Suriname folk-lore

65.

Anąnsi sabi-taki ɛ̨ŋ na na mɔro kɔnimąn fō grǫntapu. Nowa, a no wani wąn kɔni mu' tąn na trawą'. Ɛ̨ŋ mu' habi ala. A waka dɛ suku pɛ a sɑ feni wąn suma di habi wąn kɔni fō' a bai̯ na ɛ̨ŋ. So a waka, a pɩki ala kɔni dɛ dɛ. Ɛn di a kaba, a taki, ‘Nowąn suma de feni wąn mɔro.’ A pɔti ala den kɔni na wąn godo. A taki, ‘Mi dɛ krɛ̨ŋ tyari na godo go kɩbri na wan kąnkąntri hɛdɛ, drapɛ di̯a, suma no kąn kɔm fufuru den kɔni.

Nowa, Anąnsi teki wąn tɛtai̯, a tai̯ na godo, hąŋga na ɛ̨ŋ nɛki, na ɛ̨ŋ hati tapu. Nowa, a wani krɛ̨ŋ, ma na godo dɛ frifi na na bom. Anąnsi no mąŋ fō go na tapu. A go pikinso, a tą', a saka baka. A proberi baka, ma a no mąŋ. Nowa, wąn pikin fō Anąnsi tɛnapu dɛ, luku fa hɛm dada dɛ pina. Nō mō a taki, ‘Mi da, puru na godo na yu fesi, pɔti na yu baka, dąn yu sɑ subi.’ Anąnsi piki, a taki,

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‘Mi dɛdɛ! Na boi̯ habi wąn kɔni di mi no habi. Mi dɛ̨ŋki mi habi ala kɔni, wąn na boi̯ habi di mi no habi. Wɛ, dąn mɔro suma sɑ habi mɔro kɔni di mi no habi.’

Anąnsi hati brɔ̨n. A naki na godo broko. Ala kɔni pąnya baka.

65. How Wisdom was Spread.¹

Anansi knew that he was the wisest man on earth. Now he did not want a single cunning to remain with another one. He had to have all. He traveled in search of where he should find a man who had a cunning that he might buy it from him. So he traveled, and he picked up all the cunning there was. And when he finished, he said, ‘No person will find one more.’ He put all the cunning in a gourd. He said, ‘I will climb up and take the gourd to hide on top of a silk-cotton tree, where no person can come to steal the cunning.’

Now, Anansi took a string, and he hung the gourd about his neck, above his heart. Now, he wanted to climb, but the gourd rubbed against the tree. Anansi could not go to the top. He went a little, he stopped, he slid back. He tried again, but he could not. Now, a son of Anansi's stood looking on how his father was struggling. All at once he said, ‘Father, take the gourd from the

1 Told by 2. Compare Liberia, Bundy, 425, No. 37; Ivory Coast, Tauxier (I) 279, Guro No. 14; Gold Coast, Barker and Sinclair 33-34, No. 2, (Ashanti), Rattray 5-6, No. 3; Togo, Cardinall 180-181; Dahomey, Herskovits, M. and F. (IV) MS. No. 28; Northern Nigeria (Jukun), Meek 489.

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front, and put it in back. Then you will climb up.’ Anansi answered, he said, ‘I am a dead one! The boy has a cunning that I don't have. I thought I had all the cunning, [but] the boy has one that I don't have. Well, then, more (other) people will have more (other) cunning that I don't have.’

Anansi was angry. He smashed¹ the gourd. All the cunning was again scattered.

1 Lit., ‘struck the gourd broke’.