Suriname folk-lore

[p. 416]

132.

Wan boi̯ bɛn go leri fo lei̯. Di a go na ɛ̨ŋ basi, dąn 'a basi tai̯gi ɛ̨ŋ taki, mek' a luku na tap' 'a tɔrn, a sɑ si wąn mira. Di na boi̯ luku, dą' 'a boi̯ tai̯gi ɛ̨ŋ taki, ɛ̨' n'e si ɛ̨ŋ, ma ɛ̨ŋ yere ɛ̨ŋ step. Dą 'a bas' tai̯gi ɛ̨ŋ taki, ɛ̨ŋ ką' kɔmɔpo na skɔro, bikasi a kąn lei̯ mɔro ɛ̨ŋ.

[p. 417]

132. Master Liar.¹

A boy went to learn to lie. When he went to his teacher, then his teacher said to him, he said, let him look at the top of the tower and he will see an ant. When the boy looked, then the boy said to him, he said, he did not see it, but he heard its step. Then the teacher said to him, he said, he could leave the school because he could lie more than he.

1 Told by 1. The resemblance is to be remarked of this tale to the West African ones where one character tells a lie, and the next speaker a greater one, as, e.g., in Travélé 61-62, No. 7.