Provenience of Certain Negro Folk-Tales.
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The Jamaica variant in its concluding deceit incident were unintelligible without knowledge of the source tales. Even more true is this of the Bahama variant I published under the title "The Predatory Eagle."[1] In fact not until I read the Antigua variant, and learned that in a St. Kitts variant heard[2] likewise by Mr. Johnson in New York from which the deceit incident was dropped altogether, did I recognize the provenience of "The Predatory Eagle." In this mere remnant of the tale an eagle destroys everybody's cattle. When he came, "de whole worl' was dark ... he lights on de wall to look for beas'es." ... He sings and sings. The next day he comes again. Then every man takes his gun and shoots.
Elsie Clews Parsons.
7 East 76,
New York City.
