Suriname folk-lore

82.

Anąnsi bɛn dɛ waka go, a nyą' nąŋga dę' tra meti. Ma no, a i tai̯g' den tra met' taki, te wą' dei̯ ɛ̨ŋ sɛrefi a go mek' den kɔ̨' nyą' nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ. Ma te den p'sa, ɛf' den yɛri ɛ̨ŋ tak' taki, dan dę' no mu' kɔ̨m, bika' na wroko ɛ̨ŋ wroko. Ma ɛf' den yɛri ɛ̨ŋ tą' tiri, den ką' kɔm.

[p. 286]

So wą' dei̯ den meti 'ɛp'sa, dąn den yɛri Anąnsi tak' taki. Dę' n'e go na ɩni, ma ala dɑti te Anąnsi dɛ nyam, dą' i tak' taki, dąn den meti dę' dɛ̨ŋk' taki, na wroko a i wroko. Dan dę' n'e go na ɩni.

Ma wą' dei̯ dę' meti 'ɛ p'sa, dan dę' yɛri a i tak' taki. Ma den taki, ‘Tidɛ, wi mu' go luku są' Anąnsi 'ɛ du.’ Di den go na ɩni, dę' go mit' Anąnsi dɛ, a nyąm. Dɛn dę' taki, ‘Mat' Anąnsi, kaba yu bɛn tai̯g' ųn' taki, te yu 'ɛ tak' taki, dan yi 'ɛ wroko, ma te yu tą, tiri, dą' yi 'ɛ nyam. So ala dei̯, te wi 'ɛ p'sa, da' wi 'ɛ yeri y'ɛ taki.’ Nō mō Anąnsi tai̯g' den taki, ‘Wɛ, mati, na te mi mɔfo a meki 'tya-kɔm, tya-kɔm', na na wroko mi 'ɛ wroko? Wɛ, tɛ yu de nyąm, yu mɔfo ɛ wroko, ɛn te y'ɛ wroko, yu mɔfo na tak' taki.’

82. Grudging Hospitality.⁴

Anansi went about and ate with the other animals. But now he said to the other animals, said, one day he himself was going to have them come and eat with him. But when they passed, if they heard him talk to himself, then they must not come in, because he would be working at his work. But if they heard him remain silent, then they could come.

4 Told by 1. Compare Jamaica, Beckwith (II) 11, No. 6 and 61, No. 57a.

[p. 287]

So one day the animals were passing, and they heard Anansi talking to himself. They did not go in, but all the same when Anansi ate, then he talked to himself so that the animals thought that he was working at his work. Then they did not go in.

But one day the animals were passing, and they heard him talking to himself. Now they said, ‘Today we must go and see what Anansi is doing.’ When they went in they found Anansi eating. They said, ‘Friend Anansi, didn't you say to us that when you talk to yourself you are at work, but when you are silent, then you are eating? So every day when we passed, we heard you talking.’ At once Anansi said to them, said, ‘Well friends, when my mouth says “tya-kom, tya-kom”,¹ is it not work at which I am working? Well, when you eat your mouth is working, and when you are working your mouth talks-talks.’

1 ‘Bring, bring’, also sound imitating the working of the jaws.