Suriname folk-lore

2. Anąnsi wąn bɩgi pina tɛm.

Anąnsi prakseri fo' kɔ̨' nąŋga mɔni. A bɔri srop. Dą' a tai̯g' Sa Akuba tak', ‘Wɛ, mi'ɛ go suku mɔni.’ A kɔmopo, a gowɛ. A miti Kakaforu, tai̯gi Kakafo' taki, ‘Mati, mi 'ɛ go tro, ma Konim taki mi mu habi wąn braka pak'.’ Taki, ‘Lɛn' mi fei̯ftin xoldɛ.

[p. 154]

Tɛ you kɔ̨' na tro-woso, yu sɑ kɩsi dobrō.’ A tek' 'a fei̯ftin xoldɛ, a gowɛ.

A miti Krab-dagu no'. A tagi 'ɛm tai̯gi, ‘Mati, mi ɛ go tro, ma Konu tak', suma lɛn' mi twɛnti xoldu, a sɑ kɩsi dɔbru. Ma yu mu kɔ̨' di-dɛ-wroko na tro-woso.’ A waka baka, a miti Tigri nō, a taki, ‘Mi tata, mi ɛ go tro, ma Konim taki, suma lɛn' mi dertį xoldɛ a sɑ kɩsi ɛ̨ŋ dɔbro. Di-dɛ-wroko yu mu kɔ̨ na tro-woso.’ A tɛk' 'a mɔni, a gowɛ.

A mit' Hɔntiman no, a taki, ‘Hɔntimą', mi ɛ go tro, ma Konim taki, suma lɛn' mi fei̯ftɩg xoldɛ, a sɑ kɩsi dɔbro. Ma yu mu kɔ̨' di-dɛ-wroko na tro-woso, ę' tɛ yu kɔ̨', yu mu tyari yu gɔ̨' kɔm.’

Anąnsi go na 'oso, a sidon moi̯. Ɛ̨ŋ fro, Sa Akuba tai̯ki, ‘Mat' Anąnsi, Kakaforu ɛ kɔ̨'.’ Di a kɔ̨', dą' a gi ɛ̨ŋ wą pikinso srɔp fō a drɩ̨ŋgi. Fa-i-si Kakaforu ɛ drɩ̨ŋ na srɔp, no mo a taki, ‘Mat' Anąnsi, Krab-dagu ɛ kɔ̨'!’ Kakaforu tai̯gi, ‘Mat' Anansi, kɩbri mi. Mi gadu, mat' Anąnsi!’ A mek' a go na ɔndro bɛdi.

Krab-dagu kɔ̨'. Fa-i-si Krab-dagu kɔ̨', a gi' ɛ̨ŋ pikinso fu 'a srop. A tak', ‘'A srop switi, yɛrɛ.’ Anąnsi taki baka, ‘Kakaforu kɔ̨' diaso drɩ̨ŋgi so te... Ma ɛdi mi mu pai̯ yu...’ Krab-dagu taki, ‘Mɛk' 'a mɔni tą, taki mi pɛ Kakaforu!’ Taki, ‘Kaka dɛ na ɔndro bɛdi.’ Fa-i-si Krab-dagu go fɛti fō nyam Kakaforu, Sa Akuba taki, ‘Mat' Anąnsi, Tigri ɛ kɔm!’ Krab-dagu taki, ‘Mi gadu, kɩbri mi! Fa mi go do?’ Dą' dem tą tiri na ɔndro 'a bɛdi.

Dąn Tigri kɔ̨'. Sa Akuba gi' Tigri na srop. Di Tigri drɩ̨ŋgi, a tak', ‘Hm! so wą switi srɔp yu ɛ drɩ̨ŋgi?’ A tak', ‘Mi tata, a di mi mu pai̯ yu wą pikin mɔni nō, no so, mi bɛn sɑ taig' yu Kakaforu na Krab-dagu drɩ̨ŋgi so tɛ...’ Tigri tak', ‘Mɛk' 'a mɔni tą', tai̯g' mi, pɛ den dɛ.’ Tak', ‘Den dɛ na ɔndro bɛdi.’ Fa-i-si Tigri ɛ fɛti fō nyam dɛm, Sa Akuba taki, ‘Mi Gadu! Hɔntimąn ɛ kɔ̨'!’ Tigri taki, ‘Mi mama, kibri mi, kibri mi!’ Wɛ, so a mɛki Tigri go 'a tapu na wan bom. Dąn a pɔt' wą bɛki nąŋga wat'a na ɔndro na bom, dąn na sxadu fō Tigri ɛ kɔm lɛt' na bɛki watra di dɛ na ɔndro na bom.

Wɛ, dąn di Hɔntimą' kɔ̨', dąn a pɔti na hɔntimą' sidɔ̨n leti na sei̯ 'a bɛki. Dan den taki tɔri. No mo Hɔntimą' luku ɩni na watra na ɩn' na bɛki, dąn a si Tigri. Fa-i-si Tigri, no mo a teki ɛ̨ŋ gɔ̨n a süti Tigri. Di Tigri dɛdɛ, no mo Anąnsi tai̯gi 'ɛ̨ŋ taki, ‘Yu mu' sab' fa yu du nąŋga mi. Na Konu bɛn gi mi na Tigri fō mi kweki gi' ɛ̨ŋ. Mi go tai̯g' Konu, yu mu' pai̯ fō na Tigri di yu kiri 'ɛ̨ŋ.’ Hɔntiman taki, ‘Wɛ, dan 'a mɔni di yu mu pai̯ mi, hɔri 'ɛ̨ŋ.’ Anąnsi taki, ‘Yu mu pai̯ hɔndro xoldu fō na Tigri.’

[p. 156]

Na hɔntimąn pai̯ na mɔni, so Anąnsi kɩs' ala da mɔni di a bɛn leni na den tra wąn fō soso. So Anąnsi kɔni.

Tibo, tibąŋ,
San a naki mąn trowɛ,
Tibo, tibąŋ,
San a naki mąn trowɛ,
Mi go buku baląnsɛ,
Tɩ̨ŋgɩ lɩŋgɩ lɩ̨ŋ
Buku baląnsɛ
Tɩŋgɩ lɩ̨ŋgɩ lɩŋ.

2. Outwitting Creditors: Chain of Victims.³

Anansi studied to come into money. He boiled syrup. Then he said to Sa Akuba, said, ‘Well, I am going to look for money.’ He came out [of the house] and went away. He met Cock, and said to Cock, he said, ‘Friend, I am going to get married, but the King

3 Told by 1. Comparative references as for the preceding tale.

[p. 155]

says I must have a black coat.’ Said, ‘Lend me fifteen guilders. When you come to the wedding you will get double.’ He took the fifteen guilders, and he went away.

Now he met Wild-Dog.¹ He said to him, he said, ‘Friend, I am going to get married, but the King says whoever lends me twenty guilders will get double. But you must come to the wedding Tuesday.’ He went farther on, and now he met Tiger, and he said, ‘Father, I am going to be married, but the King says whoever lends me thirty guilders will get double. Tuesday you must come to the wedding.’ He took the money, and he went away.

He met Hunter now, and he said, ‘Hunter, I am going to get married, but the King says, whoever lends me fifty guilders, will get double. But you must come Tuesday to the wedding, and when you come you must bring your gun.’

Anansi went home, and he sat down nicely. His wife, Sa Akuba, said, ‘Friend Anansi, Cock is coming.’ When he came, he gave him a little of the syrup to drink. Just as Cock was drinking the syrup she [Sa Akuba] said, ‘Friend Anansi, Wild-Dog is coming.’ Cock said, ‘Friend Anansi, hide me. My God, friend Anansi!’ He made him go under the bed.

Wild-Dog came. Just as Wild-Dog came he gave him a little of the syrup. He said, ‘The syrup is sweet, hear?’ Anansi said again, ‘Cock came here and he drank till... but since I must pay you...’ Wild-Dog said, ‘Let the money wait. Tell me where Cock is!’ He said, ‘Cock is under the bed.’ Just as Wild-Dog was hurrying to eat Cock, Sa Akuba said, ‘Friend Anansi, Tiger is coming.’ Wild-Dog said, ‘My God, hide me! What am I going to do?’ Then they remained quietly under the bed.

Then Tiger came. Sa Akuba gave Tiger the syrup. As Tiger was drinking, he said, ‘Hm! so sweet a syrup you drink?’ He said, ‘Father, I must pay you a little money now, or I would tell you how Cock and Wild-Dog drank so till...’ Tiger said, ‘Let the money wait. Tell me where they are.’ Said, ‘They are under the bed.’ Just as Tiger was hurrying to eat them, Sa Akuba said, ‘My God! Hunter is coming!’ Tiger said, ‘Mother, hide me, hide me!’ Well, so he had Tiger go on top of a tree. Then he put a basin of water under the tree, and then the Tiger's shadow came right into the basin of water that was under the tree.

Well, then when Hunter came, then he had Hunter sit down right beside the basin. Then they gossiped. No sooner did Hunter look at the water in the basin than he saw Tiger. Just as he saw Tiger, he took up his gun and shot Tiger. Once Tiger was dead, Anansi said to him, he said, ‘You must know what you did to me. The King gave me this Tiger to raise for him. I am going to tell the King, you must pay for the Tiger since you killed him.’ The Hunter said, ‘Well, then, you can keep the money which you must

1 This animal is related to the North American raccoon; Encyc., p. 590.

[p. 157]

pay me.’ Anansi said, ‘You must pay one hundred guilders for the Tiger.’

The hunter paid him the money, and so Anansi got all the money which he had borrowed from the others for nothing. So Anansi was clever.

Tibo, tibąŋ,
San a naki mąn trowe.
Tibo, tibąŋ,
San a naki man trowe,
Mi go buku baląnsɛ,
Tɩ̨ŋgi lɩ̨ŋgi lɩ̨ŋ.
Buku baląnsɛ,
Tɩ̨ŋgi lɩ̨ŋgi lɩ̨ŋ.¹

1 Song No. 135.