Browse:FROG AND TOADFROG (Volume 5, entries 9859–10013)/Part 2
FROG AND TOADFROG
Volume 5, entries 9859–10013. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 9939
Take a toadfrog. Ketch 'im 'live an' git chew a hot pot. Put dat toadfrog in dere an' fry 'im up an' let 'im go tuh a dust. Take dat toadfrog an' he go tuh a dust. An' yo' take an' git chew de best of whiskey, an' put dat toad- frog in dere an' yo' strain dat. Yo' strain it an' den yo' come along an' ah'll drink it. When yo' drink, jis' lak de toadfrog swell up, yo' swell up an' yo' die.
Entry 9940
Dey take de frog an' parch it up - kill it an' parch it. Save some of de blood an' den yo' parch de frog an' grind it up, an' put dat blood back in it an' put it in watah [to drink] or put it in yore food. But dey have sulphuh in it - sulphuh an' brim- Stone in dis frog wit de blood. An' dey put it in yuh food or in yuh water [you brink] or somepin othah, or whiskey or somepin, an' give it tuh yuh an' dat would Huyuh.
(What would that stuff do when it got inside of you?)
It would eat on yuh intestines an' eat all de linin' out chore stahmuck an' yuh intestines, an' kill yuh.
Entry 9941
Ketch a toadfrog an' yo' take her right fo'foot an' yo' scratch it on a piece of thread, cotton, not yarn thread. Yo' put five knots in it. Yo' scratch de foot enough tuh make it bleed, an' yo' tie her foot. Dat's de way yo' make a person leave, if yo' don' want 'em tuh stay. Dat's de second way yo' make 'em, see. An' when yo' tie 'er foot, whatevah her name is, "Anna! Anna! Anna! Anna!" Call 'er fo'times, say, "Yo' go!" When yo'name 'er an' tell 'er tuh go, yo' send yore han' out dat way an' put 'er [frog] down. Tie dat foot tight. An' yo'll nevah see de woman no mo', if it's a woman. An' if it's a man, yo'll nevah see 'im no mo'. An' yo'll nevah see de frog no mo' But chew tie dat cotton thread dat she bleed on. She'll keep a-hoppin', jes' lak yo' jes' tie it, she'll hop. [When you call Anna four times, each time sending yore han' out dat way, you are sending her to the four corners of the earth, a common expression in hoodoo from the Biblical Book of Revelation, 7:1.] (You scratch this frog's leg until it bleeds. Then you tie a string around that leg?) Yo' wet dat string three times wit de blood dat come from de foot.
(What do you do with that string then?)
Tie it to dat laig, on her laig, whatevah de name is. Turn her a-loose. An' when yo' start away, yo' don't wanta look back tuh see which way she goes. (The woman that was in here is supposed to be pretty good, but she's been ill and she couldn't get things together. I don't know whether she knows anything very much or not.)
Entry 9942
(Well, suppose the woman is stopping the man?)
Well, she git a live toadfrog, an' git some of dis heah Blue Seal vaseline an' grease him, grease dis frog wit dis vaseline. Grease him [frog] good an' yo' [he] come in dat night an' she say, "Baby, let's go tuh bed." She'll grease him [frog], he's yet 'live, an' wrap 'im up in a nice towel or anything - jes' dis rag she carryin' tuh bed wit 'er. An' she'd lay him [frog] cross 'er breast twix' yo' [the man] an' 'er, an' yo' [the man] git on 'er an' have her. Yo' won' run roun' no mo'. Grease him [frog] wit jis' cheap vaseline, jis' dat ole Blue Seal vaseline - grease de frog good wit it. He [frog] goin' lay quiet when yo' [she] grease him an' lay dat cross 'er belly. [That last word "belly" is an insignificant change from informant's pre- ceding 'breast as the resting place for the woman's wiping rag with it's greased frog. Just as the grease - assisted by the confining cloth - keeps the frog from hopping, so it will prevent the man from hopping among other women.] [This is a sexual impotence rite. Seven similar rites using a frog for this purpose are: Nos.3198-3203A, Pp.2360-2362, vol.3.]
Entry 9943
Yo' got a enemy an' yo' don't want 'em an' [or] yo' jis' lak a man come in an' take yuh wife. Now, it's two ways tuh do it. Yo' ketch a toadfrog dat hops an' yo' take a brass pin an' scratch 'er left laig. An' yo' git a raw [not spun or twisted] thread. Tie yuh 9 knots in it. Scratch de left laig an' ketch 9 drops of blood, see. All right, yo' tie it [thread with blood] on de hind right laig an' yo' meet de sun before it rises in de mawnin' [you do this before sunrise]. An' make a wish, call dis person's name an' turn yer haid toward de rivah [the Mississippi] an' tell 'uh [her] tuh go. Call it three times jis' lak it's Mary, say: Mary go! Mary go! Mary go! Well, de way dat frog go [after you turn him loose] dat's de way whoevah it is vill go.
Entry 9944
Now, say if yo' should go wit anothah woman - anothah man wife - an' dat man [husband] fix somepin an' put it tuh de fo'k of de road. An' den he [this husband after other man's wife] started out dere at night. He said de thing look lak it wus a frog. Yo' mou, dese frog dat got big eyes. An' [he] said dat he had two sticks an' he Uhipped 'im [almost] tuh death. An' when he come home mah mothah got up dat maunin'. [She did not get up as a rule when he came home late.] He wus layin' on de po'ch jes' as drunk as he could be. [He] said he didn't know whut wus in 'in, but it wus somepin look lak a frog had two sticks. An' he [frog with two sticks] whipped him [man who came home late] to death. But he [man] didn't live [Frog] killed 'im. [Informant thinks the frog Was cunjured up by deceived hus- band or rootman employed by him, but a better theory would be Doctor Alcohol produced frog with two sticks.]
Entry 9945
You can take the shoe and you can bury it at the step, but before you yary it you put some parsley in it. And get one of these here bullfrogs - these toadfrogs - and bury that at your step, an' she'll have that man under her all his days. You put the frog in there too with the parsley, in the shoe and bury that shoe, and she would have hin under her all the time.
Entry 9946
Dat's tuh bring a man back home. Well, dey takes 'im an cuts 'im half in two - dat's de tadfrog - cuts 'im half in two an' buries 'im around de house. Dat is supposed cab bring de man back home. Jes' one toadfrog.
Entry 9947
About dis toadfrog, ah been heahin' about dat. Ah been heahin' 'bout a man dat stayed at Clinton [North Carolina] dat did dis. So 2vent tuh see 'im. Well, he tells me tuh bring 'im some de girl's haah [hair]. Bll, he takes dis girl's haah an' ties it roun' a frog's laig, an' he take 'im a ale junipah shingle.
(Just an ordinary shingle made from juniper?)
Yessuh. Yo' know hit won't sink. An' he carries it tuh de rivah an' throus I in nnnin' watah.
(hat does he throw in?)
He takes dis frog an' put 'im on dis shingle an' throw [lays] hit in runnin' watah, an' as dis frog leaves heah an' it goes down [the riverl, an' as dis frog leaves heah an' it hop ag'in, dis woman would hop - walk jis' lak dis frog hop. Dat's true fo' ah see it mahself. (He just put this frog on the shingle and put the shingle in the water, in the backwater; and as this frog hops out of that water [I mean] off that shingle and gets on land again, [so will the woman hop away].
Entry 9948
Dey take dat ole toad- frog an' stew 'im up, take 'im an' stew 'im up. An' yo' know de people dat is dirty. Dey take dat"ole toad- frog an' stew 'in up an' put 'im intuh sompin tuh eat, what chew eat, but chew won't know anything about it. Ah have had 'em do dat tuh me, yes sir. Dey take dat ole toadfrog, yo' know, an' skin 'im an' dry 'im, an' mix it wit somepin tuh eat what dey cooks. Ah reckon dey done me dat way. An' yo' know when dey stew 'em - it lak stew, jes' lak dat - yo' take a ole bullfrog, ole long bullfrog, yo' know, an' skin 'im. He looks lak a chicken [after he is skinned]. Well, dey take de ole othah toadfrog an' stew 'im up. Cook 'im right along wit somepin tuh eat. An' yo'll take it all right. Yo' go dere an' eat at night. Den when yo' come in dat nex' day look lak yo' gonna jes' go fer 'er an' eat 'er up - jes' lak yo' wanta eat 'er up. Make yo' crazy about 'er.
Entry 9949
An' yo' kin take a toadfrog an' a snake shed. Undahstand, git a blacksnake shed an' a toadfrog, an' put it in yuh house. Dat'll make yuh wife stay at home. She won't bothah wit nobody else. But yo' have tuh keep it in yuh house.
Entry 9950
Well, ah've heard about their using a toadyfrog to hurt chew. Or it be a matter if a person is gone away and you want them to come back. You'll get a frog and you write their name nine times on a piece of paper. And open the frog's mouth and you put this paper in the frog and you close it up. And let the frog stay for nine days and the person will return.
Entry 9951
Git a toadfrog an' sleep on it fo' nine days. If they [some person is] hard tuh git along with, that'll make 'em come in the house an' be peaceful.
Entry 9952
Yo' kin take a green frog. Yo' know, when a green frog git on a leaf, yo' kin take him an' ketch 'im an' put 'im in yuh pocket. But yo' git chew a bran'-new silk han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' put - yo' wrap 'im up in dat silk han'ke'ch'ef, an' put 'im intuh yuh pock- et. An' weah dat han'ke'ch'ef lak dat a couple of days, wit dat green frog in it. Jis' lak a girl don' want chew, don' lak yuh or somepin, an' yo' wanta make her lak yuh. An' yo' take 'im out of dere an' take de han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' whip it on 'er jis' lak dat. She go wild about chew.
(You whip her with the handkerchief?)
Yes, jis' fan it on 'er, yo' know.
(Just fan it on her?)
Yes, an' she git wild about chew. Dat green frog.
(What does the frog do to that handkerchief?)
Ah don't know what he do, but he makes love - make her love yuh.
Entry 9953
(Will you talk louder?)
See, scrape de bottom of yuh foot.
(Yes?)
Git dat dirt out from under de track dere, see, an' put it in a bag, yo' uni dahstan'. Sew it up, yo' see. An', so ah'm told, git a toadfrog. Sew 'im up in dere wit dat bag. Dat is what dey call a hoodoo bag. See, dat's got chew hoodooed den. Dey'll take dat, take dat an' tote it. Yo' undahstan'. An' takes it an' yo' weahs it dere in yuh house, put it some place in yuh cornah, an' dat'll bring about dat, yo' see.
(Well, what will that do to me, if they put that in the corner of my house?)
Well, dat'll cuz yuh - yo' can't stay at home. Yo' go mindless, yo' udah- stan'. Prob'bly set chew crazy or somepin lak dat. Yo' ain't at yuhself. Always runnin'. Can't stan' still.
(How many foot tracks of mine would they take up, I wonder?)
They wouldn't want but one.
(One?)
One.
(Would they take the right one or the left? Either one?)
Either one.
Entry 9954
Dey could take a frog an' put 'im in a box an' git nine goldeye needles an' bur'[ [bury] 'em am [around] a chimley or some place lak dat. An' go dere evah mawnin' about nine o'- clock, an' fuh nine mavnin's. Yo' bur' de box, den stick de needles up on top, an let it be crossed up; stick de nee- dles [crossing one another] all aroun' on top of it [box]. Yuh go dere nine panin's an' pray fuh de person tuh die. [In country districts years ago around the chimney was sometimes the toilet and a convenient place to hoodoo a person by buried object. For a remarkable example of this see the woman haunted by a buzzard.]
Entry 9955
They kin take the forg an' bury it undah yore do'step. Bury it undah there an' cause yo tuh have hard luck.
Entry 9956
To get a job, chew John de Conkah root while talking to the boss and carry a live frog in your pocket.
Entry 9957
Dry a frog and hang it over your door to draw in money. [Memphis, Tenn., my summary of rite from an excellent hoodoo woman (960), whose cylinders were missed by my transcriber, 1548:4.]
Entry 9958
Ah hear'd dat yo' take a frog fo' gamblin'. Anyhow, yo' take dat frog am' throw 'im down, an' yo' be - make yo' lucky, have all de money in de house.
(You turn that frog loose where you are gambling?)
Yes, right undahneat' dat table where yo' gamblin' at.
Entry 9959
Yo' take fo' an instant [instance] a gamblah is gonna go out fo' a big game tuhnight or today, an' 'is luck is bad. He goes out an' he finds 'im a frog. He takes dat frog an' he holds 'im in 'is hand tuh 'is eah [ear] an' dat frog will - yo' know dey don' holler lak no othah li'l' creatures on earth. Dey say, "Quank, quank, quank." An dat'll change yore luck.
Entry 9960
If a man - er a wumman - is gamblin' an' ef yo' kin slip a frog up undah de chair [of the victim] some place. Sprinkle some salt on 'is [frog] haid, put 'im in a can, shet de can up - but chew gotta sprinkle dat salt on dere fo it tuh take effect. Slip dat can undah mah seat [informant changes from third to first person] den ah'm gonna lose.
Entry 9961
(You take an ordinary toadfrog?) A ordinary toadfrog. Don't kill 'im. Stop 'im up in a bottle an' let 'im die. He'll dry up in dere, an' den yo' kin jis' crumple it up. Put it in a piece, sew it up in a piece [of cloth] an' put it in yuh pocket. Yo' boun' tuh win. Ah knows dat.
Entry 9962
Put little rain frogs in a bag of new yellow cloth or new homespun, make a double bag [from double or folded cloth], make wishes, wear for money and success. [The meaning of rain frog probably varied in different parts of the coun- try, but in my part: "To hear a rain frog (tree frog or tree toad) calling is the sign of rain within three days." (FOLKLORE FROM ADAMS COUNTY ILLINOIS, 1st ed., p.10, No.259.) This tree toad is said to be trilling (calling with trills) for a rain (2nd ed., P.20, Nos.525-526)].
Entry 9963
Kill a frog while he's hot. Take a frog while he's hot an' kill 'im an' split him open while he's hot. An' take an' rub yore han's on 'im an' rub down yore han's lak dat. An' yo' go out tuh any card game yo' wanta an' yo' be successful. Git chew a live frog an' split him back open, an' rub yore han's on 'im down dere.
Entry 9964
Take a toadyfrog an' yo' split 'im open, see, an' jis' tote him aroun' in yore pocket, an' yo' kin have all de luck yo' want.
(In gambling.)
Entry 9965
Take a toadfrog an' skin 'im an' put 'im in yore pocket, an' nobody cain't hahm [harm] yo' no way. An' yo' [also] kin go all ovah in games, play games, an' yo' win.
Entry 9966
Ah hear'd dat if - jis' lak if a man wants tuh be a swift gamblah, an' he wanted tuh be lucky in 'is gamblin', dat he'd ketch a toadfrog an' he'd cut 'is hin' guartah off - 'is left [hind] quartah - an' put it in 'is pocket. De longah yo' tote dis heah hin' quartah, dey say yo'd be lucky in gamblin'. An' den if yo' evah lose yore luck, why yo'd lose yore love. [The preceding folk- lore or hoodoo penalty was and still is new to me, uhich may be the reason why I failed to ask an obvious question. What do you Dean by love? Would you lose your lover or sexual potency? Could these final words be a proverbial saying?]
Entry 9967
Yo' kin take a frog an' put 'im in yuh pocket alive an' yo' kin go tuh a skin game an' yo' kin win all night long. Yo' kin keep dat frog, put 'im in a papah sack an' keep 'im till he dies, continue tuh keep 'im, an' yo' kin make any woman in de world do jes' lak yo' wan' 'em. (How do you do that?) Wal, yo' jes' keep dat frog - yo' see, yo' ketch 'im when he's live an' yo' gamble by 'im. An' den, if yo' keep 'im until he dies an' jes' put yuh hand on dat - he'll dry up tuh a powdah. He ain't nuthin but a powdah. Ah know yo've seen 'em layin' out in de road some- vberes daid. An' yo' kin jes' put yuh hand on 'em an' jes' lay it [hand] up on a woman, on 'er haid or face, anywhere, an' yo' can't run away from 'er. She'll do anythin' in de world dat yo' say.
Entry 9968
Heard dat yo' could git a toadfrog an' stop 'im up till he's dry an' mash 'im up; yo' mov, parch 'im an' git de dust an' carry it in a bottle. Yo' know, jes' put it in a bottle an' stop it up an' tote it in yore pocket. Well, ah've heard dat but nevah have tried dat. (Do you use it in any way at all on you? This is for gambling, this toad dust. Do you sprinkle that on yourself too?) No, sir, jis' carry it [bottle] in yore pocket.
Entry 9969
Yo' take a frog and dry him. You take a frog and wrap him up and let hin die himself. Don't you kill him. Well, when he gets dry, you tote that in your pocket. You can take that and you can do anything you want with that frog. Just like if you a dice shooter, or anything I like that, you rub that [dried frog]. Jis' put it in your pocket and take and put your hand on that [frog] and go to work and shoot dice. Be lucky. Jes' like if you had one game, and if you don't have success with that, turn your back on that game. And select you a card place, if you play cards, and you'll lose one or two games and you know that you ought to win, turn your back on that game.
(How do you mean turn your back on it?)
What I mean, walk away from that game and go to the next game.
(I see, if you have this frog in your pocket.)
drying/state of the wrapped frog after the stated let-die instruction. Keep Don’t you kill him and let him die himself as the source’s wording; do not describe the text as harmless, or replace it with active killing. rubbing the carried dry frog before dice play. Resolve the pronoun from actual complete narrator context, not only the bracketed gloss. conditional lack of success at gambling and changing games. Preserve don’t have success, the card-game losses and the practical walk-away explanation. expected winning contrasted with one or two losses and leaving the game. Preserve if you play cards, one or two losses, ought to win and the instruction to move to the next game. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 9970
Well, yo' kin take a frog, jes' a or'nary frog whut jup 'round de iouse, see. Yo' take dat frog alive an' yo' kin put 'im in a containah or jah or anythin' an' yo' kin jis' take alcohol, any kind of rubbin' [lotion] or any- ching [and fill bottle] an' let 'im stay in dere till he petrify. Well, yo' kin take dat frog an' put 'im in yore pocket an' yo' kin weah him in dere an' yo'll always be lucky. (With what in particular?) In keepin' a job an' stayin' in peace wit people an' havin'- yo' know, jes' socialize wit 'em.
Entry 9971
If yo' git de laid of a frog an' weah it in yore pock- et, dey say yo'll always be a lucky person. (That's lucky for anything?) Yes.
Entry 9972
If yo' gamblin' an' yo' in bad luck, yo' go 'head an' git chew a frog an' tie 'im up, or tie him roun' yuh wrist, or in yuh pocket some place, an' dat'll also increase yuh luck.
(Kill him first?)
Don't kill 'im at all. Jis' keep 'im dere an' if he don't do no good, let 'im loose; but it have been said dat's a good remedy [for gambling].
Entry 9974
Dey take dat frog an' put it in a piece of paper an' put it in a back pocket, an' if yo' should go out gamblin', every time dat frog jump in your pocket, you bet or throw dice, why yo'll win.
Entry 9975
Fo' luck in gamblin', why yo' kin take a toadfrog an' sew 'im up in a sack an' put 'im in yore inside pocket some- where an' dat'll make yo' lucky in gamblin'.
Entry 9976
Git a frog if yo' wanta be successful in gamblin'. Ah have did dat. Git a frog an' put 'im in yuh pocket. Wrap 'im up in a papah sack an' put in yuh pocket. An' jis' about evah time yo' know, yo' be on de turn or somepin lak dat, he would jump. An' if yo' pay 'tenshun dat frog when he jump, why den yo' would nevah bet nuthin tuh lose. Yo' would always bet on de right horse. He wouldn't jump only when it's time fo' yo' tuh win. [The words right horse are merely an expression here. I never heard of a jumping frog used at a race track, the time lapse between jump and bet being too great.]
Entry 9977
Git a toadfrog when he's young an' take 'im an' put 'im in yore pocket 'live. Evah time dat frog jumps, yo's lucky. When dat frog start tuh hollahin'- see, he goin' start tuh hol- lahin', dere ain't nobody goin' beat chure [gambling] han' in gamblin'. Evah time when dat frog go tuh jumpin' an' hollahin', well dere ain't nobody goin' ketch a gomblin' hand. Dat all yo' want. [As soon as your hand begins to work by jump- ing and hollering, all other hands in the game are powerless. Imagine a game during which all toadfrogs hollered at once!]
Entry 9978
Hear dem use it fo' nuthin but luck. Yo' kin take a frog an' carry 'im to a game an' put 'im in yore pocket, chew know, an' go dere an' jes' bet jes' as much as yo' wanta. Long as dat frog kick in yo' pocket, yo' win evahthin' yo'self.
Entry 9979
Ah know dey said dis about a skin game. If a man love tuh skin an' he goin' tuh a skin game, he'd walk along an' he'd pick up 'im a toadyfrog an' put it in a papah bag. An' he'd walk intuh de skin game. If dis frog doesn't move, he gon'a lose ev'ry penny he has. An' if dis frog move - if dis frog kick - he jis' as well put 'is money on de table 'cuz he goin' tuh win.
Entry 9980
Jis' lak a fellah's gamblin' an' wan'a han' tuh gamble an' lak dat, he kin take - he wants tuh win in gamblin' - take a frog, one dem small green frogs, an' put 'im in 'is pocket. Put 'im in a papah sack an' put 'im in 'is pocket. Rub 'is han' ovah 'im about three time an' den put 'im in dat papah bag. An' put 'im in 'is pocket an' go on tuh de game an' break de gaime.
Entry 9981
If yo' wanta be a gamblah an' win good, yo' git chew a frog an' put it in yore pocket, an' put a little table salt in it [pocket]. See, if dis heah are de gamblin' hall, yo' know, yo walks in, an' if yo' vanta beat in de game, yo' jis' valk on in wit both hands in yore pockets jis' lak dis [demonstrates]. Stan' aroun' a little bit. Aftah shile maybe yo might be holdin' de cards or whutsomevah de game dey playin', yo' kg, an yo'll win evahthin' in dat house. But dat frog gotta be live.
(Do you put this salt on the frog?)
Yes.
(Right on the frog?)
Right on de frog. Keep 'im live in yore pocket. [St. Petersburg, Mla.
(1024), 1657:9.]
Entry 9982
(What sort of toadfrog? What sort of frog do you take?)
Jis' or'nary frog. Yo' take him an' yo' kill 'im an' yo' jis' salt 'im down. Ah 'magine yo' gits a five-cent box of salt. Jis' take an' scattah dat salt, jis' wad 'im ovah dit it tuh de time yo' think yo' got all dat salted don. An' yo' put 'im in one pocket an' yo' put de salt yo' didn't give tuh 'in in de othah pocket. An' if yo' go in a room roun' anywhere dey gamblin', jis' take dat salt, an' if yo' lucky an' got money, take dat same salt an' put it ovah 'im lak dat [demonstrates] an' dat'll give yo' luck. But chew have tuh pve salt in yore pocket.
Entry 9983
Now, ah have tried a lotta things in gamblin' an' ah made tvo pretty aood success of it [two successful periods in life]. Now, if a man is a gamblah an' he goin' tuh a good game tuhnight, he might go out in de country dis evenin' befo' he go tuh dat game. An' jis' about dahk [dark] - yo' know dese li'l ole toad- Srog dey always come out, yo' know, jumpin' round. An' if yo' git holt of one da toadfrogs, yo'll wrap it up in yuh han'ke'ch'ef good an' put it in yuh pocket. An' all de money yo' wanta bet on in dat game, yo' bet it out dat same pocket yo' got dat frog in, an' nobody couldn't ketch yo' twixt heah an' Tampa [Florida].
Entry 9984
Yo' kin get yo' a live toadfrog an' put 'im in a sack in your pocket, an' jes' keep 'im dere till he pees. They say that's luck in gambling.
Entry 9985
Ketch a frog an' tote 'im round in yore pocket an' feed 'im offa flies. Keep 'im in yuh pocket fo' 'bout nine days an' tote 'im roun', an' dat's good fo' gamblin'. Anybody dat likes tuh dey carry frogs.
Entry 9986
If a fellah wants tuh be lucky an' go tuh a place where dere's plenty of money at, an' he wants de othah fellah tuh fall, he go out an' kill 'im a toadfrog, an' he dries dat frog up. Den he go up, if he got a chimley, an' git one dese bats dat flies roun' de chimley - chimley bats. [Does informant mean chimney swallow?] Gits one of 'em. Den he'll dry it, an' he'll put dat frog an' dat bat in each one of 'is pockets. He's got a pair of dice in dere. [What informant means by preceding expression will be learned later.] Take dem dice out an' rub 'em in han' dat-a- Way [demonstrates] aftah he done tech de frog or eithah de bat. Now, yo' got a gamblin' house heah. Well, yo' 'lowin' [allowing] people tuh shoot dey own dice [not the house dice]. Well, ah'm yuh gamekeepah. Ah'm [I am = I have] got a stack of dollahs ovah heah [demonstrates]. Well, yo' come heah an' yo' say, "Ten dollahs fo' tuh shoot." Ah say, "Yo' want any dice?" "No, ah'm got a pair of dice." "Shoot 'em, "[I say]. Well yo' throw 'em out. Firs' time dey'll crap. Nex' time dey'll crap. He's back in 'is p'int [point] up dere. An' he say, "Ah ain't got no p'int [point] ah'll ketch mah p'int." Well, when he ketch a p'int, he might ketch a fo', six or eight or ten, an' right dere where ah'm done both. An' if ah speak up tuh 'im, he'll have de whole business. Dat's fo' a gamblin' han'.
(You use either of those?)
Eithah one of 'em. Gotta put one in each one of 'is pockets dis-a-wa y[demon- strates] an' when he gits ready - don' pull 'em out. He puts 'is han' on 'em an' rub 'em dis-a-way, see [demonstrates]. (Does he have both parts of the dice [the two dice] in one pocket, or one in each pocket?)
[Here I am surprised!]
Naw, he has two sets of dice, see. If he have one set of dice, he kin put 'em in each one [either] of 'is pockets - it mattahs ary [either] one of 'is pockets will do. But yo' gotta change it up sometime from one pocket tuh de othah, see. De frog he's dried up an' de bat he dried up.
Entry 9987
Tuh git luck fo' gamblin' yo' goes an' git chew a toadfrog. If a man is a gamblin'-man, he goes an' gits 'im a toadfrog an' take dat toadfrog an' ketches 'im an' goes tuh any drygoods sto' [to distinguish from Wetgoods store!] an' buy 'im a box of black peppah an' red pappah an' some table salt. An' he put it in dat frog's mouth. An' when he put dat in dat frog's mouth, de frog'll go tuh coughin', an' he [man] come on back tuh dis gamblin' - where he be gamblin' at - an' he take dat salt an' throw yuh [his] han' out lak dat [demonstrates] tuh throw dat salt all ovah de whole crowd. An' dat frog he'll go tuh coughin' wit dat peppah an' will start tuh movin' roun'. An' he wins at evahthin' da' 'tis [that is] in de game. Jes' gits 'im a toadfrog, jis' a hoppin' toadfrog. Toadfrog anywhere hoppin' 'long - anywhere, jis' pick 'im up. Jis' reach down an' grab 'im an' take dat frog an' rub 'im in yore han' lak dat [demonstrates] an' go on tuh a game. An' go buy yo' some black peppah an' take it an' throw about a box in 'is mouth, an' shet 'is mouth up an' go on tuh de game. An' git chew a handful of salt an' when yo' git in de house, yo' take dat salt an' does lak dat [demonstrates]. An' when yo' do's lak dat, dat frog go tuh coughin'. When he go tuh coughin', well dat starts evahbody tuh lookin', an'evahbody lose all dey winnin's.
Entry 9988
Live frog, rabbit foot, lodestone, steel dust, red pep- per - in red flannel bag. Frog is put in alive.
Entry 9989
Dey say yo' ketch a toady- frog an' make him swallow a dime, an' put 'im in a paper bag an' tie it up tight where he couldn't ketch no air, an' go ahead on tuh de game. Bet chew be lucky in gamblin'.
(You carry that though in your pocket?)
Yeah, jes' take it in yore pocket. Make him swallow a dime an' tie de end of de bag up an' carry dat on in yore pocket.
Entry 9990
An' den yo' kin take dat frog ag'in alive an' give him some whiskey, an' load 'im up wit [gun] shots, an' keep 'im alive in yore pocket. Den yo' kin go tuh any gamblin' shop an' have luck.
Entry 9991
High John de Conkah root, red and white lodestone, frog dust, in bag, vet [feed] with Ole Hearts Perfume, sometimes with whiskey, luck hand for gamb- lers.
Entry 9992
Live frog, rabbit foot, lodestone, steel dust from railroad rail [an unusual dust!], and red pepper in red flannel bag - frog is put in alive. This is for gambling.
Entry 9993
(What do you mean yoo were running a house?) Running? Well, jis' liktah joint, gamblin' joint, all lak dat yo' ondahstan'. An' he [root doctor] said dat'll hold de laws away. Well, ah diddat
(What did he tell you to do now?)
Take fo' [four] frogs, fo' toadfrogs an' care [carry] 'em an' put 'em undah each pillah [pillar] of dat house in de fo' cornahs. [The average small house in the lowlands rests off the ground on 4 wood pillars.] Well, ah did dat.
(What did that do?)
Oh, no! Ah nevah had no trouble while ah wus dere an' ah stayed dere fo' two or three or fo' yeahs. (You mean that was to keep the laws away?) [Notice how much later I use his word laws.] Keep de laws away. Ah nevah had no trouble wit fellahs. Kin'dove [kind of] a jute [jutebox?] house, yo' undahstan'.
(What house?)
Jute house, yo' undahstan' - sellin' likkah an' gamblin' an' all lak dat.
Entry 9994
Take a frog an' put it in yore pocket an' den yo' go in a show an' de actahs cain't act.
Entry 9995
Carry frog; exposes the show.
The brief statement names a carried frog. 'Exposes the show' and the uncertain citation remain unresolved; the frog's living status is unstated.
Entry 9996
Take the frog in there [a show] when they hypotizing [hypnotizing]; it ain't no good [hypnotizer unable to hyp- notize].
Entry 9998
Ah've hear'd of 'em. He keeps de frog tricks from workin' roun' shows an' so forth.
(How do they do that?) Yo' take him an' split 'im down 'is back, ah think it is, an' put 'is back, ah think it is, an' put salt on 'im an' put 'im in yore pocket.
Entry 9999
( Get a rough frog, a toad, stick pin through throat, pin to wall until dead, let dry out, carry in pocket. Show people will not let you in if they know you have a frog.
Entry 10000
Take fo' instance, we had a carnival - a show. All right, in ordah to have luck an' win with pract'ly evahthing dat chew have in de show, whenevah ah would go tuh throw at de darts or try tuh win a doll or somepin, well ah would jis' slip a frog in mah hip pocket or eithah a turtle or toad or somepin. Well, quite natchral evahthin' dat ah would take a chance on ah would be successful in it.
(Do you kill this turtle, frog?)
No, jis' keep im live.
Entry 10001
Den ah heard dat when show people come tuh town an' dey winnin' a gang of money out dere [at the show-grounds], yo' know, dey have some of dat stuff. Well, yo' kin put a frog in yuh pocket an' go on out dere an' win all de money yo' want. Dat'll keep down dat. Whut chew call dat stuff?
(What do they call that now? It's a powder of some sort?)
Dey call it, yes sir. Some kinda powdah dey use. Ah jis' can't think of de name of it. (Is it goofer dust?) Yes sir, dat's right! Well, dey [the show people] sprinkle dat down roun' de place dere an' yo' can't do no winnin'.
Entry 10002
Care [carry] him in de show wit 'im an' de show actahs can't ack. (If he carries a frog with him?) Yeah.
Entry 10003
[Show people use lodestone in their work to deceive you, but there is a Way by which you can protect yourself.] If de pusson gol' tuh go tuh a show - if yo' figah [figure] a pusson gotta go tuh a show, an' if dere's lode- stone or anythin' lak dat, yo' put dat frog in yuh pockit an' yo' valk in dere. Dat man cannot show. He'll come tuh yo' an' tell yuh tuh git dat frog out chure pockit or he have tuh break up 'is show.
(Any kind of a show?)
Any kind. If its lodestone anywhere 'bout it, a toadfrog kills it - any of dat slightly [sleight-of-hand] work dey can't work it. (Or any kind of slight-of-hand, they can't work it.)
Entry 10004
Ah down at de Fair Ground heah las' yeah, throwin' den dere rings, yo' know, it's verah seldom a puhson kin win dat five-dollah bill dere at one time. So ah got me a toadfrog an' put 'im in mah lef' pocket an' car'es 'in dere, an den fasten ah pocket up so he couldn't git out - car'es 'in on in dere. Well, ah had one ten cent [a dime, then of silver] an' ah taken de ten cent an' ah goes up dere an' ah play. Ah pays a nickel fo' de ring an' throws it dom, say, "Ah want [to] throu fo' dis [aumber] five." So ah throved fo' hit an' ah von dat. Well, ah throvs a'gin an' ah win a dollah. Ah wouldn't nevah win no fifty cent. Well, evah tire ah'd win, see, ah'd take dis money an' drop it in mah pocket - de hip Pocket back dere - on dis frog. Well, it's quite natchal, yo' kin take a ten cent or a nickel, eithah one, an' drop it on a frog back an' yo'll see sparks fly up; sparks fly off 'is back, 'long as dat money stay one. [As a small child I occasionally on a winter night took our cat into a dark closet to rub his back so that electricity would sparkle in those days of oil lamps. That phenomena I can vouch for, but sparks flying from a frog's back when touched by silver money is beyond my experience.] An' so ah kept right on till ah win roun' $25 an' he goes an' gits de law an' has 'im put me out; tells 'im dat ah have a frog in mah pocket. So de law wouldn't search me an' dey tole me go on out. Ah goes on an' puts de frog, throws de frog away, an' goes back in dere, an' goes roun' dere where dey wuz knockin' down dem dolls. An' ah knocks down two of dem but ah didn't have a frog in mah pocket at dat time - but ah still had de luck. When yo' got 'em in yore pocket dey goin' wet all ovah yore pocket. [Frog urine causes warts - see 9924, p.3896.] Well, dat lodestone or whatsomevah it is, dey leaves dat in dere. An' ah been roun' at skin games an' lost thirteen dollahs an' twenty dollahs. Go tuh a woman or a man an' borrow a dollah from 'im an' take an' go tuh a woman an' take de dollah whut ah git from de man, an' tell de woman ah'll give her mah dollah fo' a dollah she got, an' go back tuh de game an' set down an' start gam- blin' ag'in. Well, ah carry me a frog back in dere an' see, evah time ah'll take de money whut ah git from de woman an' put it in mah pocket on dis frog, an' ah'll pick me a card whut ah'm goin' bet.... Jes' lak folks say, "Ah'm goin' bet de dollah at one time, '' an' den ah'll ketch 'em. Well, when ah ketch 'em, ah'll raise 'em. Well, evah time ah raise an' win, ah'll drop dis money on dis frog in mah pocket. An' den ah'll break de game or eithah git tired an' git up an' quit, an' dere won't be nuthin done or said about it.
Entry 10005
Ah heard dis about a frog. Jes' lak if yo' wanta go tuh a show, yo' take a frog - a toadyfrog. Dat whut we talkin' about. An' all dem lodestones where dey makin' all dese monkey motions in dem shows, yo' take de frog an' when yo' go dere yo' kin kill evah bit of lodestone dat dem folks is got in dere. Yo' see, yo' tote it [live frog] in yuh pocket an' dat'll kill all de lodestone dey got in dere - jes' lak dey workin' tricks or have shootin' gallery.
Entry 10006
Yeah, yo' kin take a rough-back toadyfrog. Yo' kin take him an' he kin stop any kinda what chuh may call magic trick. He kin stop any magic trick regardless of what or what-not. Dat's providin' de people don't know dat yuh got it [live frog]. If dey know yuh got 'im, dey can't do nuthin. Yo' see, a man took one of 'em once here in de city [charleston]. Dere was a big show up dere on de Green an' he took one in dere an' dey put 'im out! Absolutely! Dey cer- tainly did, put 'im out! [He] put 'im [frog] right in 'is co't pocket, pinned 'em down, an' walk on in de show. An' immediately aftah he walk in de show, evah thing become plain - what dey doin', see. All de magic was cut out. Evah thing come right plain. An' dey walk right tuh 'im immediately an' put 'im out - put 'im out de show. Dey knew it jes' as good as a book.
Entry 10007
Yo' go an' take a toadfrog. Ketch a live toadfrog an' anywhere where dey got scientific [magic] work goin' on - yo' ketch dat toadfrog an' yo' put 'im in a papah bag or a can or anythin', somepin dat he kin stay alive. An' yo' put it in yore pocket an' yo' goes an' dey cain't work no kinda scientific work. Lak dese heah fairs an' thin's have all dese shows, showin' yuh diff'ren' thin's. Where dey goes an' take people haid off dere body an' all sech as dat. Why yo' git dat frog an' go dere an' dey cain't work dere scientific work.
Entry 10008
Take a toadfrog an' keep 'im roun' dere [your home]. Ketch 'im tuh yuh house. It's good luck. An' yo' carries a lotta trash wit 'im. Yo' kin take dis frog an' keep 'im in yuh house an' fasten 'im roun' anywhere roun', an' dere people doin' dis magic - pitchures, dat chew cain't see - yo' take dis frog an' put 'im in yuh pocket, if yo' goin' tuh de show or circus anywhere. An' dis frog, evah thin' dey showin' dere'll come natchal - whut it is. Look lak a bat totin' a sawmill log. If yo' have dis frog in yuh pocket it'll show up dere jis' a bat flyin' roun' wit a straw all hitched tuh 'is feet.
Entry 10009
(What about that frog?)
Yes, an' put 'im in yuh pocket. Jes' lak any kinda game dat chew wanta play, lak if yo' go tuh a show yo' hard at winnin' dat way. Dose shows, yo' kow: Lotsa times yo' go tuh a show, dose show folks gotta a lotta things dere, games yo' know. Games tuh play yo' undahstan'. An' a ole woman tole me about it. Ah always go tuh a show an' ah always lak dose games, but ah nevah could win any- thin'. An' ah went dere one night - ah wanted tuh git me a doll. Ah lost about a dollah or two 'fore ah could win anythin'.
Entry 10010
Take a toadfrog. Dat's de hoppy toad. Yo' kin take dat an' put it in yuh pocket, an' yuh go intuh a show an' dat'll stop it. He [you] have tuh go outa dere.
(What kind of a show?)
A big circus.
(Any kind of show, it will stop it?)
No, les' a circus.
Entry 10011
Dey kin take a frog an' go intuh a show an', if dey workin' any slight of han', why dey can't work it. See, as long as dat person have dat frog in dere. [Brunswick, Ga., (1207a), 2042:6A.] [My former material about the black cat lucky bone appeared in volume 1, pages 74-97. These rites of course do not include anything from volume 2, a collection of interviews only, or from the interviews in volume 3, pages 1859-2339. Even the material I did print was difficult to arrange in any logical order. Instead of the brief margin titles and underscoring of essential ideas in volume 1, I have made the present margin titles more descriptive of contents.l
Entry 10012
[Within the following rites of this section you will learn how to identify the black cat bone among all other bones of the cat's body, but the simplest of these identification methods is this one: Boil black cat, [empty bones from kettle into a pile to dry], when b bones have dried, the bone wnted will be lying by itself! [Mobile, Ala., resume, 852:1.]
Entry 10013
I've heard of that but I've never committed that sin. My grandmother has spoke of it several times in front of me, how you sells yourself to the devil, that you go in the woods and get you a black cat and kill it. And you get a boiling pot of hot water and you throu this cat in that water. And if yon can stand there and watch that cat cook to death, that you will be lucky and success- ful. Take the bones and throw them in a creek and the bone that float8 upstream, that's the bone that you take. And long as you wear that bone you slll be lucky.
(I see.) [Boiling cat in the woods is rare.]