Jekyll, 129–131, and Milne-Home, 35–39, have excellent versions of this
very popular Jamaica story, which, in its full form, is made up of four
episodes. (1) The birds take Anansi across the water to their
feeding-place where, because of his bad behavior, they abandon him. (2)
Anansi visits Fish and claims relationship. Fish tests him with a cup
of hot pop, which he cools in the sun under pretence of heating it
hotter. (3) He is lodged for the night with a box of eggs, all of which
he eats but one; and when called upon to count the eggs, brings Fish
the same one every time, after wiping off the mark. (4) Fish sends her
children to row him home. He fools them out of heeding her call when
she discovers the loss of the eggs. Once on shore, he fries and eats
the children.
Compare Tremearne, 265–266; Head-hunters, 324–326; Rattray, 2: 88–104;
Parsons, Portuguese negroes, JAFL 30: 231–235; Andros Island, 2–3.
(1) The episode of the birds’ feeding-place is to be compared with that
of Fire-fly and the egg-hunt, number 7, and with the visit “inside the
cow,” number 22. In the Portuguese version, the birds take Lob to a
dance and he sings insulting songs because there is no feast.
(2) The test of relationship occurs in Jekyll and in Tremearne,
Head-hunters. It belongs to the same class of boasts as those of the
Clever Tailor in Grimm 20 and 183.
(3) In Milne-Home, the scorpion trick is employed to guard the eggs, as
in number 7, and Anansi complains of “fleas” biting him. The episode is
lacking in Jekyll.
In Tremearne, Head-hunters, when Spider breaks the egg-shells, the
children cry out to know what is the matter and Spider says he is
hiccoughing.
The egg-counting trick generally occurs in a different connection. The
trickster visits Tiger’s house, eats all the cubs but one, and counts
that one many times. Compare Callaway, 24–27; MacDonald 1: 55–56; Theal
111; Jacottet, 40–45; Rattray, Chinyanje, 137–138; Harris, Nights,
346–348.
(4) In Jekyll, Anansi visits “Sea-mahmy,” who is a mermaid, and her
son, “Trapong,” or tarpon, takes him home. In Milne-Home, “Alligator”
is host; a “boatman” the ferryman. Lob gets “aunt” sea-horse to carry
him to shore. In my Jamaica versions, the sons are the ferrymen and are
generally cooked and eaten at the other end. The misinterpreted call
occurs in all Jamaica versions and in Tremearne, Head-hunters. In the
Lob story, Lob mutters an insult; when asked to repeat his words, he
declares that he has merely praised the sea-horse’s swimming; compare
Parsons, Sea Islands, 54–56. For the fate of the ferryman, see also
note to number 38 and compare Anansi’s treatment of Rat in the note to
number 7.