tch! I took de baby and showed him to old man Jim, and he
cry and pray over dat cherry and told me to forgive him and he never
would do it no more. But he done it den."

"I live in de country. I come to town where a white man was down here on
McKinne Street makin' dat soft white candy. I stood up and wished for
it. It did look so pretty and I wanted some so bad and I didn' have no
money. I was cryin', scratchin' my forehead over my right eye near de
hair. He didn' give me none. When my gal born, she had white mark right
on her forehead in de place I scratched."

"My sister-in-law made me ruin't my other child. Twas an old man coming
along. He was ruptured. He had on a white ap'on, and she bus' out
laughin' and say: 'Look at dat!' I jus' young gal, ain' be thinkin' and
I bus' out laughin' too, he did look funny. I ruin't my boy. He was in
de same fix and when I look at him I feel so bad, and think 'dat didn'
have to be.'"

"Dis kin happen: anybody see another person wid pretty hair and rub dey
hair down, dat child gwine have mustee hair too. A old black 'oman had a
baby. She seen somebody wid dat mustee hair (das what we calls black
folks wid smooth straight hair) and when her child born, everybody say:
'Look what dis baby got! Long black hair!"

Asked about persons born with cauls, Nancy grunted:

"Hunh! My mother said it cover my head, shoulders and all! I kin see
ghosts. Was a man lived right dere in dat house yonder. His name was
Will Beasley but we call 'im Bee. De fus' time he got sick he had a
stroke, den he git up. De doctor told him to be careful but he would go
out. One night about 8 o'clock I see him go. I stay sittin' here on dis
porch, and about 10 o'clock here come Bee out of his house, in his night
clothes out de open door and cross de yard. He go behind dat house. I
call out: 'Bee, I thought you was gone off? He didn' notice me no more
dan I never spoke. I got worried about him bein' sick and when he come
out from behind de house I say: 'Bee, you bes' be gwine indorrs, dress
lika-dat. You git sick again.' He walk straight back in de house. Pretty
soon here come Bee down de street, all dressed up in his brown pants and
white shirt! I grab de bannister just' a-tremblin' and de hair rizzed up
on my head. I knowed den he ain' got long for here. He come on by and
say: 'Nancy, how you feelin'?' I say: 'Bee, how long you bin out?' He
say: 'Why, I bin gone since 8 o'clock.' I didn't say nuttin' but I
knowed