Suriname folk-lore

12.

Anąnsi go fufuru na Konu hoso. Ma Konu mek' den kis' ɛ̨ŋ, dąn den bɛn go kiri hɛm. A no sab' są' fō du. Dą' a meki ɛ̨ŋ pikin go na tapu wan bom. Dą' i sɩ̨ŋgi:

Ųn kir' Anąnsi tɛ...
Ųn kir' Anąnsi tɛ...
Ala suma sɑ dɛdɛ,
Konum wei̯fi sɑ dɛdɛ,
Konum s'refi sɑ dɛdɛ,
Anąnsi wawan sɑ tą' na libi.

Dan di Konum yɛre, a bɛn kɔm fredɛ. A dɛ̨ŋki taki na Gadu bɛn dɛ taki. Dą' a lɔ̨' go a tai̯gi ɛ̨ŋ uma taki, mek dɛn lusu Anąnsi baka. Ɛf' den kir' Anąnsi, dąn ala 'ɛ go dɛdɛ.

So den kɔm lusu Anąnsi. Anąnsi no dɛdɛ moro.

12. God Above.¹

Anansi went to rob the King's house. But the King had them catch him, and they were going to kill him. He did not know what to do. Then he had his child climb a tree. Then he sang:

You kill Anansi till...
You kill Anansi till...
All the people will die,
The King's wife will die,
The King himself will die,
Anansi alone will remain alive.²

Then when the King heard, he became afraid. He thought that it was God speaking. Then he ran and said to his wife, said, let them free Anansi again. If they kill Anansi, then all are going to die.

So they came to free Anansi. Anansi did not die.

1 Told by 1. Compare, for Gold Coast (Ashanti), Rattray (I) 256-257, No. 71, Cardinall (I) 171-2; Togoland (Ho), Spieth 580, No. 5, (Ewe) Speiss 124-5, 126-8, Nos. 7 and 8; Congo (Lamba), Doke 131-3, No. 69; U.S. (Sea Islands), Parsons (II) 38-9, No. 24 I and II.

2 Song No. 116.