Suriname folk-lore

54.

Anąnsi fufur' wą' dagu. A go sɛri ɛ̨ŋ gi' Kai̯mą'. Ma nō, di na suma di 'ab' 'a dagu las' 'a dagu, d'a go suk' ɛ̨ŋ. A fen' na dagu na Kai̯mą'. Kai̯mą' taki, ‘Na Anąnsi sɛr' 'a dagu gi' mi.’ Na suma go 'a skɔt' 'osō go klagɛ, taki, Anąnsi fur' wą' dagu f'i gō sɛri. Dɛn skōtu taki, meki Kai̯mąn tya den go sɔr' na f'fur'mą' di sɛr' na dagu gi' ɛ̨ŋ. Di den gō, Anąnsi krɔ̨ŋ ɛ̨' mɔfo. Dą' Kai̯mą' taki, ‘Na suma dɩsi, a i gɛrt' na s'rɛf' wąn di bɛn sɛr' na dagu gi' mi, ma i mɔfo no bɛ̨' krɔ̨ŋ.’

So dę' no kɩs' Anąnsi, bika' na di bɛn sɛr' 'a dagu mɔfo no bɛn krɔ̨ŋ, ɛn dis' mɔfo krɔ̨ŋ. A kaba.

54. Contortion as Disguise.¹

Anansi stole a dog. He went and sold it to Alligator. But now when the owner of the dog lost the dog, then he went to search for him. He found the dog with Alligator. Alligator said, ‘Anansi sold me the dog.’ The owner went to the police station to enter a complaint that Anansi stole a dog of his and sold him. The police said let Alligator take them to show them the thief who sold him the dog. When they went, Anansi twisted his mouth. Then Alligator said, ‘This person resembles the very one who sold me the dog, but his mouth was not twisted.’

So they did not catch Anansi, because when he sold the dog his mouth had not been twisted, and this one's mouth was twisted. It is finished.

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