Suriname folk-lore

83. Anąnsi nąŋga Sɛkrepatu.

Anąnsi bɛn friyari. A 'ɛ gi wąn fei̯st. A kari ala meti fō kɔm nyąm nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ. Nō, di ala den meti kɔm, Sɛkrepatu kɔm tu. Ma Anąnsi no bɛn wani fō Sɛkrepatu kɔm nyąm na tafra. Bifɔ' den nyąm, nō mō Anąnsi taki, ala meti di dɛ go nyąm mu wasi den hanu fɔs' den kɔm na tafra. Nō Sɛkrepatu go wasi ɛ̨ŋ hanu, ma fa a dɛ waka fō kɔm baka, hɛm hanu dɛ doti baka. A wasi hɛm hanu somɛni trǫ', ma a no bɛn ką' waka tra fasi. So a no nyąm na tafra.

Sɛkrepatu gowɛ. A taki, ‘Anąnsi kɩsi mi, ma mi dɛ go kɩsi hɛm baka.’

Sɛkrepatu nō friyari. A sɛni kari ala meti fō kɔm na friyar' hoso, kɔm nyąm nąŋga hɛm. A sabi taki Anąnsi de go kɔm tu. Dati meki a gi na fei̯st na ɔndro watra, bika' a sab' taki Anąnsi lɛkti, a no ką' kɔm na ɔndro watra. Dati mek' a du so fō a kąn kis' Anąnsi. Nō, di ala den meti bɩgɩn fō gō, Anąnsi no mąŋ go na ɔndro watra. A go, a leni wą' bruku nąŋga yas, dąn a weri. A pɩki furu stǫ', pɔti na ɩni hɛm saka fō a kąn kɔm hɛbi. Ma nō, di a hɛbi kaba, a saka go na ɔndro watra. Di tafra klari, ala suma mu' kɔm nyąm. Nō mō Sɛkrepatu luku, a si taki Anąnsi bɛn pɔti stǫ' na ɩni hɛm saka. Nō mō Sɛkrepatu tai̯gi den alamal' taki, ala den meti, taki, bifō den kɔm na tafra, ala suma mu' pur' den yas. So Anąnsi kɔm skrei̯ki tɛ a yɛrɛ so. A prakser' taki, ‘Ɛf' mi pur' mi yas, dąn mi go opo na tapu baka, bika' na na stǫ' di dɛ na ɩni mi saka, na dɑti dɛ hɔr' mi.’ Nowa, Anąnsi no mąŋ fō puru ɛ̨ŋ yas. Di Anąnsi kɔm na sei̯ tafra, nō mō Sɛkrepatu tai̯g' hɛm taki, ‘Mi

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no tai̯gi yu taki, ala suma mu puru hɛm yas? Yu habi fō puru yu yas. Di yu bɛn gi yu fei̯st, yu bɛn du są' yu wani. Di mi gi fō mi, mi kąn du są' mi wani, tu.’

So Anąnsi puru hɛm yas. Fa a pur' hɛm yas, nō mō a opo kɔm na tapu watra. A no kɩsi nąnyąm fō nyam. Na gridi di a bɛn dɛ gridi mek' dɑti pasa ɛ̨ŋ. So tɛ yu den nyam, yu mu' nyąm nąŋga suma. A kaba.

83. Grudging Hospitality: the Feast on the Mountain and the Feast under the Water.²

Anansi had a birthday. He was giving a feast. He invited all the animals to come and eat with him. Now, since all the animals came, Tortoise came, too. But Anansi did not want Tortoise to come and eat at the table. Before they went to eat, Anansi suddenly said, all the animals who were going to eat, must wash their hands before they came to the table. Now Tortoise went to wash his hands, but as he walked back, his hands were dirty again. He washed his hands many, many times, but he could not walk any other way. So he did not eat at the table.

Tortoise went away. He said, ‘Anansi caught me, but I am going to get even with him.’

Tortoise now had a birthday. He sent to call all the animals to come to his birthday party to eat with him. He knew that Anansi was going to come, too. That is why he was giving the feast under the water, because he knew that Anansi was light, and could not come under the water. That is why he did this, so that he might catch Anansi. Now when all the animals began to arrive, Anansi could not go under the water. He went and borrowed a pair of breeches and a coat, and he dressed himself in that. He picked up many stones, and put them in his pockets, so that he might become heavy. But now when he was heavy enough, he went down into the water. When the table was set, all were to come and eat. All at once Tortoise looked, and saw that Anansi had put stones in his pockets. Immediately Tortoise said to them all, said, before they came to the table, all the people should take off their coats. So Anansi was troubled when he heard this. He studied, and said,

2 Told by 1. Compare Sudan (Mossi), Tauxier (II) 458-9, fable No. 59; Nago (Dahomey?), Trautmann 34-35; Cameroons, Krug 114, No. 11; Gabun, Nassau (I) 63-65, Mpongwe No. 13, (Pahouin), Roblin 85, No. 2; Lamba, Doke 229, No. 128. For another Suriname version see Van Cappelle 314, No. 10.

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‘If I take off my coat, then I am going to come up on top again, because the stones which are in my pockets hold me.’ Now Anansi could not take off his coat. When Anansi came to the table, Tortoise at once said, ‘Didn't I tell you that all must take off their coats? You have to take off your coat. When you gave a feast you did what you liked. When I give mine I can do what I like, too.’

So Anansi took off his coat. No sooner did he take it off, than he rose to the surface of the water. He did not get any food to eat. Greed¹ caused this to happen to him. So when you eat, you must eat with others. It is finished.

1 Lit., ‘The greed that he had been greedy (of), etc.’