Suriname folk-lore

119.

Wąn Konu bɛn dɛ, 'a Konu nɛm Nɔtneatɛ̨ŋ. Wɛ nō, wąn dei̯ na Konu nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ wei̯fi bɛn go na wąn koiri. Ɛn na Konu bɛn 'abi wąn umą-p'kin. A bɛn moi̯ tɛ moi̯ liba abra, ɛn a bɛn lɔb' ɛ̨ŋ mɔr' lei̯k ɛ̨ŋ 'ai̯-glas fō ɛ̨ŋ hai̯.

Ɛn 'a tɔri mus' ką' go!
A sɑ go!
Ɛn na tɔr' abi maxmɔriǫn, nąŋga shuba-shuba.
Kri-kra, ala mąn na ɛ̨ŋ kraka!
Da tɔri a wąn sɩ̨ngi, nō -

Kɔ̨ go na broi̯ki, yu sɑ si,

Kɔ̨ go na broi̯ki, yu sɑ si,

Malata umą de, ya-yo.

'A tɔri sɑ go?
A sɑ go!

We, di Konu de koiri, so i bɛn 'abi somɛni p'kin boi̯, dɛ pre mɔrima. Ɛn so, wąn fō den boi̯ mɔrimo naki Konu Nɔtniatɛ̨ŋ. A weri wą' wei̯t' bruku, ɛn na boi̯ mɔrs' ɛ̨ŋ.

Bato! Mi bɛn dapɛ!
Sąn 'ɛ taki?

Di a mɔrimo nak' 'a Konu, nō mō wą' fō den boi̯ sɩ̨ŋgi,

Alimąn, xɛfmąn betyɛ so

Alimąn, tįn, tįn, tįn, alimąn.

Waka na i tɔri, basi!
A mus' ką' go!
Wɛ, mi mąn, opo yu yesi yɛri tɔri, fō tɛ yu go taki baka fō yu no lei̯.

Ɛn di na p'kin boi̯ mɔrs' na bruku fō Konu, Konu ɑks' ɛ̨ŋ tak', suma n' ɛ̨ŋ? ‘Mi na Nɔtnihatmi, mi Konu.’

So na Konu waka gowɛ dɔro. Di a dɔro n'ɛ̨ŋ 'oso, dei̯-broko m'mantɛ̨m, a sɛni wą' brifi sɛni kar' na boi̯. A tai̯ki, ‘Mi wani si tru-tru ɛf' sąn n'ɛ 'at 'a boi̯.’ Ɛn 'a boi̯ taki, ‘Mi wani si tru-tru ɛf' sąn n'at' Konu.’

[p. 370]

Sɛns' na boi̯ bɛn dɛ wą' p'kin boi̯, a bɛn froit' nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ mɔfo wąn fesiwɩ̨nti. Wɛ, mi mą', Konu sɑ kal' na boi̯, a tak', ‘Nɔtnehatmi, ɛn ɛf yu du sani di sɑ hat' mi, mi kɔndre na fō yu, ɛn mi nɛki yu ką' pɔt' na ɩn' wąn pɛ̨ŋki.’ 'A boi̯ lafu fō prisiri. Wɛl, mi mą', a tai̯gi na boi̯, a tak', ‘Tamara mamąntɛ̨' sei̯bi yuru, mi wani yu diaso na mi 'oso-mɔfo dɔro.’

Bato! A tak' wąn sɩ̨ŋgi:

Sani mor' Abana!

A no mąŋ go,

A no mąŋ kɔm.

Tɛ sɩneki bei̯ti mi,

Mi si wɔrɔ̨ŋ,

Mi fredɛ.

Wɛ, na sei̯bi yuru mamąntɛ̨m, a tɛ na boi̯ dɔro, a tak', ‘Mi Konu Natnehatmi, mi dɔro.’ Konu tek' 'a boi̯, a gi' ɛm agu-pɛ̨n fō a libi na ɩni. Ɛn na nanyąm di den agu nyąm, na dɑt' 'a boi̯ mu' nyąm. Di dę' opo mamąntɛ̨m, a ɑksi na boi̯, a tak', ‘Natneatmi, fa yu srib' na nei̯ti?’ A taki, ‘Mi Konu, mi slibi mɔro sui̯ti lei̯ki yu, ɛn mi nyąm mɔro bɛtre lei̯ki yu.’ Wɛ, a tak' a no nɔtįŋ.

Dą' Konu tek' ɛ̨ŋ nō, pɔt ɛ̨ŋ ɩni na wąn p'kin 'oso. Są' dagu dɛ nyą' nąŋga pus-pusi, ɛn dɑt' a mu' nyąm. Tama', Kon' ɑksi ɛ̨ŋ tak' fa a sribi. A taki ɛ̨ŋ sribi tu trǫ sui̯ti lei̯k' yɛsredei̯. Konu a seki ɛ̨ŋ 'ɛdɛ.

Konu bɛn 'abi wą' ɔndru nąŋga fei̯f' tɛnti skapu. A bɛn habi tu ɔndro kau̯. A bɛn abi wąn duzo fɔru. Mamąntɛ̨m, di opo, a tai̯g' Nɔtneatmi taki, ‘Diaso mi abi tu ɔndro kau̯. Tamara mi wani yu tyari dem go na sabana fō go nyąm grasi.’ Ɛn na boi̯ tek' dem tu ɔndro kau̯ tya'i dɛm go na sabana. A sɛri dem alamala. D'a kɔ̨' na Konu baka. Konu taki, ‘Nɔtneatmi, pɛ den kau̯ dɛ?’ 'A boi̯ tak', ‘Ax, mi bɛn sɛr' dem, Konu.’

Na tɔri sɑ go!
Na tɔri 'abi maxmɔriǫn, na na shuba, shuba!
Bato, są' ɛ̨ŋ taki?

Ura, sani nyą' mąnya?

Ura, sani nyą' mąnya?

Ura, Pompom nyąm mąnya.

Wɛ, na tɔr' di mi dɛ gi' yu, na tɔri mus' ką go.
Arki, mąn, arki!
Yɛre, mąn, yɛre!
Kri-i, kra-a!

Konu tak' na boi̯, ‘Tek' dem hɔndro nąŋga fei̯fi-tɛnti skapu, tya' dem go na sabana, mek' dɛm nyąm baka.’ No, na boi̯ go na

[p. 372]

sabana, mi mąn, nąŋga den skapu. Tra' wą a gi suma, ɛn somɛni a sɛri baka. Nō, mi mąn, na boi̯ bɛn drei̯ kɔ̨' na 'oso baka. Konu luk' ɛm. A lafu. A tak', ‘Natnehatmi, fa fō den skapu, dę' bɛn nyąm bǫn?’ 'A boi̯ tak', ‘Konu, mi sɛr' tra wąn, tra wąn mi gi suma.’ Konu tek' 'a boi̯, a pɔt' hɛm baka ɩn' na agu-pɛ̨n baka pɛ a tą'. A pɛ Konu dɛ wąs' ɛ̨ŋ futu na watra, dɑt' na boi̯ mu' drɩ̨ŋgi.

Wɛ, mi mu opo yesi yɛri tɔri.
Wɛ, mi mąn, mi go tai̯g' yu tɔri nō!

Wąn bɩgi ɔptɔk bɛn dɛ, so dem bɛn sɛni kali Konu fō wąn dri dei̯. Ɛn so Konu a bɛn muso fō go. Ɛn di a dɛ gowɛ, a bɛn sari so tɛ ... fō libi ɛ̨ŋ wei̯fi na ɛ̨ŋ pikin fō gowɛ na na fei̯ti. Ma di Konu gowɛ k'ba, na boi̯ Natnehatmi 'ɛ kɔmopo nowa na agu-pɛ̨n ɛn a bɩgin froi̯ti wą' sɩ̨ŋgi. A froi̯t' taki,

Skapu na wąn sɛgi-meti.
Są' a go du na sabana?

Wɛ, mi mąn, a i tį' na boi̯ bɩgin froi̯ti, Konu p'kin a yurutɛm a yeri na froi̯ti fō na boi̯, a bɛn bɩgin fō dąnsi. Na mama s'rɛf' bɩgin fō dąnsi. A tɛm dɑti Konu dɛ fei̯ti fō kaba na bɩgi fei̯ti. Ɛn na umą-p'kin fō Konu, a sɑ kar' na boi̯ Nɔtneatmi, a tak', ‘Nɔtneatmi, yu no mu srib' na ɩn' n' agu-pɛ̨n mɔro.’ A sɛn' wąn pret' n'nyąm gi na boi̯, san di ɛ̨ŋ s'rɛfi no dɛ nyąm, ɛn a tai̯g' na boi̯, a tak', ‘Tide-nei̯ti, ɛf' yu wani, yu kąn pre' wąn froi̯ti wąn p'kin-so dąnsi gi' mi.’ A i tį' na boi̯ bɩgin na froi̯ti, na yur'tɛm a bɩgin froi̯ti baka, Konu p'kin dąnsi. Ɛ̨ŋ nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ m'ma. Ɛn di na boi̯ tɛnapu na tapu froi̯ti, Konu p'kin taki, ‘Kɔmopo na tapu na trapu. Kɔ̨' tek' stara sidǫ', froi̯ti, meki mi yeri.’ A i tį' na boi̯ bɩgin fō froi̯ti, agei̯n, mi mąn, na medjɛ a bɛn lɔbi na boi̯ tɛ ... a lɔbi libi-abra. Ala sani a nyąm, a gi na boi̯ f'a nyąm tu.

Na boi̯ bɩgin fō froi̯ti baka, a taki na medjɛ, ‘Mi 'abi wą' p'kin afkodrai̯ wɩnti mi s'rɛfi.’ A di na boi̯ bɩgin froi̯ti baka, mi mąn, a tai̯gi na boi̯ taki, ‘Nɔtnehatmi, kɔ̨' sidǫ' na tap' mi futu, want' na froi̯ti f'yu a dɛ gi mi tumuso prisiri.’

Mɔksmɔrio, na na shuba, shuba!

Presesi a lɔ'tu,

Doi̯, doi̯, mɩsi,

Ɛf' mi mu' tro nąŋga mi papa,

A mɔro bɛtre mi dɛdɛ.

A mɔro bɛtre mi was' mi futu,

Mi go na mi bɛdɛ,

Mi go didǫ'.

[p. 374]

Wɛl, mi mąn, wąn san' na twarf' yur' na mɩndri-nei̯ti, Notneatmi nąŋga na medjɛ bɛn dɛ na ɩni kamera, dę' sripi. Wąn sani fō wąn yuru na nei̯ti Konu bɛn wɩni fei̯ti, a yurutɛm a dɔro nąŋga presiri, a dyɔmpo na ɩni ɛ̨ŋ hoso. A yu'tɛm na fɔs' dɔro a go pɛ ɛ̨ŋ umą-p'kin dɛ. A i tį' a pus' na dɔro go na ɩni, nō mō a si na boi̯ Nɔtneatmi, a bɛn didǫ' ląŋga ląŋga na ɛ̨' umą-p'kin sei̯. A bɛn skreki tɛ fō dɛdɛ, ɛn a bɛn ati ɛ̨ŋ so tɛ ... fō dɛdɛ. Ɛn so a tek' wąn gɔ̨' fō shuti na boi̯. Na boi̯ sɑ tai̯gi ɛm taki, ‘Konu Natnehatmi, kibri y'at'-brɔ̨n fō tamara.’

Na tamara a taki, ‘Konu, diaso mi abi yu nɛki.’ A so dem bɛn kiri Konu, ąŋga ɛm na kari, pɔt wąn strɔp na ɛ̨ŋ nɛki. Ɛn na boi̯ sɑ tak' na umą-p'kin fō Konu Natnehatmi, a tak', ‘Yu papa buba a sɑ dɛ fō mi figi futu, ɛn ɛm bɔ̨nyo sɑ dɛ fō mi drai̯ trapu.’

'A so, na boi̯ tek' na kɔndre, ɛn a tro nąŋga konu-p'kin. Ɛn so a bɛn wɩni Konu. Ɛn so na tɔri bɛn kɔ̨' kaba.

S'ek¹ fa mi taki, na so a dɛ.

1 Abbreviation of ‘so lei̯k’, - ‘just as’.

119. Enfant Terrible: Fate of King ‘Nothing-Hurts-Him’.¹

There was a King, the King's name was ‘Nothing-Hurts-Him’. Well now, one day the King and his wife went for a walk. And the King had a daughter. She was beautiful until there was beauty to spare, and he loved her more than the eye-glass of his eye.

And the story must go on!
It will go on!
And the story has maxmorion, with shuba-shuba.
Kri-kra, all men in their places!
The story has a song, now -

Come to the bridge, and you will see,

Come to the bridge, and you will see,

The mulatto women are there, ya-yo.²

The story will go on?
It will go on!

Well, as the King was walking, so there were many small boys who were playing marbles. And so, one of the boy's marbles struck the King Nothing-Hurts-Him. He was wearing white trousers, and the boy soiled them.

Bato! I was there!
What was said?

When the marble struck the King, at once one of the boys sang,

Aliman, xefman betye so

Aliman tin, tin, tin, aliman.³

Go on with your story, boss!
It must go on!
Well, my man, open your ears and hear the story, so that when you go to repeat it you don't lie.

And when the little boy soiled the King's trousers, the King asked him, he said, who he was? ‘I am Nothing-Hurts-Me, my King.’

So the King went away. When he came home, in the morning at daybreak he sent a letter to call the boy. He said, ‘I want to see if indeed something won't hurt the boy.’ And the boy said, ‘I want to see if indeed something won't hurt the King.’

1 Told by 4. Compare Southern Nigeria (Yoruba), Frobenius 214-217, No. 11; Northeastern Nigeria (Bura), Helser 81-84, No. 18.

2 Song No. 120.

3 Song No. 133.

[p. 371]

Since the boy had been a small boy he had whistled with his mouth a face-wɩnti. Well, my man, the King will call the boy, and he will say, ‘Nothing-Hurts-Me, and if you do something which will hurt me, my kingdom is yours, and you can put my neck in stocks.’ The boy laughed from happiness. Well, my man, he said to the boy, he said, ‘Tomorrow morning, at seven o'clock, I want you here at my door.’

Bato! He spoke a song:

‘Things trouble Abana!

He cannot go,

He cannot come.

A snake bit me,

I see a worm,

I am afraid.’¹

Well, at seven o'clock in the morning when the boy arrived, he said, ‘King Nothing-Hurts-Me, I have arrived.’ The King took the boy and gave him a pig-pen to live in. The boy had to eat the food the pigs ate. When they got up in the morning, he asked the boy, he said, ‘Nothing-Hurts-Me, how did you spend the night?’ He said, ‘My King, I slept better than you, and I ate better than you.’ Well, he said it was nothing.

Then the King took him now, and put him in a small house. He had to eat what the dogs and the cats ate. The next day the King asked him, said, how he had slept. He said he had slept twice as well as yesterday. The King shook his head.

The King had one hundred and fifty sheep. He had two hundred cows. He had a thousand chickens. In the morning, when he got up, he said to Nothing-Hurts-Me, said, ‘Here I have two hundred cows. Tomorrow I want you to take them to the pasture to graze.’ And the boy took the two hundred cows to the pasture. He sold all of them. Then he came back to the King. The King said, ‘Nothing-Hurts-Me, where are the cows?’ The boy said, ‘Ah! I sold them, King.’

The story will go on!
The story has maxmorion, with shuba, shuba!
Bato, what does it say?

Hurrah! What ate the mangoes?

Hurrah! What ate the mangoes?

Hurrah! Pompon ate the mangoes.²

Well, the story I am giving you, this story must go on.
Harken, man, harken!
Listen, man, listen!
Kri-i, kra-a!

The King said to the boy, ‘Take the hundred and fifty sheep to the pasture and have them graze again.’ Now the boy went to the

1 Song No. 125.

2 Song No. 129. Pompon is a bird.

[p. 373]

pasture, my man, with the sheep. Some he gave away to people, and many he sold again. Now, my man, the boy returned home again. The King looked at him. He (the boy) laughed. He (the King) said, ‘Nothing-Hurts-Me, how about the sheep, have they eaten well?’ The boy said, ‘King, I sold some, and the others I gave (away) to people.’ The King took the boy and he put him back in the pig-pen, where he had been. The boy had to drink water which came from the place where the King washed his feet.

Well, I must open my ears and hear the story.
Well, my man, I am going to tell you a story now!

There was a big war, so they sent to call the King to come for about three days. And so the King had to go. And when he went away, he was sorry so till... to leave his wife, and his children, and to go away to war. But, when the King was gone, the boy Nothing-Hurts-Me came out now from his pig-pen, and he began to whistle a song. He whistled (said),

A sheep is a sacred animal.
What is it going to do in the pasture?¹

Well, my man, as soon as the boy began to whistle, the King's daughter heard the boy's whistling, and she began to dance. The mother herself began to dance. At that time the King was fighting to end the big war. And the King's daughter will call the boy Nothing-Hurts-Me, and say, ‘Nothing-Hurts-Me, you must not sleep any more in the pig-pen.’ She sent a plate of food to the boy, that she herself had not eaten, and she said to the boy, she said, ‘Tonight, if you want, you can whistle a little for me so that I may dance.’ As soon as the boy began to whistle again, - the very moment he began to whistle again, the King's daughter danced. She and her mother. And as the boy was standing up whistling, the King's daughter said, ‘Come upstairs. Come take a stool, sit down, and let me hear you whistle.’ As soon as the boy began to whistle again, my man, the girl loved the man till... there was love to spare. Everything she ate she gave the boy to eat, too.

The boy began to whistle again, and he said to the girl, ‘I have a small heathen² wɩnti myself.’ As the boy began to whistle again, my man, she said to the boy, she said, ‘Nothing-Hurts-Me, come and sit on my lap, because your whistling gives me great pleasure.’

Moxmorio, and shuba, shuba!

Presesi a lɔ'tu,

Doi, doi, Missi,

If I must marry my father,

It is better I die.

It is better I wash my feet,

I go to my bed,

I go lie down.³

1 Song No. 141. ‘Savannah’, in one sense, also means ‘cemetery’.

2 The word afkodrai̯ is from the Dutch word for ‘idolatrous’.

3 Song No. 128.

[p. 375]

Well, my man, about twelve o'clock midnight, Nothing-Hurts-Me and the girl were asleep in a room. About one o'clock at night the King, having won the war, came back happy, and he hurried into the house. When he arrived, he went where his daughter was. As he pushed open the door to go in, at once he saw the boy Nothing-Hurts-Me, and he was lying stretched out beside his daughter. He was frightened to death, and it hurt him so till... death. And so he took a gun to shoot the boy. The boy will say to him, say, ‘King Nothing-Hurts-Me, hide your anger till tomorrow.’

The next day, he said, ‘King, here I have your neck.’ And so they killed the King, and hanged him by putting a strap about his neck. And the boy will say to the daughter of King Nothing-Hurts-Me, he will say, ‘Your father's skin will be for me to wipe my feet on, and his bones will be my stepladder.’

And so the boy took the kingdom, and he married the King's daughter. And so he won from the King. And so the story has come to an end.

Just as I said, so it happened.