Read Online Jonah's Gourd Vine by Zora Neale Hurston - Free Book Online

kin speak de longest pieces and never miss uh wordand say ’em faster dan anybody Ah ever seed.” It was agreed Lucy was perfect. Time and speeches flew fast.
    Little fishes in de brook
    Willie ketch ’em wid uh hook
    Mama fry ’em in de pan
    Papa eat ’em lak uh man.
    â€œDuet—Miss Lucy Potts, bassed by Mr. John Pearson.” They sang and their hearers applauded wildly. Nobody cared whether the treble was treble or the bass was bass. It was the gestures that counted and everybody agreed that John was perfect as the philandering soldier of the piece and that Lucy was just right as the over-eager maid. They had to sing it over twice. John began to have a place of his own in the minds of folks, more than he realized.

CHAPTER 3
    O ne morning in the early spring John found Amy sitting before the fire in Pheemy’s house.
    â€œHowdy, mam.”
    â€œHowdy, son.”
    She rubbed her teeth and gums with the tiny snuff-brush. She had something to say and John knew it.
    â€œHow’s everybody makin’ it over de Big Creek, maw?”
    â€œRight middlin’, John. Us could do better but yo’ pappy always piddlin’ from piller tuh post and dat keep de rest uh us in hot water.”
    â€œYessum. What’s de trouble now?”
    â€œYuh know Beasley took and beat us out uh our cotton and we ain’t hardly had nothin’ tuh eat, so day ’fo’ yistiddy Ned took and kilt one uh Beasley’s yearlings way down dere in de hammock and fetched it home dere and us cooked and et some of it and put some of it down in salt. We thinkin’ nobody’d ever know de diffunce, but Beasley heard de cows bellerin’ when dey smelt de blood where it wuz kilt and went down dere and found de hide. So us had tuh pack up our things in meal sacks and when it wuz black dark us went on over tuh de Shelby place, and us goin’ work dere dis year.”
    â€œDat’s uh whole heap better’n Beasley’s place, but ’tain’tnigh good ez heah. Wisht y’all would come work fuh Mist’ Alf.”
    â€œNed, he too hard-headed tuh do dat. Ah done tried and tried but his back don’t bend. De only difference ’tween him and uh mule is, de mule got four good foots, and he ain’t got nairn. De minute anybody mention crossin’ dat creek, he’s good tuh make disturbiment and tear up peace. He been over dat creek all his life jes’ ez barefooted ez uh yard dawg and know he ain’t even got uh rooster tuh crow fuh day, yet and still you can’t git ’im ’way from dere.”
    â€œHow come you don’t quit ’im? Come on, and fetch de chillun wid you!”
    â€œYou can’t know intuh dat yit, John. In times and seasons, us gwine talk dat, but Ah come tuh take you back wid me, John.”
    â€œMe, mama?” John asked in agonized surprise, “you know Ah don’t want no parts of over dat Creek.”
    â€œMama know, son, but Mist’ Shelby asted where wuz you de fust thing and say he don’t want us ’thout you.”
    â€œMama, Ah don’t wanta go ’way back over dere in dem woods. All you kin hear ’bout over dere is work, push-hard and pone-bread, ole cawn bread wid nothin’ in it but salt and water! Ah laks it over here where dey talks about biscuit-bread some time.”
    â€œYeah, John Buddy, mama know jes’ how yuh feels and her heart is beatin’ right wid yourn. Mama love flour bread too. But, you know, lots uh white folks ain’t gwine be bothered wid Ned, and us got tuh find some place tuh lay our heads. Mist’ Shelby ain’t uh mean man, but he don’t b’lieve us kin make de crop ’thout you. Reckon you better git yo’ things and come ’long.”
    Amy got up wearily, the ruffles of her faded calico skirt sweeping the floor as she moved.
    â€œAhm goin’ and see Marse Alf ’bout takin’ yuh. Be ready ’ginst