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American Ballads and Folk Songs |
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Ala maitr' geole li trouve si drole, Li dit: "Moin aussi mo fe bal ici."
Ye prend maitr' Preval ye mette le prison, Pasque li donnin bal pou vole nous l'arzan.
Monsieur Preval gave a big ball; he made the darkies pay for their kittle hop.
The grand gala took place in a stable; I fancy the horses were greatly amazed.
M. Preval was Captain of the ball; his coachman, Louis, was Master of Ceremonies.
(He gave a supper to regale the darkies; his old music was enough to give one the colic!)
(Then the old jackass came in to dance; danced precisely as he reared, on his hind legs.)
There were Negresses there prettier than their mistresses; they had stolen all manner of fine things from the wardrobes of their young mistresses.
(Black and white both danced the bamboula; * never again will you see such a fine time.)
(Nancy Latiche to fill out her stockings put in the false calves of her madame.)
"How, now, Sazou, you stole my trousers?" "No, master, I took only your boots."
(And little Miss cried out: "See here, Negress, you stole my dress.")
It all seemed very droll to the keeper of the jail; he said, "I'll get up a dance for you here."
He took M. Preval and put him into the lock-up, because he gave a ball to steal our money.
*"The bamboula (a Creole Ne^ro dance) is supposed to have been so called after the drum of bamboo which provided its musical stimulus."—Krehbiel in Afro-American Folk-Songs.
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