er piece er punk wood, en dey gits er fire dat way effen dey is lucky."

"Dem days nobuddy bring er axe in de house on his shoulder. Dat was er
sho' sign er bad luck. En nebber lay no broom crost de bed. One time er
likely pair er black folks git married, en somebuddy give 'em er new
broom. De 'oman she proud uv her nice, spankin' new broom en she lay hit
on de bed fer de weddin' crowd ter see it, wid de udder things been give
'em. Fo' thee years go by her man wuz beatin' 'er, en not long atter dat
she go plum stark crazy. She oughter ter know better'n ter lay dat broom
on her bed. It sho' done brung her bad luck. Dey sent her off ter de
crazy folks place, en she died dar."




[Document 5]

May 3, 1937

Mr. Edwin Bjorkman, State Director
Federal Writers' Project, WPA
City Hall, Fifth Floor
Asheville, North Carolina

Subj: Ex-slave Narratives


Dear Mr. Bjorkman:

I am quoting a memorandum of Mr. Lomax, folklore editor, regarding the