Cudjo's parable, an onion, not-absinthe
Aug. 6th, 2010 09:37 amCudjo’s parable
wakanomori was able to get for me Zora Neale Hurston's "Cudjo's Own Story of the last African Slaver," published in the Journal of Negro History 12, no 4 (October 1927), 648-63. He remembers his village in Africa and talks about life in America.
At the end he told a parable about his wife Albine dying before him:
I was moved by the parable, especially having seen with my own eyes that the cemetery is at Plateau.
( an onion )
Not-absinthe
Absinthe is a rich green, so I’m told. I’ve never seen it. It’s made from wormwood, Artemisia absinthium. An infusion of wormwood’s cousin mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris, makes a similar rich, green drink.
Doesn’t it look like a potion? It is a potion.

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At the end he told a parable about his wife Albine dying before him:
I will make a parable.
Cudjo and Albine have gone to Mobile together.
They get on the train to go home and sit side by side. The conductor comes along and says to Cudjo: “Where are you going to get off?” and Cudjo answers: “Mount Vernon.”
The conductor then asks Albine: “Where are you going to get off?” and she replies: “Plateau.”
Mount Vernon is several miles beyond Plateau.
Cudjo is surprised. He turns to Albine and asks: “Why, Albine! How is this? Why do you say you are going to get off at Plateau ?”
She answers: “I must get off.” The train stops and Albine gets off. Cudjo stays on. He is alone. But old Cudjo has not reached Mount Vernon yet. He is still journeying on.
I was moved by the parable, especially having seen with my own eyes that the cemetery is at Plateau.
( an onion )
Not-absinthe
Absinthe is a rich green, so I’m told. I’ve never seen it. It’s made from wormwood, Artemisia absinthium. An infusion of wormwood’s cousin mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris, makes a similar rich, green drink.
Doesn’t it look like a potion? It is a potion.