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.