Short Fiction · Chapter
Sufficient Provocation explained
Two Houston negroes are brought before a recorder for fighting.
What happens
Two Houston negroes are brought before a recorder for fighting. One explains that he struck the other with a chair after the latter's vivid description of eating a ripe watermelon caused him to drool into his French harp, stopping the music and embarrassing him before the floor committee.
Key passages
“He hit me fust.”
He struck me first.
Opening claim of self-defense by one of the defendants.
“He gimme de probumcation, judge.”
He provoked me, judge.
Defendant argues provocation as justification for the fight.
“Nebber touched dat nigger tell he up en hit me wid er cheer.”
I never touched that man until he got up and hit me with a chair.
Defendant denies initiating violence, claiming he only retaliated.
“I wuz playin’ de French hahp, judge, to de ball ob de Sebem ’Mancipated Sons ob de Lebem Virgins, en Sam Hobson he wuz playin’ de guitar fur de niggers to dance by.”
I was playing the French harp at the ball of the Seven Emancipated Sons of the Eleven Virgins, and Sam Hobson was playing the guitar for the people to dance to.
Defendant describes the musical setting of the incident.
“Dis here coon what I hit thinks he kin play de French hahp, too, but he kaint.”
This man I hit thinks he can play the French harp, too, but he cannot.
Defendant asserts his musical superiority over the other man.
“Watermillions be gittin’ ripe now in nudder mont’.”
Watermelons will be getting ripe in another month.
The other man begins a tempting description of watermelon.