Suriname folk-lore

131.

Wan ler'man habi na wą' apresina bom. Ala dei̯ suma 'ɛ go fufuru ɛ̨ŋ. Dąn 'a lerimąn 'ɛ prek na kerki ala wiki fa den fufuru na apresina. Dąn a mek' a taki, a i go kɩsi 'a fufuruman. Dąn wą Sɔndei̯ a tek' na wan fō den apresina tya go 'a kerki. Di a go prek, dąn 'a dei̯-wɔrt taki, ‘Yu no mu fufuro.’ Dąn a taki ɛ̨' sab' 'a fufurumą, ɛ̨ŋ drɩ̨ŋg na neti fō na fufurumą'. ‘Luku fa a dɛ luku mi, na fufurumą! Efi mi no mɛmb're Gadō, mi sɑ naki ɛ̨ŋ nąŋga apresina.’ Na fufurōmą' dukrų' na 'ɛdɛ, dąn ala suma sabi wantrǫ' tai̯gi na na man dɛ a fufuru na apresina.

So lerimąn kɩsi na fufurumą.

131. The Preacher Traps a Thief.⁵

A preacher had an orange tree. Every day someone went to rob it. Then every week the preacher preached in church how they stole the oranges. Then he let it be known that he was going to catch the thief. Then one Sunday he took one of the oranges, and carried it to church. When he went to preach, then his text said ‘Thou shalt not steal.’ Then he said that he knew the thief, [for] he had dreamt that night of the thief. ‘See how he is looking at me, the thief! If I did not remember God, I would hit him with the orange.’ The thief ducked his head, and then all the people knew immediately that this was the man who had been stealing the oranges.

So the preacher caught the thief.

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