Suriname folk-lore

36. Anąnsi nąŋga Didibri.¹

Wąn manąntɛm fruku, alei̯n bɛn finifini, ɛn Anąnsi bɛn kōmoto na wą' fō hɛm wei̯fi hoso. A p'sa na smɛti-'oso fō Yosi. Anąnsi taki, ‘Af uy nat?’ (‘Fa yu tan,’ na krapina tɔ̨ŋgo.)

‘Yu mama pima yu! Dagu yu!’

‘Hmmmm! Nas im ud uy?’ (‘Sąn mi du yu’?)

‘No aksi mi, yu. Mi dɛ teki na fai̯a ɩs'i dɩsi, mi dɛ fɔm yu nąŋga hɛm te yu kaka-saka bastar'!’

‘Są mi du yu dan, mi ba?’

‘F'rɛk! Mi a no yu ba! G'we! Są yu wani diaso?’

‘Wɛ, mi ba, di mi bɛn dɛ a kɔm, mi yɛre ɔ fa yu dɛ naki na ɩs'i nąŋga yu amra. A dɛ lei̯ki poku de prei̯. Taki sąn' yu wani, yu dɛ wąn bǫ' smɛtmą'. A wroko no hebi nɔfo, no so, yu dɛ du ɛ̨ŋ. Basidjaki serefi no ką' fō asuwą' nąŋga yu.’

1 The idiom of this tale, told by a man of Javanese descent, is to be compared with that of the other tales.

[p. 214]

Didibri hɛde kɔm glo di Anąnsi tai̯gi hɛm dɑti. Didibri tai̯g' gi Anąnsi, ‘Ya, ya, wi heri famili na shmɩtmąn.’ Didibri teki ɛ̨ŋ hanu, shutu na ɩni na fai̯a. A puru wąn pisi fai̯a ɩsri, ɛn a de shɔri Anąnsi. Anąnsi go kibri, bikasi a kɔm fredɛ. ‘Nowąn wroko dɛ, di mi no kąn meki. Na ɩsri drat no krɔ̨ŋ ɔf mi de meki lɛt' ɔpo.’ Anąnsi taki, ‘Yu dɛ lei̯, yu.’ ‘Yu wąn' stre?’ Anąnsi taki, ‘ai̯.’ Anąnsi shutu ɛ̨ŋ hanu na ɩni ɛ̨ŋ kamisa. A hari wą' sɩtɔ̨n wiwiri, a pɔti hɛm gi Didibri fō naki hɛm leti ɔpo. Didibri naki, naki, naki, naki, ma a no kąn kɩsi hɛm let' ɔpo. A de kroru mɔro-mɔro. Anąnsi taki, ‘Yu si, mi wɩni yu. Ɔ są' yu gi' mi?’ Didibri teki na fai̯a-ɩsri, trowe naki Anąnsi. Nō, baka dɑti, Anąnsi go kɩbri na ɩni wąn pɔstu-hɔlo.

So fasi yu habi Anąnsi tɛ.... na ɩni smɛti-hoso.

36. A Challenge to the Devil.⁴

One early morning a fine, fine rain was falling, and Anansi came out of one of his wives' houses. He passed Yosi's⁵ forge. Anansi said, ‘Woh era uoy?’ - (‘How are you,’ in the language of the damned souls).

‘By your mother's genitals! You dog!’

‘Hm! tahw evah I enod ot uoy?’ - (‘What have I done to you?’)

‘Don't ask me, you. I'll take this hot iron, and I'll beat you with it till your intestines burst!’

‘What will I do to you then, brother?’

‘Curse you! I'm not your brother! Go away! What do you want here?’

‘Well, brother, when I was coming this way, I heard how you were hammering the iron with your hammer. It was like a drum playing. Say what you will, you are a good smith. There is no work too hard for you to do. Basi Jaki⁶ himself, could not surpass you.’

4 Told by 10.

5 A name assumed by the devil.

6 Said to have been a slave, who, many years ago, was renowned for his fine iron working.

[p. 215]

The Devil's head swelled with pride¹ when Anansi said that to him. The Devil said to Anansi, ‘Yes, yes, our whole family are smiths.’ The Devil put his hand in the fire. He pulled out a piece of hot iron, and he showed it to Anansi. Anansi went and hid because he became afraid. ‘There is no work I cannot do. No iron wire is so twisted that I cannot straighten it.’ Anansi said, ‘You are lying, you.’ ‘Do you want to bet?’ Anansi said, ‘Yes.’ Anansi shot his hand into his shirt. He pulled out a pubic hair, and he gave it to the Devil to hammer it straight. The Devil hammered, and hammered, and hammered, and hammered, but he could not get it straight. It curled more and more. Anansi said, ‘You see, I won from you. What will you give me?’ The Devil took the hot iron, and threw it at Anansi. After that Anansi went to hide in a post-hole.

So that is why you have Anansi till... inside the forge.

1 Lit., ‘The Devil's head came to grow’.