Suriname folk-lore

60. Dɛdɛ nąŋga Anąnsi.

Anąnsi bɛn dɛ wąn bɩgi basi fō prei̯ fiɔl. A bɛn gi furu suma lɛs'. A bɛn wroko furu mɔni. Ma nō, na tɛ̨' kɩsi fō Anąnsi dɛdɛ. Dɛdɛ kɔm na hɛm, Dɛdɛ tak', ‘Mi kɔm tek' yu.’ Anąnsi bɛg' Dɛdɛ taki, mek' Dɛdɛ wakti wąn yari yɛtɛ, wante' habi wąn-tu suma di ɛ̨ŋ leri fō prei̯ fiɔl, so a no ką' go yɛtɛ.

Di na wąn yar' kɩsi, Dɛdɛ kɔm baka. Anąnsi bɛgi hɛm mek' a wakti tu mun yɛte. Dɛdɛ gowe. Na tu mun pasa. Dɛdɛ kɔm baka. Anąnsi begi hɛm mek' a wakti wąn mun mɔro. Dɛdɛ gowe. Di na wąn mun pasa, Dɛdɛ kɔm baka. Anąnsi bɛg' Dɛdɛ fō Dɛdɛ wakti wąn wiki yɛte. Nō mō Dɛdɛ taki, ‘No, no, na yu dei̯ kɩsi tidɛ. Yu klari noya, efu no, dą' go, nō mō yu mus' go.’ Dąn Dɛdɛ teki Anąnsi, a tyar' gowe.

So Anąnsi kɔm dɛdɛ.

60. Bargaining with Death.¹

Anansi was a great master of the violin. He gave many people lessons. He earned much money. But now, the time approached for Anansi to die. Death came to him, and Death said, ‘I come to take you.’ Anansi begged Death, said let Death wait yet a year, because he had several people whom he was teaching to play the violin, and so he could not go yet.

When the year was over, Death came back. Anansi begged him to let him wait two months yet. Death went away. The two months passed. Death came back. Anansi begged him to let him wait one month yet. Death went away. When the month was up, Death came back. Anansi begged Death to wait another week yet. At once Death said, ‘No, no, today your day has come. Whether you are ready now or not you must come.’ Then Death took Anansi away.

So Anansi came to die.

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