Discussing “Cock Robin Beale Street”

From “The Complete Stories” collection.

“Who Killed Cock Robin” is an English nursery rhyme from the 1740s ( Who Killed Cock Robin – Nursery Rhymes (allnurseryrhymes.com) ). I have heard it mention in old comedy routines. In “Cock Robin Beale Street”, Zora Neale Hurston gives her variation of the tale that is set in the Black town like Eatonville. The story starts out with an interaction between Uncle July and A'nt Dooby. Uncle July comes home in a bad mood and starts banging things around to get the attention of A'nt Dooby. A'nt Dooby was not up to entertaining him and tried to ignore him but eventually asks what is causing him to be so grumpy.

Uncle July tells A'nt Dooby that the white people in town are saying that Cock Robin was a bird when he knows that that is not true. He was at the trial where Cock Robin's killer was revealed. Uncle July then goes on to recount the tale of the trial and its aftermath. The funny thing is that each of the characters are described as a type of bird. Also, the actions of Cock Robin that lead to his death are given in terms related to birds.

Looking back on it, I wonder if the real source of Uncle July's frustration was the way the Cock Robin story was being told. He had a better version and that is what we hear in this short story.

More discussions of Hurston's short stories.