Jonah's Gourd Vine Read Free Page A

white folks color in yo’ face, but Ah’ll stomp yo’ guts out and dat quick! Shet dat door!”
    He seized a lidard knot from beside the fireplace and limped threateningly towards John.
    Amy rose from beside the cook pots like a black lioness.
    â€œNed Crittenden, you raise dat wood at mah boy, and you gointer make uh bad nigger outa me.”
    â€œDat’s right,” Ned sneered, “Ah feeds ’im and clothes ’im but Ah ain’t tuh do nothin’ tuh dat li’l’ yaller god cep’n wash ’im up.”
    â€œDat’s uh big ole resurrection lie, Ned. Uh slew-foot, drag-leg lie at dat, and Ah dare yuh tuh hit me too. You know Ahm uh fightin’ dawg and mah hide is worth money. Hit me if you dare! Ah’ll wash yo’ tub uh ’gator guts and dat quick.”
    â€œSee dat? Ah ain’t fuh no fuss, but you tryin’ tuh start uh great big ole ruction ’cause Ah tried tuh chesstize dat youngun.”
    â€œNaw, you ain’t tried tuh chesstize ’im nothin’ uh de kind. Youse tryin’ tuh fight ’im on de sly. He is jes’ ez obedient tuh you and jes’ ez humble under yuh, ez he kin be. Yet and still you always washin’ his face wid his color and tellin’ ’im he’s uh bastard. He works harder’n anybody on dis place. You ain’t givin’ ’im nothin’. He more’n makes whut he gits. Ah don’t mind when he needs chesstizin’ and you give it tuh ’im, but anytime you tries tuh knock any dese chillun ’bout dey head wid sticks and rocks, Ah’ll be right dere tuh back dey fallin’. Ahm dey mama.”
    â€œAnd Ahm de pappy uh all but dat one.”
    â€œYou knowed Ah had ’m ’fo’ yuh married me, and if you didn’t want ’im round, whut yuh marry me fuh? Dat ain’t whut you said. You washed ’im up jes’ lak he wuz gold den. You jes took tuh buckin’ ’im since you been hangin’ round sich ez Beasley and Mimms.”
    Ned sat down by the crude fireplace where the skillets and spiders (long-legged bread pans with iron cover) sprawled in the ashes.
    â€œStrack uh light, dere, some uh y’all chaps. Hit’s dark in heah.”
    John obediently thrust a piece of lightwood into the embers and the fire blazed up. He retreated as quickly as possible to the farther end of the cabin.
    Ned smoked his strong home-grown tobacco twist for a few minutes. Then he thrust out his feet.
    â€œPour me some water in dat wash-basin, you chaps, andsome uh y’all git de washrag.”
    There was a scurry and bustle to do his bidding, but the drinking-gourd dropped hollowly in the water bucket. Ned heard it.
    â€œâ€™Tain’t no water in dat air water-bucket, Ah’ll bound yuh!” He accused the room and glowered all about him, “House full uh younguns fuh me to feed and close, and heah ’tis dust dark and rainin’ and not uh drop uh water in de house! Amy, whut kinda ’oman is you nohow?”
    Amy said nothing. She sat on the other side of the fireplace and heaped fresh, red coals upon the lid of the spider in which the bread was cooking.
    â€œJohn!” Ned thundered, “git yo’ yaller behind up offa dat floor and go git me some water tuh wash mah foots.”
    â€œYou been tuh de house longer’n he is,” Amy said quietly. “You coulda done been got dat water.”
    â€œYou think Ah’m gwine take uh ’nother man’s youngun and feed ’im and close ’im fuh twelve years and den he too good tuh fetch me uh bucket uh water?” Ned bellowed.
    â€œIss rainin’ out dere, an’ rainin’ hard,” Amy said in the same level tones.
    â€œDass right,” Ned sneered, “John is de house-nigger. Ole Marsa always kep’ de yaller niggers in de house and give ’em uh job totin’ silver dishes and goblets tuh de table. Us black niggers is