Jumbies Journey to Jump-Up

The Jumbies Journey to Jump-up
"Ten Jolly Jumbies, jumping along,
Going to Jump-up, to sing out song!"

Rang out through the clear mountain air, echoing of the rocks! If one looked close enough, one would surely see ten, tiny, jumbies slowly marching down a steep mountain path, singing as loudly as possible. But what are Jumbies?

Jumbies are the wee folk of the Caribbean. Being closely related to Fairies or Leprechauns, they are very colourful, play jokes and tricks on people, and frequently get into trouble. Why are these jolly? There in rests the story!

It started in a small jumbie village hidden up the mountain. A group of 10 jumbies were getting together to attend Carnival, a Caribbean Festival that culminates in a "Jump-up Parade". It was to be in the main Jumbie Town down by the coast. The jumbies form troops with feathered headdresses and bright clothes made from butterfly wings. They sing funny songs and dance, frequently jumping up and twirling around. These jumbies were all excited, as this was their first Carnival, but they were all arguing as each had a favourite song; no one could agree which was best.

One jumbie was upset, so went up the trail ahead of the others. He was carrying a toadstool parasol, rounded a corner and got blown away by a big gust of wind, leaving his yellow, flower parasol behind! The others were too far behind to catch him! One Jumbie gone!

The other nine continued to march along, arguing their song. Again, they started separating out into groups. Suddenly a big hawk swooped down from a dead tree and it was another jumbie gone!

The remaining eight jumbies stuck closer together for a while! They were a bit more cautious and careful, but then got hungry. Some had brought sugar apples, a strange looking Caribbean Fruit, but wouldn't share with the others. One little jumbies, found some strange berries in a pod, so ate them! This was bad as he fell into a deep sleep and couldn't wake up!

Jumbies aren't really very caring and the other seven left him sleeping on the trail to go cool off in a mountain stream. But one was climbing on a banyan tree and fell in the deeper water; jumbies don't swim! Fortunately, it grabbed a passing twig, so stayed afloat, but drifted off down the stream. One less jumbie in the troop!
The six jumbies had run after the other one down beside the stream, but decided to continue on to Jumbie Town, but got lost! Jumbies aren't terribly bright. One spotted a rock and decided to climb up for a view. Unfortunately on the rock was a giant toad, looking like a branch, and toads are always hungry. Zip, out went the crapaud's tongue and, zap, in went the jumbie!

They have now lost the stream, lost the trail, and there are only five jumbies left! What did they do? They argued as usual! Jumbies really aren't very bright. But the arguing made them get thirsty. One found "sweet" water in a weird flower, but when he went over to drink, the little jumbie was snapped up and the plant closed! Only four Jumbies left!

Did they decide to work together? These are jumbies (that means "no"). They were tired and so three were napping while the fourth was to be "watching". He watched until the others were asleep and then stole the last of the sugar apples! He ran off in the woods to eat them and then got lost!

The troop was down to three jumbies! They were justifiably annoyed when they woke up to find no watcher, the hawk may have returned, and their food was now gone. The good news was that while looking for the missing member of their troop, they found a path. They decided to follow the path, and one fell into a magical jumbie hole. It had been dug to trip humans, but the young jumbie was stuck. The two jumbies decided to go find a big jumbie to get him out.

As they were heading on up the path, out jumped a cat, grabbed the lead Jumbie and ran off! The remaining jumbie gave chase. He ended up at a small stone house in the middle of the forest; the cat disappeared inside! What should he do? Maybe it was bravery or maybe the last jumbie just couldn't think of anything else, but he followed the cat in!

Inside the house things looked strange. There bundles of leaves drying on the table, strange looking things in jars. Boxes with powders and carved masks sat on the shelves, this was an Obeah Hut! And a hand reached down and grabbed up the last jumbie!

Obeah is the Caribbean word for magic, and the last jumbie had been caught by an Obeah Woman! She had a gold tooth up front and long flowing hair reaching down to her waist, all plaited into dreadlocks. To the small jumbie, she and the stuff on her shelves was a fearsome sight.

"What have we here?" cackled the old Obeah Woman, "It is another small jumbie to match the one I just rescued from my kitten, Joshua." And she set the tenth jumbie on the shelf next to some strange yellow flowers, and his companion. "What brings young jumbies into my region of the mountain?" She asked.
Those two tiny jumbies started chatting right away. They told her all about the trip to Carnival and Jump-Up, and everything that had happened. They told how there were only two of them left out of the ten that started. If she would let them go, they would certainly never bother her or her cat! (Joshua was sitting on the back steps looking rather annoyed about losing his toy!) They were terrified!

"From ten to two, what shall I do?" chanted the Obeah Woman, as she took down a bowl of water and added some herbs. Then she added a few drops of fish oil and peered into its murky surface. "I shall help these jumbies" she muttered aloud, and then she made notes. The two jumbies were bewildered, but wisely decided to sit there quietly.

After a while, the old woman scooped up the two jumbies from the shelf, walked to the door and started braying. Up walked a donkey! The Obeah Woman tossed a blanket on the burro and then got on herself, jumbies in her pocket!

Straight up the trail they trotted, clip-clop went the donkey's feet over the rocky path. They found the jumbie hole. "Dug to keep people away from my house" explained the old woman. She then lowered down some magical mahoe-bark rope and pulled out the trapped jumbie, into her pocket he went!

Next the three jumbies in the pocket were carried off the trail into the woods. There, under a bunch of ferns they found a very fat, very frightened jumbie hiding. He had eaten all the apples, but then was chased by bat moths. They realized the Obeah Woman was rescuing the jumbies!
"What could be done about the one trapped in the plant" they asked?

"Plants prefer insects over jumbies" she replied and pulled out some flies. The pitcher plant opened up, letting the jumbie crawl out, and gladly took the bugs!
She did the same thing with the giant toads, using big dragonflies!

Next they went and found the sleeping jumbie. The Obeah Woman had the other jumbies find the berries he had eaten. Then she took a small piece of a weird mushroom, mixed it with other plants, added some cold water, and then poured everything on the sleeping jumbie. The jumbie startled awake, soaking wet!

On up the mountain went the donkey, clip-clop, carrying the Obeah Woman with seven jumbies in her pocket. They found a hawk sitting on a branch with a nest below it on the side of a cliff. There was a small brightly coloured jumbie inside! Hawks don't really eat jumbies!

Then they went to the bottom of a cliff. There, sitting in a large, murky, mud hole, covered in the yellow mud, they found the Jumbie that had been blown away! He had a soft, though muddy, landing and was fine. The jumbies were reunited!

But what about the one washed away in the stream? They rescued that one as well, but he was last. They had to follow the stream to the coast where it emptied into a lagoon with mangrove trees. There, hanging on the roots of the mangrove trees, was the tenth jumbie. They got a little blue heron to wade out and retrieve him, another wet but safe jumbie!

The Obeah Woman and her donkey left them then. But she warned them that together they are strong and arguing will separate them, making them weak. And they made a new song:

"Ten jolly jumbies, jumping along,
Going to Jump-up to sing our song!
Along came a wind, it was very strong,
One little jumbie is now all gone!
Nine little jumbies, jumping along
Down swoops a hawk, another one gone!
Eight Jolly jumbies, jumping along,
One ate a red berries, and snored alone!
Seven jolly jumbies, jumping along,
One couldn't swim, so he was gone!
Six jolly jumbies, jumping along,
Crapaud ate one, now he is gone!
Five jolly jumbies, jumping along,
The plant ate one, now he is gone!
Four jolly jumbies, having some fun
One stole the food and off he did run!
Three jolly jumbies, jumping about,
One's in a hole, and can't get out!
Two jolly jumbies, don't know where they're at,
One gets caught, by an Obeah's cat!
One sad little jumbie, in a real fix,
Enters a house made all of sticks!
Inside is an Obeah Woman, she is strong.
Soon it is ten Jolly Jumbies jumping along!"

(Author's notes: Jumbies are Caribbean Folklore, Carnival and Jump-Up exists. All the creatures these jumbies encounter are found in the Caribbean. Obeah was practiced by both men and women, and still is in some places)