé rivé, contracted into mo tapè rivé etc., yen a. The verb avoir is rare in the patois; gagnin from gagner being used instead of avoir, verb transitive; avoir, auxiliary, disappears.

— N. 8 :—moune-monde.—The word moune always used for personne, substantive: gran moune, piti moune. Personne, pronoun, remains: personne pa vini.

— N. 9 :—Com ça.—While relating a story, the negro continually repeats this expression, stopping a moment, as if to recollect what he had to say: li di com ça, li fé com ça.

P. 102, N. 10:—tchué.—The French t becomes tch: tchué (tué), tchui, (cui), tchombo (tenu); or k: to kenne (le tien). Ye sre manzésré and sra used for conditional and future anterior. Yé. Observe the use of yé as personal pronoun, subject, and direct and indirect object; indefinite pronoun; definite article.

— N. 11:—Manzé—the g often softened into z.

— N. 12:—la sícheresse pou pini yé.—It is very curious to contrast the theogony of the negroes with ours. As the drouth was often so severe in Africa, the natives thought that the end of the world would come in that way, by the want of water. They do not seem to have any tradition of the Deluge.

— N. 13:—Lair té boucanin.—The word boucane for fumée used in Louisiana to designate principally the smoke from the chimneys of the sugar-houses: la sucrerie boucane means that the grinding season (la roulaison) has begun. The description of the drouth is quite pretty: kéke nétoile té tombé en ho la terre. A few stars fell on the earth—nétoile, the n belongs to the word, de netoile, troi netoile (deux etoiles, trois etoiles) en ho la terre.-A funny expression is, fombte en haut Za terre; we might have expected tortbe en bas.

STOPPED HERE

- N. I4:-bo matin-De bonne heure-early.

- N. I5:-navigue-for running about, a word used also in French by the common people, and here most picturesque, to navigate during a dreadful drouth, when the water had turned into vapor.

- N. I6:-Michie Maca que, ii te batar sorcier, batar voudou. Dr. Monkey is the Tartuffe of the story, and we are as well pleased to see his hypocrisy punished, as when Moli&re's false bigot is arrested by order of the king. The word batar here does not mean bastard, but half wizard, half voudou. The words sorcier and voudou are not synonymous. The sorcier or zombi is invested with supernatural powers, that is to say, he can predict the future, but he is not, like the voudou, a kind of high priest of an occult and wicked religion.

P. 103, N. 17 -grand parlair, ti faisair.-A French proverb adopted by the negroes. We shall see later on that they have many proverbs, which might well be adopted by the French.

- N. I8 :-so priére 2 li-His prayer. An example of the dative said to be imported from San Domingo, and I believe, quite rare in Louisiana. Here is a stanza of a celebrated San Domingo song, in which we see three examples of the dative:

Lisett to quitte la plaine, Mo perdi bonheur h moue; Zils a moue semble fontaine, D#pi mo pas mire toue. Jour-l quand mo coupe canne, Mo song6 zamour a moud; La nuit quand mo dans cabane, Dans droumi mo tchombo toue.

P. O103, N. I9 :-MichiCe Renard-The part which Mr. Fox plays in this story is quite interesting. He shares with Brer Rabbit the honor of being the great trickster, and seems here to have recovered the cunning and rascality of the Renart of the thirteenth century. In our Louisiana tales, compair Lapin, as in Uncle Remus, is the great deceiver, while compair Bouki is always imposed upon, as was poor Isengrin, the wolf. Sometimes, we see compair Torti, the tortoise, take the place of compair Lapin as the smart fellow, cf. DR. MERCIER'S tale, Athen&e Louisianais, Vol. I.

The Mr. Fox of this story is something of a fibre penseur, and had he lived in the Middle Ages, would not have had the honor of being represented in stone among the ornaments of the great cathedrals. He deserves to live in the nineteenth century, he is such a shrewd and practical lawyer.

- N. 20:- Tape vini ft to vantor ici.-You are coming to play your braggart here-The negroes are, very keen in perceiving the ridicules of men and satirize very sharply the braggadocio and the rodomont. They call the latter: ti coq jinga, a young rooster always crowing and ready to fight, but which flees at the first blow.

- N. 21:-cocodri-the crocodile, a favorite of the negroes, who eat his tail with great relish. Sometimes, a negro will lie on his back in the sun for hours, and when asked what he is doing there, he will say: Mape chauffe dans soleil com cocodri.

- N. 22 :-Ifo mo di vouzote.-The paragraph beginning with these words is curious, as showing the great difference between men and beasts. When all men came together to build the tower of Babel, they could accomplish nothing, owing to the confusion of tongues. Here, all animals understood each other and succeeded in their undertaking. Hence, Boileau was right, when he said:

Dc tous les animaux qui s' .vent dans l'air, Qui marchent sur la terre, ou nagent dans la mer, De Paris au Perou, du Japon jusqi A Rome Le plus sot animal, a mon avis, c'est l'homme.

P. 104, N. 23 :-Lion ki t U roi.-Lion the king is quite un pi?tre sire and may be compared to many a king in the chansons de geste of Charlemagne's cycle, when the great barons began to despise the feeble successors of the great emperor, and the trouveres gave a finer part in their works to the lords than to the king.

- N. 24:-ein gros popa tambour.-An amusing and very common superlative among tne negroes, and used with any word: ein gros popa nabe, ein gros popa recolte. Observe the a changed into o in popa and moman.

- N. 25:-c? ein vail/ant ti bougre.-A fine little fellow. The word bougre although not elegant is energetic, and is generally used by the negroes instead of the milder word nomme.

P. 104, N. 26 .-ta vini drHt-you will come right off. A good example of the laconism of the patois; three short words used, and the meaning is complete.

- N. 27:-Bourrique-the donkey, takes the place here of Compair Bouki for stupidity. He and Dr. Monkey are a fine pair. His joy on being considered an important personage is comical, and his way of saluting the company is amusing, and the comparison about tearing la colonnade, (home-made nankeen) has a strong couleur locale.

- N. 28 --Mo foul pa mal toi ave l roi-The wordfol, although far from elegant, is so often used by the negroes that I see no harm in leaving it here. It is as if we wanted to omit damn from the vocabulary of the English speaking negro.

-N. 29:-Lapin pa jamin fe piti sans zoreille.-A proverb, corresponding to lelp?re, lelfils.-Compair Lapin in this reply to Bourriquet speaks like a hero, he is not afraid, he is not one of La Foutaine's rabbits, he will make king Lion and all his court trot under his whip.

P. I105, N. 30:-pmu sire-It is quite strange how the negro patois, formed from the French, has abandoned the sound of the French u. This peculiar sound was probably too difficult to them, as it is to many of our pupils, and they changed our u to i or to ou; svr became sire, la nuil became la nonile.

- N. 31:-li pa gagnin maile, jis Bon Djie. To understand the boldness of Compair Lapin in daring to say that he has no other master than God, we must remember that the story is supposed to be related during the time of slavery; hence the horror of Bourriquet and the anger of the King.

- N. 32 :-Bon Djie.-Like the little children, the negroes always say Bon Djie, the Good God, using the adjective where we would merely say: Dieu.,

-N. 33:- ma monlre vouzole coman cabri porle la lchie. - A proverb-I shall show you who I am-" Je vous ferai voir de quel boisje me chauffe." The proverb in the patois is quite characteristic : the goat carrying his tail high in the air indicates a proud and independent nature. Such a dreadful threat was not out of place in order to prevent the tiger and the bear from eating Compair Lapin. King Lion never ate another animal, he was too kind a sovereign, but he knew the voracious habits of his great lords and wanted to punish his subjects himself; remember Louis XI at Plessis-lez-Tours.

-N. 34 :-ye vini bitM en ho Compair Lapin.-They stumbled upon Compair Lapin who was eating a root. The picture is here a real paslorale: Tiger and bear roaming over hills and valleys and suddenly falling upon their victim, who is innocently engaged at his meal, and drinking from the root of a cockle bur, which proved that he did not need the well of the King. We take an interest in him here as being persecuted.

P. 105, N. 35:-Zerbe coquin-a most unpleasant weed which grows but too luxuriantly in Louisiana and stops not only thieves, but honest men also, as I have often found out, to my great discomfort.

-N. 36:-ein ti chanson ii te ft en ho U roi.-Compair Lapin's sarcastic nature shows itself in the little song which he sings here about the king. Lion is nothing but a George Dandin, a fool who is making other fools work for him, but the Rabbit, he does not care any more for the king than a dog cares for Sunday, and that surely is the climax to his contempt.-Mo fout ben l roi corn chien fout ben dirnanche, a negro proverb which is quite expressive.

P. Io6, N. 37:-Ravepasgagnin raison divan poule. La raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure. A proverb which I have heard hundreds of times, and which it would be very appropriate to place at the end of La Fontaine's fable " le Loup et 1'Agneau ;" it illustrates admirably the helplessness of the weak in presence of the strong.

-N. 38:-vou gagnin la bouche doux. Your mouth is sweet. It is not by his eloquence, by his golden words that Compair Lapin will win his case, he is not a St Jean Bouche-d'or, but his hypocritical words will catch his hearers, as honey catches flies:

-N. 39:-Bef dan poto pas pair couto-I am resigned to my fate. This proverb is very true. While tied to be killed, the ox seems the emblem of resignation, and only shows his agony by his great rolling eyes. In his reply to Dr. Monkey's taunts, Brer Rabbit proves himself to be another Sancho Panza. He always has a proverb applicable to his situation. Here are three more of them:

-N. 40:-Mo pencore rendi au boute quaranle narpent." ' Je ne suis pas encore A bout de force." This expression comes from the fact that it is impossible to attempt to run a race of forty arpents without being worn out long before reaching the goal. Lapin means by that that he has not given up all hope, in spite of his feigned resignation.

- N.41 :-pet ete to minme avan lonlan (a bake les laons-A very strange proverb which may be translated: Perhaps, before long, you yourself will be in misery, that is to say, will have nothing to do but to chase away bugs and insects. The French expression etre le dindon de la farce is curiously rendered by the negro: la farce a rest pou toi.

- N. 42 :- Chaque chien gagnin so jou. Every dog has his day. Dr. Monkey need not fear, he will be caught one day. Our friend Rabbit is surely a great philosopher and could have governed an island as well as Don Quijote's celebrated esquireu,

-N. 43:-ein gros diboi-A large tree. Observe how very dEbonnaire King Lion is; his throne is not of gold, but an uprooted tree is a good seat for him. We might imagine seeing St.

Louis under his oak at Vincennes, were it not for the bribe which Lion receives most unblushingly from compair Lapin.

P. Io6, N. 44:-Ala gaillard la.-There is the fellow, ala from voil&.

-N. 45:-Cofer-an example of agglutination from Pourquoi faire.

- N. 46:-ft ii bande compliinen ave kéke piti cado.-Compliment him as highly as you can, and add a few presents. The expression bande complimnent has struck me as being well chosen: an armed band of compliments taking the king by storm.

- N. 47:-t^ gagnin doutance-I have heard this word doutance for doute, not only among the negroes, but also among the Acadians. Also, the word pars for prEt.

P. 107, N. 48:-cé la plime ki ft zozo-A proverb. One goes everywhere with fine clothes. The contrary of the English saying: "all is not gold that glitters" and of the French proverb: " l'habit ne fait pas le moine." I fear that in our days "ce la plime ki fe zozo" is too often correct. I like that word zozo very much, it is childlike and simple, like the former slaves.

- N. 49:-to trop connin batte to la djole en ho moin.-You know too well how to beat your jaw about me. Observe the term en ho, universally used for sur, and often contracted into the simple word on: "/i tombi on snoin," etc. The whole discourse of the King is full of idioms. The reference to the

-N. 50:-hound (chien taiaut), and especially the comparison " ma crass toi coin ein plaquemine ki ben mir," I shall mash you like a very ripe persimmon, have a real country air and prove that our narrator was no city man.

- N. 51 :-cWH ein gros divent ki pa menin Ia pli ni tonnair.- Another genuine negro comparison. King Lion was nothing but a bag of wind, but while speaking to him, Compair Lapin raises him to the skies. It is always the story of Celimene and Arsinoe in "le Misanthrope," Act III, scenes 3 and 4.

- N. 52:-vou ki brave passt nouzote.-The word passe for more is often used in the patois. In the proverb "prend gar vo mid passe pardon," and in the song "Tafia donx passe siro," whiskey is sweeter than syrup.

- N. 53:- ma gagg quarante donze lote zanimo.-I shall engage forty twelve other animals. A strange way of counting of the negroes, but very common. The English speaking pupils find our French sixty ten just as strange. The quatre-vingts and quinze-vingts, borrowed from the Gauls, may also be compared to the quarante douze of the negroes.

- N. 54:-si to t donnin li ein la manne mai.-What could Bourriquet have done with a gold chain ? Corn or hay was much better for him:

" Mais Ie moindre grain de mil Serait bien mieux mon affaire."

- N. 55:-Btf ki divan t{njou boi dolo clair.-" Le premier arniveest le mieux servi:" indeed, the ox which arrives the first at the brook will drink clear water, whilst the others will find it muddy. These negro proverbs deserve really to be kept and explained, they are certainly very expressive.

- N. 57:-la tende pareil corn Fa mo sorti di li-He will hear the same thing which I have just told him. la tende; future of tende (entendre)-pareil corn fa a peculiar expression, borrowed from bad French, just as mo sorti for je viens de.

- 58:-Dan Rice-Never was a man more popular with the negroes and the children than DAN RICE, and allusions to his circus are frequent in Louisiana, where BARNUM is hardly known.

- 59:-li pape recommnence ein pareil job-pap6 contracted from pa ape (pas apres recommencer) job, an English word used by every one in Louisiana and adopted as French: il a un bon job; c'est un jobber.

- N. 60o:-pasque-parce que-because.

- N. 6I:-vini menti en ho vous.-A favorite negro expression; observe the various uses of en ho. Kape' gouvernin- kap6 from qui est apres; another example of the laconism of the patois.

- N. 62 :-Ouchon-A word created to represent the noise made by Dr. Monkey and Bourriquet when they ran off; an onomatopoeia.

- N. 63:-ye foul ye can raide.-They vanished, they disappeared. The energy of the expression cannot be rendered in English nor in French. I suppose that can means here le camp, a local word for quarters, and that foul can signifies to run away from the quarters, probably an allusion to the n?gres marrons.

- N. 64:-maite d'4quipage.-The word 4quipage does not not refer here to the crew of a ship, but to the place in the sugar-house where are the kettles, the names of which are: la grande, Za propre, le flambeau, le sitrop, and la batlerie, where the syrup becomes la cuile, which, when cool turns to sugar. Maitre d'equipage is, therefore, the man who superintends the work done at l'equipage.

P. IO9, N. 65 :-Ce'pd la peine nou couri cherche lou vie papier laye- It is useless to look for all these old papers, let by gones be bygones. A good proverb in the mouth of the hypocritical Dr. Monkey, who with his foolish friend Bourriquet, was trying already to catch Compair Lapin at fault.

-N. 66 :-palt cre-pas ale cre, the future. You will not believe. Here, we are told that rabbits never drink; but it is still the story of the forbidden fruit, Compair Lapin will drink because it is forbidden to him; there must have been also an Adam among his ancestors.

- N. 67 :-la viande sale ki ie ben pimente.-Well peppered salt meat. The negroes in Louisiana are very fond of pepper, and salt meat being given them as rations, the above comparison is very natural. I have often heard negro mothers say to their children: Toi, c pirnent, to fronte corn di pice. You are as bad as red pepper, you are as insolent as fleas.

P. Tg09N, . 68:-protection fie Ie roi.-A true genitive, as in Old French.

P. IIo, N, 69:-Tou fa ye ki U viU t ape vini jeine encor. ca ysdemonstrative pronoun, the forms of which are: cila, cila la, cila ye, cila laye, ca and ca ye. All who drank from the well became young again; we see by this how the negroes adapt history and legend to their tales. Here is the famous well that PONCE DE LEON searched in vain, and which was to make him once more a young and elegant knight. Observe, however, what has been added by the narrator of our story: vegetables cut the day before would grow again if sprinkled with the marvellous water. This imagination of the people is what renders popular tales interesting, it is to see what changes are made in different countries in tales, which are probably everywhere the same in the main plot.

- N. 70.-sopiti calebasse.-The calebasse, the gourd, when filled with dry peas was called chichicois, and was one of the many strange musical instruments of the negroes.

- N. 7I:-li soucouye so la tete.-Soucouye represents more forcibly than secouer what Compair Lapin did on seeing the black fellow by the well, we almost think that we hear the noise of Rabbit's big ears flapping against his head, in his surprise and embarrassment.

- N. 72 :-so la tete.-It is strange that the Creole patois has kept the article with the possessive adjective, when it is not done in modern French and rarely in Old French.

- N. 73 :-grounouille.-A frog; often pronunced by metathesis gournouille. The bull-frog is called ouararon on account of its peculiar cry. When it is about to rain the negroes sing: "Crapo dans6, grounouille chante,moman Miranda dan bayou.'

- N. 74:-Tchoappe-a word like Onchon used as an onomatopoeia.

P. iII, N. 75 :-la restan.-It is curious to observe how the gender of a French word changes in its passage into the patois.

- N. 76 -gran zeronce.-A word to be seen frequently in our tales, and referring principally to the blackberry bushes with which our Louisiana forests are so extensively covered. The zeronce are not to be invaded with impunity, as many a hunter has found out, on coming out of them with his clothes torn and his hands bleeding. We must remember, however, that they are the home of our friend Rabbit, who seems invulnerable to their thorns.

- N. 77: -li lainmin moin corn cochon ldinmin la boue. - He loves me as the hog loves mud, a comparison not elegant, but very correct and exceedingly popular.

- N. 78:-Chevrefeille te boome Idir.--The description of this spring evening is quite poetical, but the couleur tocale is well kept, especially in this passage:

P. liI, N. 79.:-chien ki tape jape apre gro nttiage ki te ape gape divan divent..-The dogs which were barking at the targe clouds which were running ahead of the wind.

-N. 8 0:-mo0 I baingnin asoir.-I want to take a bath this evening. The address of Compair Lapin to Ti Bonhomme Godron is amusing. He pretends at first that he does not want tc drink the water, but only comes to bathe in the well, then he gets angry, loses his usual cunning and gets caught.

P. I112, N. 81 :-li te sali so repitation hors service.-A good expression, her reputation was soiled out of service, as Compair Lapin had spread everywhere paille (eparpill) that he was Miss Leonine's lover.

- N. 82:-can di boi tcmbe, catri zoutet-Proverb-QOuand on est ruine, chacun vous tourne le dos. When the tree is down, be it the tallest oak tree, the goat can despise It and climb on it; it is always the famous coup depiedde l'dne to the dying lion.

- N. 83:-Cochon marron connin oi? ye frotte.- Another form of this proverb is: cochon marron pa frotte ape gorofie, The word gorofi4, says MR. DE MORUELLE, comes by corruption from gare-naux-pieds. It is a tree witll long and hard thorns, which the wild hog takes good care not to touch. The proverb might be translated thus: " le liche ne s'attaque jamais au brave," the coward never attacks the brave man. Dr. Monkey and Bourriquet would never have dared to insult our brave Compair Lapin, when he was in liberty.

- N. 84:-fa mo di, li ben di-What I have said is well said. A sentence of great concision and force. Lapin is quite sure that he is right: Magister dixit.

- N. 85 :-einfie ki t1 mince corn ein dicanne e ki tournin gros corn ein barifarine.-A most singular and amusing comparison, a little coarse, but characteristic and expressive.

- N. 86:-ce pa baptrme catin.-A proverb. That is very serious, it is not the baptism of a doll-catin for poupee is very common. P. 113, N. 87:-drorni-for dormi.-There is a pretty negro dicton beginning with this word: dromni trompe moin, sleep has deceived me, I awoke too late.

- N. 88:-A la barre jou-At dawn, that is to say, when the first streak of day is seen.

- N. 89:-Oh! rn li t be5e.-The description of Miss Leonine's toilette is admirable, it shows the good taste of the negroes; a dress of white muslin, with a blue ribbon, and a wreath of roses on her head, in the hottest sun, at noon, and yet all eyes were riveted on her, braque enho li.

- N. go:-Oui, oua !-an exclamation. Yes, indeed!

-N. 91:-ki U ape tremble cor ein feille Hiard.-Poor Compair

P. 113, N. 92:-Lapin, his bravery has abandoned him. How is he to get out of this bad scrape ?

- N. 93:-donnin li so choix pou choisi so la mort.-Gave him his choice to choose his death. A funny pleonasm, which reminds us of our French monter en haut and descendre en has.

-N. 94:-tou fa ensemb.-All these at the same time. Compair Lapin chooses to be killed in three different ways at the same time, rather than be thrown in the thorns (grand zeronce).

P. 114, N. 95:- (a faye.-A very concise expression. " What is the matter ?

-N. 96:-Mamzelle Leonine vance.-Miss Ldonine plays here an interesting part; she pretends to hate Compair Lapin, and begs that he be thrown in the thorns. It is, of course, to save him.

- N. 97:-ce la minme mo mornan t fe moin-A common dictou in the Creole patois. " I am at home here, that is my country." In French, we sometimes say: "Je suis sur mon fumier." Compair Lapin was indeed at home and saved.

-N. 98:-Nirnporle kichoge ein fame oulz, Bon Dji6 aussite. An interesting translation of the famous saying: "ce que femme veut, Dieu le veut."

P. 115, N. 99:-Corn mo te la can tou ca rive.-Of course, the narrator was always an eye witness of all he relates; is not his motto, Bonne foi, Bonne foi.?

- N. IOO:-Mofini.-The end-" Finis coronat opus."

Prepared By

• Tory Cordero
• Anna England
• Victor Saber
• Steven Wagner

Winter 2019-2020 Group

• Atmesh Acharya
• Willem Flowers
• Macy Goss

Anthology of Louisiana Literature