Suriname folk-lore

52. Ba Anąnsi wɩni Dɔm'ni.

Anąnsi go lɛre fufuru. Di a go fufuru, wąn mąn tai̯gi hɛm taki, ‘Dɔmɩni 'abi wan lɩ̨ŋga na hɛm fɩ̨ŋga. Ɛfu yu fufuru dɑti gi mi, dąn yu dɛ wan bǫ' fufurumąn.’

[p. 242]

Anąnsi nai̯ wąn wei̯t' yapɔ̨ŋ nąŋga frei̯. A weri wąn ɛ̨ŋgɛl. Neti a go na ɩni na kerki. Dɔmɩni bɛn dɛ libi let' na abra. Di Dɔmɩni si na fai̯ya leti na ɩni kerki, a tak', ‘Mek' mi go luku.’ Di a go na ɩni, a si wąn ɛ̨ŋgɛl 'ɛ frei̯. A no bɛn sab'-taki na Anąnsi bɛn weri wąn ɛ̨ŋgɛl.

Dąn nō, Anąnsi tai̯gi hɛm taki, ‘Gadu sɛni mi fō kɔm teki yu kɔm na hei̯mɛl.’ Dąn a teki Dɔmɩni, a poti na ɩni wąn saka. A frei̯ nąŋga Dɔmɩni wąn ertɛm. Di den frei̯ so te... nō mō a tai̯gi Dɔmɩni taki, ‘Yu habi wąn grǫntapu sani dɩsi di trɔbi yu fō go na hei̯mel.’ Nō mō Dɔmɩni taki, ‘Yu no lei̯, na na lɩ̨ŋga na mi fɩ̨ŋga.’ Ɛn so Dɔmɩni pur' na lɩ̨ŋga gi Anąnsi. Anąnsi tek' na lɩ̨ŋga, a frei̯ nąŋga Dɔmɩni go na Dɔmɩni hoso, dąn a pɔt' Dɔmɩni na ɩni wąn foru koi̯.

Dą' mamɛ̨ntɛ̨m di na nɛnɛ wei̯ki, dąn a dɛ taktaki, dąn na Dɔmɩni yɛre. Nō mō Dɔmɩni dąn ɑksi hɛm taki, ‘Nɛnɛ Anna, o'tem yu kɔm na hei̯mɛl kɔndri?’ Bɩka' Dɔmɩni no bɛn sabi, a dɛ̨ŋki taki na hei̯mel a bɛn dɛ. Di Nɛnɛ Anna yɛre na stɛn takɩ, so a go luku. A si Dɔmɩni na ɩni na foru koi̯, na ɩni wąn saka.

So Anąnsi ben kɩsi ɛrste prai̯s fufurumąn, bɩka' a bɛn fufuru na lɩ̨ŋga.

52. Anansi Disguises as an Angel: Tricks the Priest.³

Anansi went to learn thieving. When he went to steal, a man said to him, said, ‘The priest has a ring on his finger. If you steal that for me, then you are a good thief.’

3 Told by 1. Compare U.S. (Sea Islands), Parsons (II) 57-58, No. 46, I and II; Jamaica, Beckwith (II) 163, No. 133.

[p. 243]

Anansi sewed for himself a white dress with wings. He dressed as an angel. At night he went to the church. The priest lived directly opposite. When the priest saw a light inside the church, he said, ‘Let me go and see.’ When he went inside he saw an angel flying about. He did not know that Anansi had dressed as an angel.

And now Anansi said to him, said, ‘God sent me to come and take you to heaven.’ Then he took the priest and put him in a sack. He flew about with him for a long, long time. As he flew about so till... Anansi suddenly said to the priest, said, ‘You have one earthly thing which hinders you from going to heaven.’ At once the priest said, ‘You do not lie, it is the ring on my finger.’ And so, the priest pulled off the ring and gave it to Anansi. Anansi took the ring and flew with the priest to the priest's house, then he put the priest in the chicken coop.

Then in the morning, the housekeeper awoke and went about talking to herself, until the priest heard. At once the priest asked her, said, ‘Nene Anna, when did you come to heaven?’ Because the priest did not know, he thought that he was in heaven. When Nene Anna heard the voice speak, she went to look. She saw the priest in the chicken coop, inside a sack.

So Anansi won first prize as thief, because he had stolen the ring.