Suriname folk-lore

143. Yɔrka.

Wąn mąn habi waka lati 'a neti. Dą' wą' neti a i kɔm, dąn a mit' wąn mąn. Nō mō, na mąn tai̯g' hɛm bɩgɩn taki, ‘Mɛk' mi lɛt mi cigarɛt. Mi no habi shwalfu.’ Dąn a tak', ‘Kɔm, mi leti nąŋga mi cigarɛt.’ Fa-i-si a ląŋga ɛ̨ŋ mɔfo fō leti, nō mō na mąn piri ɛ̨ŋ tifi gi hɛm. A ląŋga dri dɔim. Na mąn lɔ̨'.

Fa a lɔ̨', na mąn mit' wąn tra mąn baka. 'A mąn ɑksi hɛm taki, ‘Są' yu i lɔ̨n so?’ A taki, ‘Mi si wąn mąn, so ɛ̨ŋ tifi ląŋga so.’ Nō mō na mąn pir ɛ̨ŋ tifi gi hɛm baka. ‘Sɔrt' wąn mɔro ląŋga, na fɔs' wąn, ɛfu disi?’

'A mąn lɔ̨n baka, a mit' wąn tra mąn baka. A tak', ‘Sąn yu i lɔ̨n so?’ A taki, ‘Mi si wąn mąn, so ɛ̨ŋ tifi ląŋga.’ No mo na mąn pir' ɛ̨ŋ tifi gi hɛm baka, a taki, ‘Sɔrt' wąn mɔro ląŋga, dɩsi, ɔf' na di yu bɛn si kaba?’ So na her' neti na so na mąn i lɔ̨n. Ala pɛ a i lɔ̨n, 'a mąn a i bar' gi hɛm, ‘Yu si tifi bɩgi lek' disi? Tif' bɩgi leki disi?’

Noit mɔro na mąn wak' lati na strati.

Odo: Ɔndrofen' sɑ leri yu.

Obia odo: Pikin no wan' yɛre mama, a sɑ go na abąnba.

143. Yorka Teeth.¹

A man was in the habit of walking late at night. Then one night came and he met a man. At once the man began to speak to him, and he said, ‘Let me light my cigarette. I have no match.’ Then he said, ‘Come, I will light it on my cigarette.’ No sooner did he reach to light the cigarette, than the man showed his teeth. They were three inches long. The man ran.

As he ran, the man met another man (again). The man asked him, he said, ‘Why do you run so?’ He said, ‘I saw a man whose teeth were so long.’² Immediately the man showed his teeth (again). ‘Which are longer, the first ones or these?’³

The man ran ahead, and he met another man. He said, ‘Why do you run so?’ He said, ‘I saw a man, his teeth were so long.’ And immediately the man showed his teeth (again), he said, ‘Which are longer, these or those you have seen already?’ So the whole night the man ran. Everywhere he ran, the man called after him, ‘Did you see teeth as big as these? Teeth as big as these?’

Never again did the man walk the streets late at night.

Proverb: Experience will teach you.

Obia proverb: A child who will not listen to his mother, will meet death.

1 Told by 1. Compare Jamaica, Beckwith (II) 180; Santo Domingo, Andrade 282-283, No. 234.

2 Here the narrator stretched out his arm and pointed half-way to his elbow.

3 Informant said this was a dyɔmbi - a ghost.