Suriname folk-lore

75. Anąnsi nąnga Tigri.

Anąnsi go ɛ' tɛmre. Ma fa a i tɛmre, dąn Tigri kɔm bɛgi ɛ̨ŋ taki ɛf' a no ką' tek' wąn p'kin fō ɛ̨ŋ kɔ' ler' wroko. Anąnsi tak', ‘A bǫn.’ A piki, ‘Tigri ką' kɔm ler' wroko.’ Anąnsi, nō, sɛn' ɛ̨ŋ, mek' a krɛ̨ŋ go hei̯ a tap' na 'oso. Dąn d'a krɛ̨ŋ, Anąnsi pus' ɛ̨ŋ trowe. Di a fadǭ', a brok' ɛ̨ŋ 'anu. Ma di a go na 'oso, a tai̯gi ɛ̨ŋ papa taki, na Anąnsi bɛn pus' ɛ̨ŋ. Ɛ̨ŋ papa taki, ‘Tą', mi go ler' Anąnsi.’ Anąnsi bɛn go kɩbri.

Wąn dei̯ Tigri kɔm, ɛ̨' mit' Anąnsi. A taki, ‘Yu, Anąnsi, a no yu bɛn trowe mi p'kin brok' ɛ̨ŋ anu?’ Anąnsi taki, ‘No, no, mi na wą' tra Anąnsi. Na di trowe, 'ɛm dat' na tɛmre Anąnsi, ɛn mi na smɛt' Anąnsi.’ Tigri taki, ‘Fa de smɛti? Mi wan' kɔ̨' go luku fa yu dɛ smɛti.’ Di den go, Anąnsi mɛk' fai̯a, d'a tai̯g' Tigri taki, ‘Mi 'ɛ go mek' dɩsi rɛdi. Dąn te a rɛdi, dąn mi a go sɔri yu fa a dɛ smɛti.’

Ma bufɔsi na ɩsri rɛdi, dąn wą' alei̯n fadō', dąn Tigri kɔ̨' nati. Dąn di Tigri nati, a taki ɛ̨ŋ koru. Dąn Anąnsi ɑksi 'em tai̯gi, ‘Yu no wani mek' yu warąŋ nąŋga na ɩsri?’ Tigri tak', ‘A bon.’ Anąnsi taki, ‘Wɛ', i si, drei̯ yu sɛrefi kɔ̨' dɩs' sei̯, dan mi gō süt' na ɩsri gi' yu, dan yu heri s'kin sɑ kɔ̨' warąŋ.’ Tigri bɛn dɔ̨'. A drei̯ 'a baka-sei̯ gi' Anąnsi. Anąnsi süt' na ɩsri go na baka-sei̯. Tigri fadǫ', a dɛdɛ.

So Tigri no 'ab' ɔndrofeni, bika' fur' trǫ' Anąnsi a pre' ɛ̨ŋ trɩki. A kaba.

75. Anansi Injures Apprentice Tiger: Kills Father Tiger.¹

Anansi went to do carpentry. But as he was doing carpentry, then Tiger came to ask² him if he could not have one of his children come and learn the work. Anansi said, ‘All right.’ He answered, ‘Tiger can come learn the work.’ Anansi now sent him to climb high on the roof of the house. Then as he climbed, Anansi pushed and tripped him. When he fell down, he broke his hand. But when he went home, he said to his father, said, it was Anansi who had pushed him. His father said, ‘Wait, I am going to teach Anansi.’ Anansi went and hid.

One day Tiger came and met Anansi. He said, ‘You Anansi, isn't it you who threw down my child, and broke his hand?’ Anansi said, ‘No, no, I am another Anansi. He who threw him down is the carpenter Anansi, and I am the smith Anansi.’ Tiger said, ‘How does one forge? I want to come and watch how you forge.’ When they went, Anansi made a fire, then he said to Tiger, said, ‘I am going to make this red. Then when it is red, then I am going to show you how one forges.’

But before the iron was red, then the rain came down, and Tiger became wet. Then when Tiger was wet, he said he was cold. Then Anansi asked him, said, ‘Don't you want me to make you warm with the iron?’ Tiger said, ‘All right.’ Anansi said, ‘Well, you see, turn yourself about on this side, and then I am going to shoot the iron into you, and then your whole body will grow warm.’ Tiger was stupid. He turned his backside to Anansi. Anansi shot the iron into his backside. Tiger fell down and died.

So Tiger does not learn by experience,³ because many times Anansi had played him tricks. It is finished

1 Told by 1.

2 Lit., ‘beg’.

3 Lit., ‘does not have experience’.