Suriname folk-lore

57.

Wąn kɔndre bɛn dɛ. Ɛf' yu taki suma sani, wąntrǫ' yu go dɛdɛ. Ma nō, wą' meti bɛn dɛ, dąn a meki 'ɛm 'oso leti na pasi. Dąn a dɛ du somɛni sani te den tra meti p'sa. Te den taki san den si, wą'trǫn dę' dɛdɛ. Dąn a dɛ teki dɛm, dɛn a dɛ 'abi dɛm fō nyąm.

Ma wą' dei̯ Sɛkrepatu taki, ‘Mi 'ɛ go meki a dɛdɛ.’ Na Sɛkrepatu nō tek' wąn kąnką' nąŋga fatu batra. Dąn a gō, p'sa leti dapɛ. Nō mō na meti aks' ɛm taki, pɛ a de go? A taki, ‘Mi dɛ go kam mi wiwiri.’ No mo di a p'sa a meti taki, ‘Ma sani dɛ, ba! Luku Sɛkrepatu, di a go kam wiwiri. Mi no si pɛ wiwiri dɛ, di Sɛkrepatu 'ɛ a go kam.’ No mō, wą'trǫ' a fadǫ' dɛdɛ.

57. Magic Against Gossip.²

There was a country. If you said something about a person, then at once you died. But now there was an animal who made his home right on the path. Then he did many things when the other animals passed. When they spoke of what they saw, then at once they died. Then he took them, then he had them for food.

But one day Tortoise said, ‘I am going to make him die.’ Tortoise now took a comb and a bottle of oil. Then he went and passed right there. At once the animal asked him, said, where was he going? He said, ‘I am going to comb my hair.’ No sooner did he pass than the animal said, ‘But things are happening, brother! Look at Tortoise who is going to comb his hair. I don't see where the hair is which Tortoise is going to comb.’ That very instant he fell down dead.

2 Told by 1.