rbread! What big times us did
have at Chris'mas. New Year's Day, dey raked up de hoss and cow lots if
de weather was good. Marster jus' made us wuk enough on New Year's Day
to call it wukkin', so he could say he made us start de New Year right.

"Marse David had cornshuckin's what lasted two or three weeks at a time.
Dey had a gen'ral to keep dem brash boys straight. De number of gen'rals
'pended on how much corn us had and how many slaves was shuckin' corn.
Atter it was all shucked, dere was a big celebration in store for de
slaves. Dey cooked up washpots full of lamb, kid, pork, and beef, and
had collard greens dat was wu'th lookin' at. Dey had water buckets full
of whiskey. When dem Niggers danced atter all dat eatin' and drinkin',
it warn't rightly dancin'; it was wrastlin'.

"Dem moonlight cotton pickin's was big old times. Dey give prizes to de
ones pickin' de most cotton. De prizes was apt to be a quart of whiskey
for de man what picked de most and a dress for de 'oman what was ahead.
Dem Niggers wouldn't take no time to empty cotton in baskets--jus'
dumped it out quick on baggin' in de field.

"Day went f'um one plantation to another to quiltin's. Atter de 'omans
got thoo' quiltin' and et a big dinner, den dey axed de mens to come in
and dance wid 'em.

"Whenever any of our white folks' gals got married dere was two or three
weeks of celebratin'. What a time us did have if it was one of our own
little misses gittin' married! When de day 'rived, it was somepin' else.
De white folks was dressed up to beat de band and all de slaves was up
on deir toes to do evvything jus' right and to see all dey could. Atter
de preacher done finished his words to de young couple, den dey had de
sho' 'nough weddin' feast. Dere was all sorts of meat to choose f'um at
weddin' dinners--turkeys, geese, chickens, peafowls, and guineas, not to
mention good old ham and other meats.

"Pitchin' hoss shoes and playin' marbles was heaps and lots of fun when
I was growin' up. Atter while, de old folks 'cided dem games was
gamblin' and wouldn't let us play no more. I don't know nothin' t'all
'bout no ghosties. Us had 'nough to be skeered of widout takin' up no
time wid dat sort of thing.

"When Marse David changed me f'um calf shepherd to cowboy, he sont three
or four of us boys to drive de cows to a good place to graze 'cause de
male beast was so mean and bad 'bout gittin' atter chillun, he thought
if he sont enough of us dere wouldn't b