Table Of Content

amaica -J Anansi Stories BY MARTHA WA RREN BECKWITH WH MUSIC RECORDED *N THE FIELD BY HELEN ROBERTS AN °^ ™ F a 3^a2? ORE SOCIE h. & ro 1924 / Copyright 1924 BY THE AMERICAN FOLK-LORE SOCIETY All rights reseroed Printed in Germany Buchdrudterei und Verlagsanstalt Bad Worishofen 1923 MEMOIRS OF Ctre American folklore Society. vN VOLUME xvn. 1924. - I* CONTENTS. PAGE Contents v Preface • . . . . xi Animal Stories. 1. Tying Tiger 1 a. The Fish-basket 1 b. The Storm 2 2. Tiger as Substitute 3 a. The King's Two Daughters 3 b. The Gub-gub Peas 4 3. Tiger as Riding-horse 5 4. Tiger's Sheep-skin Suit 6 5. Tiger Catching the Sheep-thief 8 a. The Escape 8 b. The Substitute 8 c. In the House-top 9 6. Tiger's Breakfast 11 7. Eggs and Scorpions 11 8. Tiger's Bone-hole 12 9. The Christening 12 10. Eating Tiger's Guts 13 a. The Tell-tale 13 b. The Monkeys' Song 13 11. Throwing Away Knives ... • 14 a. Tiger and Anansi 14 b. Sheep and Anansi 14 12. Grace before Meat • 14 a. Monkey and Anansi 14 b. Goat and Anansi 15 13. Day-timeTrouble 15 a. Rabbit and Anansi 15 b. Rat and Anansi 16 c. Goat and Anansi 16 14. New Names 17 15. Long-shirt 18 vi Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society. PAOE 16. Shut up in the Pot 19 17. House in the Air 20 a. Tracking Anansi 20 .... b. Rabbit and Children going up to Heaven 20 c. Duppy's House in the Air 21 d. Garencro's House with a Key 21 18. Goat on the Hill-side 22 19. Dog and Dog-head 22 20. Tacoomah's Corn-piece 23 21. Anansi and the Tar-baby 23 a. The Escape from Tiger 23 b. The Substitute 24 c. The Grave 25 22. Inside the Cow 26 23. Cunnie-more-than-father 27 24. The Duckano Tree 31 25. Food and Cudgel 31 a. The Handsome Packey 31 b. The Knife and Fork 32 26. The Riddle 33 27. Anansi and Brother Dead 34 a. Brother Dead's Wife 34 b. Goat and Plantain 35 28. Brother Dead and the Brindle Puppy 35 29. The Cowitch and Mr. Foolman 36 30. Dry-head and Anansi 37 a. Go-long-go 37 .38 b. Dry-head • c. Brother Dead 39 31. The Yam-hills 39 32. The Law Against Back-biting 40 a. Duck's Dream 40 b. Guinea-chick • 41 c. Dry-head at the Barber's 42 33. Fling-a-mile 42 34. But-but and Anansi 44 35. Tumble-bug and Anansi 45 36. Horse and Anansi 46 37. Anansi in Monkey Country 47 Bunya 47 a. b. Christen Christen 47 Contents. vii PAGE 38. Curing the Sick 48 a. The Fishes . • 48 b. The Six Children 48 39. Anansi, White-belly and Fish 50 40. Goat's Escape 51 a. The Rain 51 b. The Dance (1) 52 The Dance 52 (2) 41. Turtle's Escape . . . .* 53 42. Fire and Anansi . . V^T 53 43. Quit-quit and Anansi 53 a. Tailors and Fiddlers 53 b. Fiddlers 54 44. Spider Marries Monkey's Daughter 54 45. The Chain of Victims 55 46. Why Tumble-bug Rolls in the Dung 56 47. Why John-crow Has a Bald Head 56 The Baptism 56 a. b. The Dance .* .... 57 ; 48. Why Dog is always Looking . . . V* 57 49. Why Rocks at the River are Covered with Moss . . 57 50. Why Ground-dove Complains^. . . . 58 51. Why Hog is always Grunting . a*S\ 58 52. Why Toad Croaks 58 53. Why Woodpecker Bores Wood 59 54. Why Crab is Afraid after Dark 59 ^t 55. Why Mice are no Bigger . . 59 56. Rat's Wedding 60 57. Cockroach Stories 61 a. Cock's Breakfast 61 b. Feigning Sick (1) 61 Feigning Sick (2) 62 The Drum 62 c. 58. Hunter, Guinea-hen and Fish 63 59. Rabbit Stories • 64 a. The Tar Baby 64 b. Saying Grace 64 c. Pretending Dead 65 60. The Animal Race 65 a. Horse and Turtle 65 b. Pigeon and Parrot 66 viii Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society. PAGE 61. The Fasting Trial (fragment) 67 62. Man is Stronger 67 Old Stories, chiefly of Sorcery. 63. The Pea that Made a Fortune 69 64. Settling the Father's Debt 69 65. Mr. Lenaman's Corn-field 70 66. Simon Tootoos 71 ..74 67. The Tree-wife 68. Sammy the Comferee 75 69. Grandy Do-an'Do 77 70. Jack and Harry 79 71. Pea-fowl as Messenger 80 a. John Studee 80 b. Contavio 82 72. The Barking Puppy 82 73. The Singing Bird 83 a. Fine Waiting Boy 83 b. The Golden Cage 84 74. Two Sisters 85 75. Assonah 86 76. The Greedy Child 87 a. Crossing the River 87 b. The Plantain 87 77. Alimoty and Aliminty 88 78. The Fish Lover 89 a. Timbo Limbo 89 b. Fish Fish Fish 91 c. Dear Old Juna 91 79. Juggin Straw Blue 92 80. The Witch and the Grain of Peas 93 81. Bosen Corner 94 . . . 82. The Three Dogs 96 a. Boy and Witch Woman 96 b. Lucy and Janet 99 83. Andrew and His Sisters 99 84. The Hunter 101 a. The Bull turned Courter 101 b. The Cow turned Woman 102 85. Man-Snake as Bridegroom 103 a. The Rescue (1) 103 The Rescue 104 (2) b. Snake Swallows the Bride 104 Contents. ix PAGE 86. The Girls who Married the Devil 105 a. The Devil-husband 105 b. The Snake-husband 106 87. Bull as Bridegroom 108 Nancy 108 a. b. The Play-song 109 Grade and Miles 110 c. 88. The Two Bulls Ill 89. Ballinder Bull 113 90. Bird Arinto 115 91. Tiger Softens his Voice 116 92. Hidden Names 118 Anansi and Mosquito 118 a. b. Anansi plays Baby (1) 118 Anansi plays Baby (2) 119 Anansi plays Baby (3) 119 93. Anansi and Mr. Able 120 94. The King's Three Daughters 121 95. The Dumb Child 121 96. The Dumb Wife 123 97. Leap, Timber, Leap 124 Old Conch 124 a. b. Grass-quit (fragment) 126 98. The Boy fools Anansi 126 99. The Water-crayfish 127 Modern European Stories. 100. Ali Baba and Kissem 129 130 101. Bull-of-all-the-land 102. The Boiling Pot 131 103. The Twelve One-eyed Men 133 104. Bird and Hunter 134 105. Jack and the Devil Errant 135 106. The Magic Hat and the Staff of Life . . . . ' . .139 107. Uncle Green and Jack 141 108. Big Begum and Little Begum 143 109. The Fool and the Wise Brother 145 110. The Children and the Witch 146 111. The Boy and the Mermaid (fragment) 147 112. Difficult Tasks (fragment) 147 113. The Grateful Beasts 148 114. Jack and the Bean-stalk 149 x Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society. PAOE 115. Jack and the Devil 150 116. Jack's Riddle 150 117. Jack as Fortune-teller 151 118. Robin as Fortune-teller 151 119. Jack and the Grateful Dead 152 120. The Boy and his Master 153 121. The Language of Beasts 154 122. The Three Pieces of Advice 155 123. Three Brothers and the Life-tree 156 124. The Skilful Brothers 158 125. The Three Sillies 158 126. A Misunderstanding 159 127. Big-head, Big-belly and Little-foot (a and b) 160 . . . 128. The Goat in the Lion's Den 160 129. The Donkey, The Cat and the Lion's Head .161 . . 130. Clever Molly May 162 131. Dancing to Anansi's Fiddle 162 132. Anansi Claims the Dinner 163 133. Anansi Seeks his Fortune 163 134. The Pannier-jar 163 135. Anansi kills his Grandmother 164 136. White-belly and Anansi 164 . 137. Monkey hunts Anansi 165 .... 138. Anansi and the Pig Coming from Market 166 Song and Dance. 139. The Fifer 169 140. In Come Murray 170 141. Tacoomah Makes a Dance 170 142. Anansi Makes a Dance 171 143. Red Yam 173 144. Guzzah Man 175 145. Fowl and Pretty Poll 176 146. The Cumbolo 176 147. John-crow and Fowl at Court 177 148. Wooden Ping-ping and Cock 177 149. Animal Talk 178 Witticisms 179 Riddles 183 Index to Riddles 219 Abbreviations of Titles 223 Notes to the Tales 233 Index to Informants 291