Suriname folk-lore

28. Kakaforu nąŋga Bɔtro.

Den Kakaforu nąŋga Bɔtro bɛn dɛ bɩgi mati. Den libi na wąn presi. Ma ala mamąntį' dɛ̨' go koi̯ri. Ma nō, nową' mamąntɩ̨' Kakaforu kɔ̨' na 'oso fɔsi. Ala mamąntį' Bɔtro fɔsi kɔm na 'oso. Kakaforu a no bɛn sabi taki ɛf' Bɔtro waka na sɔn a-i smɛlter. Dɑt mek' a i kɔm fruku na 'oso. Wąn mamąntį' di dę' gowe, dąn Kakaforu tek' 'a sɛroto tya' gowɛ.

Di Bɔtro kɔm, a no mąŋ go na ɩni na 'oso. Dąn a tąn na mɔfo na dɔro. Dąn, sɔn opo, Bɔtro smɛlter. Di Kakaforu kɔm, a si

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są pasa nąŋga Bɔtro. A go na sei̯ a kari ɛ̨ŋg birfro mek' a kɔ̨m luku są' pasa nąŋga Bɔtro. Di na birfrō kɔm Kakaforu aksi ɛ̨ŋ taigi, ‘Są wi sɑ du nąŋga Bɔtro?’ A taki, ‘Tek' wąn nefi kɔ̨m, dąn mi sɑ sɔri yu.’ Fa a tyari na nefi kɔ̨', nō mō birfrō tek' na nefi, a kɔti ɛ̨ŋ nɛki, a pot' ɛ̨ŋ nąŋga Bɔtro na ɩni patu, a bɔr' ɛ̨ŋ moi̯.

Dat mek' wi dɛ bɔri Kakaforu nąŋga Bɔtro tɛ tide.

Na birfrō na Kakalak', so na odo taki: Yu na Kakalaka, yu n'ab' leti na foru mɔfo.

28. Why Cock and Butter are Cooked Together: Enemy as Judge.⁵

Cock and Butter were great friends. They lived in one place. But every morning they went walking. But no morning was Cock the first home. Every morning Butter was the first to come home. Cock did not know that if Butter walked in the sun he would melt. That was why he came home early. One morning when they went away, then Cock took the key and carried it away with him.

When Butter came he could not get into the house. Then he stood in the doorway. Then, when the sun came up, Butter melted. When

5 Told by 1. Compare, Ivory Coast, Tauxier (I) 304, Guro No. 54; Hausa, Tremearne (III) 191-193, No. 4, Equilbecq i, 193-201; Nigeria (Ibo), Blasden 276-277, (Calabar), Dayrell (I) 83-85, No. 24; Jamaica, Beckwith (II), 75-76; Bahamas, Parsons, (III) 125-126, No. 75. In all these correspondences, however, the parallel is to the character made of some substance which melts when exposed to heat. Usually it is a wife that is lost through being melted.

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Cock came he saw what had happened to Butter. He went and called his neighbor to have her come and see what had happened to Butter. When the neighbor came Cock asked her, said, ‘What shall we do with Butter?’ She said, ‘Bring a knife, then I will show you.’ No sooner had he brought the knife than the neighbor took the knife, cut his neck, and put Cock and Butter into a pot. Then she cooked him nicely.

That is why we cook Cock and Butter to this day.

The neighbor was Cockroach, so the proverb says: You are Cockroach, Chicken will never say you are right.