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 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 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!