Suriname folk-lore

129.

Wą' mą' bɛn waka na busi. Dąn a fɛn' wąn patu nąŋga 'ɔni. Ɛn a taki, na patu, ɛ̨ŋ go sɛri hɛm. Dą' i go bai̯ kau̯. Dąn a merki na kau̯, i go gi baka, ɛ̨ŋ dɛ sɛri. Ɛ̨n bai̯ foru, ɛn na ɛksi na foru sɑ meki ɛ̨ŋ dɛ go sɛri. Bai̯ krabita, skapu. Na so, den p'kin fō hɛm, ɛ̨ŋ

[p. 414]

mek' den leri bǫ'. Ɛ̨ŋ go yuru tin suma fō gi hɛm wei̯fi fō wroko. Ɛn, te den p'kin leri bǫ', dąn a sɑ trǫ' mei̯ster, datra, nąŋga afkati.

Ɛn so, di a taki nąŋga presiri, wąn tɩki bɛn dɛ na ɛ̨ŋ hanu. A de wai̯ na tɩki. A so na patu hɔni trowɛ.

Odo: Yu prakseri na tapu wan sani, tɔx yu no kɩsi hɛm.

129. Wealth from a Pot of Honey.²

A man was walking in the bush. Then he found a pot of honey. And he said he would go and sell the pot. Then he would buy a cow. Then the milk which the cow would give later, he would sell. And buy chickens, and the eggs the chickens would lay, he would

2 Told by 4.

[p. 415]

sell. Buy goats, sheep. And so he would educate his children well. He would go and hire ten people to work for his wife. And, when the children were well educated, then they would become teachers, doctors, and lawyers.

And so, while he talked happily, there was a stick in his hand. He was swinging the stick. And so the pot of honey was spilled.

Proverb: You study about something, yet you do not get it.