{"id":50,"date":"2021-06-14T11:29:39","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T15:29:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/claudemckay\/?post_type=chapter&p=50"},"modified":"2022-02-03T08:45:28","modified_gmt":"2022-02-03T13:45:28","slug":"king-banana","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/chapter\/king-banana\/","title":{"raw":"King Banana","rendered":"King Banana"},"content":{"raw":"GREEN mancha[footnote]Corruption of 'Martinique,\" the best variety of banana in Jamaica[\/footnote] mek[footnote]Is (or was) made[\/footnote] fe naygur man;\r\nWha' sweet so when it roas'?\r\nSome boil it in a big black pan,\r\nIt sweeter in a toas'.[footnote]In a toast = toasted[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nA buccra fancy[footnote]It is buccra's fancy, i.e., the white man likes it[\/footnote] when it ripe,\r\nDem use it ebery day;\r\nIt scarcely give dem belly-gripe,\r\nDem eat it diffran' way.[footnote]In a different way; not so much at a time as we we eat[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nOut yonder see somoke[footnote]This lengthening of a monosyllable into a dissyllable is common[\/footnote] a rise,\r\nAn' see de fire wicket;[footnote]Wicked[\/footnote]\r\nDeh go'p to heaben wid de nize[footnote]It goes up to heaven with the noise, etc. This is an excellent simile as those acquainted with tropical crickets will know[\/footnote]\r\nOf hundred t'ousan' cricket.\r\n\r\nDe black moul' lie do'n quite prepare'\r\nFe feel de hoe an' rake;\r\nDe fire bu'n, and it tek care\r\nFe mek de wo'm[footnote]Worms. i.e., grubs[\/footnote] dem wake.\r\n\r\nWha' lef fe buccra teach again\r\nDis time about plantation?\r\nDere's not'in' dat can beat de plain\r\nGood ole-time cultibation.\r\n\r\nBanana dem fat all de same[footnote]In spite of the primitve methods of cultivation the bananas are just as plump[\/footnote]\r\nFrom bunches big an' 'trong;\r\nPure nine-han' bunch a car' de fame,\u2014[footnote]The nine-hand and only (pure ) nine-hand bunches -- none smaller, that is-grown by\u2014this old method have a fine reputation[\/footnote]\r\nOle met'od all along.\r\n\r\nDe cuttin' done same ole-time way,\r\nWe wrap dem in a trash,[footnote]In trash. Any refuse is called 'trash.' Here dried banana leaves are meant[\/footnote]\r\nAn' pack dem neatly in a dray\r\nSo tight dat dem can't mash.\r\n\r\nWe re'ch:[footnote]Reach[\/footnote] banana finish sell;[footnote]The selling of the bananas is over[\/footnote]\r\nDen we 'tart back fe home:\r\nSome hab money in t'read-bag[footnote]Bag secured by a thread (string) round the mouth[\/footnote] well,\r\nSome spen' all in a rum.\r\n\r\nGreen mancha mek fe naygur man,\r\nIt mek fe him all way;[footnote]In every way. He can eat it or sell it[\/footnote]\r\nOur islan' is banana lan',\r\nBanana car' de sway.[footnote]Carries the sway, i.e., is Jamaica's mainstay[\/footnote]","rendered":"

GREEN mancha[1]<\/sup><\/a> mek[2]<\/sup><\/a> fe naygur man;
\nWha’ sweet so when it roas’?
\nSome boil it in a big black pan,
\nIt sweeter in a toas’.[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

A buccra fancy[4]<\/sup><\/a> when it ripe,
\nDem use it ebery day;
\nIt scarcely give dem belly-gripe,
\nDem eat it diffran’ way.[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Out yonder see somoke[6]<\/sup><\/a> a rise,
\nAn’ see de fire wicket;[7]<\/sup><\/a>
\nDeh go’p to heaben wid de nize[8]<\/sup><\/a>
\nOf hundred t’ousan’ cricket.<\/p>\n

De black moul’ lie do’n quite prepare’
\nFe feel de hoe an’ rake;
\nDe fire bu’n, and it tek care
\nFe mek de wo’m[9]<\/sup><\/a> dem wake.<\/p>\n

Wha’ lef fe buccra teach again
\nDis time about plantation?
\nDere’s not’in’ dat can beat de plain
\nGood ole-time cultibation.<\/p>\n

Banana dem fat all de same[10]<\/sup><\/a>
\nFrom bunches big an’ ‘trong;
\nPure nine-han’ bunch a car’ de fame,\u2014[11]<\/sup><\/a>
\nOle met’od all along.<\/p>\n

De cuttin’ done same ole-time way,
\nWe wrap dem in a trash,[12]<\/sup><\/a>
\nAn’ pack dem neatly in a dray
\nSo tight dat dem can’t mash.<\/p>\n

We re’ch:[13]<\/sup><\/a> banana finish sell;[14]<\/sup><\/a>
\nDen we ‘tart back fe home:
\nSome hab money in t’read-bag[15]<\/sup><\/a> well,
\nSome spen’ all in a rum.<\/p>\n

Green mancha mek fe naygur man,
\nIt mek fe him all way;[16]<\/sup><\/a>
\nOur islan’ is banana lan’,
\nBanana car’ de sway.[17]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

  1. Corruption of 'Martinique,\" the best variety of banana in Jamaica ↵<\/a><\/li>
  2. Is (or was) made ↵<\/a><\/li>
  3. In a toast = toasted ↵<\/a><\/li>
  4. It is buccra's fancy, i.e., the white man likes it ↵<\/a><\/li>
  5. In a different way; not so much at a time as we we eat ↵<\/a><\/li>
  6. This lengthening of a monosyllable into a dissyllable is common ↵<\/a><\/li>
  7. Wicked ↵<\/a><\/li>
  8. It goes up to heaven with the noise, etc. This is an excellent simile as those acquainted with tropical crickets will know ↵<\/a><\/li>
  9. Worms. i.e., grubs ↵<\/a><\/li>
  10. In spite of the primitve methods of cultivation the bananas are just as plump ↵<\/a><\/li>
  11. The nine-hand and only (pure ) nine-hand bunches -- none smaller, that is-grown by\u2014this old method have a fine reputation ↵<\/a><\/li>
  12. In trash. Any refuse is called 'trash.' Here dried banana leaves are meant ↵<\/a><\/li>
  13. Reach ↵<\/a><\/li>
  14. The selling of the bananas is over ↵<\/a><\/li>
  15. Bag secured by a thread (string) round the mouth ↵<\/a><\/li>
  16. In every way. He can eat it or sell it ↵<\/a><\/li>
  17. Carries the sway, i.e., is Jamaica's mainstay ↵<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":251,"menu_order":9,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-50","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/50","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/251"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/50\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/50\/revisions\/51"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/50\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=50"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=50"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/claudemckay\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=50"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}