Suriname folk-lore

[p. 248]

58.

Anąnsi go na busi, a miti wąn mąn. A mąn bɛn habi furu fɩsi nąŋga meti na brabakɔto. Dą' aksi, ‘Baya, yu no kąn gi mi wąn-tu fɩsi?’ Baya taki, ‘Yu kąn teki.’ Dą' Anąnsi furu ɛ̨ŋ kurkuru. Ala dei̯, Anąnsi 'ɛ kɔm baka fō teki fɩsi nąŋga meti. Nō mō Dɛdɛ taki, ‘Sąn yu dɛ gi mi na presi?’ Anąsi taki, ‘Mi sɑ gi yu mi pikin Akuba.’

Dą' wąn dei̯, Anąnsi tyari Akuba kɔm gi Dɛdɛ. Nō mō Dɛdɛ teki ɛ̨ŋ tɩki, a naki Akuba na mɩ̨ndri hɛdɛ. Dą' Akuba fadǫn. A dɛdɛ. Anąnsi bari, ‘Akuba, Akuba, opo dąn!’ Ma Akuba no bɛn mąŋ opo, bikasi a bɛn dɛdɛ.

Anąnsi lɔ̨' go na hoso, bɩgin bari, ‘Ųn go kibri, Dɛdɛ dɛ kɔm!’ Ma Afi taki, ‘Anąnsi, libi me! Sąn' dɛ kari Dɛdɛ?’ Anąnsi g'we, go kɩbri na pɔstohɔro. Na Dɛdɛ no bɛn kąn feni Anąnsi. Ma a kɩri Afi nąŋga ala den pikin. Dąn dɛ Dɛdɛ g'we, nō mō Anąnsi bɩgin sɩ̨ŋgin:

Eri kɔndre sɑ su‧um,
Ala suma sɑ dɛdɛ,
Anąnsi wąn sɑ tą'.

[p. 249]

58. Trading with Death.¹

Anansi went into the bush and he met a man. The man had much fish and meat on the drying rack. Then he asked, ‘Baya, can't you give me one or two² fish?’ Baya said, ‘You can take.’ Then Anansi filled his basket. Every day Anansi came back to take fish and meat. Soon Death said, ‘What are you going to give me in exchange?’ Anansi said, ‘I will give you my daughter, Akuba.’

Then one day, Anansi brought Akuba to Death. At once Death took his stick and struck Akuba in the middle of the head. Then Akuba fell down. She died. Anansi cried out, ‘Akuba, Akuba, get up, then.’ But Akuba could not get up, because she was dead.

Anansi ran home, and began to shout, ‘Go hide, Death is coming!’ But Affi said, ‘Anansi, let me alone! What do they call Death?’ Anansi went away to hide in a post hole. Death could not find Anansi. But he killed Affi and all their children. Then when Death went away, at once Anansi began to sing:

All countries will be flooded,
All peoples will die,
Anansi alone will remain.

1 Told by 12. Compare Togoland, Cardinall (I) 30-31, Spieth 390-392, No. 10; Jamaica, Beckwith (II) 39-42, No. 21 and No. 32 a-c. Another Suriname version of this tale is available in Van Cappell 325-327, No. 18.

2 This is idiomatic for ‘a few’.