Suriname folk-lore

[p. 322]

101.

Wą, mama bɛn habi fɔr pikin. Wąn bɛn nɛm Minimini, wąn bɛn nɛm Fremąnboni, trawąn Fremąntaria, na trawąn Koprokanu. Ma nō, a no bɛn lɔb' Koprokanu. Dąn den pikin dɛ tąn 'a wąn presi. Dąn, te brɛktɛm, te a tyari nąnyąm kɔm gi dem, a n'e gi Koprokanu. A no lɔb' Koprokanu. Dą' i sɩ̨ŋ' wą sɩ̨ŋgi gi dem:

Minimini kɔ̨' nyąm,
Fremanbɔni kɔ̨' nyąm,
Fremantaya kɔ̨' nyąm,
Koprokanu tą' dɛ,
Koprokanu tą' dɛ.

Te den trawą, nyąm, san den no wani, 'a dati a i tyar' gi Koprokanu.

Nō, Didibri sabi taki na so na mama i du. Dą' a wan' go kir' den dri pikin di na mama lɔbi. A go 'a smɛti, a meki smɛti fari i tɔ̨ŋgo gi hɛm. Ma Dibri tai̯g' hɛm taki, tɛ a dɛ go, a no mu nyąm bakba. Ma, de a i go 'a pasi a nyąm bakba. Dąn dɛ a go, dą' a sɩ̨ŋgi na srɛf' sɩ̨ŋgi di na mama de sɩ̨ŋ', ma ɛ̨ŋ stɛm bɛn hɛbi. Dą' den pikin taki, ‘A no mi mama stɛm, 'a stɛm di sɩ̨ŋgi dɛ.’ Den no opo 'a dɔro. Didibri gowe.

'A smeti a fari ɛ̨ŋ tɔ̨ŋgo baka. A no nyąm bakuba mɔro. 'A tra dei̯ a kɔm, dą' a sɩ̨ŋgi na srɛf' sɩ̨ŋgi di na mama i sɩ̨ngi. Dą' den pikin opo na dɔro. A kiri Fremanboni, nąŋga Fremantaria, nąŋga Minimini. A libi Koprokanu.

Di na mama kɔm, a sɩ̨ŋgi na srɛf' sɩ̨ŋgi, nō mō Koprokanu pik' ɛ̨ŋ taki:

Minimini no dɛ,
Fremanboni no dɛ,
Fremantaya no dɛ,
Koprokanu wan dɛ.

So dɛ na mama opo na dɔro, a kɔm si ala den tra pikin dɛdɛ. Koprokanu wawą' tąn. A kɔm lɔb' Koprokanu so tɛ ...

Dɑti dɛ sɔri taki, tɛ yu habi furu pikin yu mu lɔbi ala na srɛfi. Yu no mu lɔb' trawą mɔro leik' trawąn.

[p. 323]

101. Abused Child: Devil Files his Tongue.¹

A mother had four children. One was named Minimini, one was named Fremanboni, another one was named Fremantaria, and another Koprokanu. But now she did not love Koprokanu. Then the children lived in a certain place. Then, at breakfast time, when she brought food for them, she did not give Koprokanu. She did not love Koprokanu. Then she sang a song for them:

Minimini come eat,
Fremanboni come eat,
Fremantaria come eat,
Koprokanu stay there,
Koprokanu stay there.²

When the others had eaten, whatever they did not want, that they brought Koprokanu.

Now the Devil³ knew that so the mother did. Then he wanted to kill the three girls whom the mother loved. He went to the smith and had the smith file his tongue for him⁴. But the Devil said to him, he said, when he went, he must not eat bananas. But, when he went on the road he ate a banana. Then he went to sing the same song which the mother sang, but his voice was heavy. Then the children said, ‘The voice which is singing is not our mother's voice.’ They did not open the door. The Devil went away.

The smith filed his tongue again. He did not eat any more bananas. The next day he came and he sang the same song which the mother sang. Then the children opened the door. He killed Fremanboni, and Fremantaria, and Minimini. He left Koprokanu.

When the mother came, she sang the same song, and at once Koprokanu answered her:

Minimini is not here,
Fremanboni is not here,
Fremantaria is not here,
Koprokanu alone is here.

So when the mother opened the door she saw that all the other children were dead. Koprokanu alone remained. She grew to love Koprokanu so till...

That shows that when you have many children you must love all alike. You must not love one more than another.

1 Told by 1. Compare Dahomey, Herskovits, M. and F. (IV) MS No. 82; Jamaica, Beckwith (II) 20, No. 17a and 116-117, No. 91. Comparative, Bolte u. Polívka, I, 37-42, No. 5. For another Suriname version see Van Cappelle 372-374, No. 37.

2 Song No. 118.

3 Note the Devil in the role of champion of the abused child as an example of acculturation akin to that of the Dahomean-Nigerian use of Legba for Devil, where the European name is given, but not the European attributes.

4 Informant said the Devil's tongue is heavy. When the Devil wants to impersonate a human being he files his tongue. This smith was the master Devil.