Spirits, Seen and Unseen

It was not many nights before the same company was gathered in Uncle

Remus's cabin,--Daddy Jack, Aunt Tempy, and the little boy. The

conversation took a turn that thrilled the child with mingled fear and

curiosity. Uncle Remus had inquired as to the state of Aunt Tempy's

health, when the latter came in, and her response was:

"I feelin' mighty creepy, Brer Remus, sho'. Look like I bleedz ter hunt

comp'ny. W'en I come 'long down I felt dat skittish twel ef a leaf had

blow'd 'crost de paff, I'd 'a' des about drapt in my tracks."

"How come dat, Sis Tempy?" Uncle Remus inquired.

"You know dat little gal er Riah's? Well, I 'uz settin' up dar in my

house 'w'ile ergo, w'en, bless gracious! fus' news I know, I year dat

chile talkin' in the yuther room. I 'low ter myse'f, she aint talkin'

ter Riah, 'kaze Riah aint come yit, un den I crope up, un dar wuz de

chile settin' right flat in de middle er de flo', laffin' un talkin' un

makin' motions like she see somebody in de cornder. I des stood dar un

watch 'er, un I aint a livin' human ef she don't do like dey 'uz

somebody er n'er in dar wid 'er. She ax um fer ter stay on dey own side,

un den, w'en it seem like dey come todes 'er, den she say she gwine git

a switch un drive um back. Hit make me feel so cole un kuse dat I des

tuck'n come 'way fum dar, un ef dey's sump'n' n'er dar, hit'll be dem un

Riah fer't."

"'E do talk wid ghos'; 'e is bin larf wit' harnt," exclaimed Daddy Jack.

"I 'speck dat 's 'bout de upshot un it," said Uncle Remus. "Dey tells me

dat w'ence you year chilluns talkin' en gwine on periently wid deyse'f,

der er bleedz ter see ha'nts."

The little boy moved his stool closer to his venerable partner. Daddy

Jack roused himself.

"Oona no bin-a see dem ghos'? Oona no bin-a see dem harnt? Hi! I is

bin-a see plenty ghos'; I no 'fraid dem; I is bin-a punch dem 'way wit'

me cane. I is bin-a shoo dem 'pon dey own sied da' road. Dem is bin walk

w'en da' moon stan' low; den I is bin shum. Oona no walk wit' me dun. 'E

berry bahd. Oona call, dey no answer. Wun dey call, hol' you' mout'

shet. 'E berry bahd fer mek answer, wun da' harnt holler. Dem call-a you

'way fum dis lan'. I yeddy dem call; I shetty me y-eye, I shekkey me

head.

"Wun I is bin noung mahn, me der go fer git water, un wun I der dip

piggin 'neat' da' crik, I yeddy v'ice fer call me--'_Jahck! O Jahck!_' I

stan', I lissen, I yeddy de v'ice--'_Jahck! Jahck! O Jahck!_' I t'ink 'e

bin Titty Ann;[26] I ahx um:

"Wey you bin call-a me, Titty Ann?' Titty Ann 'tretch 'e y-eye big:

"'I no bin-a call. Dead ghos' is bin-a call. Dem harnt do call-a you.'

"Dun I rise me y-eye, un I is bin shum gwan by sundown; 'e is bin gwan

bahckwud. I tell Titty Ann fer look at we nuncle, gwan bahckwud by

sundown. Titty Ann pit 'e two han' 'pon me y-eyes, un 'e do bline me. 'E

say I bin-a see one dead ghos'."

"What then, Daddy Jack?" asked the little boy, as the old African

paused.

"Ki! nuff dun. 'Kaze bumbye, so long tam, folks come fetch-a we nuncle

'tretch out. 'E is bin-a tek wit' da' _he_cup; 'e t'row 'e head dis way;

'e t'row 'e head dat way." Daddy Jack comically suited the action to the

word. "'E is bin tek-a da' _he_cup; da' _he_cup is bin tek um--da' cramp

is bin fetch um. I is bin see mo' dead ghos', but me no spot um lak

dis."

"I boun' you is," said Uncle Remus. "Dey tells me, Brer Jack," he

continued, "dat w'en you meets up wid one er deze ha'nts, ef you'll

take'n tu'n yo' coat wrong-sud-outerds, dey won't use no time in makin'

der disappearance."

"Hey!" exclaimed Daddy Jack, "tu'n coat no fer skeer dead ghos'. 'E

skeer dem Jack-me-Lantun. One tam I is bin-a mek me way troo t'ick

swamp. I do come hot, I do come cole. I feel-a me bahck quake; me bre't'

come fahs'. I look; me ent see nuttin'; I lissen; me ent yeddy nuttin'.

I look, dey de Jack-me-Lantun mekkin 'e way troo de bush; 'e comin'

stret by me. 'E light bin-a flick-flicker; 'e git close un close. I yent

kin stan' dis; one foot git heffy, da' heer 'pon me head lif' up. Da'

Jack-me-Lantun, 'e git-a high, 'e git-a low, 'e come close. Dun I t'ink

I bin-a yeddy ole folks talk _tu'n you' coat-sleef_ wun da'

Jack-me-Lantun is bin run you. I pull, I twis', I yerk at dem jacket; 'e

yent come. 'E is bin grow on me bahck. Jack-me-Lantun fly close. I say

me pray 'pon da' jacket; 'e is bin-a yerk loose; da' sleef 'e do tu'n.

Jack-me-Lantun, 'e see dis, 'e lif' up, 'e say '_Phew!_' 'E done gone!

Oona no walk in da' swamp 'cep' you is keer you' coat 'cross da' arm.

Enty!"

"Dat w'at make me say," remarked Aunt Tempy, with a little shiver, "dat

'oman like me, w'at aint w'ar no jacket, aint got no business

traipsin' un trollopin' 'roun' thoo the woods atter dark."

"You mout tu'n yo' head-hankcher, Sis Tempy," said Uncle Remus,

reassuringly, "en ef dat aint do no good den you kin whirl in en gin um

leg-bail."

"I year tell," continued Aunt Tempy, vouchsafing no reply to Uncle

Remus, "dat dish yer Jacky-ma-Lantun is a sho' nuff sperit. Sperits

aint gwine to walk un walk less'n dey got sump'n' n'er on der min', un

I year tell dat dish yer Jacky-ma-Lantun is 'casioned by a man w'at got

kilt. Folks kilt 'im un tuck his money, un now his ha'nt done gone un

got a light fer ter hunt up whar his money is. Mighty kuse ef folks kin

hone atter money w'en dey done _gone_. I dunner w'at he wanter be

ramblin' 'roun' wid a light w'en he done _dead_. Ef anybody got any hard

feelin's 'gin' me, I want um ter take it out w'ile deyer in de flesh;

w'en dey come a-ha'ntin' me, den I'm done--I'm des _done_."

"Are witches spirits?" the little boy asked.

The inquiry was not especially directed at Daddy Jack, but Daddy Jack

was proud of his reputation as a witch, and he undertook to reply.

"None 't all. Witch, 'e no dead ghos'--'e life folks, wey you shekky

han' wit'. Oona witch mebbe; how you is kin tell?"

Here Daddy Jack turned his sharp little eyes upon the child. The latter

moved closer to Uncle Remus, and said he hoped to goodness he was n't a

witch.

"How you is kin tell diffran 'cep' you bin fer try um?" continued Daddy

Jack. "'E good t'ing fer be witch; 'e mek-a dem folks fred. 'E mek-a dem

fred; 'e mek-a dem hol' da' bre't', wun dey is bin-a come by you'

place."

"In de name er de Lord, Daddy Jack, how kin folks tell wh'er dey er

witches er no?" asked Aunt Tempy.

"Oo! 'e easy nuff. Wun da' moon is shiuen low, wet-a you' han' wit' da'

pot-licker grease; rub noung heifer 'pon 'e nose; git 'pon 'e bahck.

Mus' hol' um by 'e year; mus' go gallop, gallop down da' lane, tel 'e do

come 'cross one-a big gully. Mus' holler, '_Double, double, double up!

double, double, double up!_' Heifer jump, oona witch; heifer no jump,

oona no witch."

"Did you ever ride a heifer, Daddy Jack?" asked the little boy.

"Mo' tam es dem," replied the old negro, holding up the crooked fingers

of one withered hand.

"Did--did she jump across the big gully?"

The child's voice had dropped to an awed whisper, and there was a glint

of malicious mischief in Daddy Jack's shrewd eyes, as he looked up at

Uncle Remus. He got his cue. Uncle Remus groaned heavily and shook his

head.

"Hoo!" exclaimed Daddy Jack, "wun I is bin-a tell all, dey no mo' fer

tell. Mus' kip some fer da' Sunday. Lilly b'y no fred dem witch; 'e no

bodder lilly b'y. Witch, 'e no rassel wit' 'e ebry-day 'quaintan'; 'e do

go pars 'e own place."

It was certainly reassuring for the child to be told that witches did

n't trouble little boys, and that they committed their depredations

outside of their own neighborhood.

"I is bin-a yeddy dem talk 'bout ole witch. 'E do leaf 'e skin wey 'e is

sta't fum. Man bin-a come pars by; 'e is fine dem skin. 'E say:

"'Ki! 'E one green skin; I fix fer dry um.'

"Man hang um by da' fier. Skin, 'e do swink, i' do swivel. Bumbye 'e do

smell-a bahd; man, 'e hol' 'e nose. 'E do wait. Skin swink, skin stink,

skin swivel. 'E do git so bahd, man pitch um in da' ya'd. 'E wait; 'e is

wait, 'e is lissen. Bumbye, 'e yeddy da' witch come. Witch, e' do sharp'

'e claw on-a da' fence; 'e is snap 'e jaw--_flick! flick! flick!_ 'E

come-a hunt fer him skin. 'E fine un. 'E trey um on dis way; 'e no fit.

'E trey um on dat way; 'e no fit. 'E trey um on turrer way; 'e no fit.

'E pit um 'pon 'e head; skin 'e no fit. 'E pit um 'pon 'e foot; skin 'e

no fit. 'E cuss, 'e sweer; skin 'e no fit. 'E cut 'e caper; skin 'e no

fit. Bumbye 'e holler:

"''Tiss-a me, Skin! wey you no know me? Skin, 'tiss-a me! wey you no

know me?'

"Skin, 'e no talk nuttin' 'tall. Witch 'e do jump, 'e do holler; a mek

no diffran. Skin 'e talk nuttin' 'tall. Man, 'e tekky to'ch, 'e look in

ya'd. 'E see big blahck Woolf lay by da' skin. E toof show; 'e y-eye

shiuen. Man drife um 'way; 'e is come bahck. Man bu'n da' skin; 'e is

bin-a come bahck no mo'."

The little boy asked no more questions. He sat silent while the others

talked, and then went to the door and looked out. It was very dark, and

he returned to his stool with a troubled countenance.

"Des wait a little minnit, honey," said Uncle Remus, dropping his hand

caressingly on the child's shoulder. "I bleedz ter go up dar ter de big

house fer ter see Mars John, en I'll take you 'long fer comp'ny."

And so, after a while, the old man and the little boy went hand in hand

up the path.

[26] Sissy Ann.