Suriname folk-lore

88. Anąnsi bɛn dɛ Dɔm'ri.

Anąnsi bɛn ɑksi Konu fō a trɔ̨' dɔm'ri. Konu taki, mek' a go prek wą' Sɔndei̯ fɔsi na tyerki. Ma di Anąnsi g' a fɔs' dei̯, Konum no bɛn mąŋ fō go 'arki a prɛk. Dąn Konum gi Anąnsi wą' blaka pak, tak' t'a i kɔ̨' tra wiki, na dat' a mu' weri.

Ma nō Anąnsi nąŋga Kakalaka bɛ̨' libi sei̯ na sei̯. Ma na skotu na gyari wą' krɔnto-bɔm bɛn dapɛ, ma a bɛn dɛ na Kakalaka sei̯. A no bɛn dɛ wą' bɩgi bɔm, ma a bɛn 'abi wą' trɔs' krokonɔto. A hąŋga let' a tapa skɔtu, wą' sei̯ kɔ̨' na Anąnsi, wą' sei̯ kɔ̨' na Kakalaka. Anąnsi tek' ɛ̨ŋ oru, a kotu trɔs' let' a tu. Di Kakalaka si a kɔti ɛ̨ŋ, a tai̯g' ɛ̨ŋ taki, ‘We, fa i ką' kɔt' na krɔnto. Na mi dyari na bom dɛ, yu no mąŋ kɔti ɛ̨ŋ so.’ Anąnsi taki, ‘Wɛ, yu no si fa a 'ąŋgu dɔn, wą' sei̯ kɔ̨' na yu, wą' sei̯ kɔ̨' na mi?’ Kakalaka taki, ‘Bǫ', mi ɛ go kɩsi yu baka.’

Na Satra fɔs' Anąnsi go prek na tyerki, a tai̯gi ɛ̨ŋ fro taki, mek' a 'ąŋga blaka pak' gi' ɛ̨ŋ, bika' a kɔm koru. Na fro teki na yas, a ąŋga let' na skoru. Kakalaka nō tek' ɛ̨ŋ nefi, a kɔt' 'a pis' f'na yas, di kɔ̨' na ɛ̨ŋ sei̯.

No, sɔndei̯ m'mątɛ̨n, Konu g'a tyerki fō go arki f'a Anąnsi a prek. Anąnsi no mąŋ kɔm, bika' a no bɛ̨ 'abi na blaka yas. Ɛn so Konu mek' dɛm tek' Anąnsi, go serɔt 'ɛ̨ŋ.

Dąn Anąnsi tai̯gi Kakalaka taki, ‘Yu! So ląŋga mi d'a libi, mi n'e fergɩt' yu fō na sąn' yu du mi. Yu mek' mi las' mi wroko. Dɛdɛ sɑ mek' mi fergɩt' yu.’

88. Tables Turned: Cockroach Revenged on Anansi.¹

Anansi asked the King if he might become a preacher. The King said let him first go one Sunday and preach a sermon in church. But when Anansi went the first day the King could not go to hear him preach. Then the King gave Anansi a black suit, and said to him, said, he must wear this the following week.

But now Anansi and Cockroach, lived side by side. Beside the garden fence was a coconut tree, but it was on Cockroach's side. It was not a large tree, but it did have a coconut. This hung right on top of the fence, so that one part came on Anansi's side and one part came on Cockroach's side. Anansi took his hoe and cut it right in two. When Cockroach saw he had cut it, he said to him, said, ‘Well, how could you cut the coconut? The tree is in my yard, [and] you should not have cut it.’ Anansi said, ‘Well, didn't you see how it hung down so that one part was on your side, and the other part on mine?’ Cockroach said, ‘All right. I will get even with you.’

The Saturday before Anansi was going to preach in church, he said to his wife, said, let her hang up his black suit (for him) to air. His wife took the coat and hung it right on the fence. Now Cockroach took his knife, and he cut off that part of the coat which was on his side.

Now, Sunday morning the King went to church to hear how Anansi would preach. But Anansi could not come, because he did not have the black coat. And so the King had them take Anansi to prison.

Anansi said to Cockroach, said, ‘You! as long as I live, I won't forget you for what you did to me. You made me lose my job. Death will make me forget you.’

1 Told by 1. Compare Sudan (Mossi), Tauxier (II) 483-485, fable No. 84.