Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 15, 1904.djvu/107

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Collectanea.
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"Three-foot Horse."—The "three-foot horse" is believed to be a kind of duppy with three legs, hence its name; and is able to gallop faster than any other horse. It goes about in moonlight nights, and if it meet any person it blows upon him and kills him. It will never attack you in the dark. It cannot hurt you on a tree.

The "whooping boy" is said to be the rider of the "three-foot horse," and is able to whoop as a person. It is very dangerous in thick woods, where they may seen dancing on twigs.

The "long-bubby Susan" is a kind of duppy believed to have breasts reaching close to the ground. In the case of an attack, it throws the breasts over over its shoulders. The mark ten (X) will keep the "long-bubby Susan" from a house.


Rolling Calf.

When a man dies, and is too wicked for heaven or hell, he turns into this kind of duppy, "the rolling calf," and goes about with a chain round his neck, which Satan gives him to warn people.

The "rolling calf" is afraid of the moon, and in moon-light nights, it may be seen with its eyes fixed on the moon saying, "Do me goode mun no go fal dun pa me, no go wak unda me, a de holy night. If you fal dun pa me a me nancy me kin."

Many other stories are spoken of about the "rolling calf," and the following seems to be very nice. Once a man was travelling in a moon-light night, and coming to a bridge saw a "rolling calf" sitting on it saying its usual melody, with its eye fixed upon the moon. The man was at first afraid to pass, but after musing over the matter awhile went boldly up and touched the "calf." The "rolling calf" in fear that the moon had stumbled on it fell on the other side into the stream, when it was heard saying, "A don't mind the wet, a wet, but the prain a prain me foot."


I get a Letter from God.

This true story is about a man who is a duppy-catcher and a doctor who works by a spirit. He is capable of giving medicines to cure all manner of diseases, and deceives his patients in saying that he knows various things of them before they come to him. Sometimes he tells them that he sees someone going to the French woman in Kingston to do them harm.