Suriname folk-lore

64.

Wą dei̯, bifɔsi libi suma bɛn dɛ, Anąnsi bɛn go na Gramą. A ɑksi Gramą ɛfu a wani si dɑti ɛ̨ŋ ką' gi Gramą wąn hafu sei̯ kɔndre. Gramą' lafu, ɛn a tai̯gi Anąnsi taki, ‘Yu dɩsi, dɛ go gi mi wą 'afu sei̯ kɔndre?’ Anąnsi lafu, ɛn a piki Gramą, ‘Ya, ya, ma yu mu' gi mi wąn tyua̯-tyua̯ nąŋga tu foru.’ ‘A bǫ',’ Gramą taki, ‘wi sɑ si sąn na wąn sani.’ ‘A bǫ',’ Anąnsi taki, ‘mi sɑ shɔro Gramą dɑti Gramą sɑ kɩsi wąn af' kɔndre. Mi mu' 'abi, tu, wan tɔ̨ŋg-ati, wąn mɔnteri djakti, wą bruku, nąŋga wą apa, nąŋga wą oru.’ Ɛn Gramą gi' ɛ̨ŋ ala sani di a ɑksi.

[p. 258]

Anąnsi gowe nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ boto mamąntɛm fruku-fruku. A poti den tu foru na mofosei̯ fō na tyau̯-tyau̯. A bɩgɩn pali, ɛn a bɩgɩn fō' sɩ̨ŋgi,

Puru na fesi,
O grįŋya!
Puru pari na baka,
O grįŋya!
Mi, Anąnsi, mi kɔni,
O grįŋya!

Wan sani fō twe yuru a dɛ p'sa wą bɩgi kɔndre, ɛn a bigɩn sɩ̨ŋgi,

Puru pari na fesi,
O grįŋya!
Puru pari na baka,
O grįŋya!
Mi, Anąnsi, mi kɔni,
O grįŋya!

Den suma fō na kɔndre kari Anąnsi, ‘Gramą Anąnsi, Gramą Anąnsi, Gramą Anąnsi! kɔm na shɔro.’ Ma Anąnsi piki, ‘No, no, no, mi no ką k'a shɔro. 'A shɔro mi dɛ go lasi tɛm, bikasi mi muso du wąn hesi-hesi bɔskopu fō na Gramą fō mi kɔndre. Ɛ̨ŋ mati p'kin dɛ sɩki trąŋga, ɛn a sɛni mi fō mi kyari dem tu foru go gi ɛ̨ŋ, fō dem bori supu gi na sɩki mą'.’ Dem dwįŋgi Anąnsi tɛ a kɔm na shɔro. A weri ɛ̨ŋ krosi di a bɛn kɩsi fō Gramą, so dɑt' ɛ̨ŋ sɛrefi bɛn geɛrsi wąn Gramą. Nąŋga poku, fragra, dem kɔ̨n teki Anąnsi na watra-sei̯. Di-a shuti gɔ̨', kanǫ' gi Anąnsi. Na Gramą fō na kɔndre dati gi wą' tumusi bɩgi Bąnya nąŋga Susa fō na grani fō Anąnsi.

Anąnsi taig' gi na Gramą, ‘Gramą, mi 'abi tu p'kin fɔru fō tya-go gi wąn mati fō na Gramą fō mi kɔndre, bikasi ɛ̨ŋ p'kin sɩki. Ma den no dɛ sribi nąŋga foru, ma nąŋga gąnsi.’

Mɩndri neti Anąnsi go na dɔro, ɛn a kɩli den tu p'kin fo̯uru. Na tra mamąntɛ̨', sɩksi yuru, a taki ɛ̨' muso fō gowe, bikasi ɛ̨ŋ dɛ go lasi watra. Ɛ̨ŋ dɛ bɛgi den tu p'kin fo̯uru. Na Gramą fō dɑti kɔndre sɛn' teki dem tu p'kin fau̯lu, mar na futu-boi̯ kɔ̨' baka nąŋga dem tu dɛdɛ foru. Anąnsi bari, krei̯, ‘Mi no bɛn wani fō kɔm na shɔro! Mi s'kin bɛn piki mi dɑt' wąn sani sɑ p'sa mi! Fa mi dɛ go do? Den tu fo̯uru dɛdɛ, ɛn mi no kąn gi' tra fo̯uru.’ Gramą fō na kɔndre taki gi Anąnsi, ‘Gramą Anąnsi, no krei̯. A no nɔtįŋ. Mi sɑ gi' yu tu tra fo̯uru.’ Anąnsi bari hɛm, ‘Yu de lau̯, fō gi' mi tra foru. Mi wani den s'refi fo̯uru di mi tya' kɔm dia, libi-libi baka.’ ‘Dɑti mi no kąn.’ ‘Wɛ, yu mu' gi' mi tu gąnsi.’

[p. 260]

Anąnsi kɩsi dem tu gąnsi, a pɔti dɛm baka na fesi na boto, ɛn a bɩgin fō sɩ̨ngi baka,

Puru pari na fesi,
O grįŋya!
Puru pari na baka,
O grįŋya!
Mi, Anąnsi, mi kɔni,
O grįŋya!

Wąn sani fō dri o' fo' yuru, a p'sa baka wąn tra kɔndre. Den bar', kar' 'ɛm, ‘Gramą Anąnsi, kɔm 'a shoro.’ ‘No, no, no, mi no ką' do so wą' sani, bikasi tamara wąn mati fō mi Gramą de go tro, ɛn a sɛni mi fō tyari den tu gansi go dapɛ fō meki nyąnyąm tamara. Mi no ką' las' dem.’ Den saka na boto, ɛn den tapu hem, ɛn dem tyari hɛm kɔ̨' na shɔro. Dem b'gin fō shutu gɔ̨' baka 'a heri kɔndre. 'A heri kɔndre gi bigi presiri fō Gramą Anąnsi. Na futu-boi̯ fō na Gramą go teki Anąnsi fō tyari 'ɛm go na Gramą hoso. Anąnsi bɛgi, ‘Tąŋgi, tąŋgi fō den tu gąnsi. Nɔtįŋ mu' mankeri dem. Ɛn dem no dɛ slibi nąŋga gąnsi, ma nąŋga hagu.’

Mɩndri neti, di na prei̯ bɛn fai̯ya, Anąnsi dukru, sɔndro wąn s'ma si ɛ̨ŋ. A go kiri den gąns'. Mamąntɛm, so lei̯ki fa dei̯ fō piri tifi, Anąnsi aksi den gąnsi, bikasi nąnga dei̯-broko ɛ̨ŋ mu' dɛ na na kɔndre di na Gramą sɛni hɛm go, fō den kąn kiri na gąnsi fō nyą' na dei̯ dɑti. Dem futu-boi̯ fō na Gramą go, a teki den gąnsi tya-kɔm, ma dę' bɛn dɛdɛ. Anąnsi tai̯gi na Gramą, ‘Yu kąn du są' yu wani, ma mi muso habi baki den tu s'rɛfi-s'rɛfi gąnsi, bikasi na fō go na tafra.’ 'A gramą taki, ‘Mi no ką' du dɑti.’ ‘Wɛ, dą' yu mu' gi mi tu agu, na presi.’ Gramą gi' Anąnsi tu agu.

A gowe, ɛn a bigɩn sɩ̨ŋgi baka,

Puru pari na fesi,
O grįŋya!
Puru pari na baka,
O grįŋya!
Mi, Anąnsi, mi kɔni,
O grįŋya!

No, a p'sa baka wąn tra kɔndre. Den kali hɛm nąŋga tumusi furu noiti fō go na shɔro. 'A yurutɛm na shɔro, ala suma fō na kɔndre bɛn dɛ na watra-sei̯, uma p'kin, mąn p'kin, oru suma, mąn, umą, bikasi dem no bɛn si Gramą Anąnsi, ɛn ala suma bɛn wani fō si hɛm. Na yurutem dɑti Anąnsi de kɔmɔpo na ɛ̨ŋ boto kɔm na shɔro, ala dę' umą b'gɩn sɩ̨ŋgi gi hɛm, ɛn den dɛ pre yoro-yoro. Anąnsi tai̯' gi dem

[p. 262]

suma di bɛn kɔm teki hɛm taki, dɛm tu hagu, 'ɛm muso tyari go na na kɔndre na tap'-sei̯, ɛn dɑt den hagu no dɛ sribi nąŋga tra 'agu, ma nąŋga kau̯. 'A heri nei̯ti bɩgi prisiri bɛn dɛ na ɩni na kɔndre dɑti. Bɩgi nąŋga p'kin, oru nąŋga yųŋgu, mɛn dɛ meki prisiri. Mɩndri nei̯ti, wąn sani fō twarfu yuru, Kɔ̨ŋgodifa go na dɔro-sei̯, taki ɛ̨ŋ dɛ go pɩsi. Ma a go kiri den hagu baka. Di a kɔm, a go sribi.

Wąn sani fō di kaka bari, a wiki, ɛn a ɑksi den tu hagu. Mar a no kąn kɩsi dem, bikasi dɛm bɛn dɛdɛ. Anąnsi bɩgɩn krei̯, djɔmpo na tapu, bikasi a no bɛn wani fō kɔm na shɔro, ɛn den dwɛ̨ŋgi hɛm fō kɔm. A aksi wąn kau̯, ɛn dɑti a kɩsi. A pɔt' ɛ̨ŋ na mɩ̨ndri na boto, ɛn bɩgin pari baka, ɛn a bɩgin sɩ̨ŋgi,

Puru pari na fesi,
O grįŋya!
Puru pari na baka,
O grįŋya!
Mi, Anąnsi, mi kɔni,
O grįŋya!

Wan sani fō fei̯fi yuru bakadina, a de p'sa wąn tra kɔndre, ɛn a si dɑt' den dɛ go beri wąn p'kin. A kibri na sei̯ busi, en di dem suma gowe kaba, a trowɛ na kau̯ na ɩni liba. A go na shɔro, a krabu na grebi, ɛn a puru na dɛdɛ p'kin. A pɔti hɛm na ɩni na boto. A pari hesi-hesi, te a pasa na kɔndre, ɛn a go na na kɔndre na sei̯.

A bɛn sɑ dɛ, wąn sani fō sɩksi yuru, sabatɛm. Dem suma kari hɛm baka fō kɔ̨' na shɔro, ma Anąnsi no bɛn wani. A taki, ‘Mi no ką' kɔm diaso, bikasi mi muso go na dɑti bɩgi datra na tapu-sei̯. Na mɔro yųŋg' p'kin fō da Gramą fō mi kɔndre dia sɩki tumusi trąŋg, ɛn a muso fō habi wąn datra.’ ‘Kɔm na shɔro, Gramą, datra dɛ diaso tu!’ Anąnsi piki, ‘No, no, no, mi no ką' kɔm, bikasi ɛf' wąn sani p'sa, mi libi mi go lasi hɛm. Den sɑ kiri, den sɑ hąŋga mi, ɔf den de go brɔ̨' mi.’ ‘No, no, Gramą Anąnsi, kɔ̨' na shɔro, kɔ̨' na shɔro. Wi sɑ yɛp' yu.’ Anąnsi piki, ‘Ya, ma nō, ala datra 'ɛ go luk' a p'kin dɩsi.’

Nąŋga poku den tyari Anąnsi go na hoso fō na Gramą fō na kɔndre dati. Den sutu gɔ̨' nąŋga kanǫ' gi Anąnsi. Ɛn baka dati Anąnsi bɛn go na ɩni na hoso fō da Gramą fō na kɔndre. A taki, ‘Mi no wani wąn babari so ląŋga na p'kin 'ɛ slibi.’ Den gi Anąnsi wą' kamera, ɛn ɛ̨ŋ nąŋga na pikin wąwąn bɛn dɛ na ɩni na kamera.

[p. 264]

Anąnsi bɩgin krei̯ lei̯ki wąn nyu-nyu p'kin. Na wei̯fi fō da Gramą fō dɑti kɔndre ɑksi Gramą Anąnsi są' ɛde na p'kin de krei̯. Anąnsi piki, ‘Mi bribi taki 'ąŋgri dɛ kiri hɛm.’ Na wei̯fi fō' na Gramą ɑksi Anąnsi ɛfu 'a pikin sɑ mąŋ fō drɩ̨ŋgi tai̯a brafu. Anąnsi piki, ‘Ya, ya.’ Na baka dina, nyąnyąm bɛn klari, na wei̯fi fō na Gramą tyari wąn krabasi nąŋga na brafu gi' Anąnsi fō a gi na pikin. Di Anąnsi teki na tai̯a-brafu, ɛn di na fro bɛn gowɛ, a sidǫn, a nyąm ala sɛrefi.

A baka dɑti, Anąnsi bɩgin bari krei̯, ‘O Gadu! O, mi dɛ go dɛdɛ! Luku sąn p'sa mi! Mi no bɛn wani kɔ̨' na shɔro. Den dwɩ̨ŋgi mi tɛ mi kɔ̨' na shɔro.’ Anąnsi dɛ bari tɛ... da Gramą fō da kɔndre, na grąnfɩskari, al' dɛm bɩgi suma fō na kɔndre bɛn kɔm dape, fō luku sąn' bɛn p'sa. Den ɑksi Gramą Anąnsi, ‘San ɛdɛ yu dɛ bari?’ Anąnsi dyɔmpo, tinopo nąŋga watra na ɛ̨ŋ hai̯, ‘Są mi 'ɛ bari! Yu dɛ aksi mi? Mi bɛn tai̯gi ųnu bǫnbǫn dɑti mi habi wąn sɩki pikin di muso go na datra. Yu wei̯fi gi' hɛm krasi-tai̯a brafu fō nyam, ɛn a kiri na pikin. Yu sɑ sabi sąn sɑ p'sa, bikasi den dɛ go kiri mi! Ma mi dɛ tya yu go, tu.’ Anąnsi kɔti wąn odo, ‘Ba suku, Ba feni, Ba tyari.’

‘Gramą Anąnsi, mi wei̯fi no gi' na p'kin krasi-tai̯ya, ma na sɛrefi tai̯ya di a gi mi fō nyam.’ Anąnsi taki, ‘Yu lei̯, bikasi na nyąnyąm dɛm fai̯a, mi teki na krabasi sipų' fō bro ɛ̨ŋ koru, ɛn pikinso fō na tai̯a-brafu kɩsi mi mɔfo. Luku fa a kɩr' ɛ̨ŋ? Yu si taki, a no bǫ' tai̯ya.’

Na Gramą fō' dɑt' kɔndre, nąŋga ala dem tra bɩgi-bɩgi suma fō da presi, bɩgin fō bɛgi Anąnsi fō si wąn fasi fō trɔbi no miti dɛm, bikasi dę' sabi sąn wąn taki dati Anąnsi ɑksi dem. ‘Sąn ųn' dɛ taki dapɛ dɛ? Mi no dɛ puru mi futu di̯aso, awɩ̨nsi sąn sɑ pasa. Ųnu mu' sabi sɛrefi sąn dɛ kɔ̨' na ųn' tapu.’ Na Gramą fō na kɔndre bɩgin bɛgi Anąnsi fō den kąn si wą' fasi fō trɔbi no miti dɛm. Anąnsi tai̯gi dem taki, na pikin dem mu' bɛri wątem wątem nąŋga poku, bikasi na Gramą pikin. Na baka di dɛm beri, Anąnsi 'ɛ krei̯, ɛn a de sari, ‘Ya, mi no sabi sąn sɑ p'sa na mi.’ 'A Gramą mus' kɔm nąŋga hɛm na foto fō ɛ̨ŋ sɛrefi, go tinapu na taki leti. Gramą skreki, ɛn ala suma ɛn na kondre tu. Den bɛgi Anąnsi fō a prakseri wąn manyeri dati nɔtį' kąn p'sa dem.

Anąnsi sɔktu, ‘Hmmmm! Wąn ɛ̨ŋkri sani kąn yɛpi yu nąŋga dɛm suma na ɩni yu kɔndre. Luku, Gramą, yu hɛde, nąŋga mi hɛde, dɛ go na tapu broki. Gi wąn afu sei̯ fō yu kɔndre, dąn ala sani kaba.’

‘Nąŋga ala lespɛki wi sɑ gi wą' afu fō wi kɔndre.’

[p. 266]

Anąnsi djɔmpo, tinapō. A naki na hanu 'a tap' tafra, a bari gi na Gramą, ‘Papira, papira, papira!’

Na Gramą fō da kɔndre meki wąn papira gi' Anąnsi, pɛ a gi' hɛm leti mɩndri fō na kɔndre. Ala dem bɩgi suma na kɔndre krabu na papira tu. Na baka dati, Anąnsi bɛn habi leti mindri fō na kɔndre kaba, na tapu papira. A taki, ‘Adiosi’, ɛn a dɛ go na ɩni hɛm boto. A pur' ɛ̨' hati, nąŋga na yas, a pari na heri nei̯ti, ɛn sɩ̨ŋgi,

Puru pari na fesi,
O grįŋya!
Puru pari na baka,
O grįŋya!
Mi, Anąnsi, mi kɔni,
O grįŋya!

Ɛn musu-dei̯, a dɔro na na kɔndre pɛ a bɛn kɔmopo. A go na na Gramą, a taki, ɛ̨ŋ dɔro. ‘Yu lei̯, mąn,’ Gramą taiki Anąnsi, ‘o-pɛ na hafu sei̯ kɔndre yu dɛ go gi' mi?’ Anąnsi shutu ɛ̨ŋ hanu na ɩni na djakti, ɛn nak' a papira na tapu tafra. ‘A diaso.’

Gramą opo na papira, ɛn a si tru-tru taki Anąnsi wɩni wąn haf'-kɔndre gi' hɛm. Anąnsi aksi Gramą, ‘Wɛ, mi Gramą, są' yu dɛ gi' mi fō paimąŋ?’ Gramą piki Anąnsi, ‘Mi boi̯, so ląŋga yu dɛ, yu kąn tąn libi na ɩni mi 'oso. Go na ɩni na pɔst'ɔro.’

Na so fasi meki Anąnsi dɛ te na ɩni Gramą hoso.

64. Profitable Amends: Half a Village for Two Chickens.³

One day, before there were human beings, Anansi went to the Graman.⁴ He asked the Graman if he wanted to see that he [Anansi] could give Graman half a village. The Graman laughed, and he said to Anansi, said, ‘You are going to give me half of a village?’ Anansi laughed, and he answered Graman, ‘Yes, yes. But you must give me a small boat, and two chickens.’ ‘All right,’ the Graman said, ‘we will see what there is in this.’ ‘All right,’ Anansi said, ‘I will show Graman that Graman will get half a village. I must also have a cocked hat, a coat with gold braid, a pair of trousers, and a pair of soldier's shoes, and a sword.’ And the Graman gave him all the things that he asked.

3 Told by 10. Comparative references as given for the preceding tale. This tale, written by the narrator of this version, appears in Van Cappelle 282-293, No. 1.

4 Chief.

[p. 259]

Anansi went away in his boat early in the morning. He put the two chickens in the forward part of the little boat. He began to paddle, and he began to sing,

Stroke in front,
Oh run away!
Stroke the paddle in back,
Oh run away!
I, Anansi, I am cunning,
Oh run away!¹

About two o'clock he passed a large village, and he began to sing,

Stroke the paddle in front,
Oh run away!
Stroke the paddle in back,
Oh run away!
I, Anansi, I am cunning,
Oh run away!

The people of the village called to Anansi, ‘Graman Anansi, Graman Anansi, Graman Anansi! come ashore.’ But Anansi answered, ‘No, no, no, I cannot come ashore. I will lose time on shore, because I must do a very urgent errand for the Graman of my village. His friend's son is very sick, and he sent me to take him the two chickens, so that they may cook soup for the sick man.’ They urged Anansi until he came ashore. He wore the clothes which he got from the Graman, so that he himself resembled a Graman. With drums and flags they came to take Anansi from the bank. They shot guns and cannons for Anansi. The Graman of that village gave a very big Banya and Susa² in honor of Anansi.

Anansi said to the Graman, ‘Graman, I have two chicks to take to a friend of the Graman of my village, because his son is sick. But, they do not sleep with the chickens, but with the geese.’

At midnight Anansi went outside, and he killed the two chicks. The next morning, at six o'clock, he said he must go away, because [if he delayed] he would miss high water. He asked for the two chicks. The Graman of that village sent to take the two chicks, but the servant came back with the two dead fowl. Anansi shouted and cried, ‘I didn't want to come ashore! My heart³ told me that something would happen to me! What am I going to do? The two chickens are dead, and I cannot give other chickens.’ The Graman of the village said to Anansi, ‘Graman Anansi, don't cry. It is nothing. I will give you two other chickens.’ Anansi shouted at him, ‘You are a fool to offer me other chickens. I want the same chickens that I brought here alive again.’ ‘That I cannot [do].’ ‘Well, you must give me two geese.’

1 Song No. 119.

2 These are dances.

3 Lit., ‘my body’.

[p. 261]

Anansi got the two geese. He put them again in the forward part of the boat, and he began to sing again,

Stroke the paddle in front,
Oh run away!
Stroke the paddle in back,
Oh run away!
I, Anansi, I am cunning,
Oh run away!

About three, or four o'clock, he passed another village. They cried out, and called to him, ‘Graman Anansi, come ashore.’ ‘No, no, no, I can't do such a thing, because tomorrow a friend of my Graman is going to marry, and he sent me to take the two geese there for tomorrow's food. I cannot leave them.’ They stopped the boat, and they stopped him, and they brought him ashore. Again they began to shoot guns. The whole village was greatly pleased with Graman Anansi. The Graman's servant took Anansi to the house of the Graman. Anansi begged, ‘Please, please be careful of the two geese. Nothing must be denied them, and they must not sleep with the geese, but with the pigs.’

At midnight, when the play was going strong,¹ Anansi stole away without being seen by anyone. He went to kill the geese. In the morning, just as day showed its teeth, Anansi asked for the geese, because at daybreak he had to be at the village to which the Graman had sent him, so that they might kill the geese, and eat them that day. The Graman's slaves went and brought the geese, but they were dead. Anansi said to the Graman, ‘You can do what you like, but I must have the very same geese back, because they are for the feast.’ The Graman said, ‘I cannot do that.’ ‘Well, then, you must give me two pigs, instead.’ The Graman gave Anansi two pigs.

He went away, and he began to sing again,

Stroke the paddle in front,
Oh run away!
Stroke the paddle in back,
Oh run away!
I, Anansi, I am cunning,
Oh run away!

Now, he passed another village. They called to him and urged him very much to come ashore. When he came ashore, everybody from the village was on the bank, girls, boys, old people, men, women, because they had not seen Graman Anansi, and everybody wanted to see him. When Anansi stepped out of his boat and came ashore, all the women began to sing for him, and they played the Yoro-

1 Lit., ‘was hot’.

[p. 263]

yoro.¹ Anansi said to the people who came to take him that he had to take the two pigs to a village on the upper river, and that these pigs did not sleep with other pigs, but with the cows. All night there was great rejoicing in that village. Big and little, old and young were happy. At midnight, at about twelve o'clock, Kongodifa² went outside, saying he was going to urinate. But he went to kill the pigs. When he came back, he went to sleep.

At cock-crow he awoke, and he asked for the two pigs. But he could not get them, because they were dead. Anansi began to cry, and to stamp about, because he had not wanted to come ashore, and they had forced him to come. He asked for a cow, and he received that. He put it in the middle of the boat, and began to paddle again, and he began to sing,

Stroke the paddle in front,
Oh, run away!
Stroke the paddle in back,
Oh, run away!
I, Anansi, I am cunning,
Oh, run away!

About five o'clock in the afternoon, he was passing another village, and he saw that they were going to bury a child. He hid in the nearby bush, and when the people had gone, he threw the cow into the river. He went ashore. He opened the grave, and he took out the dead child. He put it in the boat, and he paddled away quickly until he passed the village. And he went to the neighboring village.

It will be about six o'clock in the evening. The people called him again to come ashore, but Anansi did not want [to come]. He said, ‘I cannot come here, because I must go to that big doctor on the upper river. The youngest child of the Graman of my village is very sick here, and must have a doctor.’³ ‘Come ashore, Graman, there are doctors here, too.’ Anansi answered, ‘No, no, no, I cannot come, because if something happens, I will lose my life. They will either kill me, or they will hang me, or they will burn me.’ ‘No, no, Graman Anansi, come ashore, come ashore. We will help you.’ Anansi answered, ‘Yes, but now all the doctors are to go and look at this child.’

They brought Anansi to the house of the Graman of the village, with drums. They shot guns and cannons for Anansi. And after that Anansi went to the house of the village Graman. He said, ‘I don't want any noise as long as the child sleeps.’ They gave Anansi a room, and he and the child were the only ones in that room.

1 An instrument which twenty or twenty-five years ago was used for accompanying women's dances.

2 One of Anansi's strong names.

3 Informant said by doctor he meant a native medicine man.

[p. 265]

Anansi began to cry like a new born child. The wife of the Graman of that village asked Graman Anansi why the child was crying. Anansi answered, ‘I believe that he is hungry.’ The Graman's wife asked if the child would be able to drink taia¹ soup. Anansi said, ‘Yes, yes.’ In the afternoon the food was ready, and the Graman's wife brought a calabash of soup for Anansi to give to the child. Anansi took the taia broth, and when the woman went away, he sat down and ate all of it himself.

A little later Anansi began to shout, and cry, ‘Oh, God! Oh, I am going to die! Look what has happened to me! I didn't want to come ashore. They forced me to come ashore.’ Anansi cried till... the Graman of the village, the counsellors, and all the important people of the village came there to see what had happened. They asked Graman Anansi, ‘Why are you shouting?’ With tears in his eyes, Anansi jumped up, ‘Why am I crying! You ask me? I told you again and again that I had a sick child who must go to a doctor. Your wife gave him poisonous taia soup to eat, and she killed the child. You will know what will happen, because they are going to kill me! But I am going to take you, too.’ Anansi interrupted with the proverb - ‘Brother seeks, Brother finds, Brother carries.’

‘Graman Anansi, my wife did not give the child poisonous taia, but the same taia she gave me to eat.’ Anansi said, ‘You lie, because the food was hot, and I took from the calabash a spoonful to blow it cool, and a little of the taia soup touched my mouth. See how it has scorched it? You see that it wasn't good taia.’

The Graman of the village, and all the most important people of the place began to beg Anansi to find a way to avoid trouble, because they knew the meaning of what Anansi asked. ‘What are you saying there? I will not move my feet from here, no matter what happens. You yourselves must know what is to come upon you.’ The Graman of the village began to beg Anansi to find a way to avoid trouble. Anansi said to them, said, they must bury the child immediately with drums, because it was the Graman's child. After the child had been buried, Anansi cried, and he grieved, ‘Yes, I don't know what will happen to me.’ The Graman must come with him to the city, so that he himself should go and explain things properly. The Graman was frightened, and all the people in the village, too. They begged Anansi to study a way so that nothing should happen to them.

Anansi sighed, ‘Hm! One thing only can help you and the people of your village. Look, Graman, your head and my head are going on the gallows (?). Give half of your village, and all will be finished.’

‘We will give half of our village with all honors.’

1 A spinach-like plant.

[p. 267]

Anansi jumped up. He struck his hand on the table, and he shouted to the chief, ‘Paper, paper, paper!’

The Graman of the village made out a paper for Anansi, in which he gave him half of the village. All the elders of the village signed the paper, too. After that Anansi already had half of the village on paper. He said, ‘Good-bye’, and he went to his boat. He took off his hat, and his coat, and he paddled the whole night, and sang,

Stroke the paddle in front,
Oh, run away!
Stroke the paddle in back,
Oh, run away!
I, Anansi, I am cunning,
Oh, run away!

And when it was day, he reached the village from where he had started. He went to the Graman, and he said he arrived [he was back]. ‘You lied, man,’ the Graman said to Anansi, ‘where is the half of a village you were going to give me?’ Anansi shot his hand into the coat, and threw down the paper on the table. ‘It is here.’

Graman opened the paper, and he saw Anansi had indeed won half a village for him. Anansi asked Graman, ‘Well, my Graman, what are you going to give me as a reward?’ Graman answered Anansi, ‘My boy, as long as you live, you can live in my house. Go in the post hole.’

That is the reason why Anansi is found even in the Graman's house.