Subject:Pocketbook
Entries
Entry 4633
Dey takes dat bow tuh ketch yo'. Dey ties it up where yuh can't git it, prob'ly carry it in dere pocketbook. An' she keeps dat. Long as she keeps dat, why he can't git away from 'er. He'll love 'er.
Entry 4803
If yuh got a woman an' yuh done lose - she done quit yuh an' yuh wanta git 'er back. Yuh git a dirty piece of hers of any kinda wear - her shimmy, drawers, or anythin' dat she got dirty. Yuh take dat piece an' yuh cut a hole in dat, an' yuh put dat in yore money case, an' she got'a keep up wit yuh de longest day she live. She'll nevah be wit'out chew. She'll always be wit chew.
Entry 4979
Dey kin take a man's sock or a woman's stockin' dat dey've been worn, an' take dat an' put it between de mattress, if it's a woman. An' den if it's de man, why de man take dat stock- in' - de foot of dat stockin', de bottom of it, an' said he kin weah dat in 'is pocketbook an' dat'll gain de woman. Ah don't know.
Entry 5967
Take a stran' of yore hair jes' as near de mole of yore head as yo' Kin, an' yo' kin take it an' take one stran' an' tie it into three knots. An crah mawnin' jes' at de dawn of daylight - de firs' mawnin' clip one dose knots out an' put it in de sweat of yore hatban' [sweat- bandl an' tote it arom' until de second morning. An' take dat stran' of hair out dere, dat first hot chew cut out, an' smoke it in yore cigaret right aroun' de forehead where de party [he or she] kin inhale de smoke of it. Well, dat is bringin' dere min' nearah towards yo'. An' de fo'th [second, see later] mawnin' clip de nex knot out. Yo' takes dat an' yo' take yo' a white piece of bran'-new homespun cloth an' ties it aroun' yore wais' an' keeps dat right nex' to yore skin. Dat nex' [third] morning take de nex' piece [knot] dat chew got clipped off from dose two piece [knots] an' yo' put it in yore pocketbook dat chew keep greenback [money] in dere. An' tote dem evahwhere yo' go. [Dem = smoke, waist, pocketbook]. An' jes' as long as a Woman dat yo' Wants - SHE'LL BE HANGIN' BY YO' UNTIL YO' MAKE OTHAH ARRANGEMENTS TO BREAK LOOSE FROM 'ER.
(You do that each morning?)
Each mawnin' until yo' use de last stran'.
(You do it the first morning, the second morning and then the third morning?)
Yes.
(And what did you say - you said, if you had something in your pocketbook?)
De las' piece - de las' stran' dat yo' cut off put in yore pocketbook an' keep it in dere if yo' got any greenback.
Entry 6093
Yo' want to know how to make a wumman stay wit yo' or sompin lak dat. Dey said yo' - well, yo' do her jes' lak yo' do a man. Take her watah or take de hair off 'er haid. Yo' take, yo' know offa both places an' keep cologne on it an' keep pee on it. Jes' wear it all de time, keep it in yore pocketbook.
Entry 6478
Sometime a man lay down to sleep - done tried dis mahself - or eithah a woman it'll work de same way. A man lay down tuh sleep. She say, "Umh! yo' feet cert'ly do smell bad! Why don' choo Wash yo' feet?" "Well, yo' go an' wash 'em fer me." "Looka chure long toenails! Dey about long as a dog claws. Why don' choo cut chure toenails off?" "Cut 'em off fer me." He might not think. Dat woman wash yo' feet, an' take a scissors or somepin an' cut chure toenails off. An' she take dem toenails an' tie dem up in a li'le rag or anythin' an' weah 'em aroun' wit 'er. Yo' always gon'a be cravin' fer 'er, yo'll follah 'er down de street. An' she'll [you'll] do de same thin' tuh yo' [her], if zhoo git 'er toenails. Dis is whut ah experience mahself. Ah had a girl ah thought, re'lly did think somepin of 'er. An' we wus stayin' where dat we could be talkin' wit one 'nothah an' usin' one 'nothah lots of times. An' ah heard of dis, don' choo see. So one Sunday she had a pair of silk stockin'. Ah say, "Yo' gon'a put dem silk stockin' on ole dirty feet?" "Ah ain't got time tuh wash 'em." Ah say, "Ah'll wash yo' feet fer yah." Ah said, "Look'a chure toenail! Long an' cut a hole up through yo' sock. An' An' ah done took de safety razor blade an' trim 'er toenails an' washed 'er feet, an' trim 'er toenails an' took 'em. Trimmin', dey fell on de floor an' ah jis' - aftah she got up, ah went an' took dem trimmin's up an' put 'em in mah pocketbook an' wore dem. An' didn't care where ah wus, dat where she wus."
Entry 6963
An' dey tells me if yo' wanta be lucky - sho' 'nuff lucky an' nobody can't do yo' nuthin - buy yo' a bran'-new pocketbook. An' pack it wit sulphur an' tote it in yore right-han' pocket, an' yo'll be lucky an' nobody can't do yo' nuthin.
Entry 7641
Dey go out tuh de fo'ks of de road, an' ah think dey speaks fo' times [recite an incantation of some sort] an' turns tuh de lef'. An' dey goes tuh de graveyard an' dey gits some graveyard dust from de left, from de head of de grave, an' put it in a li'le bag an' weah it in dey pocket- book. (What is that supposed to do?) Dat supposed tuh give yo' luck. (That will give you luck, I see. You go out to this crossroad and speak four times?) Yes, sir.
(What time do they go out there, any particular time or just any old time?)
Naw, five an' six o'clock in de mawnin' an' twelve o'clock at night, an prob'ly three o'clock in de mawnin'. [This means midnight or after, or before daybreak - the usual dark hour.]
(I see, and from the crossroads then they go to the cemetery.)
Yes, sir.
Entry 7855
(What was that?)
Graveyard dust. Dey say dey kin go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dirt an' take it an' use it. Keep it in dere pocketbook or prob'ly tie it up in a li'le rag, or prob'ly put it in a can in dere house. An' dat will bring good luck tuh home. Well now, whethah it's so, now ah don't know.
Entry 10578
Catch live bat, cut out heart, put in pocketbook with money, and you will win.
Entry 10767
Bluestone - dat bluestone is lucky. Gunpowder is lucky, but you have to use it in such a peculiar way. Yo' know gunpowder is dangerous. Well, all right, you take dat blue- stone and gunpowder to- gether - dey call dat [bluestone] de lucky stone. Yo' mix dis bluestone an' gunpowder together an' put it in a little bag an' jes' tote dat in yore pocketbook. Well, all right, jes' lak yo' may walk off to a big poker game. Yo' walk aroun' de poker game an' yo' got yore hands in yore pocket, an' he laugh an' say, "How about it?" or "Take a chair." Yo' say, "Well, ah don't mind." Bang! Take a shot. Well, yo' bettin' on what chew got in yore pocket. Yo' ain't bettin' on what dis othah fellah got. Well, dat bluestone an' dat gunpowder - see, dat's hot, sure be luck fo' de winner. Now, ah knowed a man - mah uncle used to try dat. Dat wus good.
Entry 10873
Well, de hair from a black cat - a real black cat dat ain't got no white spot on him. Yo' know a black bone is lucky. Well, now, yo' tote dat in yore pocket in a gamblin' game. Git de hair from under de fo' laigs. (Under the four legs? Each one of the four. Each one of de fo' laigs.
(The hair from this black cat?)
Dat's right. An' dey tell me yo' go right behin' his ear an' pull it out, an pull it to yo', an' clip it from each one of his ears.
(Each one of his ears. Do you cut off the hair or the ears?)
Cut de hair.
(Cut the hair from each ear?)
From behin' each ear, an' de tip-end of his tail. An' dey tell me yo' kin do anythin' yo' wanta do.
(Well, what do you do with that hair after you fix it up?)
Fix it up, jes' keep it in yore pocket. Yo' wouldn't need to have no big bag, jes' a little small bag. Have it in yore pocketbook, jes' lak yo' goin' tuh git in a big poker game - a big gamblin' game.
Entry 11372
Ah know if yo' go to a fig tree an' cut a root outa fig tree - cut dat root 'bout large as yo' could hold it in a pocketbook - well, it's luck to yo'. An' den in any kinda games - yo' are lucky in any kinda games wit fig root. Yo' know, put it in yore pocket an' tote it lak dat. It's lucky.