 | Journal of a Residence among the Negroes in the West Indies |  |
JANUARY 20.
THE RUNAWAY.
Peter, Peter was a black boy;
Peter, him pull foot one day:
Buckra girl, him * Peter's joy;
Lilly white girl entice him away
Fye, Alissy Sally, fye on you!
Poor Blacky Peter why undo?
Oh ! Peter, Peter was a bad boy;
Peter was a runaway.
Peter, Peter was a black boy;
Peter, him pull foot one day:
Buckra girl, him * Peter's joy;
Lilly white girl entice him away
Fye, Alissy Sally, fye on you!
Poor Blacky Peter why undo?
Oh ! Peter, Peter was a bad boy;
Peter was a runaway.
Peter, him Musa thief-Oh! fye
Missy Sally, him say him do so.
Him money spent, Sally bid him bye,
And from Peter away him go;
Fye, Missy Sally, fye on you
Poor Blacky Peter what him do?
Oh ! Peter, Peter was a sad boy;
Peter was a runaway.
Missy Sally, him say him do so.
Him money spent, Sally bid him bye,
And from Peter away him go;
Fye, Missy Sally, fye on you
Poor Blacky Peter what him do?
Oh ! Peter, Peter was a sad boy;
Peter was a runaway.
Peter, him go to him Massa back;
There him humbly own him crime:
"Massa, forgib one poor young Black!
Oh! Massa, good Massa, forgib dis time!"
Then in come him Missy so fine, so gay,
And to him Peter thus him say
"Oh ! Missy, good Missy, you for me pray!
Beg Massa forgib poor runaway!
There him humbly own him crime:
"Massa, forgib one poor young Black!
Oh! Massa, good Massa, forgib dis time!"
Then in come him Missy so fine, so gay,
And to him Peter thus him say
"Oh ! Missy, good Missy, you for me pray!
Beg Massa forgib poor runaway!
"Missy, you cheeks so red, so white;
Missy, you eyes like diamond shine"
Missy, you Massa's sole delight,
And Lilly Sally, him was mine!
Missy, you eyes like diamond shine"
Missy, you Massa's sole delight,
And Lilly Sally, him was mine!
*The negroes never distinguish between "him" and "her" in their conversation.
64
Him say-' Come, Peter, mid me go;
Could me refuse him? Could me say 'no?'-
Poor Peter-'no' him could no say!
So Peter, Peter, ran away!"
Could me refuse him? Could me say 'no?'-
Poor Peter-'no' him could no say!
So Peter, Peter, ran away!"
Him Missy him pray; him Massa so kind
Was moved by him prayer, and to Peter him say;
"Well, boy, for this once I forgive you !-but mind!
With the buckra girls you no more go away!
Though fair without, they're foul within;
Their heart is black, though white their skin.
Then Peter, Peter, with me stay;
Peter no more run away!"
Was moved by him prayer, and to Peter him say;
"Well, boy, for this once I forgive you !-but mind!
With the buckra girls you no more go away!
Though fair without, they're foul within;
Their heart is black, though white their skin.
Then Peter, Peter, with me stay;
Peter no more run away!"
| Journal of a Residence among the Negroes in the West Indies | |