Suriname folk-lore

43.

Anąnsi sabi taki a i go pina. Dąn a wani kiri ɛ̨ŋ pikin nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ umą. Dąn 'a yuru wan papa den bɛn kari Papa Akala, pɔti na ɔndro ɛ̨ŋ bɛdi fō kiri ala den pikin nąŋga umą tɛnei̯ti. Ma na umą kɔm sabi taki na so Anąnsi du. Dąn na umą' fɛni pikin 'ɔni, a i drɩ̨ŋgi. Di Anąnsi kɔm, a aksi hɛm taki, ‘San yu drɩ̨ŋg so?’ A taki, ‘A na pikinso fatu fō Papa Akala ai̯ mi ɛ drɩ̨ŋgi.’ Nō mō Anąnsi taki, ‘Mi dɛdɛ, wan dɛ na ɔndro bɛdi. Kis' ɛm, mek mi dɩk ɛ̨ŋ ai̯.’ Na papa yɛre, dąn a bɩgin lɔ̨'. Anąnsi lɔ̨n ɛ̨ŋ baka. Ma a no kis' hɛm.

So dat' meki den pikin nąŋga na mama no lasi ɛ̨ŋ lib'.

43. Anansi's Wife Tricks Anansi.²

Anansi knew that hard times were coming. Then he wanted to kill his children and his wife. Then he hired an old man whom they called Papa Akala,³ and put him under the bed to kill all his children and his wife that night. But his wife came to know that Anansi did this. Then the wife found a little honey, and she drank it. When Anansi came he asked her, he said, ‘What are you drinking so?’ She said, ‘I am drinking a little oil from Papa Akala's eye.’ At once Anansi said, ‘I am a dead one, one of them is under the bed. Catch him, let me pluck out his eye.’ The old man heard, then he began to run. Anansi ran after after him. But he did not catch him.

So that is the reason that the children and the mother did not lose their lives.

2 Told by 1.

3 Yoruba name for vulture.