Suriname folk-lore

22.

Tigri nąŋga Anąnsi go strei̯ suma hanu mɔro trąŋga. Dę' go nak' den srɛfi, ma ala manɛntɛm fei̯fi yuru den dɛ i kɔm pɛ dę' i libi, dąn den 'ɛ go nak' den srɛfi fō si suma hanu mɔro hɛbi lei̯k' trawan.

Anąnsi go na smɛtman, a meki wą bɩgi mokro. Fa-i-si mamɛntɛm a go, a kari Tigri taki ɛ̨ŋ kɔm fō naki. Fa Tigri opo na dɔro, Anąnsi naki nąŋga mokro. Tigri skrei̯ki. A no prakseri taki, na so Anąnsi

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hanu hɛbi. Tamara mamɛntɛm Tigri dɛ go naki Anąnsi nō. Bakadina Anąnsi go na Kɔnkɔni a tai̯g' hɛm taki, ala mamɛntɛm wan suma dɛ tyari nanyąm kɔm gi ɛ̨ŋ, ma ɛ̨ŋ habi kɔrsu, ɛ̨ŋ no dɛ mąŋ go fō opo na dɔro tamara mamɛntɛm. Meki Kɔnkɔni kɔm sribi nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ. Mamɛntɛm, fa Tigri naki na dɔro, a mek' Kɔnkɔni go opo na dɔro. Na so, Tigri naki Kɔnkɔni; a dɛ̨ŋki taki na Anąnsi ɛ̨ŋ bɛn naki.

Na tra dei̯, di Anąnsi go fō go naki Tigri, a naki 'a dɔro. Tigri bɛn skrei̯ki bika' a bɛn dɛ̨ŋki taki fa a naki Anąnsi, Anąnsi no bɛn kąn kɔm fō naki hɛm baka. Anąnsi taki, ‘Mi tata, opo 'a dɔro, mi kɔm.’ Fa Tigri hopo 'a dɔro, Anąnsi naki 'ąŋga mokrō baka. Tigri skrei̯ki, a taki, ‘Są'! Na Anąnsi hanu hɛbi so!’

Tamara Anąnsi kar' Dia, taki, mek' a kɔm sribi nąŋga hɛm. Manɛntɛm wan suma dɛ tyari nanyąm kɔm gi hɛm, dą' meki Dia opo na dɔro teki nanyąm. Fa Tigri kɔm, Dia opo na dɔro, Tigri naki hɛm, a fadǫ'. Tigri gowɛ.

Na tra dei̯ Anąnsi go fō go naki Tigri baka. Dąn Tigri kɔm frede. Dąn a kari Anąnsi, a taki, ‘Mi bɛgi yu, yu pikinso, ma yu hanu mɔro hɛbi leki di fō mi.’ So Anąnsi kɔm wɩni Tigri.

22. The Boxing Contest: Anansi Uses a Hammer.⁵

Tiger and Anansi went to test whose hand was the stronger. They were going to strike each other, but [the condition was] every morning at five o'clock, when they came where they [each] lived, then they were going to strike each other to see whose hand was heavier.

Anansi went to a smith and made a large hammer. When morning came he went to call Tiger to say he came to fight. As Tiger opened the door, Anansi struck him with the hammer. Tiger was

5 Told by 1. Compare, Sudan (Mande), Binger 9; Liberia (Kpelle), Westermann (III) 388-390, No. 15: Gold Coast (Ashanti), Rattray (I) 147-151, No. 39; Dahomey, Herskovits, M. & F. (IV), MS No. 7.

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frightened. He had not thought that Anansi's hand was so heavy. Now, the next morning Tiger was to go to strike Anansi. In the afternoon Anansi went to Rabbit and he said to him, said, every morning someone brought him food, but he had fever and he would not be able to open the door tomorrow morning. Let Rabbit come and sleep with him. In the morning, as Tiger knocked on the door, he made Rabbit go and open the door. And so Tiger struck Rabbit; he thought that he had struck Anansi.

The next day when Anansi went to strike Tiger he knocked on the door. Tiger was frightened because he had thought that the way he had struck Anansi, Anansi could not come to strike him again. Anansi said, ‘Father, open the door, I have come.’ As Tiger opened the door Anansi struck him with the hammer again. Tiger was frightened, he said, ‘What! Is Anansi's hand so heavy!’

The following day Anansi called Deer, saying let him come and sleep with him. In the morning someone would bring him food, then let Deer open the door and take the food. As Tiger came, Deer opened the door, Tiger struck him, he fell down. Tiger went away.

The next day Anansi went to strike Tiger again. Then Tiger was frightened. Then he called Anansi, and he said, ‘I beg you [for forgiveness], you are little, but your hand is heavier than mine.’ So Anansi came to win from Tiger.