Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.
There was a wealthy woman, but she had no children. She was always
wishful of adopting a child. So she went down to the river to bathe one
morning as usual and she saw a pretty baby. She was so glad she took it
home and she made a pet of it. She employed a girl called Tamanty to
care for the child, and Anansi to be the watchman to watch and see if
the girl cared for the child.
So it happened one day she had to go out, so she left them to take care
of the child. Anansi wanted all along to get rid of this girl Tamanty.
Tamanty was sweeping the house and the little child was playing with
the broom. Anansi winked to the girl and said, “Lick him wi’ the
broomstick! lick him wi’ the broomstick!” The girl took the broomstick
and hit the child. The child started running for the river. Anansi and
Tamanty started after her, calling out, “Come back, Miss Nancy, come
back!” The child said,
“No na no, Tamanty! no na no, Anansi!
Me a river craw-fish, me no have a mu-ma,
Poor me, river craw-fish! river a me mu-ma.”
The child ran right into the river and became a cray-fish.