Browse:Chair (Volume 1, entries 2448–2449)
Chair
Volume 1, entries 2448–2449. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → BUSINESS AND CUSTOMERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 2448
If you are bootlegging and want to keep the law away from you, they say they got some - wait, let me see the name of this stuff. If they don't want them to come around, they got some - well, you take witch hazel, red pepper and salt. When they be passing in front of your door, you know, then you throw that out behind them. And after they been visiting your house, trying to break you up from doing it, and you don't want them there, say you take a chair like this [demonstrates], and you turn the chair bottom up, you know, crossways of the door, and put a broom 'cross that chair. They'll never come to your home no more.
(Just turn the chair upside down and.)
And put a broom 'cross it.
(Just an ordinary broom across it?)
Yes sir, and throw you some red pepper and salt behind them and make a wish - just say, "I wish they keep agoing and don't never come back no more." And when you throw it you mustn't look at them an' they won't never worry you no more.
Entry 2449
You kin take a - co'se it have to be a new chair and a new nail, and nail dat nail up de side of de wall and take dat chair and turn it nine times from you and hang it.
[This is the original statement. By questioning I learn something more.]
(How do you take the chair? Do you lift it up or what?)
[Do you lift it up and hang it on the nail, I meant; but to avoid a leading question I had to be indefinite.] No, sir, take an' turn it around like dis [demonstrates]. (Oh, you whirl it around nine times on one leg, but you say you whirl it away from you. And then you hang this chair up on the nail on the wall. And what does that do then?) They won't nevah come back - anybody you don't want tuh yore house won't nevah be back there no more.
(Well, how do you know that it might not keep other people away?)
No, see, it won't keep nobody away but them because you be done calls his name.
(When do you call the name?)
You calls de name when yo' turning that chair roun' nine times.
(Do you call his name once?)
Nine. times.