Suriname folk-lore

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104.

Er-tin-tin!
Tin-tin-tin!

Wąn konum bɛn dɛ, dɩsɩ bɛn habi wąn mąn pikin. Di a bɛn kɔm bɩgi kaba ɛn hɛm papa kɔm grani, a taki gi na pikin, ‘Mi pikin, luku mi dɛ kɔm hɔru kaba, so yu a fō teki da kɔndre abra. Ma fɔsi yu mu go na na kɔndre fō Konu Leimąn ɛn tro Hɛlena tyari kɔm gi mi.’ So na pikin piki hɛm papa, a taki, ‘Mi papa, na wąn tumusi hɛbi wroko yu gi mi, bɩkasi Konu Lei̯mąn na wąn tumusi hɔgri Konum.’ Na papa taki, gi hɛm pikin, a taki, ‘Ɛfi yu no tro nąŋga prɩncɛs Hɛlena, yu no sɑ kɩsi mi kɔndre.’ So na pikin tai̯gi hɛm papa, a taki, ‘Mi sɑ du sąn yu wani, ɛn go tro nąŋga prɩncɛs Hɛlena.’

Na tamara mamantɛm na prɩ̨ns teki hɛm katasųn, a lei̯ hɛm nąŋga dokų'. A taki hɛm papa adiosi, a teki pasi. Di a waka so tɛ ... a miti tu pikin boi̯, den feti. A taki, ‘Mi boi̯, sąn hɛdɛ ųn dɛ feti?’ Den taki, ‘Wi den feti fō da srebinɛfi dɩsi, bɩkasi na na wąn sani dɩsi wi papa dɛdɛ libi. Hɛm wani ɛ̨ŋ, mi wani ɛ̨ŋ tu.’ Na prɩ̨ns taki, ‘No feti mɔro. Sɛri hɛm gi mi, dąn mi sɑ gi ųn mɔni.’ Den taki, ‘A bǫ'. Dąn wi ala tu kąn kɩsi wąn sani.’ Di na prɩ̨ns pai̯ den na mɔni, a teki na srebnɛfi, a waka wąn pisi gowɛ. Ma a prakseri taki da srebinɛfi musu habi wąn wardɛ, no so, den boi̯ no bɛn kąn feti fō hɛm hɛdɛ. So a kari den boi̯, a taki, ‘Mi boi̯, mi bai̯ na srebnɛfi, ma ųn no tai̯gi mi sąn a dɛ du?’ Dɛm boi̯ taki, ‘Te yu dɛ na ɩni notu, ɛfu yu taki, “Mi srebnɛfi Kotifąn”, dąn yu srɛfi sɑ si.’

A teki hɛm pasi baka, a gowe. Di a waka so tɛ ... a miti tu pikin boi̯ baka. Den dɛ feti fō wan katasųn. A taki, ‘Mi boi̯, sąn ųn dɛ feti?’ Den boi̯ piki hɛm taki, ‘Na na katasųn hɛdɛ wi dɛ feti, bikasi na na wąn sani dɑti wi papa libi gi wi di a dɛdɛ. Wi ala tu wani ɛ̨ŋ. So wi dɛ feti. Suma kiri tra wąn sa teki ɛ̨ŋ, bɩkasi a habi wardɛ.’ So a taki, ‘Boi̯-i, ųn no feti mɔro, ma sɛri da katasųn gi wi. Mi sa pai̯ ųn bǫn.’ Den boi̯ bɛn brei̯ti fō kɩsi mɔni, so den sɛri da katasųn gi na prɩ̨ns. Na prɩ̨ns taki, ‘Ųn boi̯, sɔrtu wardɛ na katasųn habi?’ Den boi̯ piki hɛm taki, ‘Wąnsi suma sütu gɔ̨n na yu tapu, ɛn yu taki, “Katasųn fąŋga!” dąn ala kugru sɑ go na ɩni na katasųn.’ Na prɩ̨ns bɛn brei̯ti, bɩkasi a taki, ‘Dɩsi mi sa habi fanodu, na Konum Lei̯mąn kɔndre.’

So a bɛn waka, a bɛn waka wąn-tu dei̯. A bɛn miti wąn ɔru mama, bɛn sidǫ' na pasi furu nąŋga kraskrasi. A taki, ‘Mi mama,

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fa yu sidǫ' so?’ Dąn na mama piki hɛm, taki, ‘Mi sɩkin dɛ krasi mi. Mi wani wąn suma fō wasi hɛm gi mi.’...

Bato! Mi bɛn dapɛ.

Bagɛ, bagɛ Lei̯mąn,
Yu kɔm fō lei̯, lei̯ dɔro,
Bagɛ, bagɛ Lei̯mąn,
Yu kɔ̨' fō lei̯ doro, Lei̯man.

... A taki, ‘A bǫn, mi mama, mi sɑ wasi hɛm gi yu.’ So a go na ɩni liba, a kɩsi watra, a wasi na mama sɩkin. Di a kaba, dąn na mama taki hɛm tąŋgi, a tai̯gi hɛm taki, ‘Mi prɩ̨ns, yu du mi wąn bǫn, so mi wani lɛpi yu baka. Tu yuru mɔro yu sɑ waka, dan yu dɛ kɔm na da pali fō na Konum Lei̯mąn kɔndre. Dati na wąn tumusi hɔgri Konum.’ Na prɩ̨ns piki hɛm taki, ‘Na dapɛ mi musu go fō tro nąŋga prɩ̨ncɛs Hɛlena.’ Na mama piki hɛm taki, ‘Fō tro nąŋga prɩ̨ncɛs Hɛlena! Yu sabi homɛni mąn na Konum bɛn kiri fō da prɩ̨ncɛs hɛdɛ? Na twenti na ai̯ti!’ Na prɩ̨ns bɛn skrei̯ki dɛ a yere dati. A taki, ‘Mi no sabi ɛfu mi dɛ go dɛ da twenti na nei̯gi, ma mi habi fō du mi papa wani.’ Na mama tai̯gi hɛm taki, ‘Te yu dɛ go, yu sɑ si da prɩ̨ncɛs dɛ go kɔm na libasei̯ kɔm swɛ̨ŋ. Te a puru ɛ̨ŋ krosi ɛn a saka go na ɩni watra, dąn yu dɛ teki hɛm krosi kɩbri. Ɛ̨ŋ a dɛ go bari dri trǫ', “Suma teki mi krosi, mek” a tyari ɛ̨ŋ gi mi, dąn mi sɑ tro nąŋga hɛm', ma yu no mu tyar' hɛm go. Ɛfu yu du dati hɛm papa dɛ go kiri yu. Ma tɛ yu no tyari hɛm go, dąn a dɛ go bari baka, taki, “Na suma dɩsi sɑ tyari mi krosi gi mi baka, a sa tą' mi mati te na dɛdɛ.” Dąn yu kąn tyari hɛm go.’ A taki, ‘A bǫ'.’

A taki na mama tąŋgi. A teki hɛm pasi, a dɛ go. Di a waka so tɛ... a kisi na tu yuru, a miti Konum Lei̯mąn kɔndre. So a tɛnapu na baka wąn bom na da libasei̯ fō wakti te na prɩncɛs sɑ kɔm fō go wasi. Di a bɛn puru ɛ̨ŋ krosi, na prɩ̨ns bɛn go sa‧afri ɛn a teki ɛ̨ŋ kibri.

Di na prɩ̨ncɛs kaba wasi, a kɔm suku hɛm krosi, a no bɛn feni hɛm. So a bari dri trǫ' so lei̯ki fa da mama bɛn tai̯gi da prɩ̨ns, taki, ‘Suma tyari mi krosi gi mi, mi sa tro nąŋga hɛm.’ Dąn prɩ̨ns bɛn yere dati, ɛ̨ŋ bɛn hankri tumusi fō tro nąŋga prɩ̨ncɛs, so a ben wani lɔ̨' tyari na krosi go. Ma a bɛn yɛre wąn foru bari na loktu taki, ‘Fa yu dɛ go las' yu libi!’ So a hop' hɛm ai̯ na loktu. A si na wąn raf na tapu na bom. Wąntɛ a kɩsi hɛm srefi, a prakseri są' na mama bɛn tai̯gi hɛm. D'a prakseri, a dɛ prakseri fa lɔbi fō de

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prɩncɛs hɛdɛ meki a bɛn frɩgɩti wąn tumusi fanodu sani. So a yɛre na prɩncɛs bari baka dri trǫ', ‘Suma tyari mi krosi gi mi, hɛm sa tą' mi mati te na dɛdɛ.’ So a lɔ̨' hɛsi hɛsi, a tyari da krosi gi da prɩ̨ncɛs. Di na prɩ̨ncɛs weri na krosi, a taki, ‘Yɔnkumąn, sąn tyari yu kɔ̨' dia na mi papa kɔndre? Yu sabi-taki mi papa na wąn tumusi hɔgri Konum. Ma ala sani sąn a dɛ go du, mi dɛ si na fesi.’ Na prɩ̨ns piki hɛm taki, ‘Mi kɔm na Konum Lei̯mąn kɔndre bɩkasi mi horu papa dɛ wąn Konum tu; a sɛni mi fō kɔm tro nąŋga na prɩ̨ncɛs Hɛlena.’ Na prɩ̨nces bɛn tai̯gi hɛm taki, a taki, ‘Bɩfɔs' yu tro nąŋga mi, kan dɛ yu papa dɛdɛ. Ɛfu no so, yu dɛdɛ, bɩkasi mi papa dɛ go gi yu somɛni wroko, ɛn ɛfu yu no kąn du den wroko, dąn yu dɛ go dɛdɛ.’ A taki, ‘Ma mi promisi yu taki, yu sa tą' mi mati tɛ na dɛdɛ. So meki mi sa lɛpi yu fō yu kąn wɩni mi papa hati.’

So den teki pasi fō go na palei̯s fō Konum Lei̯man. Konum Lei̯man de na tapu hɛm barkǫn nąŋga adyudanti. A si da prɩ̨ncɛs den kɔm nąŋga wąn tra suma. A tai̯gi adyudanti wąntɛ, a taki, ‘Wan yųŋkumąn dɛ kɔm baka fō lɔsi libi.’ A taki, ‘Bɩkasi nowąn fō den wroko fō mi a sɑ mąŋ du.’ Di na yųŋgumąn doro na ɩni na palei̯s fō da Konum, a bɛn taki odi moi̯. Konum pɔti hɛm sidǫ', a hɑksi hɛm sąn' a wani. A taki, ‘Mi Konum, mi papa sɛni mi fō kɔm na yu kɔndre. Mi musu tro nąŋga prɩ̨ncɛs Hɛlena, ɛn mi mu tyari hɛm go baka na mi papa kɔndre.’ Konum piki hɛm taki, ‘Mi yųŋkumąn, trɔbi no dɛ, ɛf' yu kąn du den wroko di mi sɑ gi yu.’ Taki, ‘Tamara mamɛ̨ntɛ̨m yu mu fara na pisi busi dɩsi gi mi. Yu mu prani karu, na karu musu gro, ɛn tamara mamɛ̨ntɛ̨m mi mus' habi karu brɛdɛ fō hɛm na mi tafra.’

'A yųŋkumąn bɛn skrei̯ki dɑti na hɛm futu bɛn kɔm koru. Na hɛri nɛti a dɛ prakseri. Na prɩncɛs kɔm na hɛm, a taki, ‘Sąn yu prakseri so?’ A taki, ‘Yu papa gi mi wąn wroko dɑti mi no sabi fa mi sɑ du ɛ̨ŋ.’ Na Prɩ̨ncɛs piki hɛm taki, ‘Na lau̯ sani na wroko di mi papa gi yu. Ɛf' yu habi wąn suma di kąn fara na busi, mi dɛ prani na karu gi yu, mi de losu na karu brɛde gi yu.’ So na yųŋkumąn kɔm prakseri hɛm srebinɛfi. A taki, ‘A bǫ'.’ A taki hɛm srebinɛfi, taki, ‘Mi srebinɛfi Kotifąn', mek' mi tai̯gi dɛ.’ Na srebinɛfi kɔti ala bom na ɩni na busi, a trowɛ na grǫ. So na prɩncɛs tai̯gi hɛm taki, n'a fō wroko mɔro. A kąn go lidǫ' ɛn sribi. ‘Ala tra sani mi sɑ du.’

'A yurutɛ̨' na Konum wei̯ki na mamɛ̨ntɛ̨m, a bɛn si da karu brɛdɛ na tapu hɛm tafra, a bɛn skrei̯ki. A taki, ‘Na yųŋkumąn dɩsi sɔri lei̯ki a wani prei̯ nąŋga mi.’ So a sɛni kari hɛm. A taki, ‘Yu du da wroko bǫ', ma dati na fɔsi wroko.’ A taki hem, ‘Tamara mamɛ̨n-

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tɛ̨m mi dɛ go dia na mɔfo dɔro, dąn mi habi tu p'kin, disi geɛrsi makandra lei̯ki wąn dropu watra. Dą' yu mu tai̯gi mi sort' wąn na fɔsi wąn.’ A taki, ‘Konum, wąn hɛbi wroko yu gi mi, ma mi sɑ si ɛf' mi kąn du hɛm.’

Na neti na yųŋkumąn bɛn sidǫ', a bɛn praksɛri agei̯n fa ɛ̨ŋ go du dɩsi wroko, bɩkasi a no bɛn si den tu sisa srɛf'-srɛfi yɛtɛ. So a sidǫ' a prakseri, a prakseri. Na prɩ̨ncɛs kɔm na hɛm baka. A taki, ‘Yu dɛ so sari, sąn dɛ fō du nąŋga yu?’ Na yųŋkumąn piki hɛm tak', ‘Mi bribi tamara yu papa a i go kiri mi, bɩkasi mi no si den sisa srɛf'-srɛfi yɛtɛ, fa mi de go sabi sɔrtu wąn na fɔsi wąn? Dę' geɛrsi makandra lei̯ki tu drapu watra.’ Prɩ̨ncɛs taki, ‘Na lau̯ sani na wroko di mi papa gi yu.’ A tak', ‘Tamara mamɛntɛm, te den tu sisa tɛnapu 'a sei̯ makandra, dąn yu luku bǫn, dąn yu sɑ si wan frei̯-frei̯. Ɛ̨ŋ go frei̯ dri trǫ' lɔntu. Dą' i go saka sidǫ' na tapu ɛ̨ŋ letsei̯ yesi. A i go sek' ɛ̨ŋ hɛdɛ fa 'a frei̯-frei̯ gowē. Ma a n'e gō gowē. Dati na fɔsi pikin.’ So na yųŋkumąn bɛn tak' na prɩncɛs tąŋgi, a go sribi.

Tamara mamɛ̨ntɛ̨m fruku na Konum nąŋga den tu pikin bɛn tɛnapu na mofo dɔro nąŋga ala soldati lɔntu, nąŋga gɔ̨'. Ɛf' na yųŋkumąn no sab' du na wroko, wąntrǫ' den sa kiri hɛm. Ma ɛf' a du ɛ̨ŋ, dąn a sɑ tro nąŋga Konum p'kin. So na yųŋkumąn kɔm, a luku, a si den tu sisa ala tu geɛrsi makandra. A taki, ‘Konum, na wroko dɩsi, ɛfu mi no bɛn dɛ wąn kɔni mąn, mi no dɛ̨ŋki mi sɑ puru hɛm.’ So a luku, a si na frei̯-frei̯ frei̯ lɔntu, si a sidǫ' na letsei̯ yesi. Na prɩncɛs a seki ɛ̨ŋ hɛdɛ fō na frei̯-frei̯ gowē, ma a no bɛn go, a bɛn sidǫ'. So na yųŋkumąn waka go na fesi. A fas' na prɩ̨ncɛs na tapu hɛm skoru, a taki, ‘Konum, na dɩsi na di fɔsi wąn.’ Nō, Konum skrei̯ki. A taki, ‘Fa yu du sabi, yu mu gi mi wąn marki taki na so a dɛ.’ A taki Konum, ‘Luku na tapu na letsei̯ yesi. Yu si na frei̯-frei̯ sidǫ' dapɛ? Ɛn dɑti na marki.’ Na Konum taki, ‘Yu wɩni agei̯n, ɛn tamara yu sɑ tro nąŋga prɩncɛs Hɛlena.’

Ma neti, fɔsi na prɩns go didǫ', prɩncɛs kɔm na hɛm, a taki, ‘Luku! Ɛf' mi no bɛn si sani na fesi, dąn tidɛ net' srɛfi yu sɑ dɛdɛ. Ma kɔ̨' na ɩni yu kamera, mi sa sɔri yu wą' sani.’ A yurtɛm den go na ɩni na kamera, na prɩncɛs teki wąn pisi brɔn-wudu, a taki, ‘Dą' yu luku, dą' yu sɑ si fa yu bɛn dɛ go dɛdɛ.’ A tek' na brɔn-wudu, a trowē na tapu na bɛdɛ. So, blam! na hɛri matrasi drei̯, en na wudu fadǫ' na ɩni wąn bɩgi kapu nąŋga bɔri watra. Na prɩncɛs taki, ‘Na baka ala den sani dɩsi wi no kan tą' mɔro. Yu musu lɔ̨' wē gowē.’

'A yuru te na prɩns nąŋga prɩncɛs kɔmopo na kɔndre gowē, na Konum bɛn habi wąn kakaforu, dɩsi bɛn dɛ lukumąn ɛn waktimąn

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fō da kɔndre. Kakaforu bari dri trǫ' ‘Ko-ko-dia-ko. Suma pikin de-i gowɛ.’ Na Konum bɛn djɔmpo na hɛm sribi-presi. Hɛm sabi sąn pasa. A taki, ‘Hɛlena de gowɛ.’ A kari sordati fō lɔ̨' wē, go kɩs' dɛm. Te den lɔ̨' na prɩns baka, na Konum nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ frau̯ bɛn dɛ. A tai̯gi den sordati, mek' hɛm sütu na prɩ̨ns kiri. Fa den marka den tapu, a bari gi hɛm katasųn, a tai̯gi, ‘Mi katasųn, fąŋga!’ Ala den kugru di den sütu, alamal' a i go na ɩni na katasųn. Den sordati den lɔ̨' na dɛm baka. Fa den dɔro na fesi wą' pikin krɩki, den no mąŋ kɔtigo abra. Na prɩns tak', ‘Fa wi go du? Den go kɩs' wi!’ Na prɩ̨ncɛs taki, ‘Dat' na wąn lau̯ sani. Tą', mek' wi djɔmpo ɩni na watra.’ Tɛ den djɔmpo na watra, wantrǫ' den trǫn tu skrurki. Te na Konum dɔro na fesi na kriki, a si den tu skrurki, den swɛ̨ŋ. A tai̯g' den soldat' taki, ‘Kɩs den skrurki gi mi. Den moi̯ fō kweki na dyari.’ Fa den soldati dę' ląŋga hanu fō kis' den skrurki, wantɛm den trǫ' tu weti raf. Den opo frei̯ gowɛ.

So den kɔm dɔro na na prɩ̨ns papa kɔndre. Dąn den hɔri bɩgi trohoso. Ɛ̨' mi srɛfi tu bɛn dɛ, ɛ̨' mi dąnsi bandamba.

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104. King Leiman's a Daughter: Magic Flight.¹

Er-tin-tin!
Tin-tin-tin!

There was once a king who had a son. When he was already grown and his father grew old, he said to the son, ‘My child, see I am old already, so you must take over the kingdom. But first you must go to the kingdom of King Leiman and marry Helena and bring her here.’ So the son answered his father, he said, ‘You have given me too difficult a task, because King Leiman is a very evil King.’ The father said to his son, he said, ‘If you do not marry princess Helena you will not inherit the kingdom.’ So the boy said to his father, he said, ‘I shall do your bidding and go marry the princess Helena.’

The next morning the prince took his bag and packed it with dokun.² He said good-by to his father and he went on his way. As he walked so till... he came upon two small boys who were fighting. He said, ‘Boys, why do you fight?’ They said, ‘We are fighting for this razor, because this is the one thing our dead father left. He wants it, and I want it, too.’ The prince said, ‘Do not fight any more. Sell it to me and I will give you money.’ They said, ‘All right. Then both³ of us can get something’. When the prince paid them the money, he took the razor and walked away a short distance. But he studied that the razor must have some value, otherwise the boys would not have fought for it. So he called the boys, and he said, ‘Boys, I bought the razor, but you did not tell me what it does.’ The boys said, ‘When you are in distress, if you say “My razor Kotifan”, then you yourself shall see.’

He took to the road again and went away. As he walked so till... he met two boys again. They were fighting for a hunting sack. He said, ‘Boys, why are you fighting?’ The boys answered him, said, ‘We are fighting on account of this sack, because it is the one thing our father left us when he died. We both want it.⁴ So we are fighting. Whoever kills the other will take it, because it is valuable.’ So he said, ‘Boys,⁵ do not fight any more, but sell the sack to me. I will pay you well.’ The boys were glad to get the money, so they sold the sack to the prince. The prince said, ‘Boys, what value has this sack?’ The boys answered him, said, ‘If a man shoots a gun at you and you say “Sack catch!” then all the bullets will go into the sack.’ The prince was happy because he said, ‘I shall need this in King Leiman's kingdom.’

So he walked and he walked several days. He came upon an old woman who was covered with sores sitting in the road. He said,

1 Told by 6. Comparative references for Tauxier (II), Herskovits, M. and F. (IV), Meek, Parsons (II) and (III), Beckwith, and Andrade as on p. 327. In addition, compare Sierre Leone (Temne), Cronise and Ward 249-254, (Mende), Westermann (III), No. 11, 454-455; Hausa, Tremearne (III) 323-324, No. 60; Gabun, Nassau (I) 208-226, Benga No. 33.

2 ‘This is a mixture of cassava, coconut, sugar and currants and is cooked in a banana leaf.’

3 Lit., ‘all two’.

4 Lit., ‘we all two want it’.

5 Plural is here formed by the lengthening of the last vowel.

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‘Mother, why do you sit so?’ Then the old woman answered him, said, ‘My body itches. I want someone to wash it for me.’ ...

Bato! I was there.

Bage, Bage Leiman,
You come to guess, guess elsewhere,
Bage, Bage Leiman,
You come to guess elsewhere, Leiman.¹

... He said, ‘All right, mother, I will wash it for you.’ So he went to the river and fetched water with which to wash the old woman's body. When he finished, the old woman thanked him, and said to him, said, ‘Prince, you did me a good service, so I will help you in return. You will walk two hours longer, and then you will come to the border of the kingdom of King Leiman. That is a very evil King.’ The prince answered her, said, ‘There I must go to marry princess Helena.’ The old woman answered him, said, ‘To marry princess Helena! Do you know how many men have been killed for the sake of the princess? Twenty-eight!’ The prince was frightened when he heard this. He said, ‘I do not know if I am going to be the twenty-ninth, but I must do my father's bidding.’ The old woman said to him, said, ‘When you go you will see the princess coming to the river to swim. When she removes her clothes and goes in the water, then you take the clothes and hide them. And she will call out three times, “Let the person who took my clothes bring them to me, and I will marry him”, but you must not take them. If you do that, her father will kill you. But when you do not take them, then she will call again, say, “The person who will return my clothes will be my friend until death”, and then you can take them to her.’ He said, ‘All right.’

He thanked the old woman. He took to the road, and went away. When he walked until the two hours were up, he came to the kingdom of King Leiman. So he stood behind a tree near the river bank to wait until the princess should come to bathe. When she removed her clothes, the prince went stealthily and took them and hid them.

When the princess finished bathing, she came to look for her clothes, and did not find them. So she called out three times, just as the old woman had told the prince, she said, ‘The person who brings my clothes, I will marry him.’ The prince heard this, and he longed very much to marry the princess, so he wanted to run and take the clothes. But he heard a bird in the air say, ‘How you are going to lose your life!’ So he lifted his eyes, and he saw a macaw² in the tree-top. Immediately he controlled himself. He

1 Song No. 142.

2 Encyc., p. 49.

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studied what the old woman had told him. Then he studied and he studied, how for the sake of his love for the princess he forgot so important a thing. So he heard the princess call again three times, ‘The person who will return my clothes will he my friend until death.’ So he ran quickly and brought the clothes to the princess. When the princess was dressed, she said, ‘Young man, what brought you here to my father's kingdom? You know that my father is a very evil King. But all the things that he is going to do, I foresee.’ The prince said to her, said, ‘I come to King Leiman's kingdom because my old father is a King, too; and he sent me to marry the princess Helena.’ The princess said to him, she said, ‘Before you marry me perhaps your father will be dead. Or else you will die, because my father is going to give you many tasks, and if you cannot do the tasks, then you are going to die.’ She said, ‘But I promised you that you will remain my friend until death. So let me help you so that you may win my father's heart.’

So they took the road which led to the palace of King Leiman. King Leiman was on the balcony with his adjutants. He saw the princess coming with another person. At once he said to his adjutants, he said, ‘Another young man comes to lose his life.’ He said, ‘Because not a single of my tasks will he be able to do.’ When the young man arrived at the palace of the King, he spoke his greeting politely. The King had him sit down, and he asked him what he wished. He said, ‘King, my father sent me to your kingdom. I must marry the princess Helena, and I must take her back to my father's kingdom.’ The King answered him, said, ‘Young man, there is no difficulty, if you can do the tasks which I will set for you.’ Said, ‘Tomorrow morning you must cut this piece of bush for me. You must plant corn, the corn must grow, and tomorrow morning you must have corn bread from it on my table.’

The young man was so frightened that his feet became cold. All night he studied. The princess came to him, and she said, ‘What are you studying about?’ He said, ‘Your father gave me a task, and I do not know how I shall do it.’ The princess answered him, said, ‘The task which my father gave you is a silly thing. If you have someone who can cut the bush, I will plant the corn for you, and bake the corn bread.’ So the young man came to study (about) his razor. He said, ‘All right.’ He said to his razor, said, ‘My razor Kotifan', let what I say happen.’ The razor cut all the trees in the bush, and threw them to the ground. So the princess said to him, said, he had no more work to do. He could go lie down and sleep. ‘All other things I will do.’

When the King awoke in the morning¹, he saw the corn bread on the table. He was frightened. He said, ‘This young man is acting as though he wants to play with me.’ So he sent to call him. He said. ‘You did that task well, but that is the first task.’ He said

1 Lit., ‘At the hour time...’

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to him, ‘Tomorrow morning I am going to be here in the doorway, then I have two children who resemble each other like a drop of water. Then you must tell me which is the first one.’ He said, ‘King, you set me a heavy task, but I will see if I can do it.’

At night the young man sat down, and he studied again how he was going to do this work, because as yet he had not even seen the two sisters. So he sat down, and he studied, and studied. The princess came to him again. She said, ‘You are so sad, what is troubling you?’ The young man answered her, said, ‘I believe tomorrow your father is going to kill me, because I haven't even seen the sisters yet, and how am I going to know which is the first one? They resemble each other like two drops of water.’ The princess said, ‘The task my father gave you is a silly thing.’ She said, ‘Tomorrow morning when the two sisters stand together side by side, then you look carefully and you will see a fly.¹ It is going to fly around three times. Then it will sit down on the right ear. She will shake her head for the fly to go away. But it will not go away. That one is the first child.’ So the young man thanked the princess and he went to sleep.

Early the next morning the King and his two children stood in the doorway with all the soldiers armed with guns. If the young man does not know how to do the task, they will kill him at once. But if he does it, then he will marry the King's daughter. So the young man came, he looked and he saw the two sisters who resembled each other. He said, ‘King, if I were not so wise a man, I do not believe I could guess it.’ So he looked and he saw a fly fly around, and settle on the right ear. The princess shook her head for the fly to go away, but it did not go, it stayed there. So the young man came forward.² He touched the princess on the shoulder and he said, ‘King, this is the first one.’ Now the King was frightened. He said, ‘How do you know? You must give me a sign that this is so.’ He said to the King, ‘Look on top of the right ear. You see that fly sitting there? That is the sign.’ The King said, ‘You win again, and tomorrow you will marry the princess Helena.’

But at night, before the prince went to lie down, the princess came to him, and she said, ‘Look! If I did not foresee things, then this very night you would die. But come to your room and I will show you something.’ When they went into the room, the princess took a piece of firewood, and she said, ‘Then look and you will see how you would have died.’ She took the firewood and threw it on the bed. So, blam! the entire mattress turned over, and the wood fell into a large kettle of boiling water. The princess said, ‘After all these things we cannot remain any longer. You must run away.’

When the prince and princess were leaving the kingdom, the King had a cock who was the diviner and guardian of the kingdom. The

1 Example of noun formed by duplication, i.e., frei̯-frei̯, fly; frei̯, to fly.

2 Lit., ‘So the young man walk come the face.’

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cock called three times ‘Ko-ko-dia-ko. Someone's children are escaping.’ The King jumped up from his sleeping place. He knew what happened. He said, ‘Helena is gone.’ He called for soldiers to run and catch them. When they ran after the prince, the King and his wife were there, too. They told the soldiers to shoot the prince and kill him. As they aimed, he called out to his sack, he said, ‘My sack, catch!’ All the bullets that they shot went into the sack. The soldiers ran after them. When they came to a small creek they could not cross. The prince said, ‘What are we going to do? They are going to catch us!’ The princess said, ‘That is a silly thing. Wait, let us jump into the water.’ When they jumped in the water, they at once changed into two ducklings. When the King came to the creek he saw the two ducklings swimming about. He said to the soldiers, said, ‘Catch these ducklings for me. They are good to raise in the yard.’ As the soldiers stretched out their hands to catch the ducklings, they immediately turned into two white macaws. They flew away.

So they reached the kingdom of the prince's father. Then they held a big wedding. And I myself was there, too, and I danced bandamba.¹

1 This is danced principally at weddings and ceremonies at the birth of twins and the breaking of mourning. The dance is a rhythmic manipulation of the muscles of the buttocks, hips and abdomen.