ANIMAL STORIES.
1. Tying Tiger. [[Note]]
a. The Fish-basket.
George Parkes, Mandeville.
One great hungry time. Anansi couldn’t get anyt’ing to eat, so he take up his hand-basket an’ a big pot an’ went down to the sea-side to catch fish. When he reach there, he make up a large fire and put the pot on the fire, an’ say, “Come, big fish!” He catch some big fish put them aside. He said, “Big fish go, make little fish come!” He then catch the little fish. He say, “Little fish go, make big fish come!” an’ say, “Big fish go, make little fish come!” He then catch the pot full an’ his hand-basket. He bile the pot full and sit down and eat it off; he then started home back with the pot on his head and the basket. Reaching a little way, he hide the pot away in the bush an take the basket along with him now.
While going along, he meet up Tiger. Now Tiger is a very rough man an’ Anansi ’fraid of him. Tiger said to him, “What you have in that basket, sah?”—speak to him very rough. Anansi speak in a very feeble voice, say, “Nothing, sah! nothing, sah!” So both of them pass each other, an’ when they went on a little way, Tiger hide in the bush watching Anansi. Anansi then sit down underneath a tree, open his basket, take out the fishes one one, and say, “Pretty little yallah-tail this!” an’ put it aside; he take out a snapper an’ say, “Pretty little snapper this!” an’ put it one side; he take out a jack-fish an’ say, “Pretty little jack-fish!” an’ put it one side. Tiger then run up an’ say, “Think you havn’t not’ing in that basket, sah!” Anansi say, “I jus’ going down to the sea have a bathe, sah, an’ I catch them few ’itte fishes.” Tiger say, “Give it to me here, sah!”—talk in a very rough manner. An’ Tiger take it an’ eat them all an’ spit up the bones. Anansi [[2]]then take up the bones an’ eat them, an’ while eating he grumble an’ say, “But look me bwoy labor do!” Tiger say, “What you say?” Anansi say, “Fly humbug me face, sah!” (brushing his face).
So both of them start to go home now with the empty basket, but this time Anansi was studying for Tiger. When he reach part of the way, Anansi see a fruit-tree. Anansi say, “What a pretty fruit-tree!” (looking up in the tree). Tiger say, “Climb it, sah!” (in a rough manner). So when Anansi go up an’ pull some of the fruit, at that time Tiger was standing underneath the tree. Anansi look down on Tiger head an’ said, “Look lice in a Brar Tiger head!” Tiger said, “Come down an’ ketch it, sah!” Anansi come down an’ said to Tiger he kyan’t ketch it without he lean on the tree. Tiger said, “Lean on the tree, sah!” The hair on Tiger head is very long. So while Anansi ketchin’ the lice, Tiger fell asleep. Anansi now take the hair an’ lash it round the tree tie up Tiger on the tree. After he done that he wake up Tiger an’ say that he kyan’t ketch any more. Tiger in a rough manner say, “Come an’ ketch it, sah!” Anansi say, “I won’t!” So Anansi run off, Tiger spring after him, an’ fin’ out that his hair is tied on the tree. So Tiger say, “Come an’ loose me, sah!” Anansi say. “I won’t!” an’ Anansi sing now,
“See how Anansi tie Tiger,
See how Anansi tie Tiger,
Tie him like a hog, Tiger,
See how Anansi tie Tiger,
Tie him like a hog, Tiger!”
An’ Anansi leave him go home, an’ a hunter-man come an’ see Tiger tie on the tree, make kill him.
b. The Storm.
Vivian Bailey, Mandeville.
Brer Tiger got a mango-tree in his place. Brer Nansi go an’ ask if he could sell him a ha’ penny wort’ of mango. Brer Tiger say no. Brer Nansi well want de mango. Brer Nansi say, “Law pass dat eb’ry man have tree mus’ tie on it ’cause going to get a heavy storm.” Brer Tiger say, well, mus’ tie him to de mango-tree. After Brer Nansi tie Tiger, climb up in de mango-tree, an’ eb’ry mango he eat tak it an’ lick Brer Tiger on de head. After he eat done, he shake off all de ripe mango an’ pick dem up go away leave Brer Tiger tie up on de mango-tree.
Brer Tiger see Brer But pass an’ ask Brer But to loose him. Brer But say dat he kyan’t stop. Brer Tiger see Brer Ant passing, [[3]]ask Brer Ant to loose him; Brer Ant say he kyan’t depon[1] haste. Brer Tiger see Brer Duck-ants passing an’ ask him fe loose him. An’ don’ know if him will loose him, for don’ know if him will put up wid him slowness, for Duck-ants is a very slow man. After him loose him, Brer Tiger tell him many t’anks an’ tell him mus’ never let him hear any of Duck-ants’s frien’s pass him an’ don’ call up “How-dy-do.”
Brer Nansi in a cotton tree were listening when dey talking. De nex’ evening, Brer Nansi go to Brer Tiger yard an’ knock at de door. An’ say, “Who is deah?” an’ say, “Mr. Duck-ants’s brudder.” An’ dey tak him in an’ mak much of him, get up tea because it was Mr. Duck-ants’s brudder, an’ after dat go to bed. In de morning provide tea for Mr. Duck-ants ’fore he wake, an’ when he wake an’ was washin’ his face he got to tak off his hat. An’ Brer Nansi is a man wid a bald head, an’ dey got to fin’ out it was Brer Nansi an’ dey run him out of de house.
[1] depon here signifies “because of.” [↑]
2. Tiger as Substitute. [[Note]]
a. The King’s Two Daughters.
William Forbes, Dry River.
Deh was Anansi. He go out an’ court two young lady was de king daughter an’ mak dem a fool, an’ dem ketch him an’ tie him, an’ de two sister go an’ look a bundle a wood fe go an’ mak a fire under a copper[1] fe bu’n him wid hot water. An’ after when dem gone, he see Tiger was coming. Anansi said, “Lawd! Brar Tiger, I get into trouble heah!” An’ said, “Fe wha’?” An’ say, “King daughter wan’ lib wid dem, come tie me.” Tiger say, “You fool, mak y’ loose an’ tie me!”
Anansi tie Tiger dere now an’ Anansi go to a grass-root an’ dodge. An’ when de misses go t’row down de wood at de fire-side, de littlest one say, “Sister! sister! look de little uncle wha’ we tie heah, him tu’n a big uncle now!” Sister say, “I soon ‘big uncle’ him!” an’ dem mak up de fire bu’n up de water, tak two ladle an’ dem dashey upon Tiger. An’ him jump, an’ jump, pop de rope, tumble dump on de grass-root whe’ Anansi was. Anansi laugh “Tissin, tissin, tissin!”
An’ Tiger jump ’pon Anansi, say, “We mus’ go look wood gwine to bu’n your back!” Tiger see some good wood on a cotton-tree well dry, an’ Tiger say, “I don’ care wha’ you do!” [[4]]An’ when Anansi go up on cotton-tree, him chop one of de limb pum! an’ ’top, an’ chop again pum! an’ holla, “None!” Tiger say, “Cut de wood, man!” An’ holla again, “None!” Tiger said, “Cut de wood, I tell you, come down mak I bu’n you.” Anansi say, “You stan’ upon de bottom say ‘cut de wood,’ but you know Hunter-man look fe you las’ yeah track? Wha’ you t’ink upon dis yeah track worse!” an’ Tiger run. Anansi say, “He run, Massa Hunter-man, gone up on hill-side, gone dodge!” He move from dere gone on ribber-side. Anansi holla, “Him gone, Massa Hunter-man, a ribber!” Tiger wheel back. An’ Anansi holla to him say go to a sink-hole, an’ Anansi get rid of him an’ come off.
Jack man dora!
b. The Gub-gub Peas.
George Parkes, Mandeville.
A man plant a big field of gub-gub peas.[2] He got a watchman put there. This watchman can’t read. The peas grow lovely an’ bear lovely; everybody pass by, in love with the peas. Anansi himself pass an’ want to have some. He beg the watchman, but the watchman refuse to give him. He went an’ pick up an’ old envelope, present it to the watchman an’ say the master say to give the watchman. The watchman say, “The master know that I cannot read an’ he sen’ this thing come an’ give me?” Anansi say, “I will read it for you.” He said, “Hear what it say! The master say, ‘You mus’ tie Mr. Anansi at the fattest part of the gub-gub peas an’ when the belly full, let him go.’ ” The watchman did so; when Anansi belly full, Anansi call to the watchman, an’ the watchman let him go.
After Anansi gone, the master of the peas come an’ ask the watchman what was the matter with the peas. The watchman tol’ him. Master say he see no man, no man came to him an’ he send no letter, an’ if a man come to him like that, he mus’ tie him in the peas but no let him away till he come. The nex’ day, Anansi come back with the same letter an’ say, “Master say, give you this.” Anansi read the same letter, an’ watchman tie Anansi in the peas. An’ when Anansi belly full, him call to the watchman to let him go, but watchman refuse. Anansi call out a second time, “Come, let me go!” The watchman say, “No, you don’ go!” Anansi say, “If you don’ let me go, I spit on the groun’ an’ you rotten!”[3] Watchman get frighten an’ untie him. [[5]]
Few minutes after that the master came; an’ tol’ him if he come back the nex’ time, no matter what he say, hol’ him. The nex’ day, Anansi came back with the same letter an’ read the same story to the man. The man tie him in the peas, an’, after him belly full, he call to the man to let him go; but the man refuse,—all that he say he refuse until the master arrive.
The master take Anansi an’ carry him to his yard an’ tie him up to a tree, take a big iron an’ put it in the fire to hot. Now while the iron was heating, Anansi was crying. Lion was passing then, see Anansi tie up underneath the tree, ask him what cause him to be tied there. Anansi said to Lion from since him born he never hol’ knife an’ fork, an’ de people wan’ him now to hol’ knife an’ fork. Lion said to Anansi, “You too wort’less man! me can hol’ it. I will loose you and then you tie me there.” So Lion loose Anansi an’ Anansi tied Lion to the tree. So Anansi went away, now, far into the bush an’ climb upon a tree to see what taking place. When the master came out, instead of seeing Anansi he see Lion. He took out the hot iron out of the fire an’ shove it in in Lion ear. An Lion make a plunge an’ pop the rope an’ away gallop in the bush an’ stan’ up underneath the same tree where Anansi was. Anansi got frighten an’ begin to tremble an’ shake the tree. Lion then hol’ up his head an’ see Anansi. He called for Anansi to come down. Anansi shout to the people, “See de man who you lookin’ fe! see de man underneat’ de tree!” An’ Lion gallop away an’ live in the bush until now, an’ Anansi get free.
[2] Tall bush peas, one of the commonest and most prized of Jamaica crop. [↑]
[3] Anansi here claims the power of a sorcerer. [↑]
3. Tiger as Riding-horse. [[Note]]
William Forbes, Dry River.
Tiger was walking to a yard an’ see two young misses, an’ he was courting one of de young misses. An’ as Anansi hear, Anansi go up to yard where de young misses is; an’ dey ax him said, “Mr. Anansi, you see Mr. Tiger?” An’ said, “O yes! I see Mr. Tiger, but I tell you, missus, Tiger is me fader ol’ ridin’-horse.” An’ when Tiger come to misses, dem tell him. An’ said him gwine Anansi, mak him come an’ prove witness befo’ him face how he is fader ol’ ridin’-horse!
An’ when him come call Anansi, say, “Want you to come prove dis t’ing you say ’fore de misses,” Anansi say, “I nebber say so! but I kyan’ walk at all.” Tiger said, “If I hab to carry you ’pon me back, I will carry you go!” Anansi said, “Well, I wi’ go.” Anansi go tak out him saddle. Tiger say, “What you gwine do wid saddle?” Anansi say, “To put me foot down in de stirrup so [[6]]when I gwine fall down, I weak, I can catch up.” An’ tak him bridle. Tiger say, “What you gwine do wid it?” Say, “Gwine put it in you mout’, when I gwine to fa’ down I can catch up.” Tiger say, “I don’ care what you do, mus’ put it on!” An’ him go back an’ tak horse-whip. An say, “Wha’ you gwine do wid de horse-whip?” An’ say, “Fe when de fly come, fan de fly.” An’ put on two pair of ’pur. An’ say, “Wha’ you gwine do wid ’pur?” An’ say, “If I don’ put on de ’pur, me foot wi’ cramp.” An’ come close to yard an’ close in wid de ’pur an’ horse-whip, an’ mak him gallop into de yard. An’ say, “Carry him in to stable, sah! I mak you to know what Anansi say true to de fac’, is me fader ol’ ridin’-horse.”
Tiger tak to wood, Anansi sing a’ter him, “Po’ Tiger dead an’ gone!”
[[audio/mpeg]] | [MusicXML]]
[1]Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom, Eb-ry-bod-y (?)
Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom, (?) Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na.
Po’ Ti-ger dead and gone, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na,
Eb-ry-bod-y go look fo’ dem wife, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na,
Eb-ry-bod-y go look fo’ dem wife, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na, Si-lay-na bom.
[1] Record was poor and could only be taken in part. [↑]
4. Tiger’s Sheep-skin Suit. [[Note]]
George Parkes, Mandeville.
Anansi was a head-man for a man by the name of Mr. Mighty, who employed Anansi for the purpose of minding some sheep. The sheep numbered about two thousand. And from the first day Anansi took over the sheep, the man began to miss one. An’ he steal them until he leave only one. Well, Mr. Mighty would like to find out how the sheep go. He say to Anansi he would give his best daughter and two hundred pound to find out how the sheep go.
Anansi say the best way to find it out is to make a ball. Anansi have a friend name of Tiger, call him ‘Brar Tiger’. He went to Tiger an’ tell him Mr. Mighty promise to give his daughter [[7]]an’ two hundred pound to whomsoever tell how the sheep go. Anansi now is a fiddler, an’ he say that he will play the fiddle an’ Tiger play the tambourine, but before he go to the ball he will give Tiger a sheepskin coat, sheepskin trousers, a sheepskin cap, a sheepskin boot; an’ when him, Tiger, hear him play,
“Mister Mighty loss him sheep,
It stan’ lik’ a Tiger t’iefee,”
him, Tiger, mustn’t think him the same one; it’s one clear out the country. And he is to play his tambourine, say,
“Fe tre-ew, bredder, fe tre-ew,
It ’tan lik’ a it mak me clo’es.”
Now then, Anansi go back to Mr. Mighty an’ tol’ him that there is a man coming to the ball wearing a suit of sheep-skin clo’es,—dat is the man who steal the sheep.
Mr. Mighty give out invitation to all the high folks, all the ladies and gentlemen all aroun’, to attend the ball at that same date. The night of the ball, Anansi went with his fiddle an’ Tiger with his tambourine in the suit of sheep-skin clo’es. At the time fix, Anansi tune up his fiddle, ‘he-rum, te-rum, she-rum.’ Tiger now trim the tambourine, ‘ring-ping, ring-ping, ring-pong, pe-ring-ping, double-ping, tong!’ Anansi says, “Gentlemen an’ ladies, ketch yo’ pardner!” Anansi play,
“Mr. Mighty loss him sheep,
Mr. Mighty loss him sheep,
Mr. Mighty loss him sheep,
It stan’ lik’ a Tiger t’iefee.”
Tiger say,
“Fe tre-ew, bredder, fe tre-ew,
Fe tre-ew, bredder, fe tre-ew,
Fe tre-ew, bredder, fe tre-ew,
It ’tan’ lik’ a it mak me clo’es.”
Anansi go to Mr. Mighty an’ say, “Me an’ dat man workin’ an’ I didn’t know he was such a t’ief! he steal de sheep till he tak skin an’ all mak him clo’es!” An’ as they were going back to their places Anansi say, “Hell after you t’-night, only t’ing you don’t know!” Tiger say, “What you say, Bra’?”—“Me say, you not playing strong enough, you mus’ play up stronger!”
Anansi say again, “Gentlemen an’ ladies, ketch ’em a pardner!” an’ sing,
“Mr. Mighty loss him sheep,
It ’tan’ lik’ a Tiger t’iefee.”
Tiger say,
“Fe tre-ew, bredder, fe tre-ew,
It ’tan’ lik’ a it mak me clo’es”.
[[8]]
Mr. Mighty got right up an’ said to Tiger, “Yes, that is the man what steal all my sheep!” Tiger say, “No!!” Anansi say, “Yes, that is the man what steal all the sheep, an’ I an’ that man eatin’ an’ I didn’t know that man was such a t’ief!” An’ Tiger was arrested an’ got ten years in prison, an’ Anansi get the two hundred pounds an’ the best daughter to marry to.
5. Tiger Catching the Sheep-thief. [[Note]]
a. The Escape.
Joseph Macfarlane, Moneague, St. Ann.
One day was an old lady name Mis’ Madder, had twenty sheep. Mr. Anansi went an’ gi’ her a hen an’, couple week after, Mr. Anansi went back fe de hen. An’ said, “Didn’t you gi’ me de hen, Mr. Anansi?” An’ said, “Oh, no! Missus, me hen wud have hegg, hegg, on hegg, chicken on chicken!” An’ said, “De only t’ing I can do’ Mr. Anansi, go in de sheep-pen an’ tak a sheep!” It went on till de nineteen was gone, leave one. Tiger says, “Mis’ Madder, I’ll kill de sheep tak a half an’ ketch Mr. Anansi.” Tiger kill i’, put ’e skin over himself. When Mr. Anansi come, Tiger bawl like a sheep “Ba-a-a-a!” Miss Madder say, “All right, Mr. Anansi, I don’ wan’ to hear any more talkin’; tak’ de las’ sheep an’ go.” Anansi say, “T’ank you, Miss Madder, won’ come back an’ worry you fe no more fowl!”
When he went off, under way said, “Yah! dis sheep hebby, sah!” Went home, de wife an’ chil’ren sit roun’ him wid bowl an’ knife. Mr. Anansi tak de knife cut de t’roat an’ say, “Lawd! me wife, dis fellow fat till no hav any blood!” Cut de belly come down, Tiger jump out hold him. Mr. Anansi say, “He! he! Brar Tiger, wha’ you do?” Tiger say, “Miss Madder ha’ twenty sheep an’ if me no tie you, him wi’ say you an’ me eat dem.” Anansi say, “If dem tak dem big banana trash tie me, I wi’ be glad, but if dey could a tak dat ’itte bit o’ banana t’read tie me, I should be so sorry!” An’ dey tie him wid de small banana trash an’ t’row into de sea, an’ he jus’ open his leg an’ run under water. An’ from dat time you see Anansi running under water.
b. The Substitute.
Samuel Christie, St. Ann’s Bay.
Anansi is a smart one, very smart, likes to do unfair business. So one day was walking t’ru a lady property an’ kill a little bird; so him pass de lady yard an’ say, “Missus, me beg you mak little [[9]]bird stan’ till me come back?” Lady said, “Put it down, Anansi.” Lef’ de bird an’ he never come back till he know de bird spile. De lady t’row de bird. He come back, say, “Missus, me jus’ call fe de litt’e bird me lef’ t’odder day. Say, “Anansi, de bird spoil an’ me t’row it away!”—“No, missus, you kyan’ t’row ’way me bird! Jus’ call an’ me want i’!” Lady say, “Well, Anansi, before you ill-treat me, go in de sheep-pen an’ tak a sheep.”
Anansi was quite glad fe dat, get a sheep fe de bird! An’ go down fin’ a sheep-pen wid plenty of sheep. Anansi go an’ tak dat one, an’ after dat, ev’ry night he tak one. Lady fin’ all de sheep was los’, so tell de head man mus’ keep watch of de sheep-pen. So de head-man was Tiger. Tiger tak out dat sheep was in de sheep-pen an’ dress himself wid sheep-skin. Anansi have suspicion an’ get a frien’ to go wid him dat night, ask de frien’ to catch de sheep. So as him frien’ t’row on de rope on Tiger head, Anansi fin’ it was Tiger an’ him ask excuse, go to a good distance where can mak escape, holla, “Dat somet’ing you ketch deh no sheep,—Brar Tiger!”
Tiger tie de frien’ carry him up to de yard tell de mistress dis is de man been destroying de sheep all de time!
c. In the House-top.
Thomas White, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.
Mr. Goolin pay Anansi a hundred poun’ to mak him wife talk,[1] an’ Anansi was live upon Mr. Goolin ev’ry day an’ go to Mr. Goolin yard ev’ry day fe money. Mr. Goolin get tired of Anansi an’ couldn’t get rid of Anansi out of him yard. Tiger hear, an’ go to Mr. Goolin tell him dat him will stop Anansi from comin’ in yard. An’ so Tiger did; Tiger turn a big barrow an’ go lie down in de common. Anansi come now an’ say, “Mawnin’, Mr. Goolin.” Mr. Goolin say, “Mawnin’, Mr. Anansi.” Anansi says, “I might well tell you de trut’! De amount of what money you pay me fe yo’ wife, it is not enough!” Mr. Goolin says, “Well, I have no more money to pay you again.” Anansi says, “O Mr. Goolin! you couldn’t tell me a word as dat!” Mr. Goolin says to Anansi, “Mr. Anansi, all I can do fe you, go in de common see a big barrow lie down dere. You can go catch it.”
Anansi tek him rope an’ go in de common an’ him tie de big barrow an’ him put it jus’ right across him shoulder. An’ he was goin’ along till him ketch part of de way, him says to himself, “Ha! if I didn’t cunnie, I wouldn’t get dis big barrow t’-day.” So [[10]]look an’ see a long beard come down on him face. Dat was Tiger! Tiger go fe shake him an’ he say, “O Brar Tiger, no shake! no shake! no shake!”
Anansi[2] run fe him house an’, when he get near, him holler to him wife say, “Shet de back do’, open de front do’, Brar Tiger come!” Wife say, “Wha’ you say? say wash out de pot?”—“No! shet de back do’, open de front do’!”—“Wha’ you say? put on de pot, come?” Him say, “No-o-o! s-h-e-t de b-a-c-k d-o-o-o! o-p-e-n de f-r-o-n-t d-o-o-o-o!”
Wife put up all dem chil’ren quite a-top, and, as Anansi put down Tiger, Anansi fly up a-top, too.
An’ Tiger was layin’ down in de hall middle, an’ all de chil’ren an’ de wife, dem all upon house-top. Anansi have six chil’ren. De chil’ one of dem, says he hungry. As de chil’ say he hungry, Anansi shove down dat chil’ t’ Brar Tiger. Tiger swallow him. Anodder cry out hungry again; Anansi shove him down, Tiger swallow him. Anodder one cry hungry again; Anansi shove him down gi’ Tiger, Tiger swallow him. Deh’s t’ree gone. Him was deh again till anodder one cry hungry; Anansi shove him down to Tiger, Tiger swallow him. For a good time again de odder one cry out hungry; Anansi shove him down gi’ Tiger, Tiger swallow him. Good time again, de las’ chil’ lef’, him cry hungry. Anansi shove him down gi’ Tiger, Tiger swallow him. Lef’ him an’ him wife, two single, now. Anansi fell in sleep. De wife tak needle an’ t’read an’ sew Anansi trouser-foot upon her frock-tail. When Anansi wake out of sleep, him wife cry hungry now. Anansi shove down him wife to give Tiger. De woman frock-tail sew up on Anansi trouser-foot an’ ketch him up back. An’ de lady was deh for a good time until him cry hungry again an’ Anansi shove him down gi’ Tiger an’ Tiger swallow Mrs. Anansi.
Anansi was deh on de house-top until he feel hungry now. An’ says to Tiger, “Brar Tiger, you know what you do? I’s a man dat’s so fat, if I drop on de bare eart’ I’s goin’ to mash up; so if you want me to eat, you want to cut a whole heap a dry trash.” An’ Tiger went an’ cut a whole heap a dry trash an’ carried de dry trash come an’ he t’rown de dry trash.
Anansi said to Tiger, “Brar Tiger, ketch, ketch, ketch, comin’ down!” An’ Anansi let himself off of de house-top an’ drop in de trash, an’ Tiger was upon hard sarchin’ an’ couldn’t fin’ Anansi until t’-day!
Jack man dora, choose none! [[11]]
[2] The misunderstood warning is inserted from another narrator. [↑]
6. Tiger’s Breakfast. [[Note]]
Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
One day, Hanansi go Tiger house an’ eat breakfas’ every day, an’ tell Tiger, say, “Brar Tiger, to-morrow you mus’ come a my house; but when you hear me makin’ noise you mus’ come, for dat time breakfas’ is on, but when you hear me stay still you mustn’t come at all.” So when Tiger go, Hanansi eat done. And say, “Brar Tiger, you foot short!” Tiger say, “No, me no hear you mak noise!” Hanansi say, “No, so me said, for when man makin’ noise he kyan’ eat.” An’ say, “Well, nex’ day come back.” When Tiger come, Hanansi tak shame, gi’ him little breakfas’ but say, “Brar Tiger, when we go fe eat, when I say ‘Nyammy nyammy nyammy’ you mus’ say, ‘Nyam a wha’ eat’.”[1] So Hanansi stay deh eat everyt’ing, Tiger never get one.
Tiger study fe him. Nex’ day he go to Tiger yard. When Tiger gi’ him breakfast an’ gi’ him enough meat he said to Tiger, “Brar Tiger, a whe’ you get meat every day so?” Tiger said, “You know how me come by dis meat? When I see a cow lie down, I go up an’ run me han’ inside of de cow an’ hol’ de man tripe, so I never out of meat.” So Hanansi went his way an’ do de same. De cow frighten on de hill-side an’ turn head right down to lowland. Hanansi say, “Do, Brar Cow, don’t shut up me han’!” Cow fasten de han’ de better an’ gallop right down de hill an’ drag Hanansi over de stone. Dat’s de reason let you see Hanansi belly white.
[1] This means, “Eat, eat, eat”;—“Don’t want anything to eat.” [↑]
7. Eggs and Scorpions. [[Note]]
William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.
Blinkie[1] an’ Anansi was gwine in a wood. Dem gwine in a wood fe go look egg, bird egg. An’ Anansi tell Blinkie when little bird say, “Who wan’ little egg?” Blinkie fe say him want little egg, an’ when de big bird say, “Who wan’ big egg?” Anansi say, “Me wan’ big egg!” An’ in de night when he get all de big egg, Blinkie get vex’ an’ lef’ Anansi in de bush an’ him fly away wid de light.
An’ Anansi come a Tiger house in a night. Tiger had a sheep in yard. Anansi say, “Brar Tiger, if you gi’ me dinner fe eat t’-night, I gi’ you all de egg.” An’ Tiger say yes, an’ Tiger go to de sheep an’ say, “Lay out, lay out, sheep!” He lay out roas’ fowl, roas’ duck, an’ all sort a t’ings. Anansi get at it. [[12]]
When he eat, say want to sleep Tiger house. Tiger set ’corpion roun’ de egg. When Anansi put han’ in to tak de egg, ’corpion bite him. An’ holla, “Aye-e-e!” Tiger say, “Brar Anansi, wha’ ha’ you?” An’ say, “Me t’ree litt’e pickney an’ me wife mak me a cry!” Den, when Tiger gone t’ bed, he t’ief away de sheep.
[1] Fire-flies are common in Jamaica. [↑]
8. Tiger’s Bone-hole. [[Note]]
William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.
Tiger had a big pot o’ meat, an’ him boil an’ lef’ it gone a groun’. An’ he have a bone-hole; when he ate de meat, t’row it into de hole. An’ Anansi tak him wife an’ t’ree pickney an’ he say dey five gwine to de house an’ get into de pot eat de meat. An’ after dey hear Tiger was coming, him an’ him wife an’ de t’ree pickney, five of dem, go in de hole. An’ Tiger come an’ say, “Not a creetur nyam dis meat but Brar Nansi!” An’ Tiger begin now eat meat, an’ de first bone him t’row into de hole, him knock one of de pickney. An’ as he go fe holla, Anansi says, “Shut yo’ mout’, sir, don’ cry!” An’ he eat again, t’row out anodder bone, knock anodder pickney. As him go fe cry, say “Shut yo’ mout’, sir!” As he eat anodder bone again, he knock de las’ pickney, mak t’ree. Tell him say him mustn’t cry. Ate anodder bone an’ t’row it in de hole, knock de mudder. As him go fe cry, say, “Shut yo’ mout!” An’ de las’ bone he eat, knock Anansi in a head. Anansi say, “Mak we all holla now in a de hole!” So dey all holla “Yee! yee-e-e!” in a de hole, an’ as dey holla, Tiger get frighten’ an’ run lef’ de house, an Anansi an’ wife an pickney come out tak all de meat go away, run him out of his house ’count of dat bone-hole!
Jack man dora!
9. The Christening. [[Note]]
Charles Wright, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.
Anansi an’ Tiger bot’ of them fin’ one keg of butter. Anansi says to Tiger, “Let us hide it in the bushes.” Some days after, Anansi says to Tiger, “I receive a letter for a christening.” When he return, Tiger ask him the name of the chile. He says the name is “Top take off.” Another week came again. He say receive another letter for another christening. After he come back, Tiger ask him what’s the name of the chile again. He says, “Catch in de middle.” An’ the las’ week he went back for another christening. Tiger ask him when he come back what’s the name of the chile. He says, “Lick clean.” [[13]]
Now he says, “Tiger, let us go look for this keg of butter.” He carried Tiger all over the place walkin’ until he get tired, an’ when he nearly catch to the place where they hid the butter he said, “Tiger, we are tired, let us go for a sleep!” An’ after Tiger was sleeping, he went to the keg, he took a bit of stick an’ he scrape as much as he can get from the keg, an’ he wipe a little on Tiger mouth an’ he wipe a little at the tail. Then he climb a tall tree now and he make a wonderful alarm that Tiger eat butter until he melt butter!
10. Eating Tiger’s Guts. [[Note]]
a. The Tell-tale.
Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Brer Tiger and Brer Anansi went to river-side. Brer Anansi said, “Brer Tiger, tak out your inside an’ wash it out.” Brer Tiger did so. “Now, Brer Tiger, dip your head in water wash it good.” The moment Brer Tiger put his head in water, Anansi took up the inside and run away with it give to his wife Tacoomah to boil.
Next morning he heard that Tiger was dead. He called all the children to know how they were going to cry. Each one come say, “Tita Tiger dead!” The last child he called said, “Same somet’ing pupa bring come here las’ night give Ma Tacoomah to boil, Tita Tiger gut.”—“Oh, no!” said Anansi, “Pic’ninny, you can’t go.” So they lock up that child. So man hear him crying ask him what’s the matter. “I wan’ to go to Tita Tiger’s funeral!” Let him out to go. When Anansi see him coming, he run away and tak house-top and since then he never come down.
b. The Monkeys’ Song.
Henry Spence, Bog, Westmoreland.
Anansi and Tiger bade. So Anansi tell Tiger, “Meanwhile bading, tak out tripe!” Tiger tak out tripe. Anansi firs’ come out an’ eat Tiger tripe, an’ say if Tiger wan’ to know how him tripe go he mus’ go down to Monkey town. So Anansi go down, go tell Monkey when dey see Tiger coming mus’ sing,
“Dis time, we eat Tiger gut down!”
So after, as Tiger hear dem all a-singing, kill off all de Monkey. An’ catch one of de Monkey an’ he say Anansi come down larn him de song yesterday! [[14]]
11. Throwing away Knives. [[Note]]
a. Tiger and Anansi.
Benjamin Collins, Mandeville.
Once upon a time Brer Tiger an’ Brer Anansi was gwine on. Brer Anansi tell Brer Tiger says, “Brer Tiger, I’m gwine to t’row away my knife an’ when you see I t’row away mine, you mus’ t’row away yours, too.” Brer Anansi tak somet’ing an’ t’row it away, an’ Brer Tiger tak his knife an’ t’row it away. An’ when dem reach de fiel’ to eat pine,[1] deh comes Brer Nansi had his knife, he was eating pine, an’ Brer Tiger didn’t get none. Brer Nansi say to Brer Tiger, “Brer Tiger, no man a knife nyam pine; no man no have knife no nyam pine!”[2]
b. Sheep and Anansi.
William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.
Mr. Anansi an’ Mr. Sheep going out walking over de country. Carry two spoon; Sheep carry one, Anansi carry one. Anansi tell Sheep, “Mr. Sheep, lef’ you spoon here, don’ carry it.” Den go to de second house an’ get some breakfas’ again. After him get de breakfas’ him say, “Mr. Sheep, where you spoon?” An’ said, “Don’t you tell me to lef’ it at de firs’ house?”—“You mus’ go back for it now!” Mr. Sheep gone for it, him eat off all de breakfas’.
An’ said, “Come, Mr. Sheep, but you mus’ lef’ you spoon.”—“Me won’t carry it at all.” Den go up to de nex’t yard an’ get dinner now. Night is coming. An’ said, “Mr. Sheep, where is you’ ’poon?” An’ said, “I lef’ it at de las’ yard you eat.” Well, den, Sheep have to go back fe his spoon again; tell Sheep come back again an’ Anansi eat off de dinner. Sheep couldn’t get not’ing to eat.
[2] Anyone who has a knife can eat pineapple; anyone who has none cannot eat pineapple. [↑]
12. Grace Before Meat. [[Note]]
a. Monkey and Anansi.
Samuel Christie, St. Anne’s Bay.
Anansi and Monkey were travelling; they were two good friends together. Anansi ask Monkey, “Brer Monkey, how much cunnie you have?” Said, “Brer, me have plenty plenty!” Anansi said, “Brer, me only have one one-half; I keep the one fe meself an’ give me friend the half.” [[15]]
Trabble on, trabble on, until they see Tiger in one deep hole. Anansi say, “Brer Monkey, you have plenty cunnie an’ long tail; sen’ down tail into the hole an’ help Brer Tiger!” While him sen’ down him tail, Anansi climb one tree. Tiger come out of the hole now, lay hold on Monkey, say, “I nyam you t’-day!” Anansi on the tree laughing. Monkey into a fix now, don’t know how to get away. So Anansi call out to Tiger, “Brer Tiger, you ketch Monkey now you gwine eat him?” Tiger say, “Yes, I gwine eat him.” Anansi say, “Do like me, now. Open you two hand an’ clap wid joy, say, ‘I get Monkey!’ ” That time he open his two hand, Monkey get free. Tiger run after Monkey, Anansi mak his way down from the tree, go home.
b. Goat and Anansi.
Henry Spence, Bog, Westmoreland.
Anansi and Tiger go out hunting one day. Tiger catch one wild goat, Anansi no catch one. Anansi say to him, “Brar Tiger, wha’ you say when you catch dis goat?” So Tiger say, “Not’ing!” Anansi say, “Brar Tiger, nex’ time when you catch goat so, you mus’ put goat under yo’ arm an’ knockey han’ at top say, ‘T’ank de Lord!’ ” An’ Tiger did so an’ de goat get away gone; de two lose.
13. Day-time Trouble. [[Note]]
a. Rabbit and Anansi.
Susan Watkins, Claremont, St. Ann.
Brar Nansi and Brar Rabbit went for a walk one day. Brar Rabbit ask Brar Anansi to show him ‘daytime trouble’. An’ while dey go on, Brar Anansi saw Tiger den wid a lot of young Tiger in it. Brar Anansi took out one an’ kill it an’ give Rabbit a basket wid a piece of de Tiger’s meat to carry for de Tiger’s fader, an’ took Rabbit along wid him to Tiger’s house an’ tol’ Brar Rabbit to han’ Tiger de basket. Anansi run, an’ Tiger catch at Rabbit to kill him, but he get away. Brar Anansi run up a tree an’ say, “Run, Brar Rabbit, run! run fe stone-hole!” Took a razor an’ give it to Rabbit. An’ Tiger got up a lot of men to get Rabbit out de hole an’ Tiger sent for Reindeer to dig him out, as he had a long neck to put down his head an’ dig him out; but Anansi tol’ Rabbit when Reindeer put down his head in de hole, he mus’ tak de razor an’ cut it off. A lot of people gadder to see Reindeer tak Rabbit out of de hole, but instead, Reindeer head was taken off an’ he drop an’ was dead an’ de whole crowd run away wid fright. [[16]]After Rabbit come out, Brar Nansi say to him, “Brar Rabbit, so ’daytime trouble’ stay. So, as long as you live, never ask anybody to show it to you again!”
b. Rat and Anansi.
Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.
Rat and Anansi went out one day. They came across Tiger’s four children,—Anansi knew exactly where they was. He had a handbasket, Rat had one. So Anansi said, “Brer, two fe me, two fe you!” Anansi tak up one, mak the attempt as if he going to kill it but he didn’t do so, put it in his basket alive. Rat t’ot Anansi kill it, an’ he tak up his now an’ kill it an’ put it in his basket. Anansi did the same with the second one,—didn’t kill it, put it in his basket. Rat took up the other one an’ him kill it. So Rat had two dead ones an’ Anansi had his alive.
Anansi knew exactly which way Tiger would walk coming home. They met Tiger. Said, “Brer Tiger, I see yo’ baby them crying hungry, I tak them up come meet you. I carry two, Brer Rat two.” Tiger lay down now to nurse them. Anansi took out one alive. Rat took out one dead, got frightened. Tiger looks cross. Anansi took out the other one alive. Rat took out his dead. Tiger got into a temper an’ made a spring at Rat to catch him. Rat was running. The track was along the side of a wall. Anansi call, “Brer Rat, ’member stone-hole!” Tiger say, “What you say, Brer Nansi?” Anansi say, “Tell you mus’ min’, him go into dat stone-hole now!” Rat hear now, get into de stone-hole. Tiger wheel roun’ to revenge himself on Anansi. Anansi get under de dry trash. That is the reason why rat so fond of stone-hole, an’ Anansi, always find him under dry trash an’ rubbish.
Jack man dory!
c. Goat and Anansi.
Ethel Watson, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Anansi and Goat was walking one day. Dey met on Tiger nest. Dey saw seven pic’ny in de nes’. Hanansi said, “Goat, you know what we do? Mak we wring de neck t’row ’way in de bag!” Dey wring de pickney neck t’row it in de bag.
Dey met wid Bredder Tiger. Hanansi said, “Bredder Tiger, we get at’ yo’ nes’ an’ we tak yo’ pic’ny an wring dem neck t’row ’em in de bag.” Tiger say, “You mus’ be kill me pic’ny!” Anansi say, “No-o-o-o-o!” Tiger say, “T’row ’em out let me see dem!” [[17]]Hanansi t’row out; dey didn’t dead. “Goat, t’row out yours now let me see!” Goat t’row dem out; de Goat’s was dead.
Tiger start after Goat. Hanansi say, “Run, Brer Tiger! run, Brer Goat!” Goat slip into a hole, Tiger begin to dig de hole. De stick get broke. Hanansi say, “Bredder Tiger, go look better stick.” Bredder Tiger went. Hanansi give de Goat some salt, say, “When Tiger come, blow dis in a eye!” Tiger come back, begin to dig. Hanansi say, “Bredder Tiger, dig an peep down in a hole!” Tiger begin dig an’ peep. Goat blow de salt in de Tiger eye. Tiger say, “Brer Hanansi, blow in dis fe me!” Hanansi blow, say, “Bredder Tiger, after eye-water sweet so, what t’ink upon de meat?” Hanansi an’ Goat come out an’ kill Tiger, den dey put Tiger in de bag wid de pic’ny, an’ bot’ of dem went home.
14. New Names. [[Note]]
Samuel Christie, St. Ann’s Bay.
There was four friends; one was Anansi, name of the other was Tiger, name of the other Tacoomah, name of the other Parrot. So they go for a journey, and Anansi bargain with them that the four mus’ change their name an’ when they come home, each one mus’ go to their mudder house an’ if their mudder call them the old name they mus’ eat their mudder. So the new name,—Anansi name was Che-che-bun-da, Parrot new name was Green-corn-ero, Tiger name was Yellow-prissenda, Tacoomah name was Tacoomah-vengeance,—the four new name. Any mudder call them the ol’ name, they mus’ eat the mudder.
So they come to Tacoomah house first. Anansi say Tacoomah name ‘Tacoomah-vengeance’. The mudder didn’t understand the new name, so she say, “Look me pickney Tacoomah come!” An’ kill Tacoomah mudder an’ eat her. Second, ’em go to Tiger mudder. Anansi say Tiger name ‘Yellow-prissenda’. So they fall upon Tiger mudder, eat her. So that night Anansi cry to excuse the night an’ go over to his mudder house an’ say, “Mudder, if you call me ‘Anansi’, dey will kill you! but de name ‘Che-che-bun-da’.” The next night they come to Parrot house. Anansi say Parrot name ‘Green-corn-ero’. Eat Parrot mudder the same. At night, again Anansi cry excuse an’ go to his mudder, say, “Mudder, las’ night wha’ me tell you say me name?” The mudder say, “Me pickney, you no name Anansi?” Anansi say, “Ma, coming here tomorrow night an’ if you call me so they kill you! You mus’ call me ‘Che-che-bun-da’!” Ask his mudder again, “Wha’ me tell you say yo’ pickney name?” She say, “Anansi?” Anansi say, “No, [[18]]mudder! dey kill you! Me name Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da!” Keep tell the name over an’ over that the mudder no forget.
So the night now Anansi turn come and they come along singing,
“Anansi name a Che-che-bun-da,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda,
Parrot name a Green-corn-ero,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda,
Tiger name a Yellow-prissenda,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda,
Tacoomah name Tacoomah-vengeance,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda.”
An’ as Anansi mudder see Anansi coming an’ the rest, say, “Look me pickney Che-che-bun-da!” Call the new name, so her life save, an’ didn’t eat Anansi mudder. Anansi make the bargain to feast on the others an’ save his mudder!
15. Long-shirt. [[Note]]
Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.
Anansi, Tacoomah and Tiger made a dance; Anansi was the fiddler, Tacoomah the drummer and Tiger the tambourine man. They travel on till they get to a country where all the people were naked—no clothing except the head-man, who wore a long shirt; he had a wooden leg. So they invite up all these people to come to the dance. Mr. Ram-goat was in the lot. So they start playing and the people start dancing, dance until they get so tired everybody fell asleep; and Anansi stole the head-man’s shirt—good shirt!—and put his own old one upon him while he was sleeping.
The man got awake, miss his shirt. Now this shirt could talk. The man call out, “Long-shirt, whe’ you deh?” Longshirt answer, “Brar Nansi have me on-o!” They start up, now. Anansi got so frightened! He met Brar Ram-goat. He said, “Brar Ram-goat, I swap me shirt, gi’ you one new one fe you ol’ one!” Ram-goat readily make the exchange. The head-man call out, “Long-shirt, whe’ you deh?” Long-shirt call out, “Bra’ Ram-goat have me on now-o!”
Ram-goat run until he was exhausted, couldn’t go any further. He dug a hole an’ bury himself into the hole leaving one horn outside and didn’t know that horn was projecting outside. The man with the wooden leg couldn’t go as fast as the rest. All the rest ran past Ram-goat; the head-man came along, buck the wooden leg upon the horn and he fell down. When he got up, he thought [[19]]it was a stump, so he got out his knife to cut off that stump to prevent it throwing him down again. He cut an’ cut an’ cut till he saw blood. He call out to the rest, “Look! come now-o, dirtee have blood!” All the rest come around say, “Dig him out! dig him out! dig him out!” After they dug him out, they took off head-man long shirt, put on his own old one, and they wet him with all the dirty slops—they drench poor Ram-goat.
They thought he was dead and they leave him an’ go away. After they was gone, Ram-goat got up. He wring the dirty clothes, he wring with all the slop they throw on him; he never remember to wring his beard. Jack man dora! That’s the reason the goat have such an offensive smell until this day, he didn’t remember to wring his beard!
16. Shut up in the Pot. [[Note]]
Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.
There was a very hard time, no food whatsoever could they get, so Anansi him family well fear. So when Bredder Tiger and Bredder Tacoomah go see him, he tell them for last three or four days his wife and children didn’t eat bread. Say they will go back home and send him some of ’em food, and the two go back from Nansi yard and just dodge him now and hear his wife call, “Heah! dinner ready!” And Bredder Tiger and Bredder Tacoomah go back to the house knock on the door. The wife open the door and Anansi go right out of the house—’shamed! The wife give them some of the food to eat and it was only fresh beef.
They come back to Bredder Anansi now and Nansi tell them say, “I will get the beef, but whatever I tell you to do, you mus’ be sure to do it.” An’ he put on a big pot of water on fire, an’ him, Nansi, get into the pot of water and gwine tell them shut him up in him pot. An’ tell them as soon as him knock the pot, open the pot. An’ him come out now, tell Bredder Tiger he mus’ get in the pot,—Tacoomah long side in the pot too. And shut them up, an’ he get a heavy weight an’ put it on the pot top. An’ he went right outside and tell him wife mus’ shove up the fire, mak the fire bigger an’ bigger. An’ when him come back, them was properly cooked. They gwine eat now, he was tuning up his fiddle—
“I got them now! I got them now!
Them think they got me, but I got them now!”
[[20]]
17. House in the Air. [[Note]]
a. Tracking Anansi.
Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Anansi live into a tree with wife and children, then go about and robber the others and they can’t find where he live. So Tiger and Bredder Tacoomah dog him and see when he send down the rope and swing up whatever he provide for the family. So Bredder Tiger go to a tin-smith to give him a fine v’ice and went to the tree and him sing,
“Mama, mama, sen’ down rope,
Sen’ down rope, Brer Nansi deh groun’ a!”
Then the mother find out it was not Bredder Nansi from the coarseness of the v’ice. So he go to a gold-smith now, and he come back again and sing again. Now he get a v’ice same as Bredder Nansi.
“Mama, mama, sen’ down rope,
Sen’ down rope, Brer Nansi deh groun’ a!”
Then the mother let the rope down to receive him. Brer Nansi coming from a distance see the mother swinging him up in the tree now and say,
“Mama, cut de rope! mama, cut de rope!”
And she cut the rope and Bredder Tiger fell and broke his neck. Bredder Nansi tak him and have him now for him dinner. They couldn’t eat Bredder Nansi at all; him was the smartest one of all.
b. Rabbit and Children going up to Heaven.
William Saunders, Mandeville.
Once de Rabbit an’ chil’ren was going up to Heaven. Dey was singin’ dat dey goin’ up to Heaven t’-day, an’ Brar Anansi want to go along wid dem to have a feed. Having got in de merit dey sing,
“Mammy an’ Harry,
Pull up de merit, pull up de merit!”
An’ when Anansi quite away on de journey was goin’ up to heaven, he was singin’,
“Pull up de merit, pull up de merit!”
an’ de Rabbits say, “What is dat? Dat is Anansi voice!” De chil’ren say, “Yes, dat is Anansi voice.” Rabbits say,
“Mammy an’ Harry,
Cut down de merit, cut down de merit!”
an’ de merit cut down an’ from dat day poor Anansi’s waist was cut off, leave a little bit! [[21]]
c. Duppy’s House in the Air.
Harold Tulloch, Queen Anne’s Bay.
Once Brer Duppy[1] make his house in de air. So he have a sling to sling down himself every morning, an’ as soon as he’ come down he say to de sling, “Go up, me chin-chin, go up!” So Bredder Nansi come to find out Duppy house, an’ he was wondering how to get up in dis house, so he dodge one side in de evening. An’ when Bredder Duppy come he said, “Come down, me chin-chin, come down!” an’ it came right down. He get in an’ said, “Go up, me chin-chin, go up!” an’ it go right up. By dis time Anansi was listening. Nex’ morning, as soon as Bredder Duppy move off about a mile, Bredder Nansi went right up an’ said, “Come down, me chin-chin, come down!” an’ it came down. Den Bredder Nansi get in it and said, “Go up, me chin-chin, go up!”
After he went up, he search de house an’ eat off all what he found in de house. He want to come down now, but he couldn’t remember de name. So he lay off dere until de duppy come catch him in de house. Brer Duppy said to him, “Lawd! Brer Anansi, what you doin’ up heah?” He said, “Brer Duppy, was jus’ goin’ up a-top heah to look fe me family, win’ ketch me on de way an I’ stop heah.” An’ Bredder Duppy tak some boiling water an’ t’row on him an’ he was dead.
d. Carencro’s[2] House with a Key.
Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Kyan-crow got a house. De libber de key to de house. When him gwine out den ca’ out, “Libber me yum yum!” Ev’ry door shut up. Hanansi stan’ aside saw; when him gone, him go up said, “Libber me yum yum!” de door open. An’ get inside. As him go in he say, “Libber me yum yum!” de door shet. De fust t’ing him do, him eat de libber so den when Brar Kyan-crow come an’ ca’ out, “Libber me yum yum!” do’ kyan’t open. An’ say, “Somet’ing de matter a me house t’-day!” When den get little crebbice a de windah gwine in at de house, den didn’t see de key at all. Well, Hanansi run out, an’ him ketch Hanansi.
Hanansi say, “Brar Kyan-crow, you know you do? You no lob dance? I wi’ play fe you!” Kyan-crow say all right. Hanansi say, “But me banjo kyan’ play widout hot water.” When dey goin’ along hall, when de banjo playin’ “Ba cimba cimba,” Hanansi say, [[22]]“All right, Brar Kyan-crow, turn back-way come.” He tak de packey, he dippy up full of de hot water an’ say, “All right, Brar Kyan-crow, dance come now!” As Kyan-crow come, he meet him wid de packey hot water. Kyan-crow tumble down. So from dat day every Kyan-crow got peel-head.
[1] A duppy is a ghost, spirit, or any supernatural apparition, but here probably refers to the Devil. [↑]
[2] Crow’s name in French stories. [↑]
18. Goat on the Hill-side. [[Note]]
Julia Gentle, Santa Cruz Mountains.
The time hard. Anansi said to Tacoomah, “How going to manage wid de hard time?” So Tacoomah said, “You know we do? I will get me machete[1] an’ I go half shut de door, den I will say, ‘Police, I sick!’ ” Den, when people come, Tacoomah take de machete an’ chop dem, put dem in de barrel for de hungry time. Anansi say, “Brar Tacoomah, barrel nearly full?”—“No, Brar.” He cry out again how Tacoomah poorly; an’ de people come an’ as dey come, he kill dem put in barrel to serve in hungry time.
Den Goat up on de hill-side say he see everybody goin’ in, nobody come out; de house so little, how is it gwine to hold all doze people? So Goat come down now off de hill-side to see how Tacoomah. He peep in. Tacoomah say, “Come in!” an’ Goat run right back up hill-side. An’ from dat day, Goat stay up on hill-side.
[1] A machete is a broad heavy knife used to clear brush, cut cane, etc. [↑]
19. Dog and Dog-head. [[Note]]
Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Hanansi an’ Tacoomah dey goin’ out huntin’ to steal cow. De two of dem have der dog. Dey walk. Hanansi, hungry tak him; he eat de dog body an’ tak de dog-head put into his side-bag. Me’while dey gwine in de bush, Tacoomah dog tackle a cow. Hanansi run drive away Tacoomah dog an’ tak fe him dog-head fasten on de cow an’ call out to Tacoomah, “I tackle one fellah!”
Tacoomah know dat was fe him dog ketch de cow. Tacoomah lef’ him went away get one whip an’ go to clear place. He fire de whip an’ say, “A no me, sah! a pupa, sah!” Hanansi holla, “Brar, wha’ dat?” Tacoomah fire de whip again, say, “Don’ my dog ketch buckra cow, sah! a pupa dog ketch it!” Hanansi call out to Tacoomah, “Tacoomah, you fool! you ever hear so-so[1] dog-head kyan ketch cow?” So Hanansi run leave de cow; Tacoomah go an’ clean it up. [[23]]
20. Tacoomah’s Corn-piece. [[Note]]
Adolphus Iron, Claremont, St. Ann.
Tacoomah plant a piece of corn. When it commence to dry, den begin to t’ief it. Tacoomah charge Hanansi. Hanansi say, “Brar, no me!” By dis time Hanansi was a fiddler. Hanansi tell Tacoomah say, “Brar, you say me broke you’ corn, you mek one dance an’ get me fe play.” Tacoomah say yes. De night of de dance, Hanansi get one gang tell dem say, “As you hear me begin play, you start a-brekkin’.” De tune Hanansi play was dis fe de whole night:
“Two two grain, broke dem go ’long,
Eb’rybody broke, broke dem go ’long,
Green an’ dry, broke dem go ’long.”
In de morning when de dance finish, Tacoomah go down a him cornpiece. Him holla out, “Lawd! Brar Nansi, come heah! not one lef’.” Hanansi turn ’roun’ say, “T’ink you say a me a t’ief you corn. Las’ night you no get me fe play a you dance? den if dem broke out you corn, how you say a me?” Tacoomah tak it to heart an’ drop down dead.
21. Anansi and the Tar-baby. [[Note]]
a. The Escape from Tiger.
Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Tiger got a groun’ plant some peas an’ get Hanansi to watch it. Me’while Hanansi are de watchman, himself stealin’ de peas. Tiger tar a ’tump, put on broad hat on de ’tump. Hanansi come an’ say, “Who are you in de groun’?” Him don hear no answer. He hol’ him. His han’ fasten. He hol’ him wid de odder han’. Dat han’ fasten. He said, “Aw right! you hol’ me two han’, I bet you I buck you!” He head fasten. Said, “I bet you, I kick you!” Him two feet fasten. Den he say, “Poor me bwoy! you a watchman an’ me a watchman!” So begin to sing,
“Mediany dead an’ gone.”
Nex’ mawnin’ Tiger come an’ say, “Why Brar Hanansi, a you been mashin’ me up?”[1] Tiger tak him out. Tiger said wha’ fe him do wid him now? Hanansi say, “What you fe do? Mak a fire, bu’n me.” Tiger go ’way, mak up him fire, ketch Hanansi go fe t’row him in de fire. Hanansi say, “Brer Tiger, you don’ know to burn somebody yet? You mus’ jump ober de fire t’ree time, den [[24]]me a count.” Tiger jump one, an’ jump again, two, an’ jump again, t’ree, an’ go fe jump again. Hanansi kick down Tiger into de fire, den go back now go finish off de peas.
b. The Substitute.
George Parkes, Mandeville.
Tacoomah is Anansi friend an’ neighbor, live very near in one house but different apartment, so whenever one talk the other can hear. Anansi an’ Tacoomah both of them work groun’ together at one place. Anansi don’t wait upon his food till it is ripe, but dig out an’ eat it. Tacoomah wait until it fit to eat it. After Anansi eat off his own, he turn to Tacoomah an’ begin to t’ief it. Every morning Tacoomah go, he find his groun’ mashed up. He said, “Brar Nansi, tak care a no you deh mash up me groun’ a night-time!” Anansi said, “No-o, Brar, but if you t’ink dat a me deh t’ief a yo’ groun’ a night-time, you call me t’-night see if me no ’peak to you.”
Tacoomah went to his groun’ and get some tar an’ tar a ’tump an’ lef’ it in de center of de groun’. Now night come, Anansi get a gourd, fill it wid water, bore a hole underneat’ de gourd jus’ as much as de water can drop tip, tip, tip. He cut a banana-leaf an’ put it underneat’ de gourd so de water could drop on it. After dey bot’ went to bed, every now and again Tacoomah called out and Anansi say, “Eh!” Afterward Anansi say, “Me tired fe say ‘eh’, me wi’ say ‘tip’.” So Anansi put de gourd of water up on a stand wid de banana-leaf underneat’, so when Tacoomah say, “Anansi?” de water drop “tip.” An’ at dis time Anansi gone to de groun’.
He saw de black ’tump which Tacoomah tar an’ lef’ in de groun’. So Anansi open his right han’ an’ box de ’tump. His right han’ fasten. He said to de ’tump, “If you no let me go I box you wid de lef’ han’!” He box him wid de lef’, so bot’ han’ fasten now. He say now, “Den you hol’ me two han’? If you not le’ me go I kick you!” He then kick the ’tump an’ the right foot fasten first. He kick it with the lef’ foot an’ the lef’ foot fasten too. He say, “Now you hol’ me two han’ an’ me two foot! I gwine to buck you if you don’ le’ go me han’ an’ foot!” He den buck de ’tump an’ his whole body now fasten on de ’tump. He was deh for some minutes. He see Goat was passing. He said, “Brar Goat, you come heah see if you kyan’t more ’an we t’-day.” So Goat come. Anansi say, “Brar Goat, you buck him!” Goat buck de ’tump; Anansi head come off an’ Goat head fasten. He said, “Brar Goat, you kick him wid you two foot!” An’ Goat kick him an’ Anansi two [[25]]han’ come off an’ Goat two foot fasten. He said, “Brar Goat, now you push him!” Goat push him, an’ Anansi two foot come off an’ Anansi free an’ Goat fasten. So Anansi go back home an’ say to Tacoomah, “Me tired fe say ‘tip’, now; me wi’ say ‘eh’.”
In de morning, bot’ of dem went to groun’. Anansi say, “Brar Tacoomah, look de fellah deh t’ief yo’ groun’, dat fe’ a Goat!” Goat say, “No, Brar Tacoomah, Anansi firs’ fasten on de ’tump heah an’ he ask me fe buck him off!” Anansi say, “A yaie,[2] sah!” an’ say, “Brar Tacoomah, no me an’ you sleep fe de whole night an’ ev’ry time yo’ call me, me ’peak to you?” Tacoomah say yes. He say Tacoomah, “Mak we ki’ de fallah Goat!” So dey kill Goat an’ carry him home go an’ eat him.
c. The Grave.
Stanley Jones, Claremont, St. Ann.
Once Mrs. Anansi had a large feed. She planted it with peas. Anansi was so lazy he would never do any work. He was afraid that they would give him none of the peas, so he pretended to be sick. After about nine days, he called his wife an’ children an’ bid them farewell, tell them that he was about to die, an’ he ask them this last request, that they bury him in the mids’ of the peas-walk, but firs’ they mus’ make a hole thru the head of the coffin an’ also in the grave so that he could watch the peas for them while he was lying there. An’ one thing more, he said, he would like them to put a pot and a little water there at the head of the grave to scare the thieves away. So he died and was buried.
All this time he was only pretending to be dead, an’ every night at twelve o’clock he creep out of the grave, pick a bundle of peas, boil it, and after having a good meal, go back in the grave to rest. Mistress Anansi was surprised to see all her peas being stolen. She could catch the thief no-how. One day her eldest son said to her, “Mother, I bet you it’s my father stealing those peas!” At that Mrs. Anansi got into a temper, said, “How could you expect your dead father to rob the peas!” Said, “Well, mother, I soon prove it to you.” He got some tar an’ he painted a stump at the head of the grave an’ he put a hat on it.
When Anansi came out to have his feast as usual, he saw this thing standing in the groun’. He said, “Good-evening, sir!” got no reply. Again he said, “Good-evening, sir!” an’ still no reply. “If you don’ speak to me I’ll kick you!” He raise his foot an’ kick the stump an’ the tar held it there like glue. “Let me go, let me go, [[26]]sir, or I’ll knock you down with my right hand!” That hand stuck fast all the same. “If you don’ let me go, I’ll hit you with my lef’ hand!” That hand stick fas’ all the same. An’ he raise his lef’ foot an’ gave the stump a terrible blow. That foot stuck. Anansi was suspended in air an’ had to remain there till morning. Anansi was so ashamed that he climb up beneath the rafters an’ there he is to this day.
[1] Colloquial for “getting me into trouble.” [↑]
22. Inside the Cow. [[Note]]
George Parkes, Mandeville.
Anansi an’ Tacoomah while they were frien’s they had a quarrel, so it was an envy between both of them an’ they never speak. One day Anansi sen’ one of his chil’ over to Tacoomah’s yard fe some fire. Tacoomah give him the fire an’ some beef-fat. Anansi see the fat in the chil’ han’, said, “Whe’ yo’ get dat nasty t’ing from?” So the chil’ said, “Brar Tacoomah give it to me.”—“Mak a t’row it away, nasty t’ing!” The chil’ give it to him. He turn away from the chil’ an’ do so (like him fling it away), an’ put it in his mouth; he then out the fire an’ send back another chil’ fe more fire. She come with the fire an’ some more fat that Tacoomah give to her. Anansi said, “You carry back that nasty thing come here again? you give it to me here!” He turn his back an’ did same as he did on first occasion. He himself now go to Tacoomah yard, said, “Mawning, Brar Tacoomah.” Tacoomah said, “Mawning, Brar Nansi.” Anansi said, “A wha’ you get all the fat heah from, an’ yo’ won’t tell me mak me go get some too?” Tacoomah say, “I would tell you, but yo’ so craving you will go deh an’ go mak trouble.” Anansi said, “Oh, no, Brar! you t’ink if you tell me wha’ such good t’ings is, me wen’ deh go mak trouble?” Tacoomah say, “All right. Tomorrow four o’clock, when you hear cow-boy deh drive up cow a ribber-side, you come wake me an’ you an’ me go.”
Anansi scarcely sleep fo’ the night, only listening out fo’ cow-boy. While on the way Tacoomah said to Anansi, “When you go to de cow, you fe say, ‘Open, sesema, open’, an’ cow will open de belly; an’ when you go in you fe say, ‘Shet, sesema, shet’, an’ then you mus’ cut de fat out of de belly. But you mustn’t cut de back-string, fo’ if you cut it de cow will dead an you can’t get fe come out again. So after you done cut de fat, you mus say, ’Open, sesema, open’, an cow will open an’ you come out. You say, ‘Shet, sesema, shet’, an’ de cow will shet.”
So both of them go down. Anansi go to one cow, an’ Tacoomah go to one use the same word, “Open, sesema, open!” Anansi go [[27]]in, say, “Shet, sesema, shet!” an’ the cow shet; an’ then he cut a whole basket of fat an, after the basket fill he said, “Open, sesema, open!” an’ cow open. He come out, say, “Shet, sesema, shet!” an’ cow shet. An’ both of them went home.
The nex’ morning, Anansi, as he hear the cow-boy, never call to Tacoomah at all. He run down to the river-side an’ go to a fat cow an’ said, “Open, sesema, open!” The cow open. He go in an’ said, “Shet, sesema, shet!” The cow shet. He begun to cut. Whilst cutting he cut the back-string. The cow now drop down dead.
The cow-boy went an’ tell the master an’ he order them to have it cleaned up. Anansi hide in the ma. The master give his darter the belly to go an’ wash at the river. She carry it in a bowl, dash it down in the water. Anansi then jump out an’ say to the girl, “Look! I in the river having a bathe an’ yo’ carry that nasty t’ing come an’ t’row on me!” The girl begun to fret an’ cry. Anansi say, “You got to carry me to your father mak him pay me for it!” She then tak Anansi to the father an’ Anansi say will tak a cow in payment.
Anansi said he not going to carry the cow come home so to give any of his family any, so he went into a t’ick wood, kill the cow, mak up a large fire an’ put it in to roast. He then started to look for ol’ yams in the bush. He saw two eyes in the earth. He said, “Lawd, from me bwoy bo’n is de firs’ me know say dirtee can hab yeye!” So now he start to dig out dese yeye,[1] dig up Bredder Dry-head.[2] He go fe put him down back in de eart’. Dry-head say, “No, jus’ carry me go where dat big smoke is yonder!” Anansi refuse to carry him. Dry-head said to him, “If yo’ don’ carry me, de whole of you’ body will catch fire!” Anansi start to run. His whole body begin to blaze, have to run back an’ tak up Dry-head. On reaching the fire, Dry-head order Anansi to bring the cow to him. Anansi with a sulky heart got to comply with Dry-head’, order. Dry-head start eating the cow an’ eat off every bit,—Anansi never taste it!
[1] Yeye is Jamaican for “eyes”. [↑]
[2] “Dry-head is one of the same species, but he is a different man from them.” “Dry-head is a man always hide himself in the bush to eat up what Anansi or Tacoomah have,” Parkes says.—He figures as a kind of old man of the sea in the Anansi stories. [↑]
23. Cunnie-More-Than-Father. [[Note]]
George Parkes, Mandeville.
Anansi has seven children. He ask them how they would like to name. Six of them like different name, but one boy say he would [[28]]like to name “Cunnie-mo’-than father.” So for every tack[1] Anansi put up, Cunnie-mo’n-father break it down. One time he work a groun’ very far away into the bush, an’ in going to that bush he pass a very broad flat rock. So one day a man give him a yam-plant; that yam name “yam foofoo.”[2] The same day plant the yam, it been bear a very big one same day. So nobody in the yard know the name of that yam save him, Anansi, alone. So when he go home, he cook the yam an’ call the wife an’ chil’ren aroun’ to eat, an’ say, “Who know name, nyam; who no know name, don’ nyam!” So as no one know the name, they didn’t get none of it; Anansi alone eat off that yam that night. The nex’ day go back to the groun’ and the yam bear a larger one. He bring it home an’ bile it again, call the wife an’ chil’ren an’ say, “Who know name, nyam; who no know name, don’ nyam!” The nex’ day he went back an’ the yam bear a larger one than the previous day. He cut it an’ carry it home, cook it, call up the wife an chil’ren; he alone eat it.
Cunnie-mo’n-father say, “Look here! I mus’ fin’ out the name of that yam!” He got some okra an’ went to the place where the broad rock is an’ mash up the okra an’ have the place quite slippery, an’ hide himself away in the bush near by. Anansi now coming with a larger yam this time. As he reach to the rock, he make a slide, fa’ down, an’ the yam smash. He said, “Lawd! all me yam foofoo mash up!” Cunnie-mo’-n-father now catch the name, an’ he ran home now an’ tell mother an’ other chil’ren, “Remember! yam foofoo!” Anansi then take up the pieces, put them together and carry home. He cook it an’ ca’ all of them roun’ to eat. He say, “Who know name, nyam; who no know name, no nyam.” They began to guess all sort of name; after that, whole of them say, “Yam foofoo! yam foofoo!” Anansi get vex, say, “Huh! eat! nobody fin’ it out but Cunnie-mo’n-father!”
Anansi then get to hate Cunnie-mo’n-father, want to make an end of him, but he didn’t know what way was to do it. So one night Brar Tiger came to pay a visit to Anansi at his house. While both of them sittin’ an’ talkin’, at that time Cunnie-mo’n-father was lying down underneath the table fawning sleep.[3] Anansi said to Tiger, “Look heah! ev’ry tack dat I put up, Cunnie-mo’-n-father break it down. I wan’ to mak an end of him, but I don’ know what way to do it.” That time, Cunnie-mo’-n-father listen. Tiger [[29]]said, “I wi’ kill him fo’ you.” Anansi say, “How you will manage it?” So Tiger said to Anansi, “You mus’ put up a tack, an’ I wi’ ketch him.” Anansi said, “Look heah! Tomorrow night jus’ at dinner-time you come here hide yo’self in the pepper-tree; behin’ that fattest limb, you hide yo’self there, an’ I will sen’ him to pick some pepper an’ as he put his han’ on the pepper-tree, you mus’ hol’ him.” So the nex’ night at dinner-time Tiger went to hide himself there. Anansi call Cunnie-mo’n-father, say, “Go get pepper from the pepper-tree.” Cunnie-mo’n-father start for de pepper-tree. On his way going he call in the kitchen an’ take a fire-stick, an’ as he went to the pepper-tree, he shove the fire-stick right in Tiger face. Tiger cry out, “W’y-ee!” an’ gallop away. Cunnie-mo’n-father return to Anansi an’ say he hear something in the pepper-tree cry, so he don’ pick any. Anansi eat his dinner that night without pepper.
A few minutes after, Tiger come back in the house an’ tol’ Anansi what have taken place. Anansi say, “Well, the boy have tack! but we mus’ ketch him.” At that time the boy go under the table lay down an’ study for them again. Tiger say, “How mus’ we ketch him?” Anansi said, “You come here tomorrow twelve o’clock an’ I’ll sen’ him up on a cocoanut tree an’ while he in the tree, you wait underneath; when he come down you ketch him.” The nex’ morning, Cunnie-mo’n-father get two bags, fill it with red ants go up same cocoanut tree an’ hide it, preparing for Tiger. At twelve o’clock Tiger come to Anansi yard. Anansi call for Cunnie-mo’n-father an’ said, “Go an’ get me some cocoanuts off’n that tree.” He went, an’ Tiger lay wait under the tree for him. He shout to Tiger he mus’ look up an’ show him the bes’ cocoanut he want, an’ while Tiger do that, he open one of the bag an’ throw it down in Tiger face. Ant begun to bite him an’ he has to run away. Cunnie-mo’n-father slip right down off the cocoanut tree, so he didn’t get any cocoanut.
In the evening, Tiger went back to Anansi to tell him how Cunnie-mo’n-father do him again. While the two of them was talking an’ setting up another tack, Cunnie-mo’n-father was underneath table listening to them again. Anansi said, “The boy smart! but I goin’ to put you up a tack fo’ ketch him! Look heah! Tomorrow at twelve o’clock, you fin’ yo’self at me groun’ an’ you will see a fat root of yam near to a tree. You mus’ hide yo’self in the bush an’ I will sen’ him there to come cut yam, an’ as he come there, hol’ him.” Tiger then went an’ fix himself in the yam bush. At twelve o’clock Anansi call Cunnie-mo’n-father an’ sen’ him to groun’ to cut yam an’ tell him that very spot whe’ he is to dig them. [[30]]Cunnie-mo’n-father went to the groun’ an’ shout out “Yam-o-e-e! yam-o-ee! yam-o-ee!” t’ree times. Nobody answer. Cunnie-mo’n-father say, “I t’ink father tell me say that when I come to groun’ call fo’ yam, yam wi’ speak, an’ de yam don’ speak!” Call again, “Yam-o-ee!” So Tiger answer him, “O-ee-e!” So Cunnie-mo’n-father say, “From me bwoy born, the firs’ I hear that yam can talk!” So run home back lef’ Tiger.
So Tiger leave the groun’ an’ come home an’ tell Anansi what happen. Anansi said, “Well, ’cunnie mo’ than me’ fe trew, but we goin’ to ketch him!” At that time Cunnie-mo’n-father underneath the table fe listen, an’ unfortunately he fell fas’ asleep. So Anansi an’ Tiger ketch him an’ make a coffin an’ put him in. Anansi tell Tiger he mus’ take him t’row him far away in the sea where he kyan’t come back again. Tiger lif’ up the coffin, put it on his head an’ start on the journey. On reaching to a bush he help down the coffin an’, as the sun was so hot, went underneath a tree an’ fall asleep. Now there was a little hole in the coffin, an’ looking thru that hole, Cunnie-mo’n-father saw an ol’ man comin’ along drivin’ a flock of sheep. He began to cry, sayin’ they want him to go to heaven an’ he don’ ready to go yet. The ol’ man said, “Bwoy, you too foolish! Heaven’s a good place an’ you don’ ready to go there yet? You open the coffin put me in!” The ol’ man open the coffin, Cunnie-mo’n-father come out, put in the ol’ man an’ nail up the coffin back with him in it. He then drove the sheep a little way up inside the bush. Tiger now wake out of his sleep, lif’ up the coffin an’ away he went to the sea with it, an’ go as far he could an’ t’row the coffin down in the sea drown the ol’ man, fe’ a heaven he want to go! He then go back to Anansi yard an’ tell him that he has finish with the fellow,—no more of him, fe’ he has drown’ him in the deepest part of the sea.
Later in the evening, while Anansi an’ Tiger was sitting down an’ talking about the badness of Cunnie-mo’n-father, Anansi look an’ see a flock of sheep was coming up to his house an’ some one driving it. The driver was Cunnie-mo’n-father. Anansi says to Tiger, “But now look at the bwoy what you drown’ to-day, look at him driving a flock of sheep coming up!” Tiger said, “No! ’cause I t’row him in the farthest part of the sea!” They waited until he drove them up to the yard. Tiger said to him, “Boy, don’t it was you I t’row into the sea to-day?” Cunnie-mo’n-father said, “Yes, the place whe’ you t’row me I get these sheep, an’ if you did t’row me a little further, I would get double more than this!” Anansi, hearing that, said that he would like to get some himself [[31]]an’ Cunnie-mo’n-father mus’ carry him an’ t’row him at the part where he can get the sheep. Cunnie-mo’n-father then get a coffin make an’ put Anansi in it carry him to the sea-side, hire a boat, an’ carry him far far away in the sea an’ drown him. An’ that was the las’ of poor Anansi in that story.
[2] A yellow yam, the favorite vegetable food of the negro is called “afoo yam”. [↑]
[3] Fawning means “feigning”. [↑]
24. The Duckano tree. [[Note]]
William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.
Deh was Anansi.—Tacoomah was Anansi son. Den was a hard time. Anansi had a Duckano tree had some Duckano on it. An’ he had t’ree pickney; when he go out a night, eat him belly full, come back carry ’em a bag. Now when him wife mak a little dinner fe him, tell him no, he don’ want it, gi’ it to pickney dem. Tacoomah tell mama cut little hole in Anansi trab’ling bag an’ t’row ashes in it. Fast as he go ’long, ashes drop straight to de Duckano tree. Den Tacoomah follow de ashes till him fin’ out de Duckano tree. An’ when him fetch to de Duckano tree, pick off all, lef’ one; an’ him tell de Duckano, “As Anansi come fe pick you, drop a dirt!” An’ as de Duckano drop a dirt, Anansi say, “Yes, dat de bes’ place I want you fe go!” Come down to pick him up, Duckano go back on tree. Anansi say, “Cho! dat de bes’ place I pick you t’-day”. Go back on tree, couldn’t catch it. An’ not a creature can pick de Duckano, but Tacoomah!
Den, as Anansi go up de Duckano tree, him see Dog a come. An’ said, “Brar Dog, go pick up Duckano fe me!” an’ as de Duckano drop, dog come pickee up; den, as Dog pick him up, Dog nyam de Duckano. Dog run ’round so, Anansi go after him so. Dog go into one deep hole, jus’ two eye look out a deh. Little out de two eye, Anansi pass an’ see him, draw him out of de hole an’ ’queeze out de Duckano. Wha’ mak de two sink place in Dog side, Anansi ’queeze out Duckano.
Jack man dora!
25. Food and Cudgel. [[Note]]
a. The Handsome Packey.
Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.
Once the times was very hard. So Anansi had a wife an’ six children dependent on him; wherever he goes he gets something, so he gets seven plantains, one apiece. His wife said to him, “Where is yours?” Said ’he mustn’t mind him; when they cook [[32]]it, each one mus’ give him piece-piece. At the end he got more than anyone ’cause he got seven pieces.
He went out another day in search of food and he saw a calabash tree with one calabash on it, an’ he look at it an’ said, “My! there’s a han’some packey!” The packey say, “I han’some an’ I can do han’some work.” He said, “Do it let I see!” Packey put a table before him full of nice eatables; when he eat to his satisfaction, packey shut up everything.
He took the packey home with him an’ he shut it up in his loft over-head. Every day he hide from the family an’ go up there have his good feed an’ whatever little rubbish he bring in, he give it to them. His wife an’ children watch him an’ fin’ what he have. After he was gone out, they play the same game—“What a han’some packey!”—“I han’some an’ can do han’some work.”—“Do it let we see!”—They carelessly let the packey drop from them an’ crack. When Anansi go home, go to his feed, say, “What a han’some packey!” packey don’t give him any answer. He find that something was wrong.
Went out another day an’ saw another packey (which was the same packey), says, “There’s a han’some packey!” Packey said, “I han’some an’ can do han’some work.” He said, “Do it let I see!” Packey took out a cow-whip an’ give him a handsome flogging. He t’ought of having a good joke on the family an’ pick it an’ hung it up in the loft upon the same place. So the wife an’ chil’ren went to this packey again, expecting the same thing; so the wife said, “There’s a han’some packey!” Packey said, “I han’some an’ I can do han’some work!” The six chil’ren were around the packey. The wife said, “Do it let we see!” and the packey out with the cow-whip an’ fall in to lash them right an’ left. Some tumble down, some get into the shingle hide themselves all around in the crevice. Jack man dora! That’s the reason why you see Anansi live in the crevice!
b. The Knife and Fork.
William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.
Anansi was cutting a ground ’gainst a ribber-side an’ he had a hatchet an’ de hatchet get ’way from him into de sea. An’ him pull off him clo’es go dive fe de hatchet an’ in’tead of fin’ de hatchet him fin’ a knife an’ fo’k. An’ when him come home, he put knife an’ fo’k ’pon table an’ say, “Lay out, knife an’ fo’k, lay out!” An’ it lay out anyt’ing he ax fe. Well, den, him get a party, lots of people into de house to show dem what knife an’ fo’k can [[33]]do. An’ after de people come into de house, he put dem knife an’ fo’k on de table an’ say, “Lay out, me knife an’ fo’k, lay out!” An’ all de people eat.
An’ ants mak nest ’pon de knife an’ fo’k now. Well, den, nex’ day mo’ning when he tak out knife an’ fo’k, say, “Lay out, me knife an’ fo’k!” not’ing at all come out. It spoil! Well, him go back to de ribber-side wid anudder hatchet an’ was chopping, fling away in de sea. An’ after him dive, dive an’ fin’ a horse-whip in de sea. An’ as he go home say, “Lay out, horse-whip, lay out mak a eat!” An’ de horse-whip lay out an’ flog him, wattle him well till he holla.
An’ he only sen’ back fe all doze people who eat wid de knife an’ fo’k, say he going to mak a great dinner an’ all de people mus’ come. An’ when de people dem come, he put dem into de house an’ tak out his chil’ren an’ wife, put a kitchen. An’ put de horse-whip on de table an’ lock up de windeh, say if do’ an windeh open can not get dinner. An’ he tell de horse-whip mus’ lay out mak dem eat. An’ de horse-whip flog dem all till dey break down de house.
Anansi is a man nobody can fool him—only Brar Dead!
26. The Riddle. [[Note]]
Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.
Tacoomah and Anansi were great friends. Tacoomah got into trouble. He was tried and sentenced to be hung. Anansi said, “Brer Tacoomah, no fret! I’m a good liar; I play you off.” Anansi went to the king to beg for Tacoomah. The king said to him, “If you give me a puzzle that I can’t answer, I will let him off.”
Anansi went home. Tacoomah had a mare that was heavy with colt. He said, “Brer Tacoomah, if you do as I tell you, I can get you off.” Tacoomah said, “Brer Nansi, I will do anything to save me life!” Go for the mare—the one heavy with colt—open the mare’s stomach and took out the colt, then took a bit of the mare’s skin and cut out a bridle. Then Tacoomah got some fresh dirt and filled his hat and put it on, got some silver and put it into one boot and throw some gold into the other boot. Next, Tacoomah mount the colt. Anansi said, “Come now, Brer Tacoomah, go now and see king.” He told Tacoomah all that he was to say to the king when he met him; Anansi put him up to all the talk. They said to the king:
“Under the earth I stood,
Silver and gold was my tread,
I rode a thing that never was born,
An’ a bit of the dam I hold in me hand.”
[[34]]
The king couldn’t guess it; he said, “You must explain to my satisfaction.” And he said, “I have me hat full of dirt” (took off his hat and show him), “one boot with silver” (he was standing on silver), “the other boot with gold” (he was standing on gold also). He rode “a colt that was never born” (he cut that out of the mother’s belly), and “a bit of the dam” he held in his hand—that was the mare’s skin he had as a bridle. The king reprimanded him and said, “Go on, me good man, go about your business!”
Jack man dory! Anansi got him off, Anansi was a smart man!
27. Anansi and Brother Dead. [[Note]]
a. Brother Dead’s Wife.
Grace Doran, Whitehall, Cock-pit country.
One day Anansi was walking an’ walk till he go into a wood and see a man have a barbecue[1]—plenty of meat. An’ him go an’ say, “Hi, Brar! how you do?” Man no ’peak. “Brar, you have plenty of meat an’ you want some one fe ’top wid you?” Man no ’peak. Say, “Brar, gi’ me little breakfas’ now?” Man no ’peak. Say, “Oh, Brar, you no talk, but me going to tak litt’e fe me breakfas’.” Man no ’peak. Nansi go up on barbecue say, “Brar say me mus’ tak meat.” No ’peak to him yet. Tak de meat an’ say, “Brar, gi’ me you pot?” Man no ’peak to him. Say, “Brar, mus’ put on yo’ pot go get meat.” Man no ’peak. Put on de pot an’ go on de barbecue fetch meat. When he cook done, tak him bag, load up, say, “Brar, me gwine now.” Man no ’peak. “To-morrow I come back see you, an’ I see you need servant an’ I going to bring one of me daughter.” No ’peak.
De nex’ day say, “Wife, I go in Dead country an’ buck up Brar Dead. Have plenty of meat. Gwine a carry me daughter down to country to work for him an’ cook for him.” Daughter name Sindy. When he go again, Dead sit down got him comb combing hair, long hair cover him face. Say, “Brar Dead, I promise bring a servant for you, but him hungry so me going to tak me eat.” Dead no ’peak. An’ tak de jug, put on pot, tak water, an’ go up on barbecue tak meat an’ him cook, say, “Brar Dead, I gwine, but I coming back to-morrow.” An’ go back say, “Enough meat dar, an’ Brar say come back to-morrow.” Nex’ day come back. Dead no say one word, got long bow an’ arrow in hand. Don’t see him daughter. Go up on barbecue an’ see him daughter finger have a ring. Say, “I mak you ’peak t’-day!” An’ tak Dead hair [[35]]and tak one long pla’t tie heah, and tak one long pla’t tie deah, and tak two pla’t behind tie up on tree. An’ as him gwine away, pile up dry trash an’ light up de head wid fire. Dead shake head when de plat’ burn off; and shake again, de odder pla’t pop off; an’ tak up him bow an’ arrow an’ run after Anansi.
Run up to house an’ say, “Wife an’ pickney, go up alof’, Brar Dead dah come!” Brar Dead come in sit down so in de house wait ’pon dem. Pickney cry out, “Pupa, me hungry!” Say, “Brar Dead, open you han’, pickney a come!” Six pickney now, de las one come, say can’t do any more. Now Mrs. Anansi cry out, “Brar Dead, open yo’ han’, me a come!” Anansi drop now, drop in de dirt. From dat time you see Anansi live in de dirt.
b. Goat and Plantain.
Rennie Macfarlane, Mandeville.
Goat plant his plantain tree an’ when it begun to bear he go an’ look at it, an’ when he look at it he say it will soon fit. The nex’ day he go again an’ say, “It is fit; it will soon ripe!” An’ the nex’ day when he come to cut it, Br’er Nansi cut it an’ eat it. Br’er Goat said, “Baa-a-a, where’s me plantain?” He go to Anansi house an’ Anansi an’ his wife an’ two children run up in house-top. Br’er Goat wait down below. Anansi daughter said she was tired, wanted to drop on the groun’ an’ she drop an’ Goat cut her up an’ put her in his tread-bag, an’ he said, “Baa-a-a, here’s me plantain!” Anansi son say he wanted to drop an’ he drop. An’ Br’er Goat cut him up an’ put him in his tread-bag, an’ he said, “Baa-a-a, here’s me plantain!” An’ Anansi wife say, “I want to drop!” an’ she drop an’ Goat cut her up an’ put her in the tread-bag, an’ said, “Baa-a-a, here’s me plantain!”
An’ Br’er Anansi said, “As I’m so fat, sprinkle some ashes on the groun’ an’ when I drop I won’t mash.” An’ Br’er Goat sprinkle it on the groun’ an’ Anansi drop an’ the ashes fly up in Goat face an’ blind him. An’ Br’er Nansi keep the plantain-tree for himself an’ when it bear, he eat it.
[1] A cement platform for drying coffee or piment berries. [↑]
28. Brother Dead and the Brindle Puppy. [[Note]]
Charles Roe, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.
Deh was an Ol’ Witch call Brar Dead, never talk to nobody; if him talk to anybody, him be dead. But him only making some bow all day an’ set it to catch all wil’ animal, an’ when he catch dem, he put dem over fire an’ dry dem, but him no eat dem. So [[36]]Mr. Anansi go deh one day an’ say, “Brar Dead, gi’ me some of you meat now.” But he never ’peak to Mr. Anansi, for him can’t talk to nobody. So Anansi goin’ in an’ tak a whole bagful of de dry meat an start to eat it.
So Brar Dead has a brindle puppy. So Brar Dead pick some green bush an’ gi’ to de brindle puppy. So Mr. Anansi going to mak him talk dat day now. So when him come out an’ tell little dog say when him sing an’ people drop dead, puppy mus’ t’row de bush on dem, because first day him gwine hear him voice. So him tak one de a arrow now an’ start, an’ de dog mus’ follow him now. So when he stick him lance, blood don’ come; Anansi don’ walk dere. So go on; so when he stick at odder cross-road, blood come an’ he say dere Anansi walk. So when he sing, Anansi got to stop. He sing,
“Anansi ma shway, Anansi ma shway,
A pupa yan kin baw, eh, eh, wa-eh!
A yan kin baw yeh, ke ya ma-dee,
Eh, eh, wa-eh, eh, wa-eh!
Eh, ey-eh wa-ey-eh!”
So he goin’ till he ketch Anansi, an’ when he see Anansi, tell de little puppy say mus’ ketch Anansi. So de puppy ketch him, an’ when he ketch him, poke de bow t’ru Anansi two ears an’ he buil’ up a fire an’ burn up Anansi to dust.
29. The Cowitch and Mr. Foolman. [[Note]]
Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.
A gentleman had a cowitch[1] property. He wanted to have it cut down, but whoever cut it must not scratch their skin. Anyone who cut it down without scratching, he would give the pick of the best cow on his property. Many tried, but failed. Anansi says that he will cut it down. So the gentleman sent his son to watch and see that he cut the tree without scratching his skin at all. Anansi began cutting and the juice of the tree began to eat him. He wanted to scratch. He said to the boy, “Young massa, de cow yo’ papa goin’ to gi’ me, white here (scratches one side), black here (scratches the other), had a red here, had anodder black here, blue jus’ down at his feet.” He went on that way until he cut down the tree.
He got the cow, but he couldn’t manage the removal of the cow alone, and he didn’t want to get any intelligent person to [[37]]assist him, he wanted a fool; so he got a man by the name of Foolman. Foolman wasn’t such a fool as he thought. They removed the cow to a place to butcher it near to Foolman’s yard, but Anansi did not know that. So he said to Foolman, “Brer Foolman, we mus’ get fire, roast plenty of meat.” Foolman said he didn’t know where to go to get fire. Anansi pointed out a little smoke a long distance off. Foolman refused to go. He got vexed and started to go for the fire himself. He was no sooner gone than Foolman called up his family, butchered the cow, and removed all the parts, leaving the tail. He dug a hole in the earth and drove the root of the tail down as tight as he could. When he thought it time for Anansi to come back, he held on to the hair of the cow-tail and called out, “Brer Nansi, run! Brer Nansi, run!” Anansi come and he say, “Brer Nansi, de whole cow gone, only tail!” He held on to the tail and both of them thought to pull up the cow. While pulling, the tail broke in two. So Anansi had to give Foolman a piece of the tail that popped off. So with all his cunning, he got but a very small piece.
[1] A kind of plant with poisonous juice. [↑]
30. Dry-Head and Anansi. [[Note]]
a. Go-long-go.
George Parkes, Mandeville.
One time Anansi wife have a very large pig. She value the pig for ten pounds, say she was going to sell the pig an’ buy a piece of land. Anansi wanted the pig to eat an’ he wanted to eat him one,[1] so he fawn sick, very very sick; all what the wife could do for him he wouldn’t take nothing. He then call his wife an’ tell her him gwine to die an’ she mus’ take care of herself an’ the chil’ren.
The wife said to him she has to go nex’ day to see the doctor about him, so the nex’ day she dress herself an’ start for the doctor, leaving Anansi very sick at home. When the wife gone one way, Anansi get up, dress himself an’ go short cut the other way. He change himself into a different man. The wife say, “Good-morning, sir.” He say, “Good-morning, ma’am.” He say, “What is the matter?” The woman said, “My husband is sick unto death!” He said, “Well, I am the doctor. Have you any hog at home?” Say, “Yes.” He says, “If you want your husband to live, you better kill the hog and let him alone eat it.” The woman turn back with a very heavy heart. Anansi run back by the short cut, reach home, an’ [[38]]be in bed sick. When the wife return home he say to her, “Have you seen the doctor?” She says, “Yes.”—“What him say?”—“He say I am to kill the hog an’ let you alone eat it; then you will get better.” Anansi say, “Cho! Doctor talking nonsense! How he t’ink I eat such a big hog like dat?” The woman said, “To get you better I got to comply with the doctor’s order.”[2]
Anansi took away the hog an’ carry into a wood, him one alone. An’ scrape it an’ put it into a copper to cook. An’ he see a wil’ thing called himba[3] an’ he dig it to cook with the meat. He saw Mr. Go-long-go[4] come up. Say, “Brar Anansi, wha’ you do here?” Say, “I boil buckra meat, sah.” Tell him mus’ tak out piece of meat gi’ him. Say, “I kyan’ tak out fe a buckra meat, sah!” Brar Go-long-go say, “If you don’ tak it out I ’top you mout’, I ’top you breat’!” An’ he take it out an’ gi’ him to eat. An’ say, “Tak out de whole of it!” an’ he tak out the whole an’ put it before Brar Go-long-go. Eat off the whole of it!
An’ he said, “Brar Go-long-go, I no pass some plenty guinea-pea deh?” An’ they went there, an’ carry a pint of oil an’ put him into the middle of the plant-trash an’ t’row the oil right around it, an’ him light an’ whole take fire. Brar Go-long-go say, “Come take me out!” Anansi say, “Nyam meat no gimme me no!”[5]
b. Dry-head.
Ezekiel Williams, Harmony Hall.
Brar Nansi trabble away. Him was a man very fond of duckano. So while he was going on, hear somet’ing drop “woof!” An’ say, “Makey stan’ deh!” fe him duckano. At de same time deh was Brar Dry-head drop off de tree. Brar Dry-head say, “Ef you tak me up, you tak up trouble; an’ ef you put me down, you put down yo’ luck!” So Brar Nansi never know what to do. Brar Nansi say, “Brar Dry-head, have big fat barrow in a stye; mak we go kill it!” An’ so dey do. Well, when de pot boil wid de barrow, Brar Nansi say, “Brar Dry-head, you know what we do? Who can’t eat wi’out spoon not to taste it.” So Brar Dry-head, he never have no hand, so Brar Nansi eatee off clean! [[39]]
c. Brother Dead.
Emanuel Johnson, Brownstown.
Anansi run till he meet up Bredder Dead … Br’er Dead say, “If you pay me, I will save you.”—“Br’er, me have not’ing to gi’ you, but me have one cock a yard fe me wife, me tek him come gi’ you.” Br’er Nansi run to de yard, get de cock, meet Br’er Dead in de corn-piece an’ gi’ it to him. Now Br’er Dead goin’ to kill him jus’ de same. After Br’er Dead tie de cord gone away to odder side of de corn-piece, Anansi t’ief de cock back from Br’er Dead, get a hawk an’ put up de hawk. Hawk catch Dead now in de corn-piece. Anansi say,
[[audio/mpeg]] | [MusicXML]]
Fly along, Brudder Hawk, fly a-long. Fly a-long, Brudder Hawk, fly a-long.
Car-ry him go ’long, Car-ry him go ’long, Car-ry him go ’long, Brud-der
Hawk, Car-ry him go ’long.
An’ Br’er Hawk fly along wid him till drop him into a sea-ball.[6] Jack man dora!
[2] From this point the story follows a Lacovia version. [↑]
[4] “Go-long-go” corresponds with “Dry-head” in other versions. See note to 22. [↑]
[5] “You ate the meat and gave me none.” [↑]
[6] A pit in the ground near the sea-coast, into which the waves wash is called a “sea-ball.” [↑]
31. The Yam-hills. [[Note]]
George Parkes, Mandeville.
One time Anansi start to work a groun’ at the road-side. After clearing up his field, he dig nine yam-hills. Now no one is allowed to count up to the nine. If he say nine, he drop down dead. So Anansi say, “I got to eat somet’ing out of this.” So he sat down an’ begin to cry. Hog was passing, say to him, “Br’er Anansi, wha’s the matter with you?” Anansi said, “My dear Bredder Hog, from mawning I dig these few yam-hills an’ trying to count them, but I can’t manage to count them yet.” Hog said, “Cho! you too wort’less! You mean say you can’t say, ‘One, two, t’ree, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine?’ ” And as Hog say “nine,” Hog drop down dead. Anansi take him up, put him in his bag an’ carry him home an’ eat him. [[40]]
The nex’ day he came back an’ eat up Goat, who share the same fate as Hog, an’ every day he went back dig the same hills. At that time Monkey was on a tree watching an’ seeing all that take place. He came down from off the tree, an’ while Anansi dig the same nine hills again an’ was sitting down crying, Monkey come up an’ said, “Br’er Anansi, wha’ the matter with you?” Anansi said, “My dear Bredder Monkey, from mawning I dig these few yam-hills, an’ I’m trying to count them but I can’t manage!” Monkey said, “I will count them for you, but you mus’ sit down ’pon one.” Monkey then said, “One, two, t’ree, four, five, six, seven, eight, an’ the one Br’er Anansi sit down upon.” Anansi said, “That’s not the way to count them!” Monkey said, “I’ll count them good for you now!” Monkey began, “One, two, t’ree, four, five, six, seven, eight, an’ the one Br’er Nansi sit down upon deh.” Now Anansi is a man with a very short heart.[1] He got vex an’ say, “You mean to say that you can’t say ‘One, two, t’ree, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine?’” An’ as the word nine come out, Anansi drop down dead. Monkey took him up an’ said, “You can fool the others, but you can’t fool me!”
[1] “A very hasty temper.” [↑]
32. The Law against Back-biting. [[Note]]
a. Duck’s Dream.
George Parkes, Mandeville.
One time Anansi were living in a country an’ the country were very hard; so they pass a law that anyone talk one another, that man will drop down dead. So Anansi say he mus’ eat something out of it, because he’s going to fix himself into a place where people mus’ talk him. So he get a hoe an’ a pick-axe an’ a machete an’ go to a broad flat rock near the side of the road where everyone pass, begun to knock, pong pong pong. Hog was passing. Hog say, “Mawning, Brar Anansi.” Anansi say, “Mawning, Brar Hog.” Hog say, “Wha you do deh?” Anansi say, “Governor pass law an’ say famine coming upon lan’ an’ ev’rybody mus’ work groun’, so me deh try see wha’ me kyan’ do.” So Hog went on. As he went a little way he say, “Odder people work groun’ a good place; Anansi deh work groun’ ’pon rock!” As Hog say so, drop down dead. Anansi turn roun’, pick him up put him in his bag, said, “Dat de way oonoo[1] talk a man!” So now he carry Hog go home go eat him. [[41]]
The nex’ day he went back. Cow was passing. He began to knock, pong pong pong. Cow say, “Mawning, Brar Anansi.” Anansi say, “Mawning, Brar Cow.” Cow say, “A wha’ you deh do deh?” Anansi say, “governor pass a law that a great famine come ’pon land an’ everybody mus’ work groun’.” So cow went on. When he go a little distance he said, “Odder man work groun’ have good place; Anansi work ’pon rock stone!” Cow drop down dead. Anansi tak him up put him in his bag, said, “Dat’s how oonoo talk a man!” He carry home Cow an’ eat him.
Horse and Goat come and they share the same fate. Now a day or two after, while Anansi was there knocking, Duck came up. He said, “Mawning, Brar Anansi.” Anansi said, “Mawning, Brar Duck.” Duck said, “A wha’ you do deh?” Anansi say, “Governor pass law say great famine coming ’pon lan’ an’ ev’rybody mus’ work groun’, so me deh try see wha’ me can do.” Anansi said to Duck, “What is all de strange news a fe you side?”[2] Duck say not’ing strange but only thing he dream a dream las’ night that he’s on the worl’ so long an’ no married yet; so him a go down a bottom yonder go see if him kyan’ get married. So he went on. Anansi then said, “Good people, they get married. Duck an’ all say him want fe married too!” So Anansi drop down dead. Duck turn roun’ an’ pick him up, swallow him, an’ said, “Dat’s de way oonoo talk a man!”
b. Guinea-chick.
Alexander Archibald, Mandeville.
Anansi make law if anyone talk de odder one, he dead. He get up on one cave roadside, go working ground. Cow a pass, go see him. Anansi say, “Des a try a work one groun’ heah.” So when Cow go long, pass him, Cow say, “Chuh! man fool! man kyan’t work groun’ ’pon rock-stone!” As Cow say so, Cow tumble down dead. Den Anansi go pick him up, go eat.
Hog came. Hog ax him say, “A wha’ yo’ a doin’ heah?”—“A try a work a groun’.” Hog pass him.—“Chuh! man kyan’t look upon rock-stone an’ say me work groun’!” As Hog say so, him drop dead. Anansi pick him up, go eat.
Guinea-chick say, “I will go deh!” Guinea-chick put on him clo’es same as a go market. So when he come an’ see Anansi upon de stone a dig, tie him head wid a check handkerchief—dat are Guinea-chick—an’ pass Anansi, no ’peak to him. Dat time him go long Anansi say, “Dat dar fool!” Den Anansi drop dead.
Jack man dory! [[42]]
c. Dry-head at the Barber’s.
Charles Thompson, Harmony Hall.
Once Anansi and But[3] made agreement that they wasn’t to talk one another. Anansi went to a road and But went to one. Part of the day, Dry-head was passing where Anansi was working and complain to Anansi that he going out to a ball to-night and he going to a barber-shop to get his hair barber. And after he gone Anansi say, “Pardon me, me Lord! whe’ Brar Dry-head get hair on his head to go to de barber-shop to barber?” An’ Anansi fell down an’ died, an’ But went back an’ pick him up an’ eat him.
[1] Oonoo is Jamaican for “you.” [↑]
33. Fling-a-mile. [[Note]]
George Parkes, Mandeville.
Anansi one day went to a river to catch fish, an’ while fishin’ down the stream, he came across a hole. He put his han’ down in the hole an’ something hol’ the han’. He said, “A who hol’ me?” The something said, “No me!”—“Me who?” The thing said, “No me Fling-a-mile!” Anansi said, “Fling me a mile mak I see.” The t’ing wheel Anansi, wheel him, an’ fling him one mile from the spot. When Anansi drop, he nearly knock out his senses.
He said, “I mus’ eat somet’ing out of dat hole!” He went an’ get six iron fork an’ six wooden one an’ stick up at the place where he drop. Nex’ day he was going back down fe fishing. He meet up Hog. He said, “Bredder Hog, mak we go down a river go ketch fish now?” Hog said yes. When they reach the river, both of them started. Anansi, he walk on the side where the hole are not, Hog, he walk on the side where the hole are. Anansi look over to Hog way and said, “What a pretty hole in front of Bredder Hog deh! You mus’ get somet’ing out of de hole deh. I don’ min’ if it befo’ me!” So Anansi tell Hog to put his han’ in the hole see if him feel anyt’ing. Hog put in him han’. Hog said, “Somet’ing hol’ me han’!” Anansi said, “Ax a who hol’ you!” Hog said, “A who hol’ me?” The t’ing say, “A me!” Anansi say, “Ax him, say ‘A me who?’ ” Hog say, “A me who?” The t’ing say, “No me Fling-a-mile!” Anansi said to Hog, “Tell him fling you a mile mak you see.” Hog say, “Fling me a mile mak I see!” The t’ing wheel Hog, wheel him, wheel him, drop him right on the fork Anansi fix up. Hog drop dead. Anansi tak up Hog put him in a bag and said, “I well wan’ fe eat you long time!” At that time Monkey was on the tree watching Anansi. [[43]]
The nex’ day Anansi start back to the river, meet up Bredder Goat. He say, “Bredder Goat, mak we go down a river, go ketch fish?” Goat say yes. Anansi tol’ Goat to walk on the hand where the hole is an’ he walk on the opposite side. While going along Anansi said, “What a pretty hole in front of Br’er Goat deh! You mus’ fin’ somet’ing in a hole like dat. I wish it were me de hole we’ deh befo’!” Anansi said to Goat, “Put yo’ han’ in deh see if you can fin’ anyt’ing.” Goat put the han’ in the hole. Somet’ing hol’ him. He said, “Somet’ing hol’ me!” Anansi said, “Ax a who hol’ you!” Goat said, “A who hol’ me?” The t’ing said, “No me!” Anansi said, “Ax ‘A me who?’ ” Goat say, “A me who?” The t’ing say, “No me Fling-a-mile.” Anansi said, “Tell him fling you a mile mak you see!” Goat say, “Fling me a mile mak I see!” He wheel Goat, whee’ whee’ wheel, an’ drop him right on the fork one mile. Goat drop dead. Anansi took up Goat an’ put him in his bag, said, “I well wan’ you fe eat a long time!” At that time Monkey was still watching him.
The nex’ day he start to go out again; he met up Br’er Dog. Anansi said to Dog, “Mak we go down a river go ketch fish!” Dog say yes. On reaching to the river, Anansi tell Dog to walk on the side where the hole is an’ he walk on the opposite side. On reaching to the hole Anansi said, “What a pretty hole in front of Br’er Dog! You mus’ fin’ somet’ing in dat hole. I wish it we’ deh befo’ me!” Anansi say to Dog, “Put yo’ han’ in deh if you feel anyt’ing.” Dog put the han’ in the hole. Something hol’ him. He said to Anansi, “Somet’ing hol’ me!” Anansi said, “Ax ‘A who hol’ me?’ ” Dog said, “A who hol’ me?” The somet’ing say, “No me!” Anansi say, “Ax him ‘me who?’ ” Dog say, “Me who?” The somet’ing say, “No me Fling-a-mile!” Anansi say, “Tell him fling you a mile mak you see!” Dog said, “Fling me a mile mak me see!” The t’ing fling Dog whee’-a, whee’-a, whee’, an’ dash him one mile on the stake. Dog drop on the stake dead. Anansi tak up Dog, put him in his bag an’ said, “A well wan’ you fe eat long time!”
Now Monkey couldn’t bear it no longer, come off the tree. The nex’ day while Anansi was going down, Monkey put himself in the way where Anansi was to meet him. Anansi said, “Br’er Monkey, mak we go down a river go ketch fish.” Monkey say, “Yes, a well wan’ company fe go down too!” On reaching to the river, Monkey walk on the side where the hole is an’ Anansi on the opposite side. On reaching to the hole Anansi said, “What a pretty hole in front of Br’er Monkey! You mus’ fin’ somet’ing in a hole like a dat. I wish a we’ me i’ deh befo’!” Anansi said [[44]]to Monkey, “Put yo’ han’ in deh, see if you fin’ anyt’ing.” Monkey say, “No, Br’er, me go put me han’ in deh, somet’ing go hol’ me!” Anansi said, “No, man, me no t’ink not’ing wi’ hol’ you!” Monkey said, “You come put yo’ han’ in deah.” Anansi said, “No, as you de closee, you put fe you han’ in deah.” Monkey said, “No! somet’ing wi’ hol’ me!”—“No! not’ing no in deah fe hol’ you!” So Anansi go near to the hole now and tell Monkey mus’ put down him han’, an’ Monkey refuse. Anansi now make attempt to put his han’,—like that—in the hole, an’ Monkey push it down, an’ the somet’ing hol’ Anansi han’ now. Monkey said to Anansi, “Tak out de han’!” Anansi say, “Me han’ kyan’ come out; somet’ing hol’ it!” Monkey says, “Ask a who hol’ you.” Anansi speak in a very feeble v’ice, say, “A who hol’ me?” The t’ing say, “No me!” Monkey say to Anansi, “Ax ‘A me who.’ ” Anansi said in a feeble tone of v’ice all ’e time, “A me who?” The t’ing say, “A me Fling-a-mile.” Monkey say, “Tell him fe fling you a mile mak you see.” Anansi now said in a feeble tone of v’ice, “Fling me a mile mak I see!” So tak Anansi an’ wheel him, whee’, whee’! An’ while it was wheeling him he said to Monkey, “Br’er Monkey, run one mile from heah, whe’ you see some iron an’ wooden fork,—jus’ haul dem out fe me!” Monkey tak off him hat an’ run half way an’ stop where he could see when Anansi drop. Anansi drop on de fork an’ belly burst ’tiff dead! An’ Monkey take him an’ put him in his bag, take him go eat him.
34. But-but and Anansi. [[Note]]
Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
But-but an’ Hanansi dem gwine up to town. When dem ketch a pass Hanansi said, “Brar But-but, let we eat fe you pone!” an’ dey eat half of But-but pone. As’ dem gwine along, But-but feel hungry. He said, “Brar Hanansi, me hungry now.” Hanansi say, “Brar But-but, you too foolish! we no half get to town yet.” But-but walk till him faint away. Hanansi travel ketch roun’ one turn, he ’top an’ eat off of his pone deh.
Hanansi gwine a town an’ get one big cutacoo.[1] Him buy everyt’ing in de whole town gill-gill. But-but lay wait for him part of de way. When he see Hanansi a come, But-but fly go before. He turn one red pocket-han’kerchief. Hanansi come down an’ talk in a head. He took up de han’kerchief an’ say, “Yah! der’s a good red pocket-han’kerchief, but Brar But-but so cunnie, maybe he turn [[45]]’e!” an’ fling it down. An’ go on a little furder, But-but fly go on before again an’ turn one cup, one nice silver cup. Hanansi come down. He took up de cup, say, “Der’s yer luck him boy buck up t’-day, but Brar But-but so cunnie maybe he here turn ’e!” an’ t’row ’e down. When Hanansi get to de horse-pond whe’ Hanansi wife was washing clo’es, But-but went before turn one old drawers. When Hanansi go takey up an’ look ’pon it, say, “Careless, eh! look at me ol’ drawers! Des ol’ drawers heah kyan mak baby not skin!”[2] an’ tak de ol’ drawers t’row in de cutacoo. But-but begin an’ eat out everyt’ing ’pon de head.
Hanansi got t’ree sons. When him goin’ a house, put down him basket. As he open de basket, But-but fly out an’ go upon de firs’ pic’ny head. Hanansi say, “’tand ’teady, me baby, mak I kill him!” An’ tak a morter-stick an’ lick upon head an’ kill de pic’ny. An’ go up upon de nex’ head again. An’ say, “’tand ’teady, me baby; dat no deady, on’y sleeping!” an’ he lick de odder one dead. Dat was two gone. An’ go up on de las’ one now. An say, “’tand ’teady, me baby, put yo’ neck good mak I lick him!” an de t’ird one dead. An’ he fly upon de wife head now. An’ he said, “’tand ’teady, me wife, you is de ’tronger head now!” an’ lick de wife dead. An’ But fly upon him head now. An’ him go up on de ridge-pole of de house an’ tu’n down him head a bottom fe kill But-but ’pon him head. As’ him fall down an’ ketch half-way, But-but fly off, an’ Hanansi broke him neck. So But-but destroy de whole family.
[1] A Jamaican food-basket, woven deep and square in shape. [↑]
[2] A soiled garment should never be left about lest it be used by the sorcerer to bewitch the owner. Burning such a garment produces a skin disease exactly like a burn, according to the common belief. [↑]
35. Tumble-bug and Anansi. [[Note]]
Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.
Anansi and Tumble-bug took a job once. After they got their pay Anansi said to Tumble-bug, “We mus’ buy something so as to have a good feed.” They bought a bunch of plantain and a keg of butter.
They commence to eat. Anansi dip, Tumble-bug dip. Anansi said, “No, my Tumble-bug, when I go ‘pluck-um’, you mus’ go ’tip’!” However, Tumble-bug dip all the same. Anansi got vex an’ box him. Tumble-bug fawn dead. Anansi get frightened, said, “Hi! Tumble-bug, the least bit of fun I make with you, you dead?” Tumble-bug never shake. Anansi run, leave the butter an’ the plantain an’ everything, take to the woods for it. Tumble-bug wake [[46]]up an’ eat up the plantain an’ the butter. After that he fly away after Anansi now.
When he got in the woods near where Anansi was, he hid himself against a tree give a sound like a man cutting. Anansi sing out, “Who are you?” Tumble-bug said, “Gentleman servant cutting bread-nut fo’ gentleman horse.” Say, “Hear any news?”—“Yes.”—“What you hear?”—“Anansi kill Tumble-bug,—life for life!” Anansi start running an’ Tumble-bug after him. He run out to a place call ‘Dead man country’, get among the dry trash, and that’s where he live ever since.
36. Horse and Anansi. [[Note]]
Alexander Archibald, Mandeville.
Anansi call Horse a go bush cut plantain. When dey cut done, dey carry out in de open, dey begin to play stick, lick stick. Den Anansi said, “Brar Horse, we hungry now, we don’ have no fire fe roast plantain.” So say to Horse, “Go see fire quite yonder? Go deh, go tak fire come, mak we roast plantain!” Horse fling up him tail on back, gallop, gone. Meanwhile him gone, Anansi ’trike him tinder-box an buil’ a fire roast every plantain; eat all de plantain, leave only four. Horse gallop away an’ kyan’ ketch de fire an’ turn back. Anansi say, “Brar Horse, when you gone, one man pass heah gi’ me fire an’ me roast de plantain; as me roas’ee done, one man come beat me an’ tak away de plantain on’y lef’ dem four heah gi’ me!” So Brar Horse say, “Never min’! you tak two, me tak two.” So Horse takee.
Dat time Brar Goat go bush kneel down watch Brar Anansi, watch what take place; so de nex’ day, Goat say him will go wid Anansi. Dem two go, dem two cut plantain, an’ dem come out ’pon de open an’ dem play. So Anansi said, “Brar Goat, we hungry now an’ we ha’ no fire. See fire quite yonder? gallop go get fire an’ come.” Goat gallop, go roun’ clump of bush, go kneel down on knee go watch him. Him ’trike him tinder-box mak a fire, peel ev’ry plantain put a fire. When de plantain roast, he ’crape ev’ry bit. As him ’crapee, Goat get up a come. Goat cut ’tick an’ him jump one side so him put circle roun’ de fire-side, an’ say to Anansi, “Put you han’ in now, sah!” an’ jump de odder side an’ put circle again. So den Anansi begin to beg, an’ Goat tak away eberyt’ing didn’t gib him one!
Jack man dory! [[47]]
37. Anansi in Monkey Country. [[Note]]
a. Bunya.
Elizabeth Hilton, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit Country.
Anansi go to Monkey country. Put on a big pot of water an’ tell the Monkey when him get in the pot of water, when him say “Bunya”, they mus’ take him out of the pot of water. When they take him out, they mus’ go in. So when he go in the pot of water, as soon as he feel the water hot he say, “Bunya.” They take him out. An’ put all of them one time into the pot of water. An’ when them said, “Bunya!” Anansi said, “No bunya yet!” An’ said, “Bunya!” Anansi said, “No bunya yet!” Anansi wouldn’t take them out until them boil. Anansi take them out an’ eat them.
One little one lef’ at the top of the pot that the water didn’t scald. That one run go to the next Monkey country an’ tell them the story about Anansi an’ the ‘bunya.’ When Anansi eat, he start to the other country, an’ him go there an’ tell the Monkey mus’ put him into the pot of water an’ when he say, “Bunya,” mus’ take him out. So when Anansi feel the water hot, he say, “Bunya!” Monkey say, “No bunya yet!” Anansi say, “Bunya!” Monkey say, “No bunya yet!” Monkey keep Anansi in that pot till him kill him.
b. Christen Christen.
Adolphus Iron, Claremont, St. Ann.
One time hard time ketch Brar Nansi. Him couldn’t get not’ing to eat. Him trabble away to Monkey country fe go preach. When him ketch deh, him say, “Well, frien’s, I come here to chris’en, but I chris’en wid a large oben.” De Monkey, dem glad fe hear. Dem jump an’ buil’ up de oben. Anansi say, “You mus’ pack it wid wood an’ light it wid fire. When it well hot, me will go in first, an’ when you hear me say, ‘Chris’en,’ you mus’ open de door.” De Monkey, dem agree.
De oben buil’, de oben light, Anansi go in. Anansi holler, “Chris’en!” Dem open de door. Anansi jump out, dem begin jump in. When de las’ monkey jump in, Anansi shet de door. Monkey begin holler, “Chris’en! chris’en!” Anansi say, “No chris’en yet!” When Anansi t’ink dem a well roas’, him open de door. One scorch-side one jump out an’ run fe de odder Monkey country an’ tell all wha’ done.
Anansi stan’ deh till him eat off de whole ob de roas’ one dem. Him trabble again till him ketch de odder Monkey country. All was prepare to meet him. De scorch-sided one meet him first. [[48]]Anansi say, “Brar, I t’ink I know you!” De Monkey said, “No, sah, a de firs’ me an’ you buck up!” Anansi say, “Well, I come here to chris’en, but I chris’en wid an oben.” De Monkey, dem buil’ up de oben quicker yet. Anansi say, “I will go in firs’; when you hear I say, ‘Chris’n!’ you open de do’.” All de Monkey say yes. When Anansi feel de fire, him holler, “Chris’n, chris’n, chris’n!” De Monkey say, “No chris’n yet!” An’ dey let Anansi stay all roas’ till he burst!
38. Curing the Sick. [[Note]]
a. The Fishes.
Rennie Macfarlane, Mandeville.
Three little fish pickney mother was sick an’ Anansi said, “If you want, I get you’ mother better for you!” an the three little fish said, “Yes!” An’ said, “You give me a frying-pan an’ some sweet ile, an’ you lock up in that room an’ when she better, I let you know.” An’ he fry the fish an’ eat it an’ tell the fish pickney that they can come out the room now. An’ they ask, “Where is our mother? Did you get her better?” an’ he said, “No, I eat her!” an’ the fish run after him an’ he run away.
An’ a mule ask the fish, “Do you want me to catch him for you?” an’ they said, “Yes!” And the mule said, “Give me those peas that you have now an’ I catch him for you.” An’ the mule go out to Anansi gate an’ lie down there an’ when Anansi come out, Anansi run up into his belly an’ the mule gallop away again. An’ Anansi cry out in the mule’s belly, “If he go to sea-side, stop him; but if he go anywhere else, let him go!” An’ he gallop to the sea-shore an’ give Anansi to the fish.
An’ he say, “You know what you do, fish? Put me under the trash an’ burn me!” An’ when the fish put him under de trash, Anansi run under a stone, hide, an’ the fish t’ot he was burn.
b. The Six Children.
George Parkes, Mandeville.
An old woman had six children, three sons and three daughters. They grew up to be big men and women. They were living near the roadside. The old woman was sick with sore eyes, so the children came out by the wayside and began to cry. Hog was passing by, said to them, “What’s the matter with you, now?”—“Well, Mr. Hog, our mother became blind and we cannot cure it!”—“I can’t do no good, I can’t cure it!” So Hog went away. Little [[49]]after that there was Goat come up. Children were still crying. Goat said, “What’s the matter with you, now?” Children said, “Well, Mr. Goat, our mother took in with blindness and we cannot cure it!” Goat say, “I cannot cure it!” and he went on his way. A little after that Cow came up. “What’s the matter with you, now?”—“Well, Mr. Cow, our mother took in with blindness an’ we cannot cure it!” Cow say, “I can’t do no good!” an’ he went on his way. Afterward they heard Jack-ass galloping come along say, “Hee-haw, hee-haw! What’s the matter with you? what’s the matter with you?” The children say, “Well, Mr. Jack-ass, our mother took in with blindness an’ we cannot cure it!” Jack-ass say, “I can’t do no good! I can’t do no good! I can’t do no good!”
Little after that, Anansi come up, hear the children crying, said, “An’ w’at de mattah wid you, now?”—“Well, Mr. Anansi, our mother took in with blindness an’ we cannot cure it!” Anansi said, “I can cure it!” He said, “You know wha’ you all do? Put a barrel of water in the kitchen, get two barrels of white yam put in the kitchen, a pound of butter, a pound of lard, ’nuf meat, an’ put dem in de kitchen, an’ I’ll come back anodder day an’ cure it!” So the day appointed he came back an’ said, “Carry you mother now an’ put in the kitchen,” an’ said, “I am going to shut the door an’ when you heah somet’ing say ‘fee-e-e-e’, you all mus’ say, ‘T’ank God, mama have a cure!’ ”
So Anansi kill the ol’ lady, cook off all the yams an’ flour an’ everyt’ing, fry up the ol’ lady with the butter an’ the lard. He go “fee-e-e-e” an’ the children, hearing that, said, “T’ank God, mama have a cure! t’ank God, mama have a cure!” Anansi now eat off the ol’ lady an’ all the t’ings, take all the bones an’ pack it put at the fire-side, an’ come out an’ fasten the door, say that they mus’ not open the door until nine days time. That time, take himself away. On the seventh day, the chil’ren couldn’t bear it no longer, went an’ burst the door open fin’ all their mother bones at the fire-side.
They come out, start crying again. Hog pass by, said, “What’s the matter with you now?”—“Well, Mr. Hog, Mr. Anansi come heah an’ kill our mother an’ we cannot catch him!” Hog said, “I can’t help you!” and went his way. A little after, Goat came up, said, “What’ the matter now?”—“Well, Mr. Goat, Mr. Anansi came heah an’ kill our mother eat her off an’ we cannot catch him!”—“I can do no good, I can’t catch him!” Goat went on his way. Cow came up. “What’s the matter with you now? what’s the matter with you?”—“Well, Mr. Cow, Mr. Anansi come heah an’ kill our mother an’ eat [[50]]her off an’ we cannot catch him!” Cow said, “I can’t do no good! I can’t do no good!” an’ he went on his way. A little after, Jack-ass come, say, “Hee-haw! what’s the matter with you? what’s the matter with you? what’s the matter with you?”—“Well, Mr. Jack-ass, Mr. Anansi come heah an’ kill our mother an’ eat her off an’ we can’t catch him!” Jack-ass said, “I will catch de fellah! I will catch de fellah! I will catch de fellah!”
Jackass went to Anansi gate an’ lay down fawn dead with his belly swell up. Anansi come down an’ said, “Lawd! dat’s a lot me bwoy meet up t’-day!” An’ said, “Me wife, bring de big pot an’ de big bowl an’ de big yabba[1] an’ de big knife!” So when it come, Anansi cut Jack-ass under the belly, put his han’ t’ru the cut. He full the big pot with the fat, and the big bowl, an’ shove his han’ now to fill yabba, clear to his shoulder. Jack-ass hol’ him. He said, “Br’er Jack-ass, me no t’ink you dead!”[2] an’ said, “A little fun me mak wid you, no mean i’!” Jack-ass say, “Fun or no fun, come we go!” an’ Jack-ass get up, gallop straight to the children yard. An’ they make up a big fire an’ put Anansi in an’ bu’n him an’ bu’n him till him belly burst!
[1] A shallow flaring bowl. [↑]
[2] “I thought you were dead.” [↑]
39. Anansi, White-belly and Fish. [[Note]]
Mrs. Ramtalli, Maggotty.
Anansi is accustomed to lie in the sun every morning watching the birds going to feed. One day he said to White-belly, “Brar White-belly, whe’ you go to feed eb’ry day? tek me wid you.” So White-belly promised on condition that he would behave himself. He fitted him out with a pair of wings to fly, and they went to the feeding-trees. These overhung a river. Every tree White-belly went on, Anansi said, “A fe me tree dat!” and White-belly went away to another. Anansi eat so much that he fell fast asleep. White-belly got annoyed. When Anansi was sleeping, he went and took off the false wings. Anansi turned in his sleep and fell into the river.
The Fish picked him up and took him to their home. He said, “Cousin Fish, no eat me!”—“If we are ‘cousin’ we wi’ see!” Fish boiled some hot rice-pop. Anansi said, “It no hot enough! putee in the sun mekee hot more!” When he thought it was quite cooled off, put it to his head, never stopped drinking until it was finished. Then Fish say, “Yes, me cousin fe trew!” [[51]]
It was getting night and Fish told him to remain over until next day. Fish had a barrel of eggs in the kitchen. Anansi wanted to eat them off, asked Fish to make his bed in the kitchen for the night. He poached all the eggs in the ashes, left one, and they went ‘pop!’ The pickney say, “A wha’ stranger man a do deh?” The Fish mother said, “Have manners, pickney! Let you cousin prosper.” Morning dawn, the mother sent the children to bring the eggs to her to count them. Anansi said, “Mek the child’ren keep quiet; me wi’ work!” and he took the one egg, took it to the mother Fish. Each time she marked it he would wipe it off, take back the same egg, until he had taken the whole barrel full.
After that, he said he wanted to go. Fish said to two of the children, “Me son, get the canoe an’ tek you cousin over the river.” It was looking very breezy and rainy. When they got half way across, Fish bawled out at the top of her voice, “Bring stranger man back he-e-ah! fe he eat off all me eggs; only one is heah!” The children say, “Wha’ ma say?” Anansi said, “You ma say you mus’ row quickly, squall ahead!” The children rowed across. Anansi took them up, put them in his bag and took them home, eat them. And from that day, fishes are eaten!
40. Goat’s Escape. [[Note]]
a. The Rain.
Richard Pottinger, Claremont, St. Ann.
Anansi and Goat have a little quarrel. Anansi said to Goat, “Brar Goat, I gwine ketch you!” Goat say, “You never live, me frien’, to ketch me!” Goat ’fraid fe rain. So one moist night Goat was coming from his field had to pass Anansi’s house, drizzle drizzle rain fall; Brar Goat have to run up Anansi’s house.—“Come in, me frien’!” Goat go in. Anansi step in a room tak out him fiddle:—
“Me t’ank Brar Rain
Fe run wil’ meat from bush
Come a house.”
Goat didn’t like it, keep to de door-way. Anansi not notice him, only playing de same song. Goat jump down de bottom door Anansi cut after him. Goat can’t cross river, run to de river-side turn a white little stone. Dog see, de odder side of de river, when Goat turned a little stone. Anansi run up de river now.—“Brar Dog, see Brar Goat pass?”—“Yes, Brar! see one little stone a river-side deh? takee up t’rowee, I show you whe’ him deh.” Anansi [[52]]tak up de stone, t’row it de odder side, give Brar Dog. Goat drop on him four feet. Anansi say, “Luck in me han’ an’ it get ’way!”
b. The Dance (1).
Elizabeth Hilton, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit country.
Assono[1] an’ Anansi make a dance and invite Goat and Dog to the dance. Anansi make bargain with Assono that when Goat an’ Dog come in, he mus’ sit down at one door an’ Anansi at the other. Assono sing, (repeat three times)—
“I sit down a me house deh fe dey come!”
So Anansi sing,
“Whe’ me been tell you!”
Dog sing,
“The somebody kyan’t run, you no hearie?”
Goat sing,
“I kyan’t run, but I cunnie do!”
Anansi say to him, “Brar Goat, you no play de fiddle good! mak me tak de fiddle stan’ ’pon de do’mat play better.” That time he gone to shut the door, Dog and Goat run thru’ the other door before Assono catch them. Assono an’ Anansi run after them an’ get to a big river. Dog can swim an’ Goat kyan’t swim, so Dog swim over the river an’ lef’ Goat. Goat turn a big rock an’ lie by the roadside. Dog say to Anansi, “Brar Anansi, tak a rock-stone, lick me down an’ I wi’ stay mak you come pick me up!” Anansi tak a big rock so an’ fling over the river. Goat get up an’ holla “Baa-a-a-a!” Assono so vex with Anansi that he eat him up same place.
b. The Dance (2).
Alfred Williams, Maroon Town.
Hanansi give a dance, invite any amount of company, an’, de night, everbody come. He invite Brar Goat, an’ when him come, Brar Goat stay outside on de landing, an’ Brar Hanansi inside say him gwine to play, an’ he play,
[[audio/mpeg]] | [MusicXML]]
♩ = 84 Fine.
Meat a da me yard, Meat, come see me. Meat a da me yard, Meat, come see me.
Meat a da me yard, Meat, come see me. Meat a da me yard, Meat, come see me.
[[53]]
Brar Goat den dance. When he dance he holla,
[[audio/mpeg]] | [MusicXML]]
♩𝅭 = 88
You no have-y a han’ you no sure of it, You no have-y a
han’ you no sure of it, You no have-y a han’ you no sure of
it, You no have-y a han’ you no sure of it.
ad infinitum.
[1] Assono is a large animal, unidentified. See story 75. [↑]
41. Turtle’s Escape. [[Note]]
Henry Spence, Bog, Westmoreland.
Turtle fool Anansi one day. Anansi go out one day an’ him catch one turtle,—quite glad of de turtle! So when he go home, Turtle know Anansi gwine eat him an’ said to Anansi, “Brar Anansi, you know me fat? When you put me on, as de water boil up you tak me off, ’cause fat will mash.” So when de water get warm, him blow him nose mak de water boil up. Anansi get frightened, said de turtle wi’ mash! So he lay him down at de pan-side let de fat cool so him no mash. Turtle run away in de pond. Anansi lose him dinner.
42. Fire and Anansi. [[Note]]
Henry Spence, Bog, Westmoreland.
Anansi an’ Fire were good frien’. So Anansi come an’ see Fire an’ dey had dinner. So he invite Fire fe come see him now. So Fire tell him he kyan’t walk. So Fire tell him from him house him mus’ lay path dry bush, an’ him walk on top of dry bush. Anansi married to Ground Dove. Ground Dove tell him no, he mustn’t invite Fire; him wi’ bu’n him house an’ bu’n out himself. Anansi wouldn’t hear what him wife say, an’ he laid de trash on. An’ Fire bu’n from him house, an’ when he come near Anansi house he mak a big jump, bu’n Anansi, bu’n him house, bu’n eb’ryt’ing but him wife. Fire fool Anansi!
43. Quit-quit and Anansi. [[Note]]
a. Tailors and Fiddlers.
David Roach, Lacovia.
Anansi and Lizard go to a ball. Anansi is a fiddler, Lizard is a tailor. Quit-quit was the fiddler. Anansi was playing, “tum, [[54]]tum, tum” and all the girls were going round Brar Quit-quit. So Anansi play, “Me nyam-nyam taya!” an’ it please the people. All love taya; all the girls crowded round Brar Anansi. Brar Quit-quit says, “Taya no somet’ing!” Then Anansi comes in with his music—“Me nyam de somet’ing! If taya no somet’ing, whe’ are de somet’ing?”
Brar Anansi said mus’ mak a suit of clo’es for him that kyan’t match. Brar Quit-quit tell him mus’ mak a suit out of maggot-fly. An’ after the ball they went to dinner an’ when the maggot-fly smell the meat, they run off leave him naked.
b. Fiddlers.
Henry Spence, Bog, Westmoreland.
Anansi and Tiger bot’ of dem are fiddler an’ go play fe de king ball. So Tiger could play more dan Anansi. So de king say de man could play de best would get married to de king daughter. Dem had dinner after de ball, so after dem play, play, play, Anansi find Tiger playing more dan him, so de lady more cleave to Tiger. So Anansi whisper to Tiger, say Tiger mus’ play,
Nyam nyam no not’ing!
As he commence play, de lady say de meaning “Belly-feed no not’ing, but mus’ somet’ing!” So Anansi set him fiddle, play,
Bittle no somet’ing, what is somet’ing?
De lady cleave to Anansi an’ drive away Tiger.
44. Spider Marries Monkey’s Daughter. [[Note]]
May Ford, Newmarket.
Bredder Monkey had a daughter whom Bredder Spider wanted to marry. Monkey didn’t want Bredder Spider to marry his daughter as he thought Bredder Spider was too fast and beneath him; he only kept Bredder Spider company as he thought him useful to him. So he jump to Bredder Green-lizard and said, “Bredder Green-lizard, what you think of such cheek? Fancy! Bredder Spider want to marry me daughter! I don’t want to hurt his feelings as he is useful to us, so help me to get out of it.” So Bredder Green-Lizard say, “I tell you a way, man. Call her ‘Miss Nennan-kennan-wid-a-turn-down-gown’ and whoever guess her name marry her, for Bredder Spider never can guess that!” So Bredder Lizard went direc’ an’ tell Bredder Spider, “When dey call you all up to ax Bredder Monkey daughter name, you fe say, ‘Miss Nennen-kennan-wid-a-turn-down-gown’.” [[55]]So Bredder Monkey send out word to all the gentlemen who want to marry his daughter to come and guess her name. Not one could tell her name till when he catch to Bredder Spider, Bredder Spider say, “Miss Nennen-kennen-wid-a-turn-down-gown.” So Bredder Spider got Bredder Monkey daughter an’ marry her.
So when Bredder Spider wife had a baby, she left Bredder Spider put the pickney to bed while she go to pond. When Bredder Spider think wife gone, him start to sing,
“Hush, me pickney, hush me baby,
A me cunnie mak me get yo’ mama!”
Spider wife turn back an’ say, “A what a dat you sing?” Spider say, “Me only sing,
‘Hush, me pickney! hush, me baby!
It’s a good t’ing marry yo’ mama?’ ”
Bredder Monkey been a come see him an’ hear what Bredder Spider singing. Bredder Monkey say, “Wa’ so you get me daughter!” an’ grab away the baby an’ kill Spider. And as him kill Spider the pickney drop out his hand dead.
So never kill a Spider, as whatever you have in hand will be sure to break.
45. The Chain of Victims. [[Note]]
Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Hanansi saw Brar Hog an’ said, “Brar Hog, lend me a dollar, to-morrow, twelve o’clock, come fe it.” An’ saw Brar Dog an’ said, “Brar Dog, len’ me a dollar, to-morrow, twelve o’clock, come fe it.” An’ saw Brar Monkey an’ say, “Brar Monkey, len’ me a dollar, to-morrow, twelve o’clock, come fe it.” An’ saw Brar Tiger an’ said, “Brar Tiger, len’ me a dollar, to-morrow, twelve o’clock, come fe it. An saw Brar Lion an’ say, “Len’ me a dollar, to-morrow, twelve o’clock, come fe it.”
Nex’ day hear some one knock at de door. Hanansi said, “Who come deah?”—“Me, Brar Hog.” An’ he say, “Come in.” He an’ Hog stay dere talkin’ an’ hear anodder knockin’. An’ say, “Who come deah?”—“Me, Brar Dog.” He say, “Brar Hog, you run go in dat room, fe Dog too bad; if him catch you him are goin’ to kill you!” Dog come in. Him stay dere talkin’ until hear anodder knock an’ said, “Who come deah?”—“Me, Brar Monkey.” An’ say, “Come in”; an’ say, “Brar Dog, you run go in dat room dere an’ when you go you see Brar Hog un’er de bed, kill him.” Him an’ Monkey talk till Tiger come knock at de door, an’ Hanansi say, [[56]]“Who knock deah?”—“Me, Brar Tiger.” An’ say, “Brar Monkey, run go in dat room hide or Tiger ketch you!” When Brar Tiger come in, him an’ Hanansi deh talkin’ till he hear anodder knock. An’ say, “Who come deah?”—“Brar Lion.” An’ say, “Brar Tiger, you run go in dat room deh; you see Brar Monkey, kill him!” So as Lion come in he tell Brar Lion, “Look heah! have plenty o’ meat. Brar Tiger gone in dere; you gwine go kill him!” Lion went in an’ kill Tiger. Me’while de Lion kill Tiger, Hanansi go out de kitchen door dig one deep hole an’ ca’ say, “Brar Lion, run come heah! We go put on little hot water fe clean up doze fellah!” As Lion jump out of de house, feel so glad, gallop on to de kitchen, he got down in de hole an bre’k his neck. So Hanansi said, “You brute! look how much money I borrow from you, an’ I have all yo’ bone to crack t’-night!”
46. Why Tumble-bug Rolls in the Dung. [[Note]]
William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.
Deh was Mr. Anansi and Tumble-bug. Deh was a young lady, was de king daughter. Her fader said who come wid a jar of money will get dat young lady to marry. Tumble-bug get a jar of money. Anansi get a jar an’ couldn’t get no money to put in it, get some cow dung an’ some horse dung fill up de jar. And after dem was going up to de young lady, dem ketch to a shop. And de two jar favor one anodder. An’ Anansi said, “Brar Tumble-bug, let we go in de shop go get a drink.” An’ Anansi said, “Mus’ buy a bread come,” an’ as he come out, him tak up Tumble-bug jar and lef’ fe him jar. An’ Tumble-bug tak up Anansi jar. And when dem go up to de young lady in de king yard, Anansi said, “Massa, mus’ bring a clean sheet go t’row out money out of jar!” An’ he t’row out money—wa-a-a-a-a! An’ as Tumble-bug t’row, him t’row out horse-dung an’ cow-dung.
Anansi said, “Tak it up, tak it up, tak it up, you nasty fellow, carry out de missis yard!” Dat is why you see Tumble-bug roll in filth to-day to-day.[1]
[1] The repetition is distributive and means “until to-day.” [↑]
47. Why John-crow has a Bald Head. [[Note]]
a. The Baptism.
Margaret Brown, St. Anne’s Bay.
Anansi always has a grudge wid John-crow; he say whenever he make his nest, de Crow fly on it an’ catch it up an’ he never [[57]]can make his nest, so he have a hatred for Crow. He say he was going to married and he was going to invite no one but Crow. An’ he have a big dinner an’ no one was at de table but Crow. So after de eat an’ drink done, he said he was going to have a baptism but he don’t baptize wid not’ing but boiling water. So after de water’s boiling, he took it off an’ order Crow to sit round de copper an’ so he dip ev’ry one head into de water, an’ dat why Crow have bald-head to-day.
b. The Dance.
Henry Spence, Bog, Westmoreland.
Anansi and John Crow had a ball one night, so dey fin’ dinner de night fe all de dancer. John Crow a great ’tepper, can ’tep better’n Anansi. So as Anansi fin’ John Crow can dance neater dan him, he get bex. So after de dinner de pop was hot, so he said to John Crow him mus’ dance up to de pop. So jus’ to get rid of John Crow de night, he got a ladle an’ dash on John Crow wid de hot pop right up on de head, an’ all John Crow head ’trip off. All de John Crow in dis worl’ never have ne feder upon i’ head heah; Anansi bu’n ’em off wid hot pop.
48. Why Dog is always Looking. [[Note]]
Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.
Anansi and Dog were friends. They wanted to go into cultivation, so both of them went out in search of good lands to rent. They came across a nice bit of land. Anansi fell in love with the spot; Dog fell in love with the spot too. Anansi said to Dog he remembered when he was a little boy his father planted yams on that very spot of land,—“An’ the yams did bear.” Dog said, “How they bear big?” Anansi said, “Brar Dog, they bear big, they bear big like me leg!” (Anansi’s leg is jus’ like a thread!) Brar Dog say, “Before I work an’ plant yam, an’ the yam not bigger than you leg, I sooner walk round an’ look!” That’s the reason why, when you’re eating, a dog ’sure to be looking at you.
49. Why Rocks at the River are covered with Moss. [[Note]]
Sarah Vassel, Bog, Westmoreland.
Anansi was gwine out one day an’ he stop a ribber-side a-eatin’. A rock-stone beg him, an’ wouldn’t gi’ him none. After eat done, wan’ to get up; rock-stone hol’ him an’ he couldn’t get up. [[58]]An’ began to bawl. A man was coming pas’ same time an’ ask him, “Bredder Anansi, who been a cry heah?” Anansi said, “Don’ know!” An’ de man go inside de bush, go hide. Anansi holla, an’ he come out an’ he catch him by his two han’ an’ draw him right up. Half a him ’kin lef’ on de stone. Moss a grow upon rock-stone a ribber-side, Anansi skin a grow deah.
50. Why Ground-dove Complains. [[Note]]
Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Tiger planting corn, and birds and everyt’ing destroying de corn, so him get Dove to help him fe watch who is destroying de corn. So after dey sit up de whole night fo’ to watch de corn, next day Tiger him go sleep. Bredder Dove go back in de day now and destroy de corn. So de nex’ day, Tiger went in de day and dodge in de ground. Bredder Dove have a gang, an’ Tiger were slap him on de ears and he sing out, “Me ears! me ears! me ears!” An’ from dat day to dis de dove singing, “Me ears!”
51. Why Hog is always Grunting. [[Note]]
Norman Hilton, Harmony Hall.
Brar Hog and Brar Dog live close by river-side, so Brar Dog said to Brar Hog, “Come! we get a bathe!” Brar Hog said yes, so Brar Hog took off his mout’ and Brar Dog an’ Brar Hog jump in the water. Brar Dog said to Brar Hog, “Come! let us see who can dive longer than the other.” So two of them dive underneath the water. Brar Dog come up, jump out of the water, take Brar Hog mout’ and went away with it. When Brar Hog come out of the water, searching for his mout’ and couldn’t fin’ it, an’ said, “Humph! Brar Dog tak a me mout’!” That’s why Brar Hog always grunting.
52. Why Toad Croaks. [[Note]]
Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
One man got a darter. He said, “Got one cotton tree; de man cut dat cotton tree, he marry to me darter.” Every man go cut, soon dey cut de chip fasten back; so dem couldn’t get de girl to marry. Toad said him go fall him. Toad full in pocket a hashes an’ every chop him chop him fling de hashes upon de tree when de chip fly, and ’ey kyan’t fasten. So Toad do an’ do till he fell de cotton tree. [[59]]
De master hab a long barbecue an’ tell him say, “Now you mus’ go down dere and ’trip yo’self an’ I wi’ pour on de water to let you skin.” All dis time one big pot hot water on de fire boil up, so dem turn over de pot o’ hot water an’ say, “Brar Toad, water come! tak you rubbin’ clot’.” An’ Toad jump in wild pine; up to dis day, ev’ry night you hear him cry out, “Kwoka soaka!”
53. Why Woodpecker Bores Wood. [[Note]]
Samuel Wright, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.
There was a bird name of Woodpecker promise his mother to bury him into a stone, an’ go all about an’ tell all his frien’ dat him gwine to bury him mother into a stone. An’ de mother was poorly unto death an’ he went to go an’ bore a stone, an’ he turn back an’ said, “Mother, I try the stone but I can’t bore it. I’ll bury you into a wood.” An’ he bore de wood. An’ after de death of his mother, he buried him into a wood. That is the reason the wood-pecker bore the wood.
54. Why Crab is afraid after Dark. [[Note]]
Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Crab go to God to gi’ him head. God tell him he mus’ go back, “Tomorrow come, I will give you head.” After Crab gwine home, he rej’ice into him, he singin’,
“T’ank God, tomorrow God a’mighty gi’ me head!
T’ank God, tomorrow God a’mighty gi’ me head!”
He dance until he muddy de water. Nex’ day he went to God a’mighty fe get head. God tell him say, “Stop! after you don’ get head yet you go an’ muddy water; den if you get head you will do worse. So you mus’ carry your head upon your shoulder all de days of you life.” So when Crab returning home, when him ketch Orange Bay[1] an’ stan’ der call Daniel name, said him wouldn’t trust a shadder after dark, for him don’t know when dey pick him up t’row him into his basket.
55. Why Mice are no Bigger. [[Note]]
Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Deh is a man de name of Robin Mice-rat gwine to his uncle house. Him an’ de uncle stay dere in dark de whole time. When [[60]]him gwine away, he tell de uncle good-by an’ tak a stick an’ he lick ’e uncle. At dis time he went to our Savior an’ said he want to turn big man, so de Savior tell him say if he wan’ to turn big man he mus’ go an’ kill his oldest uncle. So, as he never died, he went back de nex’ night. So him an’ his uncle talking an’ his uncle said to him, “Dat fellow Robin come here las’ night; when him gwine away, tak a stick an’ lick me in de head. But, me pickney, if a heah (pointing to the temple) him ketch me, de fellow would a got me.” So as de uncle show him de place, as him get up, meet his uncle at de said place, kill him ’tiff dead.
Nex’ day he went to his Savior fe let him turn big man. De Savior said to him, “You little bit of man go kill you’ oldest uncle, den if me let you turn bigger you will do worse!” So from dat day das de reason let you see mice don’t bigger to dis day.
56. Rat’s Wedding. [[Note]]
Thomas Williams, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit country.
Rat got married, an’ dere was rice and peas provide for de helping of food fe de dinner. It was so richly cook an’ so much dat it get burn. So Rat remember dat de rice burn in de pot, an’ Rat like ’crapin’, an’ while he was goin’ home wid his wife in de way, when he get part way he said to her, “I forget somet’ing very valuable in de wedding house, have to go back fe it!” She said yes, an’ put out de buggy on de water-table[1] an’ run back to de wedding house, never went in where everybody in de house merrying himself, went to de kitchen. So de pot wid de bu’n rice was lean up by de side of de wall. So de force he go to de pot wid trouble de pot,[2] an’ de pot, ’stead of rolling away, tu’n over cover him underneat’. An’ when he fin’ dat he couldn’t come out, he said, “Chut! what about dat? I wouldn’t give a biscuit fe a man who kyan’t lose his night rest!” and he begin to ’crape bu’nt part kur-ur-rup krup krup krup.
His wife calling now, “Mr. Rat! Mr. Rat!”—“Me head fasten in pot o!” Tu’n back ’crape ’crape. So de cook hear de noise and went out in de kitchen, find it was Rat underneat’ de pot an’ call out fe help. An’ come out lift up de pot an’ kill him. Dat’s why so many widows in de world, because dere husband died and left ’em. [[61]]
[1] A wooden foot-path is laid above the level of high water at the side of a road likely to be flooded in high water. This is called a ‘water table’. [↑]
[2] The pot’s equilibrium was disturbed by the impact. [↑]
57. Cockroach Stories. [[Note]]
a. Cock’s Breakfast.
Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.
One day Cockroach said to Cock, “Brar Cock, get little breakfas’ so I will come an’ have breakfas’ wid you.” Cock said yes. Cockroach come, Cockroach eat. When he done ’e said, “Brar Cock, when you know time my breakfas’ ready, come.” Cock said, “How mus’ I know?” Cockroach said, “I wi’ gi’ you a sign. When you hear I mak noise, don’ come; but when you hear I stay still in de yard, you mus’ come.” When Cock go, he didn’t fin’ Cockroach. Cock return back to his yard. Secon’ day, Cockroach come an’ say, “O Brar Cock! from I lef’ you heah, pain all over my skin so I go an’ lie down, I couldn’t look a t’ing; but t’-day you can come.” Cock do de same, go to de yard, didn’t fin’ him, return back. When he ketch half way, he hear in Cockroach house,
“Ring a ting ting,
Me know nigger fe nigger!”
Cock tak time, tip on him toe. An’ go long to one gourd, he hear Cockroach in a de gourd. An’ Cock tak him bill, lick him at de gourd. Cockroach run out. Cock pick him up an’ swaller him. So from dat day, not a cockroach walk a fowl yard any more.[1]
b. Feigning Sick. (1)
Eliza Wright, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.
Cockroach an’ Fowl, de two of dem keep house, an’ de two of dem mak up to plant de groun’. An’ ev’ry day Fowl ready fe go plant de groun’, Cockroach fawn sick in bed. An’ Fowl get up an’ do everyt’ing in de house an’ get Cockroach breakfas’ an’ bile it an’ put it up, an’ he go plant de groun’. An’ when he catch part of de way, Cockroach come out of bed an’ boil him breakfas’, an’ he didn’t eat what Fowl left fe him, he fawn sick. An’ he took up him fiddle an’ sit down an’ play now,
“Brar Fowl, I mak you plan’ a groun’!
Cro-co-ty.
Brar Fowl, I mak you plan’ a groun’!
Cro-co-ty!”
So one day when Fowl go out, he go half way an’ put down de plant an’ dodge him. Cockroach tak him fiddle an’ play again, [[62]]
“Brar Fowl, I mak you plan’ a groun’!
Cro-co-ty.
Brar Fowl, I mak you plan’ a groun’!
Cro-co-ty.”
An’ Fowl run in an’ pick him up an’ swaller him, an’ from dat day, Cockroach, if he ever so drunk, won’t walk a fowl yard.
b. Feigning Sick. (2)
George Barrett, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.
One day Anansi an’ Cockroach make a bargain to give a day in groun’ weed grass. Anansi was to go wid Cockroach to weed grass. De day fe him to go he sick, have fever. When Cockroach come, Anansi say he got fever. When Cockroach gone, he began to sing,
“Groun’ too far!
Rikity.
Groun’ too far!
Rikity.”
Cockroach turn back, say, “You want to mak me a fool!” Anansi say, “Oh, no, no! fever!”
c. The Drum.
Mrs. Matilda Hall, Harmony Hall.
Once there is Dog, Monkey, Tiger, Puss and Cockroach. So Christmas coming and hear them playing all about music and them has none. An’ said, “We have to make up to make a drum now, then how will we manage?” So they says, “The only way, we have to cut a little little of our skin to make a drum.” The Roach said, “I have none”, so them drive him out of the company and he got into a banana tree to live; then he turned round to them and said, “I first will play that drum!”—“How will you get it to play?” them ask him, an’ said, “I first will play it!”
Well, them fit up the drum now with the skin, hang it up to get cure. So Christmas eve fall now. Then going to the market to buy up all them things, catch about three quarter of a mile they heard the drum playing, said, “Biddy bwoy! who playing our drum?” So it is Roach took down the drum, put it between his feet and began to play;
“Kelly money better kelly better,
Kelly money better kelly better,
Tira coota na tira ding ding,
Tira coota na tira ding ding!”
is the Roach singing. The Puss come see him and kill him, and Puss eat Roach until this day. [[63]]
[1] This is a reference to the common saying, Cockroach never so drunk, no walk a fowl yard. [↑]
58. Hunter, Guinea-hen and Fish. [[Note]]
Thomas Williams, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit country.
Hunter always hunting an’ he meet up a spendid piece of land, rich land, and he t’ink to cultivate it an’ he begin same day cut bush. Piece of land is Guinea-hen feeding-ground. Guinea-hen come out at night,—Guinea-hen don’ walk in de day. “Massa is good, know dis is my feedin’ ground an’ begin to clean it so I can get my pullin’ clear! Let me help myself.” Make a little chopping himself too.
Ol’ man coming in de morning. “Hi! t’ankful! I commence work yesterday, do somet’ing good an’ massa help me!” Start to do a little himself ’side what he do first day. T’ird day come, he burn what he cut, an’ Guinea-hen burn dere too. Ol’ man come in morning say, “Hi! t’ankful! massa burn de balance!” Begun to clean up. Guinea-hen come de night, give t’anks an’ clean up de balance of what de ol’ man lef’.
Nex’ day, ol’ man t’ankful, begun to plant peas an’ corn. Guinea-hen come in night, say, “Massa is good! I don’ need to plant any”, begin to eat dat which de ol’ man plant. Ol’ man come in de morning see de damage, say, “Hi! what insec’ do dis?” Plant some more.
Go on so until de peas begin to ripe—about eight weeks. Ol’ man say, “Goin’ to gadder it in to-morrow.” Guinea-hen hear what ol’ men say, went to de sea an’ call de fish wid his trombone an’ tell de fish what he want: “I plant a bit of corn and peas, an’ gettin’ ripe an’ ol’ man coming to-morrow an’ I wan’ to go to-night gadder it in before he come to-morrow.” Fish accept an’ say, “Well, yes, I’ll go, but, Friend Guinea-hen, I kyan’ walk an’ I kyan’ fly, my wing is not strong enough. So, as you have foot an’ wing, you give me one of dem, I’ll go.” Guinea-hen says, “Yes, I’ll lend you my wing but I kyan’ tak me legs off to give you. See de straight road? You can fly an’ drop, an’ I’ll run on quick on my feet.” So Fish fly an’ drop, an’ Guinea-hen run on till came to de groun’. “Here is my own field; gadder an’ eat as much as you like.”
When day commence to light, de time man is to come, Guinea-hen commence to eat an’ look out. Fish say, “What you lookin’ so fo’, Friend Guinea-hen?” Guinea-hen see ol’ man coming, say, “It’s a butterfly I see jumpin’ about. Lend me yo’ wings, I go ketch it fe you.” An’ he sail away quietly out of groun’. Ol’ man come, see damage an’ begin to grumble an’ pick what he can till he get whe’ de Fish is, say, “Lawd! see him whe’ he mak him [[64]]bed!” an’ when he hawl up a big root an’ see Fish a-flutt’ring an’ a-trembling, he say, “O Fish! is it you do dis damage all dis time?” Fish says, “No, not I! Don’ kill me an’ I sing you some song.” Ol’ man like music, put him in a tub o’ water to sing an’ dance.
Fish says, “Tak me to de neares’ sea-side you has!” Ol’ man tak up de tub, put it on his head goin’ to de sea-side. Fish begin,
“She man yerry me bra, hay!
She man yerry me bra!
Guinea, guinea, quot amba tory.”
Ol’ man dance, Fish sing, until big wave coming an’ Fish aim for it an’ go long wid it. Ol’ man stay dancing, don’ know dat Fish is gone. Look in tub, Fish gone. Run home fe hook an’ line an’ t’row it into de sea to catch Fish. An’ dat is why we always have to catch fish at sea.
59. Rabbit Stories. [[Note]]
a. The Tar Baby.
Rennie Macfarlane, Mandeville.
When Brer Fox tried to catch Brer Rabbit, he could not catch him. He stick up a tar-pole in his common, an’ when Brer Rabbit come an’ see it, say, “Come out of Brer Fox place or I kick you!” An’ the tar-pole wouldn’t come out. An’ kick him an’ his foot fasten. “Let go foot, else I kick you with the other one!” An’ he won’t let it go, an’ kick it with the other one an’ the other foot fasten. An’ he box him an’ his han’ fasten. An’ say, “Let go me, else I box you!” an’ he box him with the other han’ an’ his han’ fasten. An’ he said, “Let it go, else I buck you!” An’ he buck him an’ head fasten. An’ said, “Let me go, else I bite you!” an’ when he bite him, mouth fasten an’ he couldn’t move or talk.
An’ Brer Fox said, “Think I couldn’t catch you!” An’ Brer Fox said, “Out of burn you an’ drown you an’ hang you an’ dash you over de bramble, which one you rather?” He said, “Do anything you like but don’ dash me over dat bramble!” An’ Brer Fox take him an’ dash him over the bramble, an’ he said, “Oh, what a fool!”
b. Saying Grace.
Rennie Macfarlane, Mandeville.
Brer Fox catch Brer Rabbit again. So he gwine kill him, an’ Brer Rabbit said, “Do, Brer Fox, as you gwine kill me, have prayers.” An’ he said, “Clasp you hands an’ say what I say: ‘O God, bless an’ blind us!’ ” but Brer Fox thought he say “Bless an’ help us,” an’ he say it. An’ Rabbit run away an’ they never see him. [[65]]
c. Pretending Dead.
Rennie Macfarlane, Mandeville.
When Brer Fox want to get Brer Rabbit again, he an’ Bear make up to catch him. Brer Bear go to Brer Rabbit yard an’ tell him that Brer Fox dead an’ he mus’ help him bury him, for he an’ Brer Fox friends. When he go to Brer Fox yard, he see Brer Fox lying down. Brer Rabbit put on his bonpon[1] hat an’ coatie an’ spectacle an’ sit up in a rocking-chair an’ say, “I never see it so! What a style! what a funniness! I think that when folks fall down die, they always cock up their foot in the air an’ make ‘pooh!’ ” An’ Brer Fox cock up his foot in the air an’ say, “Pooh!” an’ Brer Rabbit go away an’ say, “A man like you never dead yet!”
[1] A round tin cooking pot is called a “bonpon”. So is a high round hat. [↑]
60. The Animal Race. [[Note]]
a. Horse and Turtle.
Alfred Williams, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.
Horse bet Turtle say a get to Kingston before him. Turtle bet him say him will get to Kingston before him, Brar Horse. An’ Turtle tak up one of him pickney an’ drop dem ev’ry mile-post, an’ drop de last one in at Kingston at de wharf-house, tell ’im ’em going for a sack of salt. An’ de night when dem start, as Brar Horse catch to de firs’ mile-post an’ sing out in a harsh note,
[[audio/mpeg]] | [MusicXML]]
♩ = 72 1st ending.
I-ya-a ya-o sa, nom-be, ya-o ya ya-o sa-a, nom-be,
2nd
a nom-be, sa-ka be-ne sa-bi-na, nom-be, ya ya-o sa, a, nom-be.
Turtle answer quite yonder, soft an’ sweet,
[[audio/mpeg]] | [MusicXML]]
♩ = 72
I-ya-a ya-o sa-a, nom-be, ya-o sa ya-o sa-a, nom-be, se
sa-ka be-ne sa-bi-na, nom-be, ya ya-o sa-a, nom-be.
[[66]]
Horse say, “Well! Brar Turtle gone!” Gallop, draw rein an’ ’pur As he get to de nex’ mile-post, hear,
“I-ya-a ya-o sa, nom-be, ya-o ya.”
Gallop an’ gallop till he get to de nex’ mile-post. Turtle sing,
“I-ya-a ya-o sa, nom-be, ya-o ya.”
Trabbel on, ride on, ride on, ride on, catch to de nex’ mile-post, sing out,
“I-ya-a ya-o sa, nom-be, ya-o ya.”
Turtle answer de same song quite at de mile-post,—
“I-ya-a ya-o sa, nom-be, ya-o ya.”
As Horse catch to dat mile-post go in to Kingston, drop down dead!
b. Pigeon and Parrot.
Julia Gentle, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Pigeon an’ Parrot was co’rtin’ one girl an’ she say whichever one firs’ come in de house de mornin’ she would marry dat one. Parrot could not fly very fas’. He went an’ mek bargain wid anodder Parrot. He went before an’ leave de odder one to follow Pigeon behin’. He went near to de girl house an’ sit down in a tree. Pigeon call, saying,
“Come on, me pretty Poll, come on, me pretty Poll,
Stay on de tree so long,
For de sun an’ de moon gwine down,
Stay on de tree so long.”
Parrot answer Pigeon behind,
“Go on, me pretty Pigeon, go on, me pretty Pigeon,
Stay on de tree so long,
Go on, me pretty Pigeon, go on, me pretty Pigeon,
Stay on de tree so long.”
Pigeon sail again. He stop, call again,
“Come on, me pretty Poll, come on, me pretty Poll,
Stay on de tree so long,
Come on, me pretty Poll, come on, me pretty Poll,
Stay on de tree so long.”
Parrot answer,
“Go on, me pretty Pigeon, go on, me pretty Pigeon,
Stay on de tree so long,
Go on, me pretty Pigeon, go on, me pretty Pigeon,
Stay on de tree so long.”
[[67]]
Pigeon sail. When Pigeon nearly catch to de house, call again in de same tune. Parrot answer before now. Pigeon say, “Stop! a lil’ while Parrot was behin’; how Parrot get before?” When Pigeon went to de house, Parrot was in de house. Pigeon has to stay outside an’ Parrot married to de girl.
61. The Fasting Trial (fragment). [[Note]]
Julia Gentle, Santa Cruz Mountains.
Jumpin’ Dick say he would bear longer hunger than White Belly. So White Belly up a tree where a grape a drop, an’ Jumpin’ Dick pick up on de ground.
White Belly say,
“Coo coo, me lovin’! coo coo, me lovin’!
Everybody goin’ to look for dem dandy.”
Jumpin’ Dick dance an’ sing,
“Every Monday morning,
Zum zick a zum zum!
Every Monday morning,
Zum zick a zum zum!”
62. Man is Stronger. [[Note]]
Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.
The Lion and the Tiger were very good friends. Tiger says, “No one beat us in strength!” Lion said, “No, my friend, somebody that’s stronger than we. Tiger said no, no, he cannot believe that. Lion said there was a little something called “Man” that was stronger. So Tiger says he will have to find that something called “Man.”
And he go hunting the Man and he buck up Mr. Ram-goat and he ask him if him name “Man”. Goat says yes. And he asked him if the two things he had up here (horns) called “gun”. And he asked him if that long scar he have on belly, called “ram-rod.” And he asked him if that bag he had, called “shot-bag.” And Goat said yes. And Tiger walk up and lick him flat on the ground. Goat holla “Wi-i! wi-i-i!” And Tiger went back to Lion and say he find something called “Man” and single lick he lick him, fa’ dead. Lion say, “No, me friend! dat no ‘Man’, for Man have two feet an’ dat you tell me have four legs.” Tiger say will have to go back again find Man, for he bound to have that something called “Man”. [[68]]
And he went out again seeking after “Man”, and a Hunter was out. And he saw the Hunter and he said, “Now this yeah mus’ Man!” And so him gwine up to de man, de Hunter aiming for him with the gun, and ask if him name “Man”. And the Hunter drive at him with the gun. And he run back to Lion and could only say, “I find ‘Man’ an’ him single answer him answer me, blood fly all t’ru me body!” and him dead. Lion says, “I tell you; you no believe me; but you believe me now!”
[[69]]