Suriname folk-lore

[p. 296]

90. Puspusi nąŋga Kɔki.

Puspusi nąŋga wąn umą bɛn dɛ. Den bɛn wroko makandra. Ma nō di Puspusi kɔm suku wroko, a taki bɔtro na ɛ̨ŋ trefu, ma a bɛn lei̯. Ma ala dei̯ bɔtro 'ɛ lasi na kukru. Na mɩsi a taki ala dei̯, a taki, a no Puspusi di a fufuru na bɔtro, bika' bɔtro na Puspusi bɩgi trefu. So na sani 'ɛ pasa dɔro. Na mɩsi de kɔs' na tra kɔki, taki na ɛ̨ŋ fufur' bɔtro. Wą' dei̯ na mɩsi sɛti trapu fō kɩs' na fufurumą'. Ma Puspusi no go.

Wą' suma kɔ̨m tai̯gi na mɩsi taki, ɛf' a wani kɩs' na fufur'mą', mek' a bai̯ lakseri puiri, dan mek' a pɔti na ɩni na bɔtro, dąn a sɑ si suma na na fufur'mą. Nō, Puspusi no sabi, dąn a go tek' 'a bɔtro nyąm. Ma di a nyąm na bɔtro, tamara, di a kɔm wroko, na her' dei̯ a dɛ lakseri. Dąn wąntrǫ' na mɩsi kɔm sabi taki na Puspusi de fufuru na bɔtro.

So mek' dɛn dɛ taki, ‘Te kamera-wɛ̨ŋke nąŋga bɔtrimąn kɩs' trɔbi, yu dɛ yere pɛ na bɔtro go.’

[p. 297]

90. Lying About Food Taboo: Purge to Catch Thief.¹

There were once a cat and a woman. They worked together. But now when Cat came to look for work, she said that butter was her trefu, but she was lying. But every day there was butter missing in the kitchen. The mistress said daily, she said, it could not be Cat who was stealing the butter, because butter was Cat's great trefu. So this went on. The mistress scolded the other cook, saying it was she who was stealing the butter. One day the mistress set a trap to catch the thief. But Cat did not go.

Someone came to tell the mistress that if she wanted to catch the thief, let her buy laxative powder and let her put it in the butter, then she would see who the thief was. Now, Cat did not know, then she went to take butter, to eat. But having eaten the butter, then the next day, when she came to work, she was physicked the whole day. Then at once the mistress knew that Cat was stealing the butter.

So that is why they say, ‘When the chambermaid and the butler quarrel, you hear where the butter goes.’

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