Wait til Martin Comes
Kitty: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ Winterjoy: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
I always liked this one, because I was obsessed with cats, and, well, cats are the subject of this story! This post is a bit of a long one, so I’ll just get right into it.
Wait til Martin Comes
An old man was out for a walk. When a storm came up, he looked for a place to take shelter. Soon he came to an old house. He ran up on the porch and knocked on the door, but nobody answered.
By now rain was pouring down, thunder was booming, and lightning was flashing. So he tried the door. When he found it was unlocked, he went inside.
Except for a pile of wooden boxes, the house was empty. He broke up some of the boxes and made a fire with them. Then he sat down in front of the fire and dried himself. It was so warm and cozy that he fell asleep.
When he woke up a black cat was sitting near the fire. It stared at him for a while. Then it turned. “That’s a nice cat,” he thought, and he dozed off again.
When he opened his eyes, there was a second cat in the room. But this one was as big as a wolf. It looked at him very closely, and it asked, “Shall we do it now?”
“No,” said the other cat. “Let’s wait till Martin comes.”
“I must be dreaming,” thought the old man. He closed his eyes again. Then he took another look. But now there was a third cat in the room, and this one was as big as a tiger. It looked the old man over, and it asked, “Shall we do it now?”
“No,” said the others. “Let’s wait till Martin comes.”
The old man jumped up, jumped out the window and started running. “When Martin comes, you tell him I couldn’t wait,” he called.
*****
According to the sources cited, it is stated that it this is a retelling of a traditional African American folktale based in the southeastern US. Instead of Martin, sometimes the cats wait for Emmett, Patience, or even Whalem-Balem.
We have multiple sources sources for this tale this time. I recommend you read all of them, but the last two are may favorites.
Schwartz cites Puckett, p.132 (1) first. This book is Folk Beliefs of the Southern Negro (1969)
“Another man volunteered to spend the night in a haunted house. He sat down by the fire and made himself comfortable. Pretty soon an ordinary cat appeared, looked at the man, and said, “Well, I can’t do nuthin’ ’til Martin comes.” The cat then disappeared but presently a much larger cat came, repeated the same words, and vanished. Then a huge cat, as large as a tiger stalked in: “Well, I can’t do nuthin’ ’til Martin comes.” “Well you kin tell Martin what he do come dat I done been here but I’se sho’ gone!” quavered the scared man as he left through the window.”
The second cited variation is of Cox, JAF 47:352-55 (2). Translation: Journal of American Folklore, (1934) Issue 47, pages 352-55.
Once upon a time there was an old colored preacher who was riding to a church he served at some distance from his home when night overtook him and he got lost. As it grew darker and darker, he began to be afraid, but he bolstered up his courage by saying every little while, “De Lawd will sholy take care ob me.” By and by he saw a light, and riding up to it, he discovered that it came from the cabin of another colored man. Getting off his horse and tying it to a fence stake, he knocked at the cabin door. When the owner opened it, the old preacher told his trouble and asked to stay all night. The colored man replied, “Well, Pahson, I suttinly would like ter keep yo’ all night, but my cabin hain’t got but one room in it an’ I got a wife an’ ten chilluns. Dey jis ain’t no place fo’ yo’ ter stay.”
The old preacher leaned up against the side of the house ain a woe-begone voice said, “Well, I guess de Lawd will sholy take care ob me.” Then slowly untying his horse and getting on him, he started to ride on. But the owner of the cabin stopped him and said, “Pahson, yo’ might sleep in de big house. Da’ ain’t nobody up da’ an”’ doo’ ain’t locked. Yo’ can put yo’ hoss in e ba’n an’ give him some hay an’ den you can walk right in. You’ll fin’ a big fiahplace in de big room an’ de wood all laid fo’ de fiah. Yo’ can jis tech a match to it an’ make yo’self cumfable.” As the old preacher began to disappear into the dark, the other called out, “But, Pahson, I didn’ tell you dat de house in hanted.” The old man hesitated for amoment, but finally rode away, saying, “Well I guess de Lawd sholy will take care ob me.”
When he arrived at the place, he put his horse in the barn and gave him some hay. Then he moved over to the house, and sure enough, he found it unlocked. In the big room he found a great fireplace with an immense amount of wood all laid ready to kindle. He touched a match to it and in a few minutes had a big roaring fire. He lighted an oil lamp that was on a table and drawing up a big easy chair, he sat down and began to read his Bible. By and by the fire burnt down, leaving a great heap of red-hot coals.
The old man continued to read his Bible until he was aroused by a sudden noise in a corner of the room. Looking up, he saw a big cat, and it was a black cat, too. Slowly stretching himself, the cat walked over to the fire and flung himself into the bed of red-hot coals. Tossing them up with his feet, he rolled over in them, then shaking the ashes off himself, he walked over to the old man and sat down to one side of him, near his feet, looked up at him with his fiery-green eyes, licked out his long, red tongue, lashed his tail, and said, “Wait til Emmett comes.”
The old man kept on reading his Bible, when all at once he heard a noise in another corner of the room, and looking up, he saw another black cat, as big as a dog. Slowly stretching himself, he walked over to the bed of coals, threw himself into them, tumbled all around, and tossed them with his feet. Then he got up, shook the ashes off himself, walked over to the old man, and sat down near his feet on the opposite side from the first cat. He looked up at him with his fiery-green eyes, licked out his long, red tongue, lashed his tail, and asked the first cat, “Now what shall we do wid him?” The first cat answered, “Wait till Emmett comes.”
The old man kept on reading his Bible and in a little while heard a noise in a third corner of the room, and looking up, he saw a cat black as night and as big as a calf. He, too, got up, stretched himself, walked over to the bed of coals, and threw himself into them. He rolled over and over in them, tossed them with his feet, took some into his mouth, chewed them up and spat them out again. Then shaking the ashes off himself, he walked over to the old colored man and sat down right in front of him. He looked up at him with his fiery-green eyes, licked out his long, red tongue, lashed his tail, and said to the other cats, “Now what shall we do wid him?” They both answered, “Wait till Emmett comes.”
The old preacher looked furtively around, slowly folded up his Bible, put it into his pocket, and said, “Well, gemman, I suttinly is glad to hab met up wid yo’ dis ebenin’, an’ I sholy do admire fo’ to bad yo’ company, but when Emmett Comes, you tell him I done been heah an’ hab done went.”
Variation number three is Fauset, JAF 40:258-59 (3) That is, Journal of American Folklore (1927) volume 40, pages 258-259.
Bout a preacher. So was a haunted house. Could nobody stay i it. Everybody go in there, the hants run them out. So the preacher says, “I believe I’ll go in that house. Ain’t no hants kin run me out.” So he takes his grip, a hymn book an’ a Bible, an’ he went in the house. An’ so he got in the bed an’ he locked the door before he got in bed. He turned his head over against the wall. The door came open with a slam-bam.
So he turned over, look over at the door. So he sees a ghost looked just like a cat settin’ up in a chair with his front paws up. So the man turned his head back to the wall. So after he turned his head back, the door opened again, slam. He was just tremblin’ in bed. Second spirit what come in asked the other what he was waitin’ for. The first spirit said, “Patience.” So they just went to rockin’ in the chair. When the man turned his head again the door opened and slammed again, and another spirit walked in. The spirit said, “What you waitin’ for?” The other spirits said, “Patience.” So all these of ’em went to rockin’. Man was so skeered in bed, he didn’t see no way to git out. They was settin’ between him an’ the door. So they couldn’t skeer him out. The big one said, “What-are-you-waitin’-on?” One of them said, “He-just-havin’-fits-in-the-bed.” The other one said, “Let’s start now.” So the man jumped out of bed clean over their heads an’ ran out the door. So when he got out he looked back at ’em and said, “Tell Patience. I been an’ gone.”
Our fourth and final reference is of Botkin, American, p 711 (4). This translates to A Treasury of American Folklore (1944) by B.A. Botkin. This one’s a bit different, as it’s not all cats!
I heard tell ’bout preacher was offered so much money would he stay in ha’nted house all night. So he goes an’ takes Bible an’ sets down important like an’ opens up Bible an’ begins to read. ‘Bout that time first ghost comes sneakin’ in like hot air or maybe like cold breeze an’ wet, look lak man only ain’t got no head, ‘scusin’ if he have head ain’t got no body, else if he have body ain’t got no arms. So he says to preacher, “Is you gonna stay here till Whalem-Balem comes?”
Ole man so skeered he don’t say nothin’. So nex’ ghost come in he look lak mule, maybe old gray mule only he ain’t got no head neither, ‘scusin’ if he got long-eared head, ain’t got no body. So he says to preacher, “Is you gonna stay here till Whalem-Balem comes?”
Still the old man so skeered he don’t know whut to do; thinks maybe he better beg oin’, neither can he move. So ’bout that time, thrid ghost comes in, look lak cat, only biggest cat anybody ever seen, got red eyes lak fire and spittin’ and mewin’ like red-hot stove or sumpin’. So he meows, “Is you gonna stay here till Whalem-Balem comes?”
‘Bout that time old preacher ain’t got no voice an’ feel mighty sick at his stomach and decided maybe he better make him little coffee and fry some meat. So he does. ‘Bout time he be ready to drink his hot flambotia strong, fo’th ghost comes in, look lak dog, only got big tushes lak boar. So he reaches down an’ et up all meat an’ lap up all coffee. He then snaps up at preacher with tushes all showin’ an’ like impudent snarl maybe snappin’ teeth together like wolf, “Is you gonna stay here till Whalem-Balem comes?”
So old preacher hollers, “Hell, no, I’m done gone.”
Kitty
- In what environment did you read the story? On the couch! My dog listened to the story while I read it to him out loud.
- Do you remember having read this story as a kid? Definitely! The cats are memorable, and who the heck is Martin?!
- Analyze the actions of the characters in the story. Did they make sense? Would you have done anything differently? I guess if he was scared, his actions make sense, but what doesn’t make sense is that he has talking cats in front of him of various sizes, and he waits till the third one arrives to peace out. I think at this point I’d be all in. Who is Martin? How many cats will there be before Martin arrives? Is he going to bring me a fortune? This old guy will never know.
- Which was your favorite and least favorite character and why? My favorite character was the huge cat, because he is huge and he seems like he’d be a nice pet, Clifford the Big Red Dog style.
- What did you think of the storytelling style? The storytelling style is fine, but I like the variations better! I think I thought the stories were going to be told in different ways when I included this question, rather than mostly cookie-cutter northern white person dialect. Have I said this before? I know I have, now, so I won’t do it again!!!
- Examine the art for the story. What are your thoughts on it? I like the cats. Again, Stephen Gammell has drawn an animal as if he has never seen that animal before.
- Your overall rating and why: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ This was always a favorite of mine. I like it for the cats and for the mystery.
Winterjoy
- In what environment did you read the story? Still in my room. Just two more times here!
- Do you remember having read this story as a kid? I don’t think I remember this one. Maybe the illustration though?
- Analyze the actions of the characters in the story. Did they make sense? Would you have done anything differently? Why would the old man not check the weather before going out on a walk?? I guess I would take shelter if I was out in it. He can start a fire but can’t check the weather? If freak tiger cats were conspiring right in front of me, I would also peace out by any means necessary.
- Which was your favorite and least favorite character and why? I like the cats’ dedication to Martin. This Martin really has a hold over them. The old man was pretty smart to get out. He was kind enough to leave Martin a message.
- What did you think of the storytelling style? The ridiculousness of the whole thing is very comical. I like when elements to the story aren’t spelled out. We never know who Martin is or what they are waiting to do. The ending wasn’t the greatest though but still funny.
- Examine the art for the story. What are your thoughts on it? The cats are so odd! I like that it’s from the perspective of the old man. It makes it more comical, somehow.
- Your overall rating and why: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ I genuinely laughed at this one.
Sources:
- https://archive.org/details/folkbeliefsofsou0000puck/page/132/mode/2up
- https://archive.org/details/sim_journal-of-american-folklore_october-december-1934_47_186/page/352/mode/2up
- https://archive.org/details/sim_journal-of-american-folklore_july-september-1927_40_157/page/258/mode/2up
- https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.29419/page/n741/mode/2up
- My Scary Stories Treasury
