Browse:Undersleeve Work: Problem with Children (Volume 1, entries 2352)
Undersleeve Work: Problem with Children
Volume 1, entries 2352. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 2352
[Undersleeve work is an unusual term for the frequently used expression underworld work (see rite following this one). Does undersleeve come from the stage magician who has something hidden up his sleeve?] An' dere wus a - family 'fairs, yo' might call it. Dey had chillen, ah had chillen, an' yo've got chillen. Well dey's always runnin' togethah - jes' a-fussin' an' a- fussin' an' keepin' a confusion all in de homes. Yo' stay dere, ah stay back heah. Well ah gits ti'ed of dat fussin' an' messin' an' messin' an' fussin'. Jes' somethin' othah - somethin' othah all de time. Well, ah goes ovah an' tells Fannie, "Yo' keep yore chillen home in yore yard an' ah'll keep mine." See. Okay. "Huh [she says]!" Ah walks back. "Ah don't care - care whut ah do. Kill 'em." Says, "If dey hit chew, yo' take ca' of 'em. If dey hit chew, yo' hit 'em back." It jes' kept on lak dat. Well, one day ah wus settin' in de house. Ah wus watchin'. An' so dis othah lady ovah heah [her] lil boy hit mine a bad lick, yo' know. Ah got mad. Ah'm not goin' take dat no longah. Ah'm goin' try me some luck. So dis heah whut ah did. Ah ain't goin' out dere tuh fight an' goin' turn out to de jailhouse. Ah'm goin' work undersleeve works. Okay. Well, ah got me a cah an' ah goes ovah - ah tells dis man, ah says, "Ah'm worried in mah home. Dey keeps on a confusion all de time wit mah kids an' ah want chew stop 'em. "Well, ah kin stop it an' be glad tuh stop it." "Well now, how much yo' charge tuh stop dis?" "All right. Well, yo' go forth an' tell me all about it." "Well, it's not anythin' fo' me tuh tell yo'. All it is, mah chillen an' 'nothah lady's chillen keeps a fuss all de time an' keeps us always mad an' all lak dat," says, "an' ah want chew tuh give me somethin' to avoid all dat - anyway yo' want it." He says, "Well, ah have several thoughts. Ah kin make 'em come jes' lak yo' want 'em tuh be. Jes' quietly 'nuff an' dey kin stay right dere an' be yore bes' fren's." "Well, ah dunno which would be de best. What would yo' think?" "Well, ah think if yo' could jes' make peace." "Well, okay. Ah'll make peace den." Well he tells me, says, "De very nex' time dey git yore chillen an' de othah lady's chillen - git togethah, git tuh brawlin' 'long an' all lak dat," say, ''don't chew pay no mind. Jes' take it. An' yo' tell dem chillen tuh watch an in dey lil play-housin' - probably sometime, yo' know, dey go in an' say, "Well, ah'm goin' play mothah an' daddy, ' yo' know. Well, dey git mothah's dress an' put it on, yo' see. An' de boys put on pants an' things lak dat." So he say, "When yo' git dis dress," say, "yo' tear it an' git a piece of de garment chew know." So sho' 'nuff dey did dat. So he said, "Then, when yo' git this piece of cloth," said, "yo' take this piece of cloth an' yo' sew it up in any part - in yore underpiece. Yo' sew it up in somethin' an' let it stay dere. Yo' don't wear dis piece but it's jes' a piece of yore garment. Jes' take a piece of hers an' sew it up in a piece of yores an' put nine needles in it. An' put it on top de windah sill." Up dere lak dat, yo' know [demonstrates].
(Up over the door?)
Uh-huh, up ovah de do', an' yo' jes' put it - fold it right back ovah dere, an' yo' jes' speak to it. Jes' lak yo' want peace, see, yo' jes' speak, "Peace, go wit dis, peace." An' dat'll take ca' of dat.
(That is all you had to do?)
Dat's all.