Old Josh, in: Catfish Stew (1855)

Old Josh, in: Catfish Stew
(1855)


Silas: Where you been all day paw?
Josh: Down at Goose Creek, why you ask?
Silas: what you a-frying paw?
Josh: I is frying fish and makin’ catfish stew.
Josh: Aint you hear de news?
Silas: I aint hear a thing, I got to work paw on this here farm why you go fishin’ and drinkin’ all day long.
Josh: Why Amos and Toby they fight ‘bout da fish up yonder in the lake, dat comes down to Goose Creek.
Silas: Dey been up in those woods again…!
Josh: Yessum, an’ dey bring dey fish down to me, with all that fightin’ scare them out of the waterhole, and into mi lap.
Silas: Tell me more paw!
Josh: Dey half naked up there in the lake, and frighten in that slimy yaller mud, like two hogs in a mud-hole, near the edge of da creek, all those niggers goes up there to catch catfish, and they make catfish stew, an’ wey dey guts dey fish, they fish-fry right there, and Amos and Toby git in dis argiment, dey pushin’ an’ shovin’ each udder like two buffalo, and nobody kin ondersand and jes as well cuz the fish git away, and I katch them when they came down yonder…
I done grabbed them under de water, when dey was risin’ up. Amos holler at me, call me an’ try to ‘suade me to give em a few, I gits ten-fish, but I tell em, talk ain’ do no good, to my stomach. An’ I grab up my fish and my pole an’ run out of the creek, and I ain’ hear no more ‘bout ‘em since: Youall hungry?
Silas: I sure is, and that is one good tale pas!



Episode 82 (No: 415) Written, 6-17-2009
Written for the book “Old Josh, in: Poor Black”