Suriname folk-lore

17.

Tigri bɛn prei̯ taki a dɛdɛ. Dą' ala den meti na busi den kɔm lɔntu Tigri. Den kɔm na dɛdɛ-hoso. Wąn Tigri dɛdɛ. Den tak', ‘Mi Tata Tigri dɛdɛ.’ Ma nō, Sɛkrepatu no mąŋ waka, ma krɔi̯pi, a dɛ krɔi̯pi. Nō mō di a luk' ɛ̨ŋ si Tata Tigri, nō mō a bar' na wąn Kromanti tɔngo, a taki,

‘Bia, bia, bia,
Sɛns' yu dɛ,
Yu yɛre suma dɛdɛ,
Dąn ɛ̨ŋ bakasei̯ dɛ bro?’

Nō mō Sɛkrepatu taki, ‘Ba, yu sab' są'? Mi 'ɛ go 'a dɔro, go pɩsi.’

Sɛkrepatu pina-pina gowɛ. Nō mō Kɔnkɔni si dɑti, Kɔnkɔni taki, ‘Hɛm! Mi Tata Tigri, a hati mi, mi papa Tigri dɛdɛ. Ma mi papa

[p. 176]

Tigri 'ɛ dɛdɛ, na hɛm baka hɛm bro.’ Dąn Tigri opo hɛm ai̯, pikinso, a luku dąn, a tapu ɛ̨ŋ ai̯ baka.

Bɔfru dɛ krei̯, Dia dɛ krei̯, Tamanwa 'ɛ krei̯. Nō mō ala den meti 'ɛ gowe wą' wą'. Nō mō Hagu drapɛ, 'ɛ bari,

‘Bia, bia, bia,
Mi yɛre suma dɛdɛ,
Ma karaki¹ dɛ bro.’

Nō mō Bɔfru pina tak', ‘Yu sab' są'? Mi 'ɛ gowe.’ 'Agu sidǫ' dɛ krei̯ nō mō.

A i tɛm Tigri opo hɛm ai̯, a si ala den meti dɛ gowe. 'Agu wąn sidǫ' dɛ krei̯. Nō mō Tigri hopo na dɛdɛ, a naki wan krapu. Dąn ɛ̨ŋ hanu pasa na ɩni Hagu ai̯. Dąn 'Agu ai̯ watra kɩsi na ɩni na Tigri hanu. Dąn a leki hem, dą i taki, ‘Boi̯, ai̯-watra fō yu swit' sǫ, wɛ, yu meti no!’

'A so ala den bus'-meti gowe. A kiri Hagu.

1 ‘Hagu-tɔngo fō baka-sei̯’.

17. Mock Funeral, - Tiger Plays Dead.³

Tiger was playing [pretending] that he was dead. Then all the animals of the bush gathered around Tiger. They came to the funeral. A Tiger died. They said, ‘Father Tiger is dead.’ But now Tortoise could not walk, but creeping, he crept along. No sooner did he look and see Father Tiger, than he shouted in a Kromanti⁴ language, and he said,

‘Bia, bia, bia,
As long as you live,
Have you heard of a dead person,
Whose backside breathed?’

At once Tortoise said, ‘Brother, you know what? I am going outside to urinate.’

Mournfully Tortoise went away. No sooner did Rabbit see that, than the Rabbit said, ‘Hm! Father Tiger, it hurts me [that] my

3 Told by 4. Compare, for Sierra Leone (Temne), Cronise and Ward 219-222; Liberia, Bundy 417, No. 16; Ewe, Bassett 213-14 (from Ellis (II), 274-5, No. 3); Fɔ̨, Trautmann 32-33; Dahomey, Herskovits, M. & F. (IV), MS. Nos. 47 and 53; Nigeria (Yoruba), Bouche (II) 226, Frobenius 256, No. 26; E. Nigeria, Mockler-Ferryman, 287-288; Hausa, Tremearne (I) 209-10, No. 6; Gabun, Nassau (I) 13-17, 25-26, 27-30, Nos. 1, 3 and 4; Angola, Chatelaine 187-9, No. 23; Jamaica, Beckwith (II) 65, No. 59c; Bahamas, Parsons (III) 87-89, No. 43 I-III; Santo Domingo, Andrade 291, No. 245. For another Suriname version see Van Cappelle 297-8, No. 3.

4 The secret language spoken by those who are possessed by the Kromanti spirit.

[p. 177]

Father Tiger is dead. But my Father Tiger is dead, [yet] his backside breathes.’ Then Tiger opened his eyes a little, and looked, then he shut his eyes again.

Buffalo was crying, Deer was crying, Tamanwa² was crying. No sooner did all the animals go away one by one, than Hog called out,

‘Bia, bia, bia,
I hear a person died,
But his backside³ breathes.’

At once Buffalo mournfully said, ‘You know what? I am going away.’ Hog sat down and he wept without stopping.

When Tiger opened his eyes, he saw all the animals were gone. Hog alone sat crying. At once Tiger rose from his death-bed, and he struck a blow. Then his hand went into Hog's eye. Then Hog's tears were caught in Tiger's hand. Then he licked it, and he said, ‘Boy, if your eye-water is so sweet, well, [how must] your meat [be] now!’

And so all the bush animals went away. He killed Hog.

2 Ant-eater.

3 Informant's explanation of ‘karaki’ was ‘hog language for “backside”.’