Browse:Rabbit Foot (Volume 1, entries 2221–2233)
Rabbit Foot
Volume 1, entries 2221–2233. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 2221
I went to a man when I was in North Carolina when I didn't have no work to do, an' he told me to go get somebody to kill me a rabbit, get me the right feet and tie that right feet up in a piece of red flannel, and get me a bottle of Heartshorm Cologne and makes some of my water and mix it together and pour it on that rabbit feet, and for me to go out and go from door to door and ask people if they don't want nobody to do some Work. And I have got jobs like that, and that luck did me some good.
(Well, now which foot did you use - the right foot?)
His right feet.
(Both of them or just one?)
One of them - his right feet [foot].
(I see - the front or the back one?)
The front feet [foot].
Entry 2222
Ah used tuh gamble an' ah have all kinda han', but de only lucky han' ah evah had wus a rabbit's foot - a lil tiny rabbit's foot. Now ah paid him fo' it. Aftah he gave it to me, ah take dat foot an' wrapped one end of it tight - put three buckshots between his toes an' wrapped it tight, an' soaks it in Hearts Cologne. An' yo' wrap red thread around it wit de bones stickin' up. An' he give that to me. Long as ah carried, nobody in de worl' could beat me gamblin'.
Entry 2223
I've heard them say you take a rabbit bone - cut his right hind leg off, put it in a pot and boil it in milk. Take it out and dry it in the sun for six days, take it and put it in the ground and bury it and let it stay in there for two nights. Dig it up and tie a piece of string around it and tie it around your arm. And anything you want you take it out and talk to it - tell it what you want and you are more than apt to get it.
Entry 2224
Yo' take de left hind foot of a rabbit an' yo' go round where the law is traveled on the dirt an' yo' git jes' a lil dirt - jes' whut yo' kin hold on lightly out of they track, an' yo' take that dust an' bring it back an' when yo brings it back why yo' take an' fix it up an' yo' plant it under each corner of the house - right up under there. An' yo' take that rabbit foot an' yo' go to de back do' right up undah de first step an' yo' make a "x" an' also at de front do'. That will keep him 'way.
(You make that "x" with the rabbit's foot?)
Yessuh.
(And then what do you do with the rabbit's foot after you make the "x"?)
Yo' put it back in yore pocket.
Entry 2225
Yo' take some of yore urinate water yo' see, an' a lil peppah, an' a little piece of lodestone if yo' kin git it. If yo' cain't git that, well, yo' take a lil piece of rabbit foot. Yo' kin take one rabbit foot an' wrap it up in flannen cloth an' tie it up, have de red peppah to it, an' carry dat in yore left pocket. Dat will make yo' have a good hand.
(That is luck in gambling?)
Yessuh. [Since I did not ask what happened to the urinate water, I probably assumed it was used for feeding the hand - see margin-title Urine later in this subsection.]
Entry 2226
(What do they say about the graveyard rabbit?)
De next thing then dey use in gambling business to be successful - the next thing they git is de graveyard rabbit, and de gits de left hind feet - de ketch him and cut it off while he alive. And you kin turn him loose and let him go - it git much better you know. You carry dat wit a piece of lodestone and put cologne on dat [feed it], chew know, and go about chure business and be's lucky and successful.
(That is for luck in gambling?)
Yes sir, de left hind foot.
Entry 2227
Say, fer an instance, yo' wanta be a gambler. All right, chew go to de graveyard an' yo' take an' yo' roll up yore sleeve an' yo' go to one certain grave - he's a gambler. Yo' go dere to de graveyard an' yo' run yore arm down as fer as yo' kin, an' git graveyard dust, an' yo' take dat graveyard dust an' yo' go on home. All right, if yo' wanta be lucky, yo' take dat graveyard dust - yo' do dat first, den yo' would see a rabbit dat it would be a rabbit coming towards de graveyard, yo' see, an' yo' kill dat rabbit an' yo' cut [off] his left foot.
(He has two left feet you know - which one do you take?)
De left one - see, de back. An' yo' take dat an' yo' would take dis dust an' tie it up in a rag an' tote it in yore pocket, an' yo' would be lucky all de time fer gambling. Any kind of a rag.
Entry 2228
Yo' git de rabbit foot - de front left foot.
(Now, just how do you prepare that?)
Yo' git dat rabbit foot an' yo' take it as it is an' put three needles in an' yo' put it in flannen, red flannen, an' keep it wit chew all de time. Yo' sew it up in dere - keep dis rabbit foot with yo' all de time.
(What do you use that for?)
Dat's fo' luck in games - gamblin'.
Entry 2229
Fo' luck in gamblin' yo' kin git chew a rabbit foot an' dress it. Well yo' take dat rabbit foot - yo' git de left foot, de back left foot. Yo' take dat back left foot an' yo' gits a brand-new cord string an' yo' wrap de top of it nine times, wrap it to yo' nine times. Den yo' git chew some kinda perfume an' yo' put on dat. Yo' git chew some lodestone dust an' wrap it - dress it an' den yo' wrap it. See. Den yo' put dat good perfume on it - good luck perfume, real good. Den yo' wear dat. Dat's good tuh tote. Yo' carry dat in yore pocket, carry dat around fo' gamblin'. An' den yo' kin git chw some diff'rent perfumes an' put on yo' fo' luck.
(What kind of perfume?)
Oil of bergamot, van-van oil.
Entry 2230
Take a rabbit's foot an' tote it in yore pocket an' keep Hearts Cologne on it fo' nine days an' yo'll have good luck in gamblin' - anything, in almost 'anything.
(What foot do you take from the rabbit?)
His right foot - back.
Entry 2231
Take de left hin' foot of a rabbit an' wear it in yore inside coat pocket or vest pocket, next to yore heart, an' set an' eye de judge de whole time he is talkin' an' he couldn't convict chew.
(Just keep your eye on him the whole time?)
Yessuh - jes' keep yore eye right on him.
Entry 2232
Ah heard yo' git a rabbit foot, left hin' rabbit foot, an' tote it in yore left hip pocket an' dat will bring in luck in gamblin'. An' den always his money he win in his left pocket wit de rabbit's foot.
Entry 2233
Yo' kin take a rabbit an' kill him an' take his left hin' foot an' take it an' soak it in salt an' sugah. Mix salt an' sugah together an' soak it in salt an' sugah all night an' git it up de nex' mawnin' an' put it in yore pocket an' let it dry out in yore pocket. Den yo' have a lucky han' fo' gamblin'.
(What foot do you take?) [A check, not tricky question.]
De left-han' back foot.