The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-25
A NANCY STORIES.
Tales the Nurses Of the West Indies
Have Told to Generations
of Chiljren. .r'


WHY BREEDER JOHN CROW HAB BALD PATE.
You know, chilun dat BREEDER John Crow,
de turkey buzzard, him hab bald head; but
you no know how him get it. Now mex
mo tell you de true story.
In n before time-long. long before
you mammles dem was borned-dere
libed man who hated de John Crows an
wanted fe kill dem all. Howsomedever.
him neber get no chance. an BREEDER John
Grow still libed fe vex him.
Hi! but John Grow him fool-fool, fe truel
Him lib well, with plenty fe nyam Teatl and
nobody fe hurt him, but yet him nebber
happy. Him tink himself dandy man,
an it grieb him heart sore to tink dat arter
all, howeber big somebody him might
grow. him yet neber been christened.
Man been christened, boy been chris
tened, gal been christened, woman been
christened,' him say. why me no been
christened. too?'
SO him brood ober it. till him call meet
ing OBJ all him frien and relation, an dey
mex up DER minds fe ask man fe christen
: dem an glib dem proper names.
Man berry happy when him hear dis
an him rub him hands an say to himself:
| Cunning better dan strength. Now
me hab vengeance pom my yenemies."
Him Ak de day fe de christenin', an
him tell John Crow fe mex feast an fe kill
big hog. an fe buy white rum an buckra
| port wine, an plenty OBJ salt fish, an yam
an plantain an oder vitte.s.
De day come. All de John Crows from
cherry country gadered at de place, till dc
hills an valleys were black wild dem. And
one brought beef, an anoder ham, ali
ancder sucking pig, an anoder fowls,
an heaps an heaps OBJ liquor.
Den de man him come to de place where
de eatin match was fe be, an him bring
wild him big barrel full Of 'Merican -four
Dis, dear bredren," him say, SIS mo
conterribution to de big FEAST
Hi! de good buckra!' croaked all de
John Crows. capping dem wings wild JOY.
But de man, him jus smile 10 himself
like Massa Debil, an whisper. salty, saftly:
when fowl merry. hawk him catch
chicken. You shake me han, but you no
shake me heart"
Den him turn to de John Crows, an say:
when man hab plenty vittles. him mus
bile pot. Go. light de fire. 30 we bile de
-four an, water togedeer an mex gran
cake fe de christenin'."
So dev empty de barrel OF -four. an soon
de -four an de water was bilin ,. bubblin'
pom de fire. Den Massa Man call de John
Crows 'roun' him an say
.Ios see Mss his barrel hal eel "a Z, !herel''
PERRY we'll, den. You mus come 'roun'
an all put you heads into it, an you mus n
lif up yon' heads or look 'roun' till tell
you. TO | hab something fe mex ready fe
de christenin'."
So dem all put dem head in de barrel,
an de barrel was chockful OBJ dem head.
Den Massa Man laugh to himself again.
like Massa Debil, Him TEX de big pot oh
bilin' water. an him step up benin dem,
saftly, safty, an don him liz up de pot an
pour dat biin' stuff pom der poo heads
dat was packed in de barrel.
Dan him laupl, ,pnip mora like MnNRa
Debil dan eber, an him say:
Dead, fe true! Dis is de way christen
you. BREEDER John Crowir
But arter all, dey WASH dead. Dey
get better. but dey find all dem poo head
peel bald where de plin' water fell pom dem
Chillun dis am de true story why BREEDER
John Crow hab bald pate. an why him an
| man hate one 'noder.