Suriname folk-lore

62.

Tyɔtyoforu nąŋga Anąnsi bɛn dɛ prani wąn bɩgi grɔ̨', ma Anąnsi bɛn prei̯ tumusi kɔni. So ala dei̯ Anąnsi bɛn dɛ sɩki. Tyɔtyoforu wąwąn dɛ go na wroko. Anąnsi dɛ tą' na hoso nō mō. A dɛ nyąm. Te mamɛntɛm Tyɔtyoforu dɛ go 'a wroko, a tak', ‘Mat' Anąnsi, yu n'e kɔm, no?’ Anąnsi dɛ piki hɛm taki, ‘Mati Tyɔtyoforu, mi dɛ siki, na kɔrsu dɛ nąŋga mi agɛ̨n.’ Tyɔtyoforu tak', ‘Wɛ, yu nanyąm dɛ na kukru. Yu sɑ mąŋ go teki hɛm, no?’ A taki, ‘Ya. Mi dɛ̨ŋk' mi sɑ pina, pina.’

Tɛ Tyɔtyoforu gowɛ, Anąnsi de hɔpo, a teki hɛm nanyąm, a i nyąm te hɛm bɛre furu. Den a n'e firi fō didǫn mɔro, dąn a i bɩgɩ̨n sɩ̨ŋgi:

Syɔro ma tyɛ̨ntye,
Mi kɩsi Tyɔtyo moi̯;
Sɔro ma tyɛ̨ntye,
Mi kɩsi hɛm moi̯.

Ma wąn dei̯, wąn suma dɛ pasa, a yɛre Anąnsi dɛ sɩ̨ŋgi, a dɛ dąnsi. A miti Tyɔtyoforu 'a pasi, a tak', ‘Mat' Tyɔtyoforu, fa a dɛ nąŋga yu sɩki man?’ Tyɔtyoforu piki hɛm taki, ‘Mi lib' hɛm na hoso nąŋga trąŋga kɔrsu.’ A suma taki, ‘Nąŋga kɔrsu? Kaba mi dɛ̨ŋki na friari hoso yu habi na yu hoso.’ Tyɔtyoforu taki, ‘Tru tɔri?’ A suma taki, ‘Ya! na tru tɔri.’ A taki, ‘Wɛ, di mi dɛ go na hoso, dan ala sani sɑ kaba.’

'A yurtɛm a dɔro na hoso, a tak', ‘Mat' Anąnsi, fa yu dɛ fir' nō?’ Anąnsi taki, ‘Sɛns' yu gowe libi mi nąŋga kɔrsu mi bɛn didǫ'.’ Tyɔtyoforu piki hɛm taki, ‘Kaba mi yɛre den suma bɛn dąnsi a i sɩ̨ngi di̯a.’ A taki, ‘Wɛ, tide yu n'e hɔr' mi mɔro a sipɔtu, yɛre?’

So a swari Anąnsi, ɛn tɛ tide a i du na sref' wroko. Ala presi pɛ a si wąn Anąnsi, a musu swari hɛm. 'A tɔri kɔm kaba.

62. Playing Sick.¹

Tyotyoforu and Anansi planted a big field, but Anansi played very many tricks. So every day Anansi was sick. Tyotyoforu alone went to work. Anansi stayed home all the time. He ate. When in the morning Tyotyoforu went to work, he said, ‘Friend Anansi, you are not coming, no?’ Anansi answered him, said, ‘Friend Tyotyoforu, I am sick. I am feverish again.’² Tyotyoforu said, ‘Well, your food is in the kitchen. You will be able to take it, no?’ He said, ‘Yes, I think I will struggle along.’

When Tyotyoforu went away, Anansi got up, he took the food, and he ate until he was full. Then he did not feel like lying down again. Then he began to sing

Syɔro ma tyɛ̨ntye,³
I tricked Tyotyo nicely;
Syɔro ma tyɛ̨ntye,
I tricked him nicely.⁴

But one day someone passed, and heard [that] Anansi was singing, and he was dancing. He met Tyotyoforu on the way, and he said, ‘Friend Tyotyoforu, how is it with your sick man?’ Tyotyoforu answered him, said, ‘I left him at home in a high fever.’ The person said, ‘In a fever? Yet I thought there was a party at your house.’ Tyotyoforu said, ‘Is it a true story?’ The person said, ‘Yes! A true story.’ He said, ‘Well, when I get home, then everything will be finished.’

When he reached home, he said, ‘Friend Anansi, how do you feel now?’ Anansi said, ‘Since you went away, and left me feverish, I have been lying down.’ Tyotyoforu answered him, said, ‘Yet I heard people were dancing and singing here.’ He said, ‘Well, today you will hold me up to no more ridicule, hear?’

So he swallowed Anansi, and until today he does the same thing. Everywhere he sees a spider [Anansi], he must swallow him. The story is finished.

1 Told by 6. Compare U.S. (Sea Islands), Parsons (II) 44, No. 31; Jamaica, Beckwith (II) 61-62, No. 57 b-c; Bahamas, Parsons, (III) 90-91, No. 44, II.

2 Lit., ‘fever is with me again’.

3 The informant said this is a ‘strong name’ for Anansi.

4 Song No. 126.