Suriname folk-lore

138.

Mi bɛn dɛ na pranasi. Dą' mi birmąn dɛ, leti na m' sei̯. Dąn na neti, di mi didǫ, dąn a bar' kari mi. Dąn, di mi go kaba, dąn mi ɑksi hɛm sąn a wani. Dąn a tai̯gi mi taki, ‘Wąn umą bɛn dɛ den

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kari Malime, a kɔm fō drįŋ' mi.’ Na m' ɑksi hɛm, ‘Fa yu dɛ sabi?’ A taki, ‘Mi habi wąn dagu. Dąn, di na dagu bɩgin bari, dąn a opo mi na sribi. Di a opo na sribi na Azemą no mąŋ pur' na buba yɛte. Dą' a lɔ̨'. Fō dɑti hɛde, mi bɛn kari yu.’

Di den sabi taki Azemą dɛ kɔm, dąn den dɛ pąŋya alei̯si. Dąn a 'i brada ɛ̨ŋ krosi, dąn i pɔti na alei̯si na ɩni. Na so, mek' den di kɩsi hɛm. Tɛ a tek' na krosi, dan na alei̯si fadǫ'. Dąn i' bɩgin fō piki baka. A no kąn pasa alei̯si. A kɩsi hɛm nąŋga pɛpre tu.

138. The Visit of the Vampire.³

I was at a plantation. Then there was a neighbor of mine right near me. Then at night as I lay down, then he screamed and called me. Then, when I went I asked him what he wanted. Then he said

3 Told by 4. Compare U.S. (Sea Islands), Parsons 63-64, No. 53.

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to me, said, ‘There is a woman they call Malime. She came to drink my blood.’¹ I asked him, ‘How do you know?’ He said, ‘I have a dog. Then, when the dog began to bark, then he wakened me from my sleep. When he awakened me the Azeman² had not yet been able to remove her skin. Then she ran. That is why I called you.’

When they know that an Azeman came, then they scatter rice. Then they spread out her cloth, then they put rice inside. That is how they catch her. When she takes up the clothes, then the rice falls out. Then she begins to pick it up again. She cannot pass (scattered) rice. They also catch her with pepper.

1 Lit., ‘she came to drink me’.

2 Vampire.