(2), (3). The child first sticks a fire-stick into the pepper-bush behind which his enemy lies in wait, then throws bags of ants into his face as he waits under a cocoanut tree.
In the African and Mexican parallels, the trickster throws down fruit,—prickly-pears in Mexico. In every case, two fruits are thrown harmlessly, then the fatal fruit. Compare Parsons, Andros Island, 40. In Georgia, Backus, JAFL 13: 22–23, pepper is the missile. In Nassau, 25–30, bags of ants and pepper are thrown to detect the pretended dead. This may be related to the bee trick in the Mexican cycle. In the Jamaica episode of the “refugees in the roof,” numbers [5c] and [27], after the wife and children have dropped and been devoured, Anansi puffs dust into the pursuer’s eyes and escapes. Dust is thrown in Parsons, Sea Islands, 54, and in other instances in the same collection.
(4) For the episode of detecting a hidden enemy by calling upon the place where he is hidden to speak, compare Steere, 377; Rattray, 134; Renel 2: 92, 93; Fortier, 110; Harris, Friends, 143–146; and Boas’ Mexican cycle, JAFL 25: 208 and reference, note page 248.
(5) For the trick of changing places in the coffin and the pretended pastures under sea, compare [107], [108].
24. The Duckano Tree. [[Story]]
Tacoomah in this tale plays the part of Cunnie-more-than-father of the preceding as a spy to discover a hidden food-supply. It is a very popular Jamaica story, told by Milne-Home, 120–124; Wona, 62–66; Pamela Smith, 78. [[248]]
Compare Edwards, 79; Dayrell, 26–28.
The story has three parts. (1) The son by means of a trail of ashes discovers a hidden food supply. (2) He takes all but one fruit and charms that so that his father cannot pick it. (3) Dog picks it up and swallows it, is pursued, discovered by his eyes in the ground, and the stolen fruit is squeezed out of him, thus causing the “sink places” in his two sides.
(1) For the trail of ashes compare Barker, 51–54; Arcin, 478; Dayrell, 27; Nassau, 204, 141, 155; Harris, Friends, 15–20.