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. [↑]