Suriname folk-lore

84.

Anąnsi bɛn gi wąn bɩgi tafra. Ma no bɛn wan' mek' Sɛkrepat' kɔm nyąm. Ma di a bɛn wan' kari ala meti, a bɛn mus' kari Sɛkrekatu, tu. Ma a tak', ‘Mi sɑ sɔrgu taki na boi̯ Sɛkrepatu no nyąm wąn pisi fō mi nyąm.’

So Anąnsi sɛn' piki ala den meti, taki so wąn dei̯ hɛm go habi wąn bɩgi tafra, na na tapu bergi. So na dei̯ bɛn dɔro. Ala meti bɛn kɔm na makandra fō kɔm nyam nąŋga Anąnsi. Di na tafra bɛn sɛti kaba, Anąnsi taki, ‘Wi dɛ go nyąm, ma 'fɔsi wi nyąm, ala suma hanu mu' krįn.’ So Anąnsi ɑksi mat' Kɔnkɔni, a tak', ‘Mat' Kɔnkɔni, yu na wąn kɔnimąn, so waka luku gi mi ɛf' na wąn suma no habi santi.’

Kɔnkɔni waka lɔntu na ala meti. Fa a dɔro na Sɛkrepatu, a tak', ‘Mat' Sɛkrepatu, yu mu' go wasi yu hanu, bikasi yu hanu a santi.’ Sɛkrepatu saka, a go wasi hɛm hanu. A kɔm baka na tafra. Ma na heri tɛm, te a bɛn gowe, bikasi a no de waka hesi, den bɛn nyąm lɛt' mɩndri fō na nąnyąm. Di a sidǫ' baka na tafra, Anąnsi tak', ‘Mati Sɛkrepatu, mɛk' mi shi ɛf' yu hanu krįn.’ Sɛkrepat' sɔri hɛm ɛ̨ŋ hanu, ma a bɛn furu nąŋga santi. Anąnsi taki, ‘Mat' Sɛkrepatu, na kɔndisi dɛ, ala suma hanu mu' krįn, so yu mu' go wasi yu hanu baka. Yu no ką nyąm.’

Sɛkrepatu hatibrɔ̨'. A gowe na hoso.

So Sɛkrepatu, nō, sɛni bɔskopu na ala meti, taki hɛm habi bɩgi tafra, ma na ɔndro watra. 'A yurtɛm, di na dei̯ kɔm fō na tafra, Anąnsi bɛn kɩsi bɔskop' fō kɔm tu. Ma Anąnsi taki, ‘Na ɔndro watra mi no kąn go, bikasi mi lɛgti.’ So Anąnsi weri wąn bɩgi yas, ɛn a lai̯ lɔlto na ɩni na yas saka. Ma yurtɛm, di den kɔm na tafra, Sɛkrepatu taki, ‘Wi dɛ go nyąm makandra, ma ala suma mu' pur' den yas.’ So Anąnsi bɛn habi fō pur' hɛm yas tu. Fa Anąnsi pur' hɛm yas, 'a so a kɔm na tapsei̯ baka.

[p. 290]

So Sɛkrepatu leri Anąnsi fa a no bǫ' fō są' yu no wani na ɩni yu saka, yu no mu' pɔt' hɛm gi mati.

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

Anansi was giving a big feast. But he did not want to let Tortoise come and eat. But, since he wanted to call all the animals, he had to call Tortoise, too. But he said, ‘I will see to it [that] that boy Tortoise does not eat a morsel of my food.’

So Anansi went to tell all the animals that on such and such a day, he would have a big feast on top of the mountain. So the day arrived. All the animals came together to eat with Anansi. When the table was set, Anansi said, ‘We are going to eat, but before we eat, everybody's hands must be clean.’ So Anansi asked friend Rabbit, he said, ‘Friend Rabbit, you are a clever fellow, so look around for me if someone hasn't sand.’

Rabbit walked among all the animals. As he came to Tortoise, he said, ‘Friend Tortoise, you must go wash your hands, because your hands are sandy.’ Tortoise climbed down to go wash his hands. He came back to the table. But during the whole time he was away, because he did not walk fast, they had eaten half the food. When he sat down again at the table, Anansi said, ‘Friend Tortoise, let me see³ if your hands are clean.’ Tortoise showed him his hands, but they were full of sand. Anansi said, ‘Friend Tortoise, the condition is that everybody's hands must be clean. So you must go wash your hands again. You cannot eat.’

Tortoise was angry. He went home.

So Tortoise now sent a message to all the animals that he was having a big feast, but under the water. When the day came for the feast, Anansi received a message to come, too. But Anansi said, ‘Under the water I cannot go, because I am light.’ So Anansi put on a large coat and loaded his coat pockets with lead. But when the time came for them to come to the table, Tortoise said, ‘We are going to eat together, but everybody must take off his coat.’ So Anansi had to take off his coat, too. Just as Anansi removed his coat, he came back to the surface.⁴

2 Told by 6. Comparative references as for preceding tale.

3 Note use of shi for ‘see’ in text.

4 Lit., ‘the top-side’.

[p. 291]

So Tortoise taught Anansi that what you do not want in your pockets you must not put into your friend's.