Suriname folk-lore

3. Tyotyoforu nąŋga Anąnsi

Nō, Tyotyoforu³ go lɛni mɔni na Anąnsi, taki, te ɛ̨ŋ kɔm bɩgi ɛ̨ŋ sɑ pai̯. No, Anąnsi dɛ kɔ̨m aksi Tyotyoforu na mɔni ala dei̯. Tyotyoforu taig' ɛ̨ŋ taki, ‘Mi no bɩgi yɛte.’ So mɛni yar' ląŋga Tyotyoforu no mąŋ kɔm mɔro bɩg'. No, wąn dei̯ wą' suma kɔ̨n tai̯gi Anąnsi, taki, ‘Tyotyoforu n'e go bɩgi mɔro. Na so no mo a dɛ bɩgi.’

Wɛ, Tigri no yɛre so. Dą' ą kari Anąnsi, a taki, ‘Mi sɑ pai̯ 'a mɔni gi Tyotyoforu.’ Ma nō, Tigri pai̯ mɔro fur' mɔni lek' są' Tyotyoforu bɛn habi pai̯. Dąn nō, tɛ Tigri kɔm aksi Anąnsi na tra mɔni, Anąnsi 'ɛ kibri. Dą' wąn dei̯ Tigri kɔm, dąn a kɔm miti Anąnsi na hoso. Dąn Anąnsi tai̯gi Tigri taki ɛ̨ŋ dɛ sɛni wąn fō ɛ̨ŋ pikin fō go tek' mɔni gi hɛm nąŋga wąn godo.

Ma nō, di na fɔs' wąn 'ɛ go, dą' Anąnsi tai̯g hɛm taki, te a go, dą' a mu go na ɩni na godo, bika' no wą' suma bɛn mu pai̯ Anąnsi. Di na fɔs' wąn go, a n'e kɔm. No mo Anąnsi sɛn' na trawąn, tak' mek a go luku pɛ na trawąn tą'. Ma tɛ a go, mek' a go 'a godo. So a sɛni ala den pikin. Dąn den ala go n' ɩni na godo.

Ma di Tigri si den n'e kɔm, no mo Tigri srɛfi kɔmopo go na pɛ Anąnsi tak' ɛ̨ŋ dɛ sɛn' go teki na mɔni. Di Tigri go, a no si nowąn suma, ma a si wąn godo soso. No mo a tek' 'a godo, tak', ‘Mi 'ɛ tyari ɛ̨ŋ gowe.’ Dą' a tek' 'a godo.

Dą' Tigri mama bɛn dɛ libi na wąn presi di ɛ̨' kari Sotwatrasei̯. Dą' a gowe nąŋga godo. No mo Anąnsi bɩgin bari na ɩni na godo,

3 Tyotyoforu is given as Troglodytis musculus in Encyc., p. 687.

[p. 158]

‘Mi tata Tigri, mi tata Tigri-o! Yu mama dɛdɛ na Sotwatrasei̯.’ No mo Tigri harki. A yɛre 'a sani bari baka. Dąn a kɔm bribi. A dɛnk' taki na wąn suma bar' gi hɛm taki ɛ̨ŋ mama dɛdɛ. Dą' a frɩ̨ŋ 'a godo, a bɩgin lɔ̨' fō go luku ɛ̨ŋ mama. Ma di a go, a si ɛ̨ŋ mama no dɛde.

Dąn ala den Anąnsi kɔmopo fō na godo. Tigri no kɩs' 'a mɔni te lɛk' tide.

3. Outwitting Creditors: Escape Inside Gourd: The Talking Gourd.²

Now, the Tyotyo-bird went to borrow money from Anansi, saying, when he grew up he would pay. Now every day Anansi came to ask Tyotyo-bird for the money. Tyotyo-bird said, he said, ‘I am not big yet.’ So many years passed, but the Tyotyo-bird could not grow bigger. Now one day a man came to tell Anansi, say, ‘Tyotyo-bird is not going to grow bigger. He is only so big.’

Well, Tiger did not hear this. Then he called Anansi, and he said, ‘I will pay the money for Tyotyo-bird.’ But now Tiger paid more money than Tyotyo-bird had to pay. Then now, when Tiger came to ask Anansi for the other money, Anansi hid. Then one day Tiger came, and he found Anansi at home. Then Anansi said to Tiger, said, he would send one of his children to fetch the money for him in a gourd.

But now, when the first one was going, then Anansi said to him, said, when he went, then he must go into the gourd, because no one owed Anansi [money]. When the first one went he did not come [back]. At once Anansi sent another one, saying, let him go look where the other went. But when he went, [Anansi told him] let him go into the gourd. So he sent all his children. Then they all went into the gourd.

But when Tiger saw that they did not come [back], at once Tiger himself went where Anansi said he was sending to take the money. When Tiger went he saw nobody, but he saw only the gourd. At once he took the gourd, and he said, ‘I will take it away.’ Then he took the gourd.

Then Tiger's mother was living at a place which was called Saltwaterside. Then he went away with the gourd. At once the

2 Told by 1. Compare for Togo (Ho), Spieth 582-4, No. 6; Damomey, Herskovits, M. & F. (IV), MS No. 24; Ashanti, Herskovits, M. & F. (III), MS No. A4.

[p. 159]

spiders began to call from inside the gourd, ‘Father Tiger! Father Tiger-o! Your mother is dead at Saltwaterside.’ Instantly Tiger listened. He heard the thing call again. Then he came to believe. He thought that someone was calling to tell him his mother was dead. Then he flung the gourd [from him], and he began to run to go and see his mother. But when he went, he saw his mother was not dead.

Then all the spiders came out of the gourd. Tiger has not collected his money till today.