A Publication of the Texas Folklore Society. African-American folklorist J. Mason Brewer starts this volume with “Juneteenth,” followed by Martha Emmons’ “Dyin’ Easy.” Mexican-American folklore is explored in witch tales, legends, and folk-curing from Ruth Laughlin Barker, Ruth Dodson, and Jovita Gonzalez. Other topics include British ballads in Texas and camp-meeting spirituals.

A collection of Texas folk lore and short stories by J. Frank Dobie, an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for many books depicting the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of the open range. As a public figure, he was known in his lifetime for his outspoken liberal views against Texas state politics, and for his long personal war against what he saw as bragging Texans, religious prejudice, restraints on individual liberty, and the assault of the mechanized world on the human spirit. He was instrumental in the saving of the Texas Longhorn breed of cattle from extinction.

This Publication of the Texas Folklore Society contains a Texas version of “The Frog's Courting”; a Texas border ballad; folklore of reptiles of the South and Southwest; sayings of old time Texans; episodes at ranch community dances; pioneer Christmas customs of Tarrant County; superstitions of Bexar County; buffalo lore and boudin blanc; old time plantation melodies; the African-American as interpreter of his own folk songs; and South Texas African-American work songs. Appended is the first item published by the Society, a pamphlet by Will H. Thomas on African-American folksongs, which appeared in 1912.