Louisiana folk-tales : in French dialect and English translation / collected and edited by Alcée Fortier.

Date:
1895
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Louisiana folk-tales : in French dialect and English translation / collected and edited by Alcée Fortier. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    began to love the lady as if she were his mother, and he was jealous of a rich gentleman who came to court the lady every day and wished to marry her. But I must tell you that the gentleman was a bull who could change himself into a man in the daytime, to corne and court the lady, and in the evening he became a bull again to go and eat grass in the parle. Jean Malin had noticed that when the gentleman was near his lady love there was no bull in the prairie, and when the bull was in the prairie there was no lover in the parler. “ I will hâve to watch,” said Jean Malin, “there is something strange which I don’t understand.” He watched, watched, but he took good care not to let Compair Taureau see him. One day, early in the morn- ing, when Jean Malin went to get some wood to light his fire, he saw Compair Taureau on his knees, and saying; “Bouhour, Madjam, fat Madjam, djam, djam, djara, djara,” and then, ail at once, the bull became a man, and went to see his lady. Ah ! I tell you, Jean Malin was afraid, he shivered as if he was very cold. That very morning the lover took breakfast with the lady and Jean Malin waited on them. He ran sometimes on one side, some- times on the other, as a butterfly, he was so frightened. When they asked him for a plate, he gave bread on a fork, and the lady scolded him. She told him, when the lover left, that she would send him away if he did not do better, and she wanted to know what was the matter with him. “ I know you don’t like my lover, but why ? What did he do to you ? He always treated you well.” “Well, I will tell you, mistress. I am afraid; and if you knew what I know you would be afraid also, and you would not let that man enter your house.” “ What is the matter ? Tell me immediately or I shall whip you, and put you out for ta gniappe. Jean Malin began to cry, and he said to the lady: “Know then that your lover is the great bull which is in the park, and that he can change himself into a man and become a bull again to go and eat grass.” The lady was very angry and wanted to beat Jean Malin ; but he said : “ Mistress, listen to me. When your lover will corne again, if I don’t prove to you that ail I say is true, you can send me away and do what you please with me.” “Ail right,” said the lady ; “but remember that you will pay dear for ail your lies.” A few days after that the lover came. He was dressed in great style, and Jean Malin said to himself; “I will see the fun to-day,”