Grandy Do-an’-do

Overview

In Moses Hendricks’s telling, a wealthy woman takes in a girl but refuses to feed her until she supplies the woman’s secret name. The girl crosses successive pastures seeking help; most animals are afraid, but Bull tells her the name Grandy Beard-o. After giving the promised meal, the witch interrogates her animals and learns who spoke. She and Bull repeatedly throw each other into the air. Bull remains unharmed, while she is progressively injured and dies. The girl inherits the property.

Julia Gentle’s variant has a mother threaten her daughter with death unless she learns the name Grandy Do-an’-do. Crab tells her, and after she forgets it once, advises remembering it by singing. The angry woman questions the animals, finds Crab and strikes at him with a machete. He escapes into a hole, where the ending places him thereafter. The witch’s death and inheritance occur only in Hendricks’s version.

Origins & earliest records

Martha Warren Beckwith published this account in Jamaica Anansi Stories (1924), explicitly credited to Moses Hendricks, Mandeville; Julia Gentle, Santa Cruz Mountains. Her preface dates the collection visits to summer1919 and winter1921; a particular interview date is not supplied here. The published witness does not establish the first oral telling.

Records & interpretation

Both complete story69 variants were read. The names are grouped as Beckwith’s explicitly paired versions, with each teller’s different action and outcome retained. Her comparative references do not establish that these are identical to a European named fairy.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Jamaica Anansi Stories

   Martha Warren Beckwith; music recorded by Helen H. Roberts · 1924

   Story69a–b, Grandy-Do-an’-do, printed pp.77–79. Complete selected narrative read, with teller heading and preface.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Primary textBeckwith1924: Story69a–b, Grandy-Do-an’-do, printed pp.77–79.Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.