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As told by Pepe Boucher
The time be the full spring of the year. The tree be in leaf, the bird sing, the man all be work. Some he fish in the river, some he hunt in the wood, some in the field he plow. That be the time when everything be happy. We all laugh even when your line what tie your hoss to you plow get wet and long, long, and your poor horse he pull and pull and the rawhide it get more and more stretch. That be the day when the air be damp from the spring and rain. Mais, when the sun come out and the water run from the field to the creek and on the river then the air be dry and everypiece of what you now call harness, got dry and then they all pull short together. Everyone be happy no difference what trouble he have just so long as he not be sick. Bien oui! everyone, mais Jean Baptiste and he be getting still, still as the summer comes. He not work much, still he be so dog tired he not want to live. At last his friends be uneasy and some one ask him what be his trouble. He say, "Come with me."
(Here there was a long pause in which Pepe collected his thoughts so he could express them in what he terms "Americaine.")
When Jean Baptiste say "Come with me" he lead his friends to the fence that be around the Commons. He pointed to a palce where the ground be tramp, tramp, as if some horse be tied to the fence. His friend say, "Bien that be nothing mais a horse's track."
Jean Baptiste open his hand and show dirt in them and he get down and claw the ground and look sad. He friend say, "Ma foi! you just think you be possessed. That be no sign to have dirty hands. You be lazy."
Again Jean Baptiste rose and taking his friend by his hand, led him close to the fence and point to the top rail which he bit and bit nearly through.
Still his friend laugh and say, "Of course some horse be here, mais you not be it."
At this Jean Baptiste open his mouth and showed his teeth, and in his mouth full of wood, he pulled wood from his teeth and lay in his friend's hand. While his friend be examine to see if they be the same kind of wood as the fence he hear a sorrowful, yet musical, neigh and looking around he saw a white horse flying through the air! Ma foi! they not see Jean Baptiste no more!
Never did we see the flying horse. Mais a year and a day Jean Baptiste he come home. He tell how he be made to fly because he show he be a loup garou. If he talk and tell them he never get back home. So he just point to the ground and fence so he be made fly! Fly!
EMAIL: rking@indian.vinu.edu