Suriname folk-lore

145.

Wą' mą' bɛ̨' waka na strati ala neti. A bɛn sabi prei̯ gitar. Wąn net' a kɔmopo na wąn friar' 'oso nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ gitar. A i prei̯ dɛ kɔm, a mit' wą' mą'. 'A mą' taki, ‘Kɔ̨', mek' mi pre' wą' p'kin so.’.

[p. 428]

A gi' na mą' na gitar, 'a mą' i pre. Ma di dę' waka so tɛ ... nō mō tai̯g' 'a mąn taki, ‘Mąn! a so i sɑ prei̯ gitar!’ 'A mą tak', ‘Ax, kɔm! Wɛ, di m' bɛ' da libi, na dat' bɛn' dɛ mi ɛgi wroko.’ 'A mąn kɔ̨' sikreki, a tak', ‘Mi Gadō! dąn ala mi a tak' nąŋga yu, yu na wą' dɛdɛ suma!’ 'A mą' bigɩn lɔ̨n, a tra wą' i bar' gi ɛ̨ŋ nō mō, ‘Kɔ̨' teki gita'! Kɔ̨' teki gita'!’ A i piki ɛ̨ŋ taki, ‘Yu ką' tyari 'a gita' g'we, mi no wani 'ɛm mɔro. Tɛ yu go, yu sɑ prei̯ gi ɛm tra yɔrka!’

Ma dɛ 'a man gō na 'oso m'mątɛm, a mit' na gitar na mɔfo ɛ̨ŋ dɔro. Noiti mɔr' a wak' 'a leti na strati.

145. The Guitar-Playing Yorka.⁵

There was a man who used to go about the streets every night. He knew how to play the guitar. One night he came from a party with his guitar. He played (as he went along) until he met a man.

5 Told by 1.

[p. 429]

The man said, ‘Come, let me play a little.’ He gave the man the guitar and the man played it. But, as they walked so till... suddenly, he said to the man, said, ‘Man! that is how one should play the guitar!’ The man said, ‘All, come! Well, when I was alive that used to be my own work.’ The man was frightened, he said, ‘My God! all I have been saying to you, and you are a dead man!’ The man began to run. The other one called to him, ‘Come take the guitar! Come take the guitar!’ He answered him, he said, ‘You can take away the guitar, I don't want it any more. When you go, you will play it for the other ghosts!’

But when the man came home [in] the morning, he found the guitar in his doorway. Never again did he walk the streets at night.