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For this synicated radio series, we chose as our storytellers the most renowned local raconteurs from throughout the “French Triangle” stretching from St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans to Avoyelles Parish thrusting north into anglophone Louisiana, and west into the “Cajun colonies” of Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas. Recordings were made in the storytellers’ homes on a stereo Nagra recorder provided by the Library of Congress’ Folklife Archive.
The tales include traditional folktales, personal stories, shaggy dog stories, jokes, oral histories of bootlegging and such, and many, many reminiscences of a place and time that is gone and never to return. The tale tellers include whites, blacks, Creoles, Cajuns, “Texiens,” and Tunica, Biloxi, and Houma Indians.
Beyond its entertainment and folklore value, the series has been used extensively as a comprehensive and high quality compendium of Louisiana’s regional French dialects and accents recorded as the last generation of the state’s native French speakers were still in their vibrant prime.
As an introduction to the series, Program 1: “Tall Tales of Hunting,” is available free in its entirety.
Program 1: Tall Tales of Hunting
Featuring Felix Richard of Cankton, here are humorous stories like “The Best Hunt Ever,” “Fifty Rabbits in Fifty-One Shots,” and “The Quail-Hunting Mule.”
Storyteller: Felix Richard; Cankton;
Producer: Barry Jean Ancelet
Program 2: People and Stories of St. Martinville
Storyteller Max Greig devotes the first half of this program to the stories he heard as a child, some funny, some with a moral, some downright frightening. In the second part, he gives a humorous, witty history of the settlement of St. Martinville.
Storyteller: Max Greig; St. Martinville;
Producer: Barry Jean Ancelet
Program 3: Cut Off and Grand Isle
Cook book author and newspaper columnist Lillie Petit Gallagher recounts her exciting childhood as a little girl whose parents, grandparents and uncles owned the town’s only dance hall, picture show, and restaurant. Turning her attention to Grand Isle, she speaks of summer vacations, herds of wild horses, and legends of Jean Lafitte.
Storyteller: Lillie Petit Gallagher; Baton Rouge;
Producer: Glen Pitre
Program 4: A Proud Cajun
Live wire musician and radio personality Johnny Janot, a resident of Beaumont, Texas, tells of his youth in Eunice, Louisiana, the Cajun musicians he’s recorded with, and his charming, home-spun philosophy. Included is a never before released French version of his hit record, “Proud to Be a Cajun.”
Storyteller: Johnny Janot; Beaumont, Texas;
Producer: Billy Pitre
Program 5: Stories from my Grandfather
David Lanclos of Arnaudville retells the stories he heard from his grandfather. Many of them will be familiar, others more rare, but each will be something listeners can pass on to their own children or grandchildren.
Storyteller: David Lanclos; Pacaniere;
Producer: Sandy Hebert
Program 6: The Flood of ’27 through the Eyes of a Little Girl
Tibby Daigle of Prairieville tells of the day, as a child in Henderson, Louisiana, her father came riding into the yard with the news that the levee had broken. Packing a few belongings into their wagon, the family rode off, not to return for months. This program is less history than humor, however, as Mrs. Daigle reveals the lighter side of that catastrophe, including her giving her case of mumps to the thousands of other children in the refugee camp for flood victims in Lafayette.
Storyteller: Tibby Daigle; Prairieville
Program 7: The Tunica Indians
Earl Barbry and Harry Broussard, the present-day chief and sub-chief of the Tunica Indian tribe of Avoyelles Parish, tell the oral history of their tribe, which once lived in many areas of southeastern Louisiana. We follow the Tunicas from the times before the arrival of the French settlers and clergy up to the present land settlement with the United States government.
Storyteller: Earl Barbry, Sr.; Marisura; Harry Broussard; Marksville;
Producer: Rachel Lemoine
Program 8: The Hurricanes
Every south Louisiana family has stories of the hurricanes they’ve experienced. In this program Justilien and Camelia Terrebonne talk about some of the most famous, Hurricane Camille, Hurricane Betsy, The Leeville Storm of 1915, and the catastrophic Cheniere Hurricane of 1893.
Storyteller: Camille and Justilien Terrebonne; Harahan;
Producer: Glen Pitre
Program 9: The Master Thief
Stanislaus Faul of Cankton tells the old tale of the Master Thief, the legendary character who was so good at stealing that he attracted the notice of the king, who gave him a series of challenges to see just how good a thief he was. Though recorded here in Louisiana, the story of the Master Thief can be traced all the way to Medieval France.
Storyteller: Stanislaus Faul; Cankton;
Producer: Barry Jean Ancelet
Program 10: The Good Old Days
Were they really the good old days? Well, according to Wilfred and Dorothy Ducote, they certainly were! The Ducotes of Hessmer, Louisiana, give us a light-hearted look at the hardships of the Depression (as seen through the eyes of children), maintaining all the while that times were harder, but people were happier. They also tell us what can go wrong with mosquito bars and moss mattresses.
Storyteller: Wilfred and Dorothy Ducote; Hessmer;
Producer: Rachel Lemoine
Program 11: Creole Children’s Stories
Calvin Claudel of Chalmette recounts some of the stories he learned in his Avoyelles Parish boyhood. Included are “Julie Julienne,” about a girl who uses magic to escape with her lover from her evil mother, and “Bookie et Lapin,” the story of a rabbit too smart for his own good.
Storyteller: Calvin Claudel; Chalmette;
Producer: Glen Pitre
Program 12: Some Jokes
Storytellers Willory Lemonia and Hubert (dit Monsieur Anatoo) Clement hail from Jefferson Davis Parish. Monsieur Lemonia tells the story of Nap-John, the clever slave; Monsieur Anatoo relates the story of the star crossed lovers, a girl shrimp and a boy crab.
Storyteller: Willory Lemonia; Fenton;
Producer: David Marcantel
Storyteller: Hubert “Anatoo” Clement; Evangeline;
Producer: David Marcantel
Program 13: Good Times and Bad Times
From the town of Ville Platte, we hear from Henry and Edna Pitre. Monsieur Pitre is a retired chef who once cooked for fine hotels and the United States government during World War II. They tell us about the old Creole custom of jurer, as well as some of the special problems faced by black people in the old days.
Storyteller: Henry and Edna Pitre; Ville Platte;
Producer: Hilliard Saunders
Program 14: The Peanut Man and Jean Lafitte’s Gold
Clalie de Perrodile of Gueydan tells with humor and high energy two real life experiences. The first concerns her father’s discovery of the treasure of Jean Lafitte in the marshes of Vermillion Parish. (It’s still there. He fell sick and died before he could retrieve it.) The other story tells of a friendly vendor of peanuts who turned out to be a federal agent. He eventually snared a flock of townspeople for selling wild ducks.
Storyteller: Clalie de Perrodile; Gueydan;
Producer: Richard Guidry
Program 15: To Go To Big Texas
From Bridge City, Texas, which claims to be the Gumbo Capital of the World (along with Bridge City, Louisiana), these two Texas gentlemen, W. T. Oliver and Roy Dunn, speak of their “motherland” Louisiana: why they left, what was in store for them when they arrived in Texas, and how they kept Cajun culture alive in the Golden Triangle.
Storyteller: W. T. Oliver and Roy Dunn; Bridge City, Texas;
Producer: Billy Pitre
Program 16: Other Stories from my Grandfather
David Lanclos of Arnaudville is back again for his second program in the series. Once more he tells the stories he learned from his grandfather, stories everyone will want to tell to their children and grandchildren. Features all new material.
Storyteller: David Lanclos; Pacanière;
Producer: Sandy Hebert
Program 17: Practical Jokers at the Dance
Felix Richard of Cankton, the master of the tall tale, returns to tell us of the practical jokers whose setting was the old time country dances of the southwest Louisiana prairies. Includes “The Green Mare,” “The Laughing Horse,” and many others.
Storyteller: Felix Richard; Cankton;
Producer: Barry Jean Ancelet
Program 18: Life in South Lafourche and “Butterfly”
Elmire DeFelice, now a resident of New Orleans, was born on Bayou Lafourche in 1893. She tells of her turn-of-thecentury bayou life and of the hurricanes that devastated Cheniere Caminada and Ile Derniere, stories heard from her parents and grandparents. This program also features the return of Anatoo Clement who sings and plays an old Cajun song, “Papillon.”
Storyteller: Elmire DeFelice; New Orleans;
Producer: Kathleen Kilgen
Program 19: Moonshine and the Poor Devil
Joseph Robinson of Chackbay tells stories and jokes about moonshining, hunting dogs, and other important matters in the first part of this program. In part two, Mickey Abed, a resident of Baton Rouge but a native of Jennings, recounts a hunting trip he made as a boy, and the two strange men he met in the woods that day.
Storyteller: Joseph Robinson; Chackbay;
Producer: Mrs. Joseph Robinson
Storyteller: Mickey Abed; Baton Rouge;
Producer: Suzanne Broussard
Program 20: Life on Bayou Grand Caillou
Joseph Duplantis is a life-long resident of Terrebonne Parish. He was a court bailiff for nineteen years (specializing in cases conducted in French); he ran the Grand Caillou route bus for thirty-six years; and he spent part of his early married life on the shrimp-drying platforms in the Terrebonne marshlands. Monsieur Duplantis shares his impressions of Terrebonne before, during and after the Oil Boom.
Storyteller: Joseph Duplantis; Houma;
Producer: Glen Pitre
Program 21: Uncle Sneaky’s Visits
A return engagement by Mr. and Mrs. Ducote of Hessmer, Louisiana. In this program, the Ducotes tell us about coming of age in Avoyelles Parish during the Great Depression. They explain the simple games they played as children, courting rites during their teen years, and we learn about Mrs. Ducote’s mischievous big brother and how he bribed her with silver-bells to do his dirty work.
Storyteller: Wilfred and Dorothy Ducote; Hessmer;
Producer: Rachel Lemoine
Program 22: Lapin, Fox and other Wily Characters
Martin Latiolais of Catahoula and Evelia Boudreaux of Carencro each give us a sampling of the Cajun and Creole fables and jokes that they learned as children.
Storyteller: Martin Latiolais; Catahoula;
Producer: Barry Jean Ancelet
Storyteller: Evelia Boudreaux; Carencro;
Producer: Barry Jean Ancelet
Program 23: The Fiddle and the Fiddlers
Lionel Leleux of Leleux, Louisiana, is a violin maker and member of a touring Cajun band. He’s been making and playing violins since he was a boy. (He also got a barber’s license at the age of ten.) Monsieur Leleux discusses the intricacies and human involvement that go into making fiddles. He also shares with us some of his adventures on the Cajun dance hall circuit.
Storyteller: Lionel Leleux; Leleux;
Producer: Barry Jean Ancelet
Program 24: The Capers We Pulled
Coon Picou and Loulan Pitre, residents of Cut Off, Louisiana, share this program. Coon, who is originally from Grand Isle, tells about the early tourist trade and about the time that Grand Isle was a thriving agricultural community. In the second half of the program, Loulan describes some rather unusual Cajun cooking practices.
Storyteller: Coon Picou and Loulan Pitre; Cut Off;
Producer: Glen Pitre
Program 25: The Traveler and other Stories
Evelia Boudreaux is out fishing in the hills near Carencro, Louisiana, whenever she gets a chance. She is an excellent seamstress, specializing in doll clothes, and an expert hunter. Madame Boudreaux’s tales reflect her knowledge and love of nature, especially human nature.
Storyteller: Evelia Boudreaux; Carencro;
Producer: Barry Jean Ancelet
Program 26: Eighty-something Years
Octogenarian W. J. Moreau of Dayton, Texas, speaks of his life in Elton, Louisiana, during the early days of the twentieth century, before electricity, plumbing, and air conditioning. This transplanted Texas Cajun recounts simple childhood entertainment from the days before radio, television and video games. He also talks about his arrival in Texas in the early ’30s.
Storyteller: W. J. Moreau; Dayton, Texas;
Producer: Billy Pitre
Program 27: Easter Lilies and the Poor Farmer
Claude Bourg of the village of Bourg, Louisiana, entertains with stories of the old days down Bayou Terrebonne, especially how growing flowers instead of beans made one suspicious farmer rich.
Storyteller: Claude Bourg; Bourg;
Producer: Glen Pitre
Program 28: The Tragic Pig and Cajun Werewolves
Wisteria Pitre Carlos, from Chauvin on Bayou Petit Caillou, explains how to deal with loup-garous, feu-follets, and the other creatures that haunt Louisiana folklore. She also tells how her pet pig Noonie was spared by the hurricane of 1909 only to be eaten by its hungry survivors.
Storyteller: Wisteria Pitre Carlos; Chauvin;
Producer: Glen Pitre
Program 29: Dances, Barbecues, and Mardi Gras
From L’Anse Bourbeuse near Ville Platte, Elta Hazelton brings us back to the old days when dances were in the home, the Charleston was the craze, and the last song of the night was always “Home Sweet Home”.
Storyteller: Elta Hazelton; Anse Bourbeuse;
Producer: Hilliard Saunders
Program 30: Funerals and Ghosts
Laise Ledet from Bayou Pointe Aux Chenes tells of the customs that go with death, funerals, and burials, and what to do if the dead don’t stay buried but instead become the spirits that haunt the night.
Storyteller: Laise Ledet; Bayou Pointe aux Chenes;
Producer: Glen Pitre
Program 31: The Orphan Train and Cajun Stories
In this program Samuel Eyner of Hesmer, in Avoyelles Parish, tells how he came to Louisiana with 1500 other orphans from New York on a train in 1907. Evelia Boudreaux of Carencro follows with The Voyager and other stories
Storyteller: Samuel Eyner; hessmer;
Producer: Glen Pitre
Storyteller: Evelia Boudreaux; Carencro;
Producer: Barry Jean Ancelet
This series was funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Folk Arts Program; the Division of the Arts, Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and the Louisiana State Arts Council. Further assistance was provided by the Library of Congress, American Folklife Center; the Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana; the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL); KLEB Broadcasting, Inc.; and many others.
Executive Producer: Glen Pitre
Series Producer: Kathleen Kilgen
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