Suriname folk-lore

10.

Kɛskɛsi bɛn dɛ. Dą' i waka fufur' karu. Te a fufuru na karu kaba, dą' i gowe na busi baka. So ala dei̯ na suma den kɔ̨m luku na grɔ̨', na karu mankeri. 'A suma a sɛt' wakti gi hɛm, ma a no bɛn kɩsi hɛm na ɩni na grɔ̨'.

Ɛn so, di na suma kɔmopo na ɩni na grɔ̨' gowe, Kɛskɛsi dɛ let' drapɛ baka fō nyąm.

So na suma mek' wąn tara poptie̯, pɔt' dapɛ nąŋga wąn karu na ɛ̨ŋ hanu. Ɛn di Kɛskɛsi kɔm, a no sabi mɔro bɛtre, a go na na tara poptie̯, a bɩgin sɩ̨ŋgi gi hɛm:

Sɛn' kari bi̯a, bi̯a,
Sɛn' kari bikeble duą.
Kɛti dyɔmpo ɩn' de pɔt yoti,
Ta maka yąŋki!
Sineki-yo!
Sineki-yąŋki-ho!

Ɛn nō, aksi 'a tara poptie̯, a taki, ‘Gi wąn pis' karu. Ɛf' yu no gi mi, mi 'ɛ krap yu!’ A naki hɛm; hɛm hanu fasi. Kɛskɛsi taki, ‘Lus' mi hanu!’ A naki nąŋga 'a trawąn. 'A trawąn fasi. A tak', ‘Mi dɛ skɔp', ɛf' yu no lus' mi hanu!’ So Kɛskɛsi skɔp' ɛ̨ŋ nąŋga wąn futu. 'A fut' fasi. ‘Ɛf' yu no lus' mi fut', mi de go skɔp' yu nąŋga trawąn!’ A fasi tu. So a teki ɛ̨ŋ hɛdɛ, a buk' na tara poptie. Ɛ̨ŋ hɛdɛ fasi.

[p. 166]

A so dyariman kɔm, a taki, ‘So, na yu furumąn?’ Kɛskɛsi taki, ‘Kɛ, mi grɔ̨'mąn, mi bɛgi yu, lus' mi. Na hangri tyari mi dati mi kɔm fufuru.’

A so, grɔ̨'mąn fɔm Kɛskɛsi tɛ... a kiri hɛm.

10. Tar Baby: Monkey as Thief.²

There was a Monkey. Then he went about stealing corn. When he finished stealing the corn, then he went back to the bush. So every day when the people came to look after the field, corn was found missing. The people lay in wait for him, but they did not catch him in the field.

And so when the people left the field and went away, Monkey was right there again for the purpose of eating.

So the people made a tar doll, and put it there with a corncob in its hand. And when Monkey came, he did not know better, and he went to the tar doll, and he began to sing to him:

Send call for bi̯a, bi̯a,³
Send call for bikeble duą.
Kɛti jump in the pot yoti,
Ta maka yąŋki!
Snake-yo!
Snake-yąŋki-ho!

And now he asked the tar doll, he said, ‘Give [me] a piece of corn. If you don't give me, I will slap you.’ He struck him; his hand stuck. Monkey said, ‘Let go my hand!’ He struck with the other. The other stuck. He said, ‘I'm going to kick, if you don't let go my hands!’ So Monkey kicked him with one foot. The foot stuck. ‘If you don't let go of my foot, I'm going to kick with the other!’ It stuck, too. So he took his head, and he butted the tar doll. His head stuck.

2 Told by 4. References for No. 8, though it may be remarked that in the Angola and Brazil correspondences it is monkey who is caught on the tar baby, as is the case in this tale.

3 Indian Winti-song. See song No. 145.

[p. 167]

And so the yard-man came, and he said, ‘So you are the thief?’ Monkey said, ‘Ke! I beg you, field overseer, release me. It is hunger that has forced me to steal.’

And so the field overseer beat Monkey till... he killed him.