Browse:Big Black Man (Volume 1, entries 347–348)
Big Black Man
Volume 1, entries 347–348. Source context: SPIRITS → SELL SELF TO THE DEVIL. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 347
I had a party to tell me tha' chew could go to a four crossroad - what is called a four-way road [a crossroad] - for nine mornings at one partic'lar hour in de morning, and dance and sing and put on a little program such as you're able to do, and on the ninth morning the devil'll put in his appearance or some of his imps and give you the power to accomplish what you want to do. And this one boy did do it, but he - and also you can do it by goin' to the woods. And there's a certain location in the woods tha' chew kin do it. And this boy did do it - had he carried it out, he was on his ninth morning. And when a big black man came from behind a pine tree and come to him a-laughin', he couldn't stand it and he run and left it.
Entry 348
Dere wus mah ole granddaddy, ah used tuh hear him tell it de way he had a uncle doin' it - dat he wanted to be good wit his boss. He would go out to a road-crossin' [crossroad] befo' day in de mawnin' at fo' 'clock - well, when it is winter in de fall of de yeah. An' he'd go dere fo' so many mawnin's an' stan' in dat road-crossin' an' make his wishes. He'd go dere de first mawnin' an' he'd make his wish an' he would go back fo' de second mawnin' an' make his wish; he went back dere de third mawnin' an' he made his wish an' he didn't see anything. He went back de fo'th mawnin' an' made his wish an' he wus tole tuh turn aroun'. When he turn aroun' he seed a man, a great big black man, an' dat man ast him whut did he want. Said he tole him dat he wanted luck. He said, "Well, go back, an' come back fo' nine mawnin's. An' he went back an' de ninth mawnin' he met dis man dere agin an' he ast, "Whut chew come fo'?" He said, "Well, ah come fo' luck." He said, "Well, it's one thing yo' will have tuh do." Said, "Yo' will have to not serve nobody but me." An' he ast him, he says, "Kin yo' say, God isn't all?" An' he tole, says, "Well, ah will serve yo'." Dat whut wus called sellin' yo'self to de devil. Well, de devil ast him, says, "Do yo' believe in God?" He says, "Yes." He says, "Yo' cain't serve me." Den he went back an' ast him agin. He says, "No, ah believe in yo'." An' he tole him den, says, "Ah'm goin' make yo' a part ruler ovah de whole earth as long as yo' serve me, an' yo' must cuss God three times." Say he cuss God three times. An' he tole him tuh go then an' git a black cat an' throw dat black cat into boilin' watah. He tuk dat black cat an' throw it in boilin' watah, an' de bone dat come on top, he took it. An' he says, "Now, when's [when it's] de time tuh git ready fo' a piece of money, git where it is, an' says yo' jes' take dis piece [bone] an' put it in yore mouth an' go an' git de money an' walk on out." An' said, dis uncle [went] down dere [a bank?] one day an' dey all wus sittin' in dere countin' out money, he put it [bone] in his mouth an' walked in dere an' git de money an' walked on out. An' well, ah 'member de time - lota people used tuh tell it dat he used tuh go down to de sto's an' git things in de name of G. Berry. His name was G. Berry. Said G. Berry would go down to de sto's an' git shoes or anything he wanted an' come on out an' de wouldn't see him till he take dat bone out his mouth. See. Dey git atter him an' put de houn's on him, de dogs on him. An' he'd ran an' ran an' put dat thing in his mouth an' de dogs turn roun', dey nevah could run him back. He'd run an' de dogs couldn't see him. De dogs jes' runnin' an' howlin' an' jes' goin' on. An' one time dey put him in jail - dat wus in mah days when ah wus a boy. An' dey put him in jail an' when dey come out - dey locked him up an' come outa jail, dere G. Berry sittin' right on de steps.
(Where did he live?)
He lived in Tifton, Georgia.