Ol' Sister Goose

Taken from Black Literature in America

by Houston A Baker Jr.
1971

Vernacular - using the dialect of the speaker

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s there was a deep desire to collect the stories of Pre-Civil War slave narratives and to celebrate the culture of this brave and inspired, fearless and bold generation.

One way that the generation was honored was to collect their stories in the original dialect. There was at the time a pride and honor associated with the cultural past of black America. There was regard for the journey of the person who was speaking and the way in which they were speaking. The words and the dialect were revered as significant to human history and the United States' continuing journey to live up to the promise of human freedom that had been there at the nation's inception. How does a nation move forward in the face of the realities of a Jim Crow south and the remaining stain of God's creation being belittled and marginalized at best. But they did move forward. Bravely and boldly.

However, due to insulting stereotypes that associated ignorance (especially in Hollywood) with this dialect, southern black vernacular is viewed as racist and offensive today.

I am quite confident that Sterling Brown (1901 - 1989) is associated with our having this story kept alive in memory. He was committed to the validity of vernacular speech in poetry and writing. He saw Robert Frost as a vernacular poet and he studied plain-spoken literature early on.

I say this because I want no one to be offended by this amazing tale presented in the vernacular.

It is a truth-telling tale, the truth of which we all must remember. That there are many people who know what it is like to have no power nor protection under the law. No advocacy. (It is a current problem - that the movie Roman J. Israel, Esq (2017) meaningfully introduces to its audience.)

Also, this story reminds us, even with the hypocrisy clearly in place, of Madison's worse fears as to how a majority-oriented democracy can become a state of misery for minority factions withing her borders. Overcoming this conundrum occupied a good bit of James Madison's life.

Ol Sis Goose

Ole Sis Goose wus er-sailin’ on de lake, and ole Br'er Fox wus hid in de weeds. By um by ole Sis Goose swum up close to der bank and ole Br'er Fox lept out an cotched her.

“O yes, ole Sis Goose, I’se get yer now, you’se been er-sailin’ on der lake er long time, en I’se got yer now. I’se gwine to break yer neck en pick yer bones.”

“Hole on der’, Br'er Fox, hold on, I’se got jes as much right to swim in der lake as you has ter lie in der weeds. Hit’s des as much my lake es hit is yours, and we is gwine to take dis matter to der cotehouse and see if you has any right to break my neck and pick my bones.”

And so dey went to cote, and when dey got dere, de sheriff, he wus er fox, en de judge, he wus er fox, and der tourneys, dey wus fox, en all de jurymen, dey was foxes, too.

End dey tried ole Sis Goose, en dey ‘victed her and dey ‘scuted her, and dey picked her bones.

Now my chilluns, listen to me, when all de folks in de cotehouse is foxes, and you is jes er common goose, der ain’t gwine to be much jestice for you pore collud folks.

A video about Sterling Brown and his long and significant literary journey:

An easier to read version of Ol Sis Goose:

Ole sis goose wus sailing on the lake, and ole Br'er Fox wus hiding in the weeds. By an by ole Sis Goose swum up close to the bank and ole Br'er Fox lept out and caught her.

"Oh Yes, ole Sis Goose, I've got you now. You've been sailing on the lake for a long time, and I've got you now. I'm gonna break yer neck and pick yer bones."

"Hold on there, Br'er Fox, hold on. I've got jest as much right to swim in der lake as you have to lie in the weeds. It's just as much my lake as it is yours, and we are gonna take this matter to the courthouse and see if you have any right to break my neck and pick my bones."

And so they went to court, and when they got there, the sheriff, he was a fox, and the judge, he was a fox, and the attorneys, they were all foxes, and all of the jury, they were all foxes, too.

And they tried ole Sis Goose, and they convicted her and they executed her, and they picked her bones.

Now my children, listen to me, when all of the folks in the courthouse are foxes, and are just a common goose, there is not going to be much justice for you poor colored folk.