the Negro standard: To the
slave master the words meant that his good, obedient slaves were only
studying how to be good and to get along peaceably, because they
considered, after all, that their time upon earth was short and not of
much consequence; but to the listening Negro it meant both a
notification of a meeting and slaves disobedient enough to go where they
wanted to go. To the listening master it meant that the Negro was
thinking of what a short time it would be before he would die and leave
the earth, but to the listening slaves it meant that he was thinking of
how short a time it would be before he left the cotton field for a
pleasant religious meeting. All these meanings were truly literally
present but the meaning apparent depended upon the viewpoint of the
listener. It was composed thus, so that if the master suspected the
viewpoint of the slave hearers, the other viewpoint, intended for him,
might be held out in strong relief.

Now let us consider the parodies recorded in our Collection. The Parody
on the beautiful little child prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep" is
but the bitter protest from the heart of the woman who, after putting
the little white children piously repeating this child prayer, "Now I
lay me down to sleep," in their immaculate beds, herself retired to a
vermin infested cabin with no time left for cleaning it. It was a tirade
against the oppressor but the comic, good-natured "It means nothing" was
there to be held up to those calling the one repeating it to task. The
parody on "Reign, Master Jesus, Reign!" when heard by the Master meant
only a good natured jocular appeal to him for plenty of meat and bread,
but with the Negro it was a scathing indictment of a Christian earthly
master who muzzled those who produced the food. "He Paid Me Seven" is a
mock at the white man for failing to practice his own religion but the
clown mask is there to be held up for safety to any who may see the
_real_ side and take offense.

Slave parodies, then, are little Rhymes capable of two distinct
interpretations, both of which are true. They were so composed that if a
slave were accused through one interpretation, he could and would
truthfully point out the other meaning to the accuser and thus escape
serious trouble.

Under all the classes of Negro Rhymes, with the exception of the one
Marriage Ceremony Rhyme, there were those which were sung and played on
instruments. Since instrumental music called in