The Creation:

People who say that Pidgin Eng

lish should be banned—and there are many of them —insist that it is impossible to express abstract ideas in that medium. Without taking

either side, for or against Pidgin,

we reprint herewith some verses that appeared first in PIM in

April, 1934, which describe, in

Pidgin, how God, having created

“plenty, plenty something more”

was inspired to create Man, then Woman, but later had to “rouse” them from the Garden. The whole i.

Long time before, das all God he stop.

Now place belong ’im he long way on top; He work him sun, now star, now moon; Long time he stop, now sun he lapun.

God he work him water, work him ground, Now work mountain, now look-look round.

He tink-tink strong, now scratch him head, Now tink along make him what name yet?

Ah, plant him seed, now put him lime; Behind diwai come up quick time; Along dis diwai leaf him shoot.

Now behind he make him plenty fruit. ’Egot pineapple, taro, yam.

Potato, cabbish too. Goddam! ’E got some kulau, got papaw, Now plenty, plenty someting more.

Long water pukpuk stop, now fish.

Long sun pukpuk he come nambish; Long time dis pukpuk he like play, Fish he got fright now run away.

Now behind, God he savvy make Him plenty binatang, now snake. ’E no got leg, walk about ’long grass Dis feller snake no good too mas.

Time grass he grow, God tink-tink “Now More better me work him some bulla macow: Belong kaikai kaukau me work him pig Me like work someting allasame: (First time he liklik, behind he big).”

Behind God tink-tink: “Now what name?

Along Me, God; now call ’im Man. ’E go along garden; I tink Me can.”

God loose him place, now he fly down.

He crooked him screw, go down along groun’; He catch him pepea, catch him clay.

Snake look him God, now run away.

God work him pepea. put him sand, Now work him bone, now work him hand; He work him leg, now finger too, Now work him skin, now work him screw.

God ope him mous’, he blow, he blow; Now groun’ he guria dumbelo; Now bres come up inside along man; He ope him eye, he lift him han’.

He speak “What name?” Now get up along groun’, Stand up along leg, now look-look roun’.

He look him God, now scratch him head, No savvy plenty someting yet.

Now God he speak; “Good morning, Man!

Me work him you along clay, now sand.

Long allaman you Number One: Long allatime you sit down along sun.

Me call you Adam, name belong you; You no old feller, dasall you new.

Now Me, Me God, Me sleep on top.

Long dis feller half yon dasall stop.

The Story Of Adam And Eve

Told In Pidgin.

Eden episode seems abstract enough

for any expert.

We do not know who wrote the verses; but they are certainly clever

—a point which, perhaps, will not

be fully appreciated by other than

speakers of Pidgin.

There are indications that the verses, as presented, are a some iohat expurgated version of the

original. And, for the sake of

metre, they sometimes lapse from

pure Pidgin.

“Bis feller place me make him nice; Now name belong him Paradise.

Got plenty fruit belong kaikai Inside along Garden along diwai.

Now allatime you can sit down, Now plenty yam come up along groun’; You no got work, dasall you play.

Now all enuf along you, eh?”

Now Adam talk: “Dis half all right: Sit down along day now sleep along night.

Good feller place, time sun he hot.

Now I tink someting yet no got.”

Now God he talk; “Adam, what name?

You talk ’long God, now no got shame?

Me make him plenty along before: You like me make him what name more?”

“God, me like someting, no got name.

Me like you work him allasame: Friend belong me, now he no man; One feller Mary. Now you can?

One feller Mary me like try ’im; Me sellim pig along you ’long buy 'im.

You give him Mary; s’pose you no can, ’Owzat me Papa along allaman?”

Long Adam God he speak: “All right.

No good you no got friend along night.

Now you lie downsleep liklik time.

Now dis feller Mary Me like try ’im.”

Now Adam sleep, eye b’long ’im fas’.

Now God he go down along screw along grass.

He put him hand along Man along half, Now tink-tink someting, now he laugh.

“Tink plenty trouble come close to; Adam, me sorry belong you.

Long picanninny long diwai Tink plenty trouble come bimeby.”

Adam no hear him dis feller talk.

He sleep. Behind he get up now walk.

Now God quick time he fly on top, Now Adam he look him one Mary he stop.

Adam he speak, “Good abinou.

Me like you call him name belong yon.”

Now dis feller Mary he shy too mas, He no like sneak, mous’ belong ’im fas’.

Head belong dis Mary like look-look down Now allatime he look him groun’.

Now Adam talk-talk: “Now what name?

You no got lava-lava, no got shame?”

“God work him you along to-day. ’lm now das all ’e fly away.

You stop along me along Paradise Along plant him corn, now cook him rice.”

Now Mary speak: “All right, Adam.

Now me too savvy cook him yam; Cook him along saucepan, put him sol ; Behind me Mama, too, belong all.

“Name belong Me Eva; he all right?

You look him tees’ b’long me, he white.

Go catch him susu along bullamacow; Me hungry; me like kaikai now.”

Adam he speak: “Now you go quick.”

Now fight him Mary along sittick.

Now he cry out; “Adam, enup: Me savvy belong hurry up.”

n.

Along time dis Mary go look him ’macow, Along Garden he find ’im some feller kulau. ’lm too ’e got susu enuf along man.

Dis Mary no look him one big Tambaran.

Time Mary he look-look ’long kulau on top.

Inside bell’ belong snake dis Tambaran stop.

Now Snake him he talk-talk: “Ah, Eva, what name You like catch him some feller fruit allasame?”

Now Eva got fright; he like run away quick.

Now Snake he like grease him, now close to he speak: “What name you like run away, no good you fright; Me like show him you some feller fruit he all right.

Look him one feller Apple; he number one true.”

Now Eva speak: "No, God he talk he tambu.”

“Ah, God he like gammon; he good feller kai; You try ’lm now give him ’long Adam bimeby.”

Eva speak: “Spose me kaikai I tink God he make ’lm some big feller trouble ’long me feller, Snake.”

"Ah, mask! dis talk-talk; me savvy he no can; Dis God he no’nuf along strong Tambaran.”

Eva kaikai fruit finish, he good feller too mas; Now Snake he go finish along hide along grass.

Eva bring him some apple, he maski kulau; He tink: “More better Adam try ’im dis feller now.”

Eva come up along Adam, now hide along han’

Dis apple he catch ’im along big Tambaran.

Adam speak: “What name someting stop along hand belong you?”

Eva speak: "Name belong him Apple, he number one true.

Me kaikai one feller, now me savvy too mas; Me catch him ’long Satan, Snake he stop along grass.

Before God he tambu; he gammon, more better You kaikai, now behind you savvy al’geder.” (Continued Next Page)

Now Adam he kaikai, behind he savvy too: ’lm he one time ’long Eva tink dis Snake he talk true.

Now on top God he look-look along place dambelo.

Look him Adam now Eva, he sit down now sew Him up two feller lava-lava (he savvy ’long shame).

Quick time God he fly down, now he talk allasame.

“Hey, now what name you humbug? now whosat he make ’lm all dis feller trouble? Tink you talk along Snake?”

Now Adam he talk-talk: “No, God! Me no can.

Me no savvy talk-talk along some Tambaran.

Now Eva, I tink, talk him Snake along grass.

Now give him me apple—me liklik too mas.”

Now Eva he speak: “Where stop shame belong you?

God, now dis feller Adam he no savvy talk true.

Him one big feller apple he kaikai before; Now he talk along me go back now catch him some more.”

God him he big feller cross, bell’ belong him he hot.

Talk: “Tink you can gammon along me?

No got!

Catch him two feller tin meat, one feller bag rice.

You no can stop long time more along Paradise.

Go catch him some akkis, now shovel, now pick; Go bring him, now line him, me like look him quick.

Now Eva you catch him me key belong house; Now catch him all someting belong you —now reuse!”

Glossary Of Pidgin Terms

lapun diwai tree kulau coconut pukpuk alligator nambish down to the beach binatang insect bullamacow . . . . bull or cow (meat) liklik little crooked him screw . . bent the knee pepea dust or fragments guria tremor or earthquake picanninny belong diwai . . . fruit of the tree stop to be, is lavalava loincloth susu milk Tambaran devil or sorcerer grease to bribe or persuade