Mules and men

Part 1. Folk tales

Part 2. Hoodoo

Glossary

Appendix: I. Negro songs with music ; II. Formulae of Hoodoo doctors ; III. Paraphernalia of conjure ; IV. : Prescriptions of root doctors

Chronology

In search of Zora Neale Hurston / Alice Walker

Wrestling with Mules and men : the story behind the book.

Preface

Forward

Introduction

Part 1. Fold tales. John and the frog

Witness of the Johnstown Flood in heaven

How the brother was called to preach

How the preacher made them bow down

Pa Henry's prayer

How the church came to be split up

Why negroes are black

Why women always take advantage of men

Sue, Sal and that pretty Johnson gal

The quickest trick

How to write a letter

A fast horse

"Ah'll beatcher makin' money"

The "workinist pill you ever seen "

How Jack beat the devil

"John Henry"

Ole Massa and John who wanted to go to heaven

Massa and the bear

Why the sister in black works the hardest

"De reason niggers is working so hard"

Deer hunting story

Big talk

The first colored man in Massa's house

What smelled worse

The fortune teller

How the negroes got their freedom

The turtle-watch

"From pine to pine Mr. Pinkney"

"God an' de devil in de cemetery"

Praying for rain

Kill the white folks

"Member youse a nigger"

"You think I'm gointer pay you but I ain't"

Why the mocking bird is away on Friday

Man and the catfish

How the snake got poison

How the woodpecker nearly drowned the whole world

How the possum lost the hair off his tail

How the 'gator got his mouth

How Brer 'Gator got his tongue worn out

How the 'gator got black

How Brer Dog lost his beautiful voice

What the rabbit learned

The goat that flagged a train

Shooting up hill

Tall hunting story

The hawk and the buzzard

Why they always use rawhide on a mule

Why we have gophers

How god made butterflies

How the cat got nine lives

The son who went to college

Why the waves have whitecaps

How the lion met the king of the world

Sermon by traveling preacher

Card game

"Ella Wall"

"Ah'm gointer loose dis right-hand shackle from 'round my leg"

Strength test between Jack and the devil

Why the porpoise has his tail on crossways

Why the dog hates the cat

How the devil coined a word

How Jack O'Lanterns came to be

Why the east coast has mosquitoes and storms

How a loving couple was parted

"All these are mine"

How the squinch owl came to be

The talking mule

High walker and bloody bones

Fight at pine mill.

Part 2. Hoodoo. Origin of hoodoo

Eulalia: ritual to get a man

Turner and Marie Leveau

Marie Leveau: confounding an enemy

Marie Leveau: putting on curse

Turner: Initiation ceremony

Turner: routine to keep a husband true

Anatol Pierre

Ritual: initiation ceremony

Ritual: to make a death

Ritual: to swell with a brick

Father Watson

Ritual: initiation ceremony

Ritual: to punish

Ritual: to get a person out of the house

Ritual: to keep a person down

Ritual: getting the black cat bone

Dr. Duke

Ritual: to help a person in jail

Ritual: to silence opposing witnesses

Ritual: to uncross

RItual: to send away

Dr. Jenkins

Concerning the dead

Conjure stories

Kitty Brown

Ritual: ceremonial dance to put away a man

Ritual: to make love stronger

Ritual: to bring a lover back

Ritual: to rule the man you love

Glossary

Appendix. I. Negro songs with music ; II. Formulae of hoodoo doctors ; III. Paraphernalia of conjure ; IV. Prescriptions of root doctors

Afterword - Selected bibliography

Chronology.