De Turkey and De Law by Zora Neale Hurston

DAISY

  You might of brought it, but Dave sho kilt it. You couldn't hit de

  side of uh barn wid uh bass fiddle.

  DAVE

  Course I kilt it, and I kilt it for you, but I didn't kill none for

  Lum Boger. De clean head hound!

  (Daisy turns to Dave finally)

  DAISY

  Well, I reckon you loves me the best anyhow. You wouldn't talk to me

  like Jim did, would you, Dave?

  DAVE

  Naw, I wouldn't say whut he said a-tall.

  DAISY

  (Cuddling up to him) Whut would _you_ say, honey?

  DAVE

  I'd say dat box was too heavy for me to fool wid. I wouldn't tote

  nothing my gun and my hat and I feel like I'm 'busing myself sometie

  totin' dat.

  DAISY

  (Outraged) Don't you mean to work none?

  DAVE

  Wouldn't hit a lick at a snake.

  DAISY

  I don't blame _you_, Dave (looks down at his feet) cause toting dem

  feet of yourn is enough to break down your constitution.

  DAVE

  They carries me wherever I wants to go. Daisy, you marry Jim cause I

  don't want to come between y'all. He's my buddy.

  JIM

  Come to think of it, Dave, she was yourn first. You take and handle

  dat spade for her.

  DAVE

  You heard her say it is all I can do to lift up dese feets and put 'em

  down. Where I'm going to git any time to wrassle wid any hoes and

  shovels? You kin git round better'n me. You done won Daisy--I give in.

  I ain't going to bite no friend of mine in de back.

  DAISY

  Both of you niggers can git yo' hat en' yo' heads an' git on down de

  road. Neither one of y'all don't have to have me. I got a good job and

  plenty men begging for yo' chance.

  JIM

  Dat's right, Daisy, you go git you one them mens whut don't mind

  smelling mules--and beating de white folks to de barn every morning. I

  don't wanta be bothered wid nothin' but dis box.

  DAVE

  And I can't strain wid nothin' but my feets and my gun. I kin git mo'

  turkey gobblers, but never no job.

  (Daisy walks slowly away in the direction from which she came. Both

  watch her a little wistfully for a minute. The sun is setting.)

  DAVE

  Guess I better be gitin' on back--it's most dark. Where you goin, Jim?

  JIM

  I don't know, Dave. Down de road, I reckon.

  DAVE

  Whyncher come on back to town? Taint no use you proagin' up and down

  [Note: corrected missing space] de railroad track when you got a home.

  JIM

  They done lawed me way from it for hittin' you wid dat bone.

  DAVE

  Dat ain't nothin'. It was my head you hit. An' if I don't keer whut

  dem ole ugly-rump niggers got to do wid it?

  JIM

  They might not let me come in town.

  DAVE

  (Seizing Jim's arm and facing him back toward the town.) They better!

  Look here, Jim, if they try to keep you out dat town we'll go out to

  dat swamp and git us a mule bone a piece and come back and boil dat

  stew down to a low gravy.

  JIM

  You mean dat Dave? (Dave nods his head eagerly.)

  DAVE

  Us wasn't mad wid one 'nother nohow. Come on less go back to town. Dem

  mullet heads better leave me be, too. (Picks up a heavy stick) I wish

  Lum would come tellin' me bout de law when I got all dis law in _my_

  hands. An' de rest of dem 'gator-face jigs--if they ain't got a whole

  set of mule bones and a good determination they better not bring de

  mess up.

  _CURTAIN_

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