Suriname folk-lore

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C. Riddles

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Lei̯-Tɔri

1.	Sɛns' mi mama mek' mi, mi no nyą' aranya-tɩki, ma sɛnsi den pɔt' mi na ɩni na parada, dąn fɔs' mi nyą' aranya-tɩki. - Dɑt' wąn' taki, te wąn fɩsimą g'a fɩsi, t'a kɩs' wą fɩsi, t'a go drei̯ ɛ̨ŋ na fai̯ya, a pɔt' wą' tɩki na ɩni na mɔfo.
2.	Te na mɩndri busi wąn mąn sidǫ' nąŋga wąn kron na tap' ɛ̨ŋ 'ɛdɛ. - Dɑt' na wąn ąnąnasi.
3.	Mi mama kɔt' wąn kakaforu nɛki. A trowɛ na 'ɛdɛ na busbusi. Na 'ɛdɛ bari ‘ko-ko-dia-ko’. - Ąnąnas.
4.	'A p'kin hɛdɛ meki hɛm mama baka. - Na wąn tchɛ̨'.
5.	Bari na tap' bari. - Kyɛ̨'.
6.	Mi m'ma g'a wowoyo. A bai̯ somɛni bari, ma a no sab'-taki den a' watra, bika p'sa tin bari bɛn fas' makandra. Ma di a bɩgɩn fō broko den bari, a kɔm si taki dem bari ab' 'a watra. - Wąn tchɛ̨'.
7.	Na 'udu-bɛre mi kɔmopo, ɛn mi watra bɔr' 'a fai̯ya 'e sui̯t' lei̯k' 'ɔni. - Na srɔp fō tchɛ̨'.
8.	(B) Wata dɛ 'a matu. - Tchɛ̨'.
9.	Wąn 'oso tinapu. Tɛmremąn dɛ na ɩni de wroko, ma na 'oso tapu lɔ̨ntu. - Dati na wąn guyaba. Na guyaba tapu lɔ̨ntu, ma tɔk 'a wɔrɔ̨' na ɩni de nyąm.
10.	Ɛf' 'aŋgamąn no bɛn dɛ, fufurumąn bɛn sɑ kili slibimąn. - Wąn mąnya 'aŋga na wąn bom, ɛn wąn 'agu bɛn didǫ' na ɔndro na bom dɛ sribi. Ɛn wąn tigri bɛn dɛ kɔm fō kiri ɛ̨ŋ, ma bifɔsi na tigri dɔro, dąn na mąnya fadǫ', naki na 'agu, ɛn na 'agu wei̯ki, a lɔ̨'. So na tigri n'e kɩsi ɛ̨ŋ.
11.	Mi mama 'abi wą p'kin. So ląŋga yu no puru 'ɛm muso, yu no kąn bɔs' ɛm. - Maripa koko.
12.	Mi srɛf' no bǫn fu nyąm, ma mi futu bǫn. - Sui̯t' kasaba.

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13.	Te mi m'ma de nyąm, a de pɩsi na heri sɩkin. - Matapi.
14.	Mi m'ma go na wowɔyo. A bai̯ 'udu, nąŋga nanyąm, nąŋga watra. - Na wan kokronɔto.
15.	Mi m'ma 'abi dri ai̯. - Wąn kokronɔto.
16.	'A mi m'ma 'abi wąn lɔ̨ntu bal. A sutu pina lɔ̨ntu na bal. No, na bal ferfi grün na dɔro, na ɩni a ferfi wei̯ti, ɛn dɛm kɔmɔpo dɑt' a hab' na ɩni 'ɛm bɛri braka. - Na bal na wąn sursaka; na pina di dɛ na ɛ̨ŋ s'kin dɑt' na na maka, ɛn na wei̯t ferfi dɑ' na ɩnisei̯ f'ɛ̨ŋ, ɛn na braka, dati na siri.
16a.	Kerki ferfi grün, dɔmni weri blaka, ɛn suma na ɩni kerki wer' wei̯ti. -Sursaka.
17.	Mi buba fō dri spųn, Mi bɔ̨nyo moi̯ lei̯ki krara, Mi brudu sui̯ti lei̯ki bɔtro, Ala suma taki fa mi sui̯ti. Ma tɔx den taki fa mi ɔgri. - Masusa.
18.	Alatem 'a papa, ɛf' 'a mama habi fɔsi hɛdɛ, ma na p'kin de kɔm mɔro bɩgi lei̯ki fa hɛm mama, dą' a dɛ meki hɛm papa nąŋga hɛm mama baka. - Mąnya koko. Tɛ yu tek' wąn mąnya, yu nyąm hɛm, dąn yu prani na koko. Na koko dɛ gro wąn bom, 'a bom dɛ bɩgi mɔro lei̯k' 'a koko, ɛn a de meki tra mąnya baka.
19.	Di mi p'pa bɛn yųŋgu, hɛm bariba bɛn wei̯ti, ma di a kɔm oru, ɛ̨ŋ bariba blaka. - Dati wąn karu.
20.	Nąŋga wąn karu mi p'pa bai̯ kau̯, a bai̯ 'asi, a bai̯ buriki. - Wąn mąn tek' wąn karu, a prani ɛ̨ŋ. A kɩsi tįn saka. A ser' na saka, a bai̯ wąn kau̯. A kweki 'a kau̯. Na kau̯ meki wąn p'kin. A sɛr' ɛ̨ŋ. A bai̯ wąn 'asi; a sɛr na p'kin. A bai̯ wąn buriki.
21.	Mi mama 'a wąn sani. A dyeri na dɔro, a dyeri na ɩni. - Na wąn mami.
22.	A grün na dɔro, a wei̯ti na ɩni, a rɛdi na ɩni, a blaka na ɩni. - Watramųn.
23.	Fai̯ya na mɩndri busi. - Awara.

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23a.	Sɔndro 'udu fai̯ya de na mɩndri busi, ma a n'e gi fai̯ya. - Na wąn bɔ̨su awara na mɩndri busi.
23b.	(B) Fai̯ya dɛ 'a matu. - Da' wą awa'a.
24.	'A p'kin gebɔr' fɔsi ɛ̨ŋ mama. - Na wąn kashų.
25.	A tenapu stei̯fi na tap' 'a bɛdi, afu rɛdi nąŋga afu wei̯ti, ma ala den p'kin Nɛngere f'a kɔ̨ndre den frede fō tek' ɛ̨ŋ pɔti na olo di dɛ na den fesi, bikasi ala den bɩgi suma di tesi ɛ̨ŋ kaba, den tak' a pɛpre. - Wąn sani den kar rebenas.
26.	Mi go na busi. Libi suma no piki mi, ma dɛdɛ wąn piki mi. - Na drai̯ wiwiri.
26a.	Mi g'a busi, mi kir' meti. Mi tak' na libi wąn ‘odi’, a no pik' mi. Mi tak' na dɛdɛ ‘odi’, dɑt' pik' mi. - Lala wiwiri nąŋga drei̯ wiwiri. Te trap' na drei̯, a i bari, ma lala wą n'e bari.
27.	Odi mɩsi, odi masra. Kɔ̨' na ɩni nąŋga yu ląŋga sani, waka lɔ̨ntu, kɔ̨n drɩ̨ŋgi mɩndri futu watra, ɛn nyąm gogo-nanyąm. - Na watra na mɛrki, ɛn na nanyąm na ɛksi.
28.	'A mąn sidǫ' 'a tap' wąn tafra. A lolo fadǫn 'a grǫ'. No wąn suma kąn meki hɛm baka. - Dɑt' na wąn ɛksi.
29.	Mi mama habi wąn bari. Ɛ̨ŋ mɔfo a no ɔpo, ma ɛ̨ŋ dɛ hɔri watra. - Ɛksi.
29a.	Mi mama 'abi wąn bari. A no 'abi ɔpuru, ma a dɛ 'ɔri watra. - Na wąn ɛksi.
30.	Sɔrt' fɔru yu dɛ nyąm nąŋga ala ɛ̨ŋ wiwiri? - Ɛksi.
31.	Gogo na ɔndro, gogo na tapu, 'a sui̯t' kɔ̨ 'a mɩndri. - Tɛ yu tapu sui̯t'-sani na ɩni tu skotriki.
32.	Braka sabana, wei̯t' sabana, dri mąn lɔ̨n p'sa. - Ɩ̨ŋki, skrif papira, nąŋga pɛn nąŋga fɩ̨ŋga.
33.	Mi mama tąn na sɔdro; a frɩ̨ngi wąn gą' baskita nąŋga prei̯ti fadǫn kɔ̨' na grǫn, ma no wąn no broko. - Dat' wąn taki papira.
33a.	(B) Mi tata 'abi wąn pa'abi fō ɛ̨ŋ. A kumotō 'a leō, a kai̯, ą' b'oko. - Wą' 'ifi.

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34.	Mi mama a' wąn djari. A habi twent' nąŋga sɩksi bom. Ma ala sani di yu kar' 'a nɛm, yu kąn suku den na djari pɛ den bom dɛ. - Alfabet.
35.	Mi na mi mama oru na srefi. - Dat' wąn taki alfu, wą' nanga wąn.
36.	'A dipi fō mi mama, na ląŋga fō mi papa. - Wąn peti, nąŋga na ɛmbre tɛtai̯.
37.	Er-tin-tin Tin-tin-tin. Sąn mi papa dɛ tak' di̯a, na dɑti hɛm brada de tak' te na Bakra kɔndre. - Na wąn hɔlɔisi.
38.	A wroko dei̯ nąŋga nei̯ti. - Na liba.
39.	'A mi mama meki mi, na mi meki hɛm baka. - Ice.
40.	Wąn wei̯t'-umą tɛnapo na tap' wąn tafra. Mɔro a dɛ tɛnapo, mɔro dɛ kaba. - Dati na wąn kandra.
41.	'A mi papa tek' ɛ̨ŋ spara, a shütu na ɩni mi m'ma smala. - Ki nąŋga sɛroto.
41a.	Mi papa bɛn wani go na ɩni mi mama. D'a teki hɛm sani sutu na ɩni mi mama sani. - Wą, seroto.
42.	Blaka murąŋyi, rɛdi musyɛsyo, djokotiri na mɩndri. - Dɑt' na wąn tɔbo. Na blaka ala ɛ̨ŋ skin; ɛ̨ŋ heri ɩni rɛdi. Djokotiri, dɑt' wąn ster a mɩndri.
43.	A ląŋga na fesi, a ląŋga na baka. - Tetei̯ nąŋga nanai̯.
44.	Er-tin-tin. Tɔmpu wer' kamisa. - Nanai̯ nąŋga tɛtei̯.
45.	Pikin mɩsi sidǫ' 'ąŋga hɛm 'anu na hɛm sei̯. - Dat' na wąn pɩs-patu.
45a.	Mi m'ma 'abi wąn mąn. Ma noi̯ti ɛ̨ŋ 'anu dɛ kɔmopo na ɛ̨ŋ sei̯. - Pɩs-patu.
46.	Mi mama 'abi wąn p'kin. So ląŋga a g'ɛ̨ŋ nanyąm, a dɛ bari. - Wąn patu na fai̯ya.
47.	Rɛdi 'asi dɛ lɛki braka 'asi baka-sei̯. - Na te wąn braka patu sidǫ' na tap' fai̯ya.
47a.	Rɛdi 'asi a dɛ rei̯ blaka 'asi gogo. - Wąn pɔtu na tap' fai̯ya.
47b.	(B) Bɛ manu tą' lɛmbɛ b'aka muyɛ gogo. - B'aka patu na fai̯ya.

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48.	Pikin todo de djɔmpo na patu. - Na te wąn patu dɛ bɔri nąŋga alei̯si.
49.	P'kin boi̯ sɔri Gado kofu. - Dat' na te wąn Djuka umą 'ɛ fɔm alei̯si, 'a maka tɩki opo ɛ̨ŋ 'ɛde na tapu.
49a.	Ląŋga mąn de sɔri Gadu fɩ̨ŋga. - Mata nąŋga tɩki.
50.	Yu habi dri sani na ɩni yu hoso, Wąn dɛ wɩ̨nsi o'tem dei̯ kɔm broko, Wąn dɛ wɩ̨nsi o'tem nei̯t kąn kɔm, Wąn dɛ wɩ̨nsi o'tem grǫ'tapu sɑ kaba. - Kųnsu, - a wɩ̨nsi o'tem dei̯ kɔmɔpo; sturu, - a weri, a wan' nei̯t kɔm fō a bro; holoi̯si, - a kɔm weri, a wąn' fō grǫ'tapu kaba.
51.	Mi papa sütu wąn kau̯ n'ɛ̨ŋ hɛdɛ. 'A lai̯ kɔmopo te n'ɛ̨ŋ tɛre. - Na wąn pipa.
52.	Mi papa a' wąn 'oso, a furu hɛm nąŋg' mei̯bel. A let' fai̯ya g'ɛ̨ŋ. Ala den sani brɔ̨n, ma na 'oso no brɔ̨n. - Wąn pipa.
53.	Mɔro mi papa hatibrɔ̨n, mɔro ɛ̨ŋ sak'-angisa frei̯. - Na wąn skafu.
54.	A mi o go, a mi o kɔ̨'. A tą' steifi. - Dɑt' na wąn sigara.
55.	A lɔ̨ntu, a sidǫ'. - Tɔ̨ntɔ̨n.
56.	A ląŋga na fesi, a ląŋga na baka. - Strati.
57.	Mi papa a' wąn mąn, a i tɛnapu nąŋga wąn futu. - Na wąn gɔ̨'.
58.	Mi p'pa de nyąm na ɛ̨ŋ baka-sei̯, a i dɛ xrotɛ na ɛ̨ŋ mɔfo. - Na wąn gɔ̨'.
59.	Yu fɔs' bɛn go, ma tɔx mi kɔ̨' p'sa yu tɛ mi mek' wąn brand. - Wąn gɔ̨n 'ąŋga wąn dia.
60.	Olo na ɩni olo, wiwiri lɔnt' oro, sui̯t presiri kɔmopo na ɩni. - Na wąn tutu na yu mɔfo, te yu de prei̯ ɛ̨ŋ, nąŋga yu barba.
61.	Blaka umą, swɩ̨ŋ na swampu. - Dɑt' na wą' stopu.
62.	Blaka umą dɛ meki kɔsi ala yuru na swampu. - Na wąn stop' na ɩni swampu.
63.	Homɛni spikri 'e bo wąn 'oso? Na wąn, bikasi na lasti spikri 'a dɑt' meki na hoso kaba.

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64.	Pufu naki pufu. - Asisi.
65.	Mi meki wąn 'oso nąŋga wąn pɔstu. - Na wąn prasɔro.
66.	Wąn mąn dɛ na dungru-'oso. So ląŋga a no piɔ, a no dɛ kɔmopo. - Te wąn mąn go na wąn umą, t'a kaba 'a sani saka, a piɔ.
67.	Sąn sui̯ti mɔro ɔni? - Mi mama bɔbi.
68.	Soko-umą, tya' bɛre na baka. - Koiti.
69.	Mi mama habi wąn peti, wiwiri lɔntu 'm. No wąn n'e fadǫ' go na ɩni. - ai̯.
70.	Sa Akuba kiri, sɔri Ba Wilyam. - Dɑt' na yu fɩ̨ŋga nąŋga yu ai̯.
71.	Pirpiri sribi na birbiri, a libi ɛ̨ŋ wiwiri na dɔro. - Na ai̯ nąŋga ai̯-wiwiri.
72.	Sąn Gadō meki libi-suma puru? - Te wąn p'kin kɛbɔr, a i kɛbɔr nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ kumba, ma libi-suma 'ɛ pur 'ɛ̨ŋ.
73.	Wąn sani dɛ, a i tą' na mɩndri pɛ 'ɛ derti-tu sneki, ma den sineki n'e bei̯ti ɛŋ. - Tɔ̨ŋgo.
74.	Sąn' na Konu 'ɛ du nō, nō? - A i blo.
75.	Są fō yu mama yu no lɔbi? - Yu no lɔb' si na las' bro' f' yu mama.
76.	Ɛfu yu tai̯gi mi homɛni hɛdɛ-wiwiri yu habi, dan mi sɑ tai̯gi yu homɛni gudu mi papa habi. - Tu sani yu no mąŋ tɛre. Yu no mąŋ tɛre na wiwiri, na so yu no mąŋ tɛre na ster.
77.	Wąn mama a bɛn habi hɔndro doi̯sɛn p'kin. 'A mama sɛni den p'kin go krį' da presi. Den p'kin no krį' da presi bǫ'. Ma fa na mama go, wąntrǫn a krį' da presi bǫn. - Na mųn nąŋga na ster.
78.	Wąn ai̯ karu a i weiti her' liba. - Na mųn-krɛ̨ŋki.
79.	Asao̯-gogo pliti. So ląng' alei̯n no fadǫn, a n'e tapu. - 'A te grǫ drei̯, a i priti.
79a.	Mi p'pa bakasei̯ priti. Tetei̯ no dɛ fō nai̯. - Klai̯-dɔti. Te a priti, nɔtį no dɛ fō tap' ɛ̨ŋ.

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80.	Mi sei̯ki, yu sei̯ki, ma mi sui̯ti kɔm na yu. - Dɑt' wąn taki, wąn boi̯ a bɛn dɛ na wą' apra-bom tapu, dą' a bɛn habi wąn kwata. Da boi̯ dɛ sei̯ki den apra na tap' na bom. 'A kwata na tap' na bom de sei̯k' tu, dąn na kwata djɔmpo saka na grǫ', a i nyąm ala den apra.
81.	Sebi mąn nyam wąn sika. - Wąn mąn bɛn 'abi wąn sika. A libi na sika tɛ 'a sika kɔ̨' bɩgi, dąn a pɔt' 'a sika na wąn sei̯. Dąn yu bɛn habi sei̯bi tɛmbremąn, ɛn wąn fō den tɛmbremąn tek' 'a sika, a go opo nąŋga wąn sika, a kɩs' wąn fɩsi, dąn ala sei̯bi nyąm 'a fisi.
82.	Meti na ɩni bǫnyo, ɛn 'wiri na tap' bǫnyo. - Krabu.
83.	Di p'kin kɔdyo bɛn sabi-tak' a i go dɛdɛ, a i dɩg' wąn 'ɔro pɔti ɛ̨ŋ srefi. - Dat' na wąn sika.
84.	Alfu dai̯ki de waka. - Todo.
85.	Mi dɛ wąn tumusi ɔgri meti. Yu puru mi 'ɛdɛ dą' mi tap' wą' ɔ̨ndro yari. - Dat' na wą' leō fō busi. Ɛf' yu pur' na ‘l’, dąn a tąn wan ‘eō’, dąn a trɔ̨n ɔndro yari.
86.	Mi nɛm 'abi fei̯fi lɛtre, ma tɛ yu pur' tu lɛtre, a i tą' sɩksi. - Moses.
87.	Wąn kiri Ɛlfida; Ɛlfida kiri sei̯bi; sei̯bi kiri dri. Mi drɩ̨ŋgi fō wąn watra di no kɔmopo na na hei̯mal, a no kɔmopo na grǫn, ɛ̨' nąŋga na wɔrtu fō Gadō mi 'ɛ nyąm. - Wąn na dagu; sebi na yankɔrɔ; dri na mira.

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88.	Wąn Konu prani alei̯si. Wąn mąn kɔm a aksi ɛ̨ŋ taki ɛf' na alei̯s' sɑ kɔm. A piki ɛ̨ŋ taki, ‘Ɛf' den kɔm a n'e go kɔm. Ma ɛf' den no kɔm, dąn a sɑ kɔm.’ - Pikin foru. (Ɛf' den p'kin foru kɔm, dan a n'e i go kɔm. Ma ɛf' den p'kin foru no kɔm, dąn a sɑ kɔm.)
89.	Mi p'pa go na busi nąŋga mi m'ma na 'ɔnti. Dɛm meti di a kiri, dɑti a lib' 'a busi. Ma den d'a no kiri, dɑti a gi mi m'ma tya kɔ̨' na hoso. - Loso.
89a.	Mi papa go na hɔnti. Dem meti di a kiri, dɑti a libi 'a busi. Ma den di a no kiri, dati a mek' mi mama tyar' kɔm. - Loso.
90.	Aiti stampu, wiriwiri, tikita. - Na tu spąn 'asi, nąŋga na wil, nąŋga krawasi.
91.	Wąn mąn rei̯ na tap' wąn 'asi. Ɛ̨ŋ saka-hangisa fadǫ'. Te a saka teki ɛ̨ŋ, a no shi ɛ̨ŋ mɔro. - Na asi spɩti.
91a.	Wąn suma rei̯ wąn bisigre. Ɛ̨ŋ hati fadǫ'. Dɑt' suma saka fō go teki na hati, ma a no fɛni ɛ̨ŋ mɔro. - Na spɩti.
91b.	Mi p'pa a rei̯ 'a tap' wąn 'asi. Ɛ̨ŋ saka-hangisa fadǫ'. A drai̯ go suk' ɛ̨ŋ. No wąn suma no p'sa na pasi, ma a no fɛni ɛ̨ŋ. - Spɩti.
92.	Tɩ̨ŋgifɔru dɛ frei̯, ɛn dagu sidǫ' na ɛ̨ŋ tɛre. Pɛ a sidǫ'? - Na dagu tɛre.
93.	(B) Mi ma habi wąn gologolo f' ɛ̨ŋ, ą' fu ko wat'a. - Puspus'.
94.	(B) Mi ma habi wąn golo f' ɛ̨ŋ. A tą' fu' ko wat'a. - Hantsi.
95.	Mi papa sɛni wąn brifi fō kari ɛ̨ŋ p'kin. Fa na brifi dɔro, na so srefi na p'kin dɔro na papa. - Fɩsimąn, 'uku, fɩsi.
96.	Mi dɛ na mi hoso. Mi fei̯anti dɛ kɔm kɩs' mi. Mi hoso de p'sa na mi fei̯anti fɛnsrɛ, ma yɛte mi fei̯anti dɛ kɩs' mi. - [Fishing net.]

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97.	Sąn dɛ na hei̯mɛl di libi-suma 'anu meki? - Den spigri na Masra Jesus 'anu.
98.	Suma na na mɔro fufurumąn? - Tɛmeremąn. 'A wantɛm de bɛn fufuru na spigri di spigri Masra Jesus na ɛ̨ŋ kroist.
99.	Sąn na wrokomąn no bɛn 'abi dɑt' a gi ɛ̨ŋ basi? - Na dopo. Dat na Johanes na dopomąn, hɛm basi Masra Jesus. A no bɛn dopo, ma a dopo.
100.	Mi papa a' wąn bari. Hoso-suma no kąn kɩs' watra na ɩni, ma dɔrosei̯-suma kąn kɩsi na ɩni. - Brada nąŋga sɩsa no kąn tro.
101.	Domini nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ fro, kɔstel nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ fro nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ p'kin. Den kɔm na wąn fɩsiti, den tyari fo' apra kǫ' a tafra. Ibriwąn fō den tek' wąn. - Dat' kɔstel p'kin bɛn dɛ domini fro.
102.	Gadō no si ɛ̨ŋ noiti; Wąn Konim si ɛ̨ŋ wąn-tu trǫ'; Wąn buru si ɛ̨ŋ ala dei̯. - Wąn koleixa. Gadō no si noiti wąn tra gadō; Wąn Konim no si wąn Konim ala dei̯; Wąn buru si tra buru ala dei̯.
103.	Sɔrt' kɔ̨ndre yu dɛ go, di yu no dɛ kɔm baka? - Na dɛdɛ kɔ̨ndre.
104.	Er-tin-tin. Mi papa habi sei̯bi sani. A gi sikisi, ma di fō sei̯bi, dɑti a no gi. - Sikisi dei̯ fō wroko, wąn a fō Gadō.
105.	Sort' meti na Lɔ̨nsu? - Dɑt' na wąn buriki. Lei̯t' na mɩndri-baka, 'abi na krois.
106.	Mi p'pa habi dagu. Na bɩgi dagu n'e bei̯ti, ma den p'kin wąn beiti. - Wan pɛpre.

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Riddles¹

1.	Since my mother bore me, I never ate an orange-stick, but since they put me on the bier, then first did I eat an orange-stick. Ans. - That is to say, when a fisherman goes fishing and he catches a fish, then when he goes to dry it over the fire, he puts a stick through its mouth. (The reference to the orange-stick is to the chewing sticks used by Negroes in Africa and the New World for cleaning the teeth.)
2.	In the deep bush a man sits with a crown on his head. Ans. - This is a pineapple.
3.	My mother cut a cock's neck. She threw the head into the bush. The head crowed ‘ko-ko-dia-ko’. Ans. - Pineapple. (If you cut off the head and throw it away, it will grow again.)
4.	A child's head gives birth to its mother later. Ans. - A piece of sugar-cane.
5.	A barrel on top of a barrel. Ans. - Sugar-cane.
6.	My mother goes to market. She buys many barrels, but she does not know that they hold water, because more than ten barrels are fastened together. But when she begins to break open the barrels she comes to see that the barrels hold water. Ans. - Sugar-cane.
7.	I come from a wooden belly, and my water boiled over a fire is as sweet as honey. Ans. - The syrup from sugar-cane.
8.	There is water in the bush. Ans. - Sugar-cane.
9.	A house stands. A carpenter inside is at work, but the house has no openings. Ans. - That is a guava fruit. The guava is closed all around, yet a worm is eating away inside.
10.	If the hangman had not been there, the thief would have killed the sleeping man. Ans. - A mango hangs from a tree, and a pig is lying under the tree asleep. And a tiger is coming to kill him, but before the tiger arrives, then the mango falls down, strikes the pig, and the pig wakes up, and runs. So the tiger does not catch him.
11.	My mother has a child. As long as you do not take off its cap, you cannot kiss it. Ans. - A maripa-nut.
12.	I myself am not good to eat, but my feet are good. Ans. - Sweet cassava (because you plant the root).

1 Those riddles marked ‘B’ after the number, are in Saramacca Tongo, and not taki-taki.

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13.	When my mother eats, she urinates all over her body. Ans. - Cassava press.
14.	My mother goes to the market. She buys wood, and food, and water. Ans. - A coconut.
15.	My mother has three eyes. Ans. - A coconut.
16.	My mother has a round ball. She shoots pins into this ball. Now, the color of this ball is green outside, inside it is colored white, and what comes out from its belly is black. Ans. - The ball is a soursap; the pins in its body are thorns, and the white color is the inside, and the black [which comes from its belly], the seeds.
16a.	The church is colored green, the priest is dressed in black, and the people are in white. Ans. - Soursap.
17.	My body is made of three spoons, My bones are beautiful as beads, My blood is as sweet as butter, Everybody says how pretty I am. But yet they say I am bad. Ans. - Masusa.^1
18.	Always at first the father or the mother is ahead, but the child becomes bigger than its mother, and later gives birth to its father and mother. Ans. - A mango seed. When you take a mango, you eat it, then you plant the seed. The seed grows into a tree, the tree is bigger than the seed, and bears other mangos later.
19.	When my father was young, his beard was white, but when he became old, his beard became black. Ans. - An ear of corn.
20.	With one ear of corn my father bought a cow, he bought a horse, he bought a donkey. Ans. - A man took an ear of corn, and planted it. From it he got ten sacks. He sold the sacks (of corn) and he bought a cow. He raised the cow. The cow bore a calf [lit., ‘made a child’]. He sold it. He bought a horse; he sold the colt. He bought a donkey.
21.	My mother has a thing. It is yellow outside and it is yellow inside. Ans. - The mammi fruit.
22.	It is green outside, it is white inside, it is red inside, it is black inside. Ans. - Watermelon.
23.	Fire in the deep bush. Ans. - Awara tree (i.e., its flowers are flaming red).

1 Renealmia Exaltata, Encyc., p. 607.

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23a.	Without wood there is fire in the deep bush, but it does not give heat. Ans. - A bunch of awara in the bush.
23b.	There is fire in the bush. Ans. - Awara.
24.	A child is born before its mother. Ans. - A cashew nut.
25.	It stands stiff on top of a bed, half red and half white, but all the young Negroes of that country are afraid to take it and put it in the hole which is in their faces,^1 because all the grown-up people who already tasted it, say it is peppery. Ans. - A thing they call radish.
26.	I go to the bush. The living people do not speak to me, but the dead ones speak to me. Ans. - Dry leaves.
26a.	I go to the bush and I kill animals. I tell the living ones ‘howdo,’ they do not answer me. I tell the dead ones ‘howdo,’ those answer me. Ans. - Green leaves and dry leaves. When you step on the dry ones, they crunch, but the green ones make no sound.
27.	Howdo, missus, howdo, master. Come inside with your long thing, walk around, come drink water from between the feet, and eat food from the anus. Ans. - The water is milk, and the food an egg.
28.	A man sits down on a table. He rolls down to the ground. No one can put him together again. Ans. - That is an egg.
29.	My mother has a barrel. It has no opening, but it holds water. Ans. - Egg.
29a.	My mother has a barrel. It has no hoops, but it holds water. Ans. - An egg.
30.	What kind of a bird do you eat with all its feathers? Ans. - Egg.
31.	Buttocks on the bottom, buttocks on the top; a sweet thing comes in the middle. Ans. - When you put a sweet thing inside two skotriki (i.e., a sandwich).
32.	A black savanah, a white savanah, and three men run past. Ans. - Ink, writing paper, and pen and fingers.
33.	My mother stands on the ceiling; she flings a large basket of plates to the ground, but not one is broken. Ans. - That means paper.
33a.	My father has a pot. Coming from the river it fell, but did not break. Ans. - A letter.

1 Or ‘in front of them’. A play on words.

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34.	My mother has a yard. It has twenty-six trees. But for all things whose name you call, you can look in the yard where the trees are. Ans. - The alphabet.
35.	I and my mother are the same age. Ans. - That is to say eleven, one and one.
36.	It is a deep thing of my mother's, and a long thing of my father's. Ans. - A well, and a bucket rope.
37.	Er-tin-tin Tin-tin-tin. What my father says here, that (same thing) his brothers are saying as far away as the White man's country. Ans. - A clock.
38.	It works day and night. Ans. - The river.
39.	My mother bore me, and later I gave birth to my mother. Ans. - Ice.
40.	A White woman is standing on a table. The more she stands the more she wastes away. Ans. - That is a candle.
41.	My father took his spade and shot it into my mother's narrow opening. Ans. - Key and lock.
41a.	My father wanted to go inside my mother. So he took his thing and shot it into my mother's thing. Ans. - A lock.
42.	Black outside, red inside, a star in the center. Ans. - That is to say a tub. It is black outside; its whole inside is red. Djokotiri, that is a star in the middle.
43.	It is long in front, it is long in back. Ans. - Thread and needle.
44.	Er-tin-tin. A stump wears a shirt. Ans. - A needle and thread.
45.	A little girl is sitting with her hand on her hip. Ans. - That is a chamber-pot.
45a.	My mother has a man. But never does his hand come away from his side. Ans. - Chamber-pot.
46.	My mother has a child. As long as you feed it, it cries. Ans. - A pot on the fire.
47.	A red horse licks a black horse's backsides. Ans. - When a black pot stands on the fire.
47a.	Red horse is riding on a black horse's buttocks. Ans. - A pot on top of the fire.
47b.	A red man licks a black woman's buttocks. Ans. - Black pot on fire.

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48.	Little toads jump from the pot. Ans. - When a pot of rice boils over.
49.	A small boy shows God a fist. Ans. - That is when a Djuka woman stamps rice in her mortar, the pestle points to the sky.
49a.	A tall man shows God his finger. Ans. - Mortar and pestle.
50.	You have three things in your house, One longs for daybreak, One longs for night to come, One longs for the world to end. Ans. - Bed, - it longs for dawn; stool, - it is weary, it longs for night to come so that it may rest; clock, - it has grown tired, it longs for the world to end.
51.	My father shoots a cow in the head. The load comes out from her tail. Ans. - A pipe.
52.	My father has a house which he filled with furnishings. He put it on fire. All things burned, but the house did not burn. Ans. - A pipe.
53.	The more my father is angry, the more his pocket handkerchief flies. Ans. - A plane.
54.	I go and I come. It remains stiff. Ans. - That is a cigar.
55.	It is round, (and) it sits down. Ans. - A pudding.
56.	It is long in front, it is long in back. Ans. - A street.
57.	My father has a man who stands on one leg. Ans. - A gun.
58.	My father eats with his backsides, and he defecates through his mouth. Ans. - A gun.
59.	You were the first to go, and yet I overtook you when I lit one firestick. Ans. - A gun and a deer.
60.	Hole inside hole, hair about the hole, sweet pleasure comes from inside. Ans. - A flute in your mouth, when you play it, and (the hair of) your beard.
61.	Black woman swims a swamp. Ans. - That is a gin bottle.
62.	Every hour a black woman makes a courtsy in the swamp. Ans. - A black gin flask floating in the swamp.
63.	How many nails will build a house? Ans. - One, because the last nail is the one which finishes the house.

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64.	Puff strikes puff. Ans. - Ashes.
65.	I make a house with one post. Ans. - An umbrella.
66.	A man is in prison. As long as he does not spit, he is not going to get out. Ans. - When a man goes to a woman, when he is through the thing droops, and spits.
67.	What is sweeter than honey? Ans. - My mother's breast.
68.	A soko^1 woman carries her belly in back. Ans. - The calf of the leg.
69.	My mother has a well with weeds around it. Yet none falls in side. Ans. - An eye [and its lashes].
70.	Sister Akuba kills, (and) shows Brother William. Ans. - That is (when with) your finger, (you take something out of) your eye.
71.	Look-hard sleeps on the road beside the grass, and leaves his hair outside. Ans. - An eye and eye-lashes.
72.	What does God make which human beings remove? Ans. - When a child is born, it is born with its navel-cord, but human beings remove it.
73.	There is one thing, which is in the midst of thirty-two snakes, but the snakes do not bite it. Ans. - The tongue.
74.	What does the King do now, now? Ans. - He breathes.
75.	What thing of your mother's do you dislike? Ans. - You dislike to see your mother's last breath.
76.	If you tell me how many hairs you have on your head, then I will tell you what my father's riches are. Ans. - Two things you cannot count. You cannot count your hair, and so you cannot count the stars.
77.	A mother had one hundred thousand children. The mother sent the children to clean the square. The children did not clean the square well. But the moment the mother herself went, the place was clean. Ans. - The moon and the stars.
78.	One grain of corn whitens the whole river. Ans. - A moonbeam.
79.	The elephant's buttocks are cracked. So long as rain does not fall, they will not mend. Ans. - When the earth is dry it cracks.
79a.	My father's backsides are split. There is no thread to sew them. Ans. - Clay. When it is cracked, there is nothing with which to fill it in.

1 A word used in riddles.

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80.	I shake, and you shake, but my pleasure comes to you. Ans. - That is to say, a boy climbed an apple tree, then there was a monkey on this tree. The boy shook the apples from the tree. The monkey on the tree shook, too, but the monkey jumped down on the ground and ate up all the apples.
81.	Seven men eat one sika.^1 Ans. - One man has one sika. He leaves the sika till it becomes big, and then puts it aside. Then you have seven carpenters, and one of the carpenters takes the sika and with that he catches a fish, then all seven eat the fish.
82.	Meat inside bones, and hair on top of bones. Ans. - A crab.
83.	When little stick knew he was going to die, be dug a hole for himself. Ans. - That is a sika.
84.	A sloping roof walks. Ans. - A toad.
85.	I am a very evil beast. You pull off my head and I remain a hundred years. Ans. - That is a bush lion. If you take away the l, then there remains eo, which changes to ‘one hundred years’. (i.e., ‘eon’.)
86.	My name is five letters, but when you take away two, there remain six. Ans. - Moses (i.e., take away ‘mo’, there remains the Dutch word for six as pronounced in taki-taki).
87.	One kills Elfida; Elfida kills seven; seven kill three. I drink water which did not come from the sky, and did not come from the earth, and with the word of God I eat. Ans. - One is a dog; seven are buzzards; three are ants. (A boy goes abroad to find wisdom and he takes with him his dog, Elfida. A cook poisons the food which he gives to the dog, and the dog dies. Seven buzzards (yankoro) eat the dog and die, and three ants eat the seven buzzards and they die. The water the boy drank was dew. He walked farther on and went hungry until he found a rabbit, but still he could not eat, because he did not have anything with which to cook the rabbit. And so he walked on until he came to a church and he took a Bible and made a fire with it. Then he came where the King and Queen lived and asked them to guess the riddle, but they could not guess. The queen sent for her daughter. He liked the daughter, so he told her the answer. One was the dog; seven are the

1 The translation given us for ‘sika’ was variously ‘chigo’ - a small insect that burrows into the foot under the nail of the great toe - and ‘crab’, ‘snail’, or ‘shrimp’.

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	buzzards, and three are the ants. The water which came from neither sky nor earth is dew, and by means of the Bible which he put on fire he cooked his food. Therefore, with the word of God he ate.)
88.	A King plants rice. A man comes and asks him, says, if the rice will come. He answers him, says, ‘If they come, it will not come. But if they do not come, then it will come.’ Ans. - Small birds. (If the small birds come, then it [the rice] will not come. But if the small birds do not come, then it [the rice] will come.)
89.	My father and my mother go to the bush to hunt. Those animals which he kills he leaves in the bush. But those he does not kill, he gives to my mother to bring home. Ans. - Lice.
89a.	My father goes hunting. The animals he kills, he leaves in the bush. But those he does not kill, he makes my mother bring home. Ans. - Lice.
90.	Eight footfalls, wiriwiri, tikita. Ans. - Two span of horses, and (the sound of) the wheels, and (the sound of) the whip.
91.	A man is riding a horse. His pocket handkerchief falls down. When he steps down to take it, he does not see it any more. Ans. - The horse's spit.
91a.	A person was riding a bicycle. His hat fell down. That person climbed down to take his hat, but he did not find it any more. Ans. - Spit.
91b.	My father was riding a horse. His pocket handkerchief fell down. He turned back to look for it. No one had passed down the road, but he did not find it. Ans. - Spit.
92.	The buzzard is flying, and the dog sits down on his tail. Where does he sit down? Ans. - On the dog's tail.
93.	My mother has a gourd which is not full of water. Ans. - A cat.
94.	My mother has a gourd. It is full of water. Ans. - Ant hill.
95.	My father sent a letter to call his child. Just as the letter arrived, then that self-same moment the child arrived at his father's. Ans. - Fisherman, fish-hook, and fish.
96.	I am in my house. My enemies come to catch me. My house passes through my enemies' windows, but yet my enemies catch me. Ans. - A fishing net. (Explanation: the fish are at home in the water. The enemy of the fish is the net. Water, the home of the fish, passes through the net, but the fish are caught.)

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97.	What is in the sky that human hands made? Ans. - The nails in Master Jesus's hands.
98.	Who is the greatest thief? Ans. - A carpenter. He promptly stole the nails which nailed Master Jesus to his cross.
99.	What is it that the workingman has not that he has given his boss? Ans. - Baptism. That is to say, John is the baptist and (he baptised) his boss Master Jesus. He was not baptised, but he baptised.
100.	My father has a barrel. The people of the house cannot take water from it, but outsiders can take. Ans. - A brother and sister cannot marry.
101.	A minister and his wife, the deacon and his wife and child. They come on a visit, (and) they bring four apples to the table. Each one takes one. Ans. - That is, the deacon's daughter was the minister's wife.
102.	God never sees it; A King sees it once or twice; A farmer sees it every day. Ans. - An equal. God never sees another god; A King does not see another King every day; One farmer sees another farmer every day.
103.	What is the country you go to from which you never come back? Ans. - Death's country.
104.	Er-tin-tin. My father has seven things. He gives six, but as for the seventh, that he does not give. Ans. - Six days for work, one is for God.
105.	What kind of an animal is a Roman Catholic? Ans. - That is a donkey. Right in the middle of the back, he has a cross.
106.	My father has dogs. The big dogs do no bite, but the little ones bite. Ans. - Pepper (i.e., pods and broken peppers).