Suriname folk-lore

81. Anąnsi nąŋga Bobo. -

Wɛ no, Anąnsi go fufuru Konu 'ɔrloisi. Dąn Konu no sabi suma fufur' ɛm. Anąnsi go tai̯gi Konu taki, ɛfu Konu wani pai̯ ɛ̨ŋ, 'ɛm sɑ kɩsi na fufurōmą'. Ma Konu mu gi wą' dąnsi, dąn na suma mɔfo sɛrefi sɑ taki na ɛ̨ŋ fufurō na hɔrloisi.

Anąnsi go kari Bobo taki, ‘Kɔm, meki wi go dąnsi na Konu 'oso. Ma mi dɛ go gi yu wąn 'ɔrloisi fō yu pɔti na yu saka. Dąn te wi dɛ dansi, dąn mi dɛ go sɩ̨ŋgi, taki,

Kɔnu 'ɔrloisi lasi,
Sɔntɛ na Bobo teki ɛ̨ŋ.'

Dą' yu mu' de piki, “Yɛs, yɛs, Ba Anąnsi”.’

Ɛn so, di dem bɩgin fō dansi, di Anąnsi sɩ̨ŋgi na sɩ̨ŋgi, nō mō Bobo piki ɛm lei̯ki fa a bɛn tai̯gi 'ɛm. Ɛn wą' trɔ̨' Konu meki dem kɩsi Bobo, go serotō ɛ̨ŋ, taki na ɛ̨ŋ na fufurōmą'. Ɛn so Anąnsi kɩsi na mɔni, a gowɛ.

81. Incriminating Song.²

Well now, Anansi went to steal the King's watch. Then the King did not know who stole it. Anansi went to tell the King to say, if the King wanted to pay him, he would catch the thief. But the King must give a dance, then the person's mouth will itself tell that he stole the watch.

Anansi went to call Bobo,³ and he said, ‘Come, let us go and dance at the King's house. But I am going to give you a watch to put into your pocket. Then when we dance, then I am going to sing, and say,

“The King's watch is lost,
Perhaps Bobo took it.”

Then you must say, “Yes, yes, Ba Anansi”.’

And so, when they began to dance, and when Anansi sang the song, at once Bobo answered him as he had told him. And at once the King had them catch Bobo and lock him up, saying it was he who was the thief. And so Anansi got the money, and he went away.

2 Told by 1.

3 Bobo, ‘the fool’. Compare Agbogbo, Dahomean toucan who plays role of fool.