Notes

help him up, to get the load on to his head. In this story and some others the load once taken up cannot be put down. It sticks to the head of the bearer and, until it reaches its destination, can only be transferred to another head.

cravin', craving, greedy, often sounds like craven. A man who is cravin' is generally cubbich, covetous. This has lost its original meaning of desiring possession of other people's things and is used only in the sense of close-fisted. A cravin' man wants to get hold of what others have got, a cubbich (ends with the sound of rich) one will not part with what he has.

laughing after, laughing at.

him must watch. The Cock must watch Annancy and not let him leave the yard; Dry-bone is helpless, and requires attention.

to warm sun, to warm himself in the sun. So they have:—"Puss warm fire," the cat warms herself by the fire.

a 'ky, in the sky.

Me'll pay fe cock, I will pay the Cock's wages which Dry-bone agreed to give. We pay a person for a thing, but the Negro pays for the person as well.

Walk, talk, warm, hawk, all have the vowel ah. This story refers to the time of slavery. It is almost indisputable that in certain cases, when a slave was in a weak state owing to incurable illness or old age, he was carried out and left to die. To his pitiful remonstrance, "Massa me no dead yet," the overseer made no reply, but went on with his directions to the bearers, "Carry him go along." This kind of barbarity was not practised by owners living in Jamaica. By them the slaves were well treated and such a thing would have been impossible. But when the masters went away they left the control in the hands of overseers, men of low caste who had neither scruples nor conscience.