The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-08-14
The Story Of a Hoe-Cake

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bushes. and the soft wind that blew up from
the South was sweet with the smell OF roses
and iessamines. | could see the little group
from where | sat, and hear their voices IN
the hush of the closing day. jim, the little
nurse, very black, very woody headed, and
very wise-lOOking, sat on the upper step,
with Alfred's fair, plump little arms clasped
about her neck as he nestled in her Jap.
Dan, the six year old, leaned against her
knee, on one side, and Maggie, round-eyed
and chubby, cuddled close to the other. She
had been singing one of these quaint little
melodies, which the black nanny in the
South chants over her dusky baby. 1t ran
"Snaky baked a hoe-cake,
Set a frog to mind 1t,
Froggy got to noddin,
Lizard came an stole it;
Q, bring back my hoe-cake, yer long tailed Nanny"
"Now, JIM" / heard Dan say, in a coax
ing tone, after a little silence, please tell
us a story
"P'ease, D'sina tory" lisped Alfred,
ike a faithful little echo.
"G'long, chillun! !" cried jim. odd
not | done tole you bout de Glass Slipper
ebry night-an' de boss wild wings dat dey
cotch in a pig pen, whar | heerd Miss May
read bout tother night-an'-O, g'lOng,
chillun, | don't know muffin mo !"
please JIM" coed Maggie.
"P'ease D'sin."
"Well, den, if you mus, I'll tell you
de true tale bout dat song whar nanny
larnt from a Virginny niger, an | knows
de tale is true, kase l made it myself an |
were dar!"
And here is the story | heard jim tell,
light
"Wel one time ole Mis- Snaky she bull
up a fire onto de harf in de kitchen, an she
took up a fryin' pan an run after den little
snakeses, like nanny after me n Jim n
Ephrum, an she say Cit out'n here, dis
minnit, yer lazy, good-for-nothin, ~frazles.
Use gwine ter make a hoe-cake. [ is An
dem young snakeses ruined onder de bed,
an in de grass like, an ole Mis- Snaky she
tux de meal, an de salt, an de cracklins,
an de bilin' water, jest like nanny do
cake wild her han, jes so there jim tossed
Alfred's round little cheeks between her
hands, an lef' de print of her fingers on de
pOne, an den she dab it onto de shebbel,
whar she done bet in de ashes, an bake it
on one side, den she urn it ober-'
didn't see brush of the ashes, JIM"
asked Maggie.
"Ashes, ID SIM"
brush off de ashes. Why, chillun,
don't you know a hoe-cake amt ftten to
eat lessen it got de ashes all on it! Well,
den, ole Mis- Snaky she shuck her fryin'
pan at dem young snakeses, whar all had
dey finger III dey mouf, an she say: Now.
you all amt gwine ter git none o dis hoe
cake, kase yer pappy gwlne to come home
hongry from Gle cotton-patch.' Sos she
call up a nice young frog whar live in a pud-
die long side o de cayage-house, an she sot
him down for to watch dat hoe-cake twell
she come back. Den she dress herself up,
jes like nanny do, an fance herself down
to de baptism at de bayou.
"Bimeby, dat frog he git powerful sleepy.
He slap hisse'f an scratch he head, les SO
there jim slapped her own shoulders and
touseled up Dams auburn curls.) But
twaint no use. He nod wusser'o Uncle Jake
alter be been possum- huntin'
Bout dat time here come along Mis-
Lizard, dress up jes ike dat house gal, Mar
thy Ann, whar thinks hersef so smart, an
whar yer ma gwine to 'smiss some o desc
days, c%arryin' a pay-sol ODER her head an
switchin' her tail, like as if she's white
she say to hersef, low like: Xxi, | smell
hoe-cake, | does! Eff old Mis- Snaky wa Mt
so full of ebo, I'd ak her to give me some.
Den she spy de hoe-cake on de shebbel an
she come IN an grab it, jes so (here jim
clutched Maggie by the shoulder, and Mag
gle shlvered with delighted terror
Den, laws, honey, how she hyl Well,
'zactly dat minnit, ole Mis- Snaky she come
home from de baptizin', singing 'Jes from
de fountain jes like nanny do, an bring
in Brudder Vance long wild her to Git SOM
o dat hoe-cake, she scream alter her loud es
she could: Bring back dat hoe-cake, vel
long tail Nanny An she so mad an 'spint-
ed 'twell she shake hersef all ober an fall
down IN a TT. OATS all. An | knows it,
kase | were dar!"
And what did the little snakeses' nappy
do for his supper when he come home from
the cotton patch, JIM" inquired Dan, anx-
iously.
Supper. D'sin? ?" said Alfred.
Now, g'long chillun. How in name o
senselsl gwine ter Git dis chile ter sleep, e1
yer keeps ~on.axin' yer foolish questions. Jes
yer keep still now, Ise gwine ter sing ter dc
baby"
And, as the stars came out, jim sang in 2