C033. The Black People and the Pond

33. Why the Negro Is Black. Text Source: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. I have removed the frame material and standardized the spelling; click here for the original spelling plus all notes to the story.

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THE BLACK PEOPLE and THE POND

To be sure the palm of my hands white, and, when it come to that, there was a time when all the white folks was black—blacker than me, 'cause I done been here so long that I been sort of bleach out.

Yes sir. Folks don't know what been yet, let alone what going to be. Black folks is black folks now, but the time was when we was all black folks together. Way back yonger. In them times we was all of us black; we was all black folks together, and according to all the accounts what I hears folks was getting along about as well in them days as they is now.

But after awhile the news come that there was a pond of water somewheres in the neighborhood, which if they'd get into they'd be wash off nice and white, and then one of 'em, he find the place and make a splunge into the pond, and come out white as a town gal.

And then, bless gracious! When the folks seed it, they make a break for the pond, and them what was the supplest, they got in first and they come out white; and them what was the next supplest, they got in next, and they come out mulattos; and there was such a crowd of them that they mighty nigh use the water up, which when them others come long, the most they could do was to paddle about with their foots and dabble in it with their hands. Them was the black folks, and down to this day they ain't no white about a black man excepting the palms of their hands and the soles of their foot.

The Indian and the Chinese got to be accounted along with the mulatto. I ain't seed no Chinese that I knows of, but they tells me they are sort of 'twixt a brown and a brindle. They are all mulattos. Them what get to the pond time enough for to get their head in the water, the water it unkink their hair. It pleased to be that a-way.

C033. Baer (p. 57). Why the Negro is Black

This is Chase033.

Types (none)
Motifs A1614 origino f white and colored races
A1614.2 races dark-skinned from bathing after white men
Notes
Ellis wants to make a parallel with Gold Coast tale "in which the chnage of color is brought about by means of the blood of a handsome boy"

Swanton has an Indian version: "The man who entered the pool first came out clean and his descendants are white; for the next water was not quite so clean, his descendants are Indians; the water was then dirty, and the last man came out black."

Baer notes: "These variants have been collected by white men from Indians and black men. It would be interesting to know if there are different versions which are not transmitted to white collectors."

C033. The Black People and the Pond (original spelling)

33. Why the Negro Is Black. Text Source: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. I have removed the frame material; click here for the standardized spelling plus all notes to the story.

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THE BLACK PEOPLE and THE POND

Tooby sho de pa'm er my han's w'ite, en, w'en it come ter dat, dey wuz a time w'en all de w'ite folks 'uz black—blacker dan me, kaze I done bin yer so long dat I bin sorter bleach out.

Yasser. Fokes dunner w'at bin yit, let 'lone w'at gwinter be. Niggers is niggers now, but de time wuz w'en we 'uz all niggers tergedder. Way back yander. In dem times we 'uz all un us black; we 'uz all niggers tergedder, en 'cordin' ter all de 'counts w'at I years fokes 'uz gittin' 'long 'bout ez well in dem days ez dey is now.

But atter 'w'ile de news come dat dere wuz a pon' er water some'rs in de naberhood, w'ich ef dey'd git inter dey'd be wash off nice en w'ite, en den one un um, he fine de place en make er splunge inter de pon', en come out w'ite ez a town gal.

En den, bless grashus! w'en de fokes seed it, dey make a break fer de pon', en dem w'at wuz de soopless, dey got in fus' en dey come out w'ite; en dem w'at wuz de nex' soopless, dey got in nex', en dey come out merlatters; en dey wuz sech a crowd un um dat dey mighty nigh use de water up, w'ich w'en dem yuthers come long, de morest dey could do wuz ter paddle about wid der foots en dabble in it wid der han's. Dem wuz de niggers, en down ter dis day dey ain't no w'ite 'bout a nigger 'ceppin de pa'ms er der han's en de soles er der foot.

De Injun en de Chinee got ter be 'counted 'long er de merlatter. I ain't seed no Chinee dat I knows un, but dey tells me dey er sorter 'twix' a brown en a brindle. Dey er all merlatters. Dem w'at git ter de pon' time nuff fer ter git der head in de water, de water hit onkink der ha'r. Hit bleedzd ter be dat away.