Story: How Come Mr. Buzzard to Have a Bald Head
Book: “Animal Tales from North Carolina,” in Journal of American Folklore v. 11
Author(s): Emma Backus
Published: 1898
Internet Archive link.

Notes: Eye-dialect removed, plus editing for paragraphing and punctuation. “Ann Nancy” here is a remembrance of “Anansi,” now female, but still a spider. The buzzard here is a turkey buzzard, or turkey vulture.

Ann Nancy and Mr. Buzzard’s Safe

One day, in the old times, Ann Nancy started out to find a good place for to build her house; she walk on till she find a break in a nice damp rock, and she set down to rest, and take observation of the points to throw her threads.

Presently, she hear a great flopping of wings, and the old Mr. Buzzard come flying down and light on the rock, with a big piece of meat in he mouth.

Ann Nancy, she scroon in the rock and look out, and she hear Mr. Buzzard say, “Good safe, good safe, come down, come down,” and sure ‘nough, when he say it three times, a safe come down, and Mr. Buzzard, he open the door and put in he meat and say, “Good safe, good safe, go up, go up,” and it go up aright, and Mr. Buzzard fly away.

Then Ann Nancy, she set and study about it, ’cause she done see the safe was full of all the good things she ever hear of, and it come across her mind to call it and see if it come down. So she say, like Mr. Buzzard, “Good safe, good safe, come down, come clown,” and sure ‘nough, when she say it three times, down it come, and she open the door and step in, and she say, “Good safe, good safe, go up, go up,” and up she go, and she eat her fill, and have a fine time.

Directly she hear a voice say, “Good safe, good safe, come down, come down,” and the safe start down, and Ann Nancy, she so scared, she don’t know what to do, but she say soft and quickly, “Good safe, go up,” and it stop, and go up a little, but Mr. Buzzard say, “Good safe, come down, come down,” and down it start, and poor Ann Nancy whisper quick, “Go up, good safe, go up,” and it go back.

And so they go for a long time, only Mr. Buzzard can’t hear Ann Nancy, ’cause she whisper soft to the safe, and he cock he eye in astonishment to see the old safe bob up and down, like it gone distracted.

So they keep on, “Good safe, good safe, come down,” “Good safe, good safe, go up,” till poor Ann Nancy’s brain get confused, and she make a slip and say, “Good safe, come down,” and down it come.

Mr. Buzzard, he open the door, and there he find Ann Nancy, and he say, “Oh you poor miserable critter,” and he just about to eat her up, when poor Ann Nancy, she begged so hard, and compliment his fine presence, and compare how he sail in the clouds while she obliged to crawl in the dirt, till he that proudful and set up he feel mighty pardoning spirit, and he let her go.

But Ann Nancy ain’t got no gratitude in her mind; she feel she looked down on by all the critters, and it sour her mind and temper. She ain’t going forget anybody what cross her path, no, that she don’t, and while she spin her house she just study constant how she going get the best of every critter.

She knew Mr. Buzzard’s weak point am he stomach, and one day she make it out that she make a dining, and invite Mr. Buzzard and Miss Buzzard and the chilluns.

Ann Nancy, she know how to set out a-dining for sure, and when they all done got sat down to the table, and she mighty busy passing the hot coffee to Mr. Buzzard and the little Buzzards, she have a powerful big pot of scalding water ready, and she lip it all over poor old Mr. Buzzard’s head, and the poor old man go bald-headed from that day.

And he don’t forget it on Ann Nancy, ’cause you observe she the onliest critter on the top side the earth what Mr. Buzzard don’t eat.

Turkey vulture at Wikimedia. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cathartes_aura_-Santa_Teresa_County_Park,_San_Jose,_California,_USA_-adult-8a.jpg