Suriname folk-lore

23.

Mati Tigri naŋga mati Anąnsi dɛm bɛn strei̯ suma hanu mɔro trąŋga. Dą' mati Tigri tai̯gi mati Anąnsi, taki, mati Anąnsi fɔs' kąn kɔm naki mat' Tigri, ma tɛ Kaka bari, dą' musu dei̯.

Dą' a mati Anąnsi go 'a tɩmbremą', a meki wąn bǭ' kɔdya. Dą', mamɛntɛm, go kar' mat' Tigri, mek' mat' Tigri opo kɔm gi hɛm wąn kɔfo. Dą' mat' Tigri gō, dą' Anąnsi naki hɛm wąn naŋga kɔdya na hɛm fesi hɛdɛ. Dą' mat' Tigri a kɔm skrei̯ki. A no prakseri dɑti mati Anąnsi hanu trąŋga so.

Dą' na tra dei̯, mat' Anąnsi bɛgi mat' Dia, taki ɛ̨ŋ hɛdɛ hati hɛm, mek' mat' Dia kɔm sribi nąŋga hɛm. Mati Dia go, bika' a no sabi. Dą' mɩndri neti, mat' Anąnsi tai̯gi mat' Dia, taki, ‘Te yu yɛre mi Tata Tigri kɔm, dą' yu mu opo hesi go na ɛ̨ŋ, dą i go tyari switi-mɔfo gi mi. Dan yu sɑ teki hɛm gi mi.’ Dą' mat' Dia opo tɛ Tigri kɔm. Dą' Tigri naki Dia wąn kɔfo, dąn Dia fadǫ'. Dia dɛdɛ. Dą' mat' Anąnsi tek' Dia pɔt' 'a brakoto.

[p. 190]

Dą' mamɛntɛm dąn Anąnsi go na ɛ̨ŋ Tata Tigri, a taki, ‘Mi Tata, mi dɛ. Tidei̯ neti mi 'ɛ kɔm gi yu wąn tra kɔfo baka.’ Dąn Tigri a skrei̯ki, bika' dɛ̨ŋki Anąnsi dɛdɛ kaba. A no sabi taki 'a Dia a naki. Tigri taki, ‘Tidɛ neti na boi̯ 'ɛ go kiri mi.’ Ma di Anąnsi go kari mat' Tigri, Tigri hopo, a go nąŋga skrei̯ki na mati Anąnsi. A nak' mat' Tigri wąn fō na kɔdya, dą' Tigri fadǫ'. Nō mō Tigri bari, ‘Mi gadō, na boi̯ hanu trąŋga so!’

Dą' mat' Anąnsi kɔm bɛg' mat' Kɔnkɔni fō a kɔm sribi nąŋga hɛm. Dąn mɩndri neti a tak' Kɔnkɔni dati habi kɔrsu. Dą' bɛgi mati Kɔnkɔni tak', ‘Tąŋgi, tąŋgi, opo, go na mi Tata Tigri, go teki meti gi mi.’ Ma Kɔnkɔni no wani. Kɔnkɔni taki ɛ̨ŋ n'ɛ go na Tata Tigri. Anąnsi bɛgi Kɔnkɔni, ‘Tąŋgi, tąŋgi.’ Dąn Kɔnkɔni taki, tak' ‘Mat' Anąnsi, yu kɔni, ma mi a no yu boi̯.’ Dąn Tigri hatibrɔn. A hopo 'a dɔro, a go na ɩni. Dąn Kɔnkɔni kɩbri. Dąn mat' Tigri nak' Anąnsi. Anąnsi dɛdɛ.

So dąn mati Kɔnkɔni tą' na mat' Anąnsi hoso. Dąn mati Kɔnkɔni hɛm nyąm mati Dia.

23. The Boxing Contest: Anansi Uses a Cudgel.¹

Friend Tiger and friend Anansi contested whose hand was the stronger. Then Tiger said to friend Anansi that friend Anansi could come first and strike friend Tiger, but when the Cock crew, then [it] must be [considered] day.

Then friend Anansi went to a carpenter and made a good cudgel. Then, in the morning, he went to call on friend Tiger, to have friend Tiger get up for his blow. Then friend Tiger went, then Anansi struck him on the forehead with the cudgel. Then friend Tiger became frightened. He had not studied that friend Anansi's hand was so strong.

Then the next day friend Anansi begged friend Deer, he said his head hurt him, would friend Deer come and sleep with him. Friend Deer went with him, because he did not know. Then in the middle of the night, friend Anansi said to friend Deer, he said, ‘When you hear my father Tiger come, then you must get up quickly and go to him, for he is going to bring me delicacies². Then you will take them for me.’ Then friend Deer got up when Tiger came. Then Tiger struck Deer one blow, and Deer fell down. Deer died. Then friend Anansi took Deer and put him on the barbecue rack.

1 Told by 3. Comparative references as in preceding tale.

2 Lit., ‘sweet-mouth’ or sweet morsel, but idiomatic for meat and salt fish. Rattray, (V) p. 147, explains that sweet-mouth means delicacies.

[p. 191]

Then in the morning Anansi went to his Father Tiger, and he said, ‘Father, I am here. Tonight I come to give you another blow.’ Then Tiger was frightened, because he thought Anansi was already dead. He did not know that he had struck Deer. Tiger said, ‘Tonight the boy is going to kill me.’ But, when Anansi went to call friend Tiger, Tiger rose and went trembling to friend Anansi. He struck friend Tiger one with the cudgel, and Tiger fell down. At once Tiger cried out, ‘My God, the boy's hand is so strong!’

Then friend Anansi came to beg friend Rabbit to come and sleep with him. Then in the middle of the night, he said to Rabbit that he had fever. Then he begged friend Rabbit, he said, ‘Please, please, get up and go to my Father Tiger, and take the meat for me.’ But Rabbit did not want to [go]. Rabbit said he would not go to Father Tiger. Anansi begged Rabbit, ‘Please, please.’ Then Rabbit said, he said, ‘Friend Anansi, you are cunning, but I am not your boy.’ Then Tiger was angry. He opened the door and went inside. Then Rabbit hid. Then friend Tiger struck Anansi. Anansi died.

So then friend Rabbit remained in friend Anansi's house. Then friend Rabbit ate friend Deer.