Browse:Egg: Walking Blues (Volume 1, entries 1848–1849)
Egg: Walking Blues
Volume 1, entries 1848–1849. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1848
Now, heah's anothah instant [instance] - if yo' wanta run a person outa town, yo' write dere name. Yo' git a hen aig an' yo' write dere name dis way nine times all ovah de aig, an' take it to de rivah an' throw it in de rivah an' make a wish. Yo' got tuh always make a evil wish jis' lak you said, "That son-of-a-bitch leave town. See, an' throw it in de rivah - lak de Mississippi Rivah out dere, yo' know dat goes ever'where. An' dat'll give 'em de walkin' blues - dey'll walk outa town.
Entry 1849
Once a ole man wus goin' wit me, an' ah had a very triflin' husband, an' he [ole man] went away on a Saturday to [Somebody] Mammy [root doctor], an' he come Sunday night an' he come between twelve an' one a'clock, so he said [later], an' put a aig undah de steps. An' when he [husband] got up tuh go to de fiel' Monday mawnin' to de cotton, de aig wus layin' out in de yard. An' mah husban' made known to me, say, "Ah wonder where dat dirty lookin' aig come from?" An' he walked ovah de aig. An' when ah speak about it in de cotton patch 'fore his [ole man] chillern, an' his chillern tell it to his wife, he come back an ast me why did I talk about dat aig - he put it there [because] he hate tuh see a triflin' man destroy a good woman. So dat's whut ah know 'bout dat part. An' fin'llv, aftah all, mah husban' went away an' he's contin'lly goin' till yet. An' ah done heared twice since then.
The informant describes an aig and walking over it. Placement includes reported information; the later departure is not established as its effect.