Suriname folk-lore

91. Tigri nąŋga Kakaforu.

'Ąŋgri bɛ̨' dɛ kir' Tigri. Nō, Tigri kɔ̨' na wąn foru kɔi̯. A si wą' kaka na ɩn' na kɔi̯. Ma nō, na kɔi̯ bɛn seroto. Tigri no mąŋ fō go na ɩn' na kɔi̯. Dan Kakaforu 'ɛ bar' nō mō, ‘Ko-ko-di̯a-ko...!’ Tigri yeri na bari, ɑksi ɛ̨ŋ taki, ‘Mati K'kaforu, są' yu 'ɛ taki?’ Kakafor' no pik' ɛ̨ŋ nɔtįŋ. Tigri bɩgɩn sɩ̨ŋgi,

Mi wani nyąnyąm,
Mi wani nyąnyąm,
Mi 'abi wąn gotu mɔni.
Suma wani fō k' ɛ̨ŋk ɛ̨ŋ,
Fō wan pisi lefrɛ?

Nō, di K'kaforu yeri so, a ɑksi Tigri taki, ‘Wɛ, fa y'a go kɩs 'a lefrɛ?’ Tigri tai̯g' ɛ̨ŋ taki, ‘Op' 'a dɔro, dąn yu kɔm bɔs' mi.’

Ɛn na Kakaforu bɛn dɛ so dɔm, a ɔpo 'a dɔro. Fa a ląŋga ɛ̨' mɔfo fō bɔs' Tigri, nō mō Tigri bɛti ɛ̨ŋ 'ɛdɛ. Ɛn so K'kaforu feni ɛ̨ŋ dɛdɛ.

91. Tiger Decoys Cock.²

Hunger was killing Tiger. Now Tiger came to a chicken coop. He saw a cock in the coop. But now the coop was locked. Tiger could not get into the coop. Just then Cock cried out, ‘Ko-ko-dia-ko!’ Tiger heard the cry and asked him, he said, ‘Friend Cock, what are you saying?’ Cock did not answer him anything. Tiger began to sing,

I want food,
I want food,
I have a gold piece.
Who wants to change it,
For one piece of liver?³

Now when Cock heard this, he asked Tiger, he said, ‘Well, how are you going to get the liver?’ Tiger said to him, said, ‘Open the door, then you come and kiss me.’

And Cock was so stupid (that) he opened the door. No sooner did he put out his bill to kiss Tiger, than Tiger bit off his head. And so Cock met his death.

2 Told by 1.

3 Song No. 149.