An aged Georgia darky
had lost his Mule and went out one Sunday to bury him.
Arriving within sight of the body he came upon a group
of forty-nine Buzzards. Forty-eight of them flew away.
The Forty-ninth, whose feathers were gray with age,
or early piety or something, declined to retire. Looking
straight at the old darky he spread his wings --- they
were nine feet from tip to tip --- tucked his tail under
his body, drew in his chin and proceeded to lope around
the dead carcass.
The old dar key had been a wonderful dancer in slavery
days, and prided himself on knowing every step that
anybody else knew. But here was a brand new step he
thought, that nobody else knew. It wrenched his soul
to see that the ancient buzzard loping there at his
case, as he had never seen any creature on earth could
lope. He stood aghast.
The spade fell from his hand. He spread his arms, bent
his body in the middle, stiffened every joint except
those at the elbow, wrist, ankle and knee and forgetting
both the day and the place, followed the Buzzard around
the Mule for four solid hours, keeping step with the
bird. At dusk the Buzzard flapped his wings and went
to roost. while the old man loped for home, feeling
younger than he had in years.
This is the story of the Buzzard Lope steps that captured
everybody. Clubs were formed all over the state to learn
the Buzzard Lope and for the time being, all unhappiness
over the Negro postmasters was forgotten. The Buzzard
Lope beggars description. You cannot appreciate it till
you see it. It ought to go on stage for the benefit
of the whole community. |
