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"The Politician Gets His," #103 Swapping Stories
Hubert L. "Anatoo" Clement, Sr.

 

I'll tell you a little story--it won't take long. I got a opponent what run against me for governor. . . . I was worried about him, but I don't have to worry no more. He's all finished. You see, he was working on his roof, and he make a platform, and he start speech against me up there. He got in a big high, "throw mud" [campaign] . . . against me, and he fall off of there. He hurt his self bad on the head.

And they put him in the bed, and they put his little girl sit by him. And she's there watching him, and his wife was in the kitchen. She was cooking in the kitchen, and the little girl looked at him and she said, "Papa," she said, "are you dead?"

"No, chère, not yet."

So she waited a little while, and she said, "Hey, Papa, you dead now?"

" No, chère, I'm still hanging on. What smells so good?"

She said, "Well, Mama in the kitchen. She's making some gumbo."

"Oh, chère," he said, "That's my best thing. Before I die, go in there and ask Mama to send me just a little bit in a cup. I going to eat that one more time before I die."

So she said, "Okay."

So she went in the kitchen, and she stayed a while. Then she came back in there, and he [look] dead. She said, "Hey, Papa, you dead now?"

He said, "Hey [in a wheezing voice], not yet. Did you brought me some gumbo?"

She said, "No."

"Mais," he said, "Chère, why you didn't brought Daddy just a little bit of gumbo, so he can eat one more time some gumbo?"

She said, "Because Mama said, `No.'"

He said, "Why your mama said, `No,' chère?"

She said, "Because Mama said that's for the funeral tomorrow."

I thank you please!

 

"The Politician Gets His," #103 Swapping Stories
Hubert L. "Anatoo" Clement, Sr. (Cajun Dialect Version)

 

I gonna tole y'all a lil story —it won't took long. I got a opponent what run againtz me for governor to the state of Louisiana. I was worry abot dat "sone-be-gone," but I don't had to worry abot ham no more. Heez all fanish. You see, he was work on heez roof an he make a platform up dare an he start to speech againtz me and he fall off of dare an hurt heezef bad on heez head

An day put ham in de bed an day put heez lil girl sit side by ham. An she's dare watching ham an heez wife was in de ketchen. She was in dare cooking. An de lil girl look at ham an she say, "Papa," she say, "you are dead?"

"No, che're, notyet, he say.

So she wait a lil while an she say agane,"Hey, Papa, you dead now?"

He say, "No, che're, I'm still handging on. What smell so good?"

She say, "Well, Mama in de ketchen, she make some gumbo."

"Oh, che're!" he say, "datz my best ting! Before I die, go een dare and ax Mama to san me juss a lil bit in a cup. I gonna eat dat one more time before I die."

So she say, "Okay, Papa." So she waynt in de ketchen an she stay a while. Den she came back een dare an he look dead —he have turn green. She say, "Hey, Papa, you dead now, anh?"

He say [in a wheezing voice], " Notyet, che're. Did you brought me some gumbo?"

An she say, "No, Papa."

"Mais," he say, "che're! Why you don't brought Papa juss a lil bit of gumbo, so he can eat one more time some gumbo before he die?"

She say, "Becuz Mama say 'no' ! "

He say, "Why yore mama say 'no,' che're?

An she say, "Because Mama say datz for de funeral tomorrow!"

I tank you please!

Notes for the Teacher: 103. The Politician Gets His. AT 1704, Anecdotes about Absurdly Stingy Persons.

Clement's tale appears in two versions. The first is transcribed according to the style rules that the editors have applied generally (see About the Transcriptions below). The second version was provided by Clement, a Cajun humorist and musician. After seeing the editors' transcription, he stated that the flavor of his story would be lost unless he could make changes to convey the comic Cajun dialect that he uses when performing. He then wrote a version of his story to indicate how a comedian's Cajun accent "looks" to him.


About the Transcriptions

 

National Endowment for the Arts.

 
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