Suriname folk-lore

94. Fa du kɔ̨n da Krabita 'ɛ tą' na Hoso.

Krabita go mek wan kampō. Di a kɔti wąn postu a pɔt'. Tɛ fa a kɔ̨ baka nąŋga wąn trawą', a miti somɛni post' mɔro. A go baka tɛ fa a kɔ̨ nąŋga wiwiri, a kɔ̨ mit' na hoso meki. Dąn a kɔm mit' makandra nąŋga Tigri, den tak' dati den sɑ libi ɩni na hoso makandra.

Nō, den mek wąn regɛl. Wąn dei̯ Krabita 'ɛ go suku meti 'a busi, ɛ̨' wąn dei̯ Tigri go. 'A fɔs' dei̯ Tigri go, a kiri, a tya kɔ̨', den nyąm. Krabita go, a no kiri nɔtɩ̨. Wan dei̯ baka Tigri go baka. A kiri, tya kɔm. 'A tra dei̯ Krabita go, Krabita no kiri.

[p. 304]

No, Tigri go, a kiri di̯a, a tya kɔ̨. Krabita no wani fō nyąm. Bika di̯a na Krabita omu. Dąn Tigri ati brɔ̨. A taki, ‘Ala dei̯ mi 'ɛ kiri yu de nyąm, ma tɩde yu no wąn' nyąm. Ma yu 'ɛ go, yu no dɛ kiri, tya nɔtɩ̨ kɔm.’

Ma te dɛm pikin tigri prei̯ nąŋga den pikin krabita, nō mō den pikin tigri a taki, ‘Mi papa a 'ɛ go sɔri ųn!’

Ma Krabita tai̯gi, ‘Fa Tigri taki, so den pikin taki.’ Den mu luku bǫn nąŋga Tigri, bika Tigri kir' na omu kaba. 'A papa Krabita taki na pikin nɛ̨ŋgre makandra na pre dę' a prei̯.

Ma nō, Krabita go na hɔnti, a mit' wą' man. A tai̯gi na man taki, ala dei ɛ̨ŋ go na hɔnti, ɛ̨ŋ no kɩri nɔtɩ̨. Dą' 'a man gi 'ɛ̨ŋ wą' sani, tai̯gi, ɩbri wan mɛti di a si a kɔm, mek a sɔri ɛ̨ŋ fɩ̨ŋga taki, ‘Luku bǫn!’ 'A wantɛ' 'a mɛti fadǫ' dɛdɛ.

Fa-i-si Krabita tek' 'a sani, a sɑ miti Tigri grąnpapa a kɔm. A sɔri den, ‘Luku bǫn!’ A dɛdɛ wąntrǫn. A tyari ɛ̨ŋ kɔ̨' na hoso. Nō, di a kɔm, Tigri no' wąn' nyąm, bika na grąnpapa. Nō, tamara Krabita go baka. A kiri Tigri brada nō, a tya kɔm. Tigri no wąn' nyąm.

Dą' den pikin krabita nō, ɛ̨' tak' den pikin tigri tak', ‘Mi papa 'ɛ soru ųn!’ Mama Tigri tai̯gi Papa Tigri tai̯gi, ‘Luku bǫn, Krabita a' wąn sani. A tu trɔ̨' a go na hɔ̨nti, a tyari ɛ̨ŋ famiri kɔm.’ Dąn di Krabita 'ɛ go na hɔnti baka, dąn Tigri waka safri na ɛ̨ŋ baka. Fa-i-si a go, a si Tigri omu a i kɔm. Fa-i-si Krabita sɔri ɛ̨ŋ, ‘Luku bǫn!’ no mo a fadǫ' dɛdɛ.

Papa Tigri kɔm na hoso, a tai̯gi den mama Tigri na pikin tigri, meki den froisi wąntrǫ'. Krabita habi wan sani, ɛfi a sɔri den fɩ̨ŋga, den ala 'ɛ dɛdɛ. Wąntrǫ' dɛ̨' tigri froisi gowɛ, lib' 'a prɛsi gi Krabita.

So, kaba.

94. Tiger and Goat in Partnership: Pointing Kills.³

Goat went to make a shelter. When he cut one post, he put it down. When he returned with the second, he found many more posts. He went back and when he came with thatch, he found the house built. Then he met Tiger, and they said they would live together in the house.

Now they made one condition. Goat was to go to the bush in search of food one day, and Tiger the next day. The first day Tiger went, he killed, and he brought, and they ate. Goat went, and he killed nothing. The following day Tiger went again. He killed, and brought (home). The day after Goat went, and Goat did not kill.

3 Told by 1. Compare Sierra Leone (Mende), Westermann (III) 455-456, No. 15; Liberia (Gola), Westermann 493, No. 22, (Kpelle), Westermann (III) 524-525, No. 22; Ivory Coast, Tauxier (I) 338-339, Gagu No. 33, 341, Gagu No.37, (Agni), Tauxier (III) 242-243; Gold Coast, Barker and Sinclair 141-143, No. 27, (Ashanti), Rattray (I) 41, No. 11, 231, No. 58; Sudan (Mossi), Tauxier (II) 447, fable No. 43, 502, legend No. 10; Togo (Krachi), Cardinall (I) 97-98, (Dagbamba), Fisch 157, No. 5, (Ewe), Bassett 210-212, No. 87 (from Ellis, II, 269-271); Hausa, Rattray (IV) ii, 34-38, No. 25, 142-146, No. 30, Schön 191-192, No. 79, Tremearne (I) 495, No. 24; Nigeria (Jukun), Meek 489-492; Southern Nigeria (Yoruba), Frobenius 248-250, No. 23, (Ibo), Thomas (IV) 90-91; Lamba, Doke 179-181, No. 99; Jamaica, Beckwith (II) 63, No. 58; Brazil, Eells 61-69, No. 6.

[p. 305]

Now, (one day), Tiger went and killed a deer, and brought (him home). Goat would not eat. Because Deer was Goat's uncle. Then Tiger was angry. He said, ‘Every day I killed and you ate, but today you refuse to eat. But you go, and you do not kill, and bring nothing (home).’

But when the little tigers played with the little goats, all at once the little tigers said, ‘My father will show you!’

Mother Goat said, ‘As Tiger talks, so the children talk.’ They must watch out for Tiger, because Tiger had killed their uncle already. Father Goat (however) said, all little Negro children must play together.¹

But now, Goat went to hunt, and he met a man. He said to the man, every day he went hunting, but he never killed anything. Then the man gave him something, and said, at every kind of animal that he sees coming, let him point at it, and say ‘Take care!’ At once the animal will fall down dead.

Just as Goat took the thing (Man gave him), he will² come upon Tiger's grandfather. He pointed it, ‘Take care!’ He died at once. He (Goat) brought him home. Now, when he came, Tiger would not eat, because it was his grandfather. The following day Goat went again. He killed Tiger's brother now, and he brought him (home). Tiger would not eat.

Then the little goats now said to the little tigers, ‘Father will show you!’ Mother Tiger said to Father Tiger, said, ‘Take care, Goat has a thing (so that) of the two times he had gone to the bush to hunt, he brought back with him members of their family.’ Then when Goat again went hunting, Tiger followed him softly. Just as he went, he saw Tiger's uncle coming. And no sooner did Goat point at him, ‘Take care!’ than he (Tiger's uncle) fell down dead.

Father Tiger came home, and he said to Mother Tiger and the little tigers, let them escape at once. Goat had something which if he pointed at them, they would all die. At once the tigers escaped, and left the place to Goat.

So, finished.

1 Lit., ‘play they is play’.

2 Note change in tense to make the transition to a new scene.