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 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, 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.