evil consequences of his indiscretion by first plucking a hair from his eyelids.

The Anansi-tori is formally opened with the words "Er tin tin," the meaning of which is substantially "Once upon a time." The expression is universal; and even riddles are introduced by this formula: thus,

Er tin tin, mi mama habi wan pikin, a habi dri hai;

Ma alwasi san doe hem, nanga wan hai nomo a de krei.

Wan kokronoto.

Once upon a time, my mother has a child, it has three eyes;
But no matter what ails it, with one eye only it cries.

A cocoanut.

If the story is not popular, the listeners will at once interrupt with the words, "Segre din din," the meaning of which is not known to the writers; but it is not improbable that it is merely a convenient rhyme to "Er tin tin." If the story is monotonous or poorly told, the narrator is interrupted by an amusing conversation between two or more of the audience, followed by a so-called koti-singi (“cuttingsong"), in which all present join. This usually has the desired effect of discouraging the story-teller. Below is an example of the dialogue and koti-singi:

First Speaker. A kroejara ("canoe") is coming from Para.

Second Speaker. What is in the kroejara?

First Speaker. A big pagara. And in it there is a smaller pagara. And in this one there is a still smaller pagara, etc.

Second Speaker. And what is in the very smallest pagara?

First Speaker. A letter. And in this letter there is a reply containing the koti-singi, “Fin, fin, fin, tori; ja ha lei agen, ha lei agen." 2

The four stories here recorded have been selected from a number of Negro tales collected by one of the writers in Surinam. It is the intention to publish in the near future the entire collection, comprising more than eighty tales, some of which were taken down in the original Negro dialect, the so-called Sranam- or Ningre-tongo (Surinam or Negro language), known briefly as Ningre (Negro). The first three stories were chosen because they have not previously been recorded from Surinam. The fourth is included to show the Surinam narrator's treatment of familiar themes.

A sort of basket.

"Fine, fine, fine story; yes, he lies again, he lies again."

A. P. Penard.

I. HOW MAN MADE WOMAN RESPECT HIM.

Er tin tin, women had no respect for men. They were always scolding their husbands, and calling them all kinds of bad names, such as "Stupid," "Lazy," "Beast." Anansi, too, was treated in this manner, and it humiliated him very much indeed. "I must put an end to this," he muttered. "I'll teach my wife better manners; I'll make her respect me. Mi sa sori hem fa watra de go na kokronoto bere." 1

Anansi set to work and dug a deep well; and when it was deep enough, he called his wife, and asked her to bring him a ladder so that he could climb out. Scolding and jawing, as usual, she brought the ladder and set it in place. With spade in hand, Anansi climbed out of the pit; but, just as he reached the top of the ladder, he slyly dropped the spade into the pit, pretending that it was an accident. "Ke!" he exclaimed, turning to his wife, "I have just dropped the spade into the well, and I am so tired. Tangi tangi, (please) will you go down and get it for me?" His wife scolded him dreadfully, but she went down the ladder to fetch the spade. As she stooped to pick it up, Anansi quickly pulled up the ladder, and his wife was caught in the trap.

She began to rave and tear, called Anansi everything that was bad, and commanded him to lower the ladder; but Anansi paid no attention. He just smiled, and noted with satisfaction that the water was beginning to flow into the new well. And as the water rose, his wife scolded less and less, until it was on a level with her stomach. Then she asked her dear Anansi for the ladder, but Anansi paid no attention. When the water was up to her breast, she beseeched her good Boss (Basi) for the ladder; but Anansi paid no attention. When the water was up to her neck, she tearfully begged her beloved master to lower the ladder; then Anansi gave in. He lowered the ladder; and his wife, wet and shivering, meekly climbed out of the well.

But after that day she became very obedient and respectful; she never scolded her husband any more, and always addressed him as "mi masra" ("my master"). Other women followed her example and also became very obedient; and so to this day every woman respects her husband, and calls him "Basi," or "mi masra."

2. ANANSI EATS MUTTON.

Er tin tin, Anansi's wife had a fine fat sheep that she herself had raised. Anansi often begged her to slaughter the sheep; but she steadily refused, and scolded him angrily for his greediness. "I will

1 I will show her how the water goes into the cocoanut's belly. 2 A common exclamation, usually denoting pity or sympathy.

teach my wife not to be so stingy," muttered Anansi one night as he went to bed.

Next morning he did not get up, but pretended to be very sick. He trembled and shook so, that his wife became alarmed, and asked him what ailed him and what she could do to relieve him. "Ke!" replied Anansi weakly, "I don't know what the matter is, but I feel awfully sick." So he told his wife to consult with the loekoeman, 1 whom she would find under the big kankantri 2 in the forest. His wife did not know the loekoeman, but she started out to find him. As she was going out, Anansi requested her to take the children with her. "They make such a terrible noise, that I shall go crazy," he explained.

Well, as soon as his wife had departed, Anansi jumped out of bed and disguised himself as an old loekoeman. He pulled an old hat well over his eyes, and, hurrying over a short cut which he knew, reached the kankantri before his wife. After a while his wife and children arrived, and greeted him politely with a kosi, without seeing through the disguise. "Ke, mi papa," spoke his wife, "masra Anansi is very sick. He has convulsions and terrible pains in his stomach, so he has sent me to you for some medicine to cure him."

The loekoeman consulted with the spirits, shook his head thoughtfully, and said, "My good woman, your husband is a very good friend of mine; and so I will tell you a good medicine to cure him, and it will not cost you anything for the advice. My friend Anansi is very sick indeed; his spirit longs for mutton, and the poor man is slowly dying from this craving. You must serve him a nice fat sheep, nicely cooked, and he alone must eat it. You and the children must not even taste it, otherwise the takroe sani ('evil thing') that possesses

him will surely kill him. Nothing else can save him."

Anansi's wife thanked the loekoeman and left. As soon as she was out of sight, Anansi hurried home over the short cut, removed his disguise, and jumped into bed, where he awaited the return of his wife and children.

In a short while they arrived, and told Anansi what the loekoeman had said. Anansi praised the loekoeman's wisdom. He said that the advice was good, and he felt that the medicine would cure him.

With unwilling hands his wife and children prepared the sheep for Anansi in a most appetizing manner. Anansi ate so much mutton that he nearly burst, while his wife and children looked on with longing eyes. When he had swallowed the last mouthful, he smacked his

1 The "doctor," a higher authority than the kartaman ("fortune-teller," "soothsayer"), but not so powerful as the obiaman (“sorcerer").

2 Ceiba pentandra Gärtn.

A slight bending of the knees as a mark of respect; a "courtesy."
Ke, "my father."

lips, thanked his wife, and advised his children to follow their good mother's example and never to be stingy or greedy.

3. JAUW'S DREAM.

Er tin tin, there were two friends, Jauw and Kwakoe, who thought very much of each other. Where any one saw Jauw, he would be sure to find Kwakoe; and where any one saw Kwakoe, he would be sure to find Jauw; they were inseparable. Even at night they went to bed together; and if one of them should fall asleep first, the other would lie quietly beside him until he, too, fell asleep.

Well, one night the two friends went to bed as usual, and it happened that Jauw fell asleep first. Kwakoe, who was lying with his face toward Jauw, was greatly surprised to see a mouse come out of Jauw's nose and noiselessly leave the hut. Kwakoe wanted to find out more about this wonderful animal, for he knew that it could not be an ordinary mouse; so he got up quickly and followed the little beast.

The mouse moved stealthily in the dark shadows, took the road, and entered the forest, through which it led the way to a giant kankantri whose trunk was completely hidden in a tangle of boesitetei1 that hung about it. Cautiously the mouse looked around, and, swiftly climbing up one of the bush-ropes, disappeared between the clumps of boesi-nanasi 2 that grew thickly upon the branches of the big tree. But Kwakoe, from behind a near-by bush, had seen everything, and patiently he awaited the mouse's return.

Well, after a long time the mouse again made its appearance from among the mass of boesi-nanasi, came down the same bush-rope, and returned to the village by the same road. The strange little animal went straight to the hut of the two friends, entered cautiously, and ran quickly into Jauw's nose before Kwakoe, who had followed it, had a chance to grab it.

As soon as the mouse had vanished, Jauw awoke with a yawn, stretched himself lazily, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, saying to his friend, "Kwakoe, man, I dreamed a wonderful dream, which I shall not soon forget. Ka, but a man's head can take him to strange places!" Kwakoe, curious to know if Jauw's dream could have any connection with what he had just seen, asked him to tell him about it; so Jauw proceeded to relate his dream:

"Well, then, friend Kwakoe, I dreamed that I quietly left the hut, followed the road a ways, and entered the forest. And I walked until I came to a big kankantri all covered with boesi-tetei and boesi-nanasi.

1 Bush-ropes, lianes.

2 An epiphyte, Tillandsia usneoides Linn.

A long-drawn-out exclamation in very common use. It generally conveys the idea of surprise or wonder.

I looked around to make sure that nobody was watching, and then I climbed up one of the bush-ropes. Hidden between the branches I discovered a great, big box, so big that I could easily enter it through the keyhole. And what do you think I found in the box, Kwakoe? It was full of gold money, just gold money, nothing else but gold money. Baja, I was surprised. Happy to think that you and I would not have to work any more, I spent a long time counting the money. Then I crawled out of the box through the keyhole. I wanted to take the box back with me, but it was too heavy; so I decided to go home and get you to help me cut down the kankantri. I slid down the same bush-rope, and came home to tell you all about it. But you know how it is with dreams, Kwakoe. As soon as I entered the hut, I awoke. Ka, but a man's head can take him to strange places!"

Kwakoe, who had listened with great interest while Jauw related his dream, asked, "Do you think, friend Jauw, that you would recognize the kankantri if you should see it again?"-"Certainly I would," replied Jauw, "never before in my life have I seen such a big kankantri, or one so completely covered with boesi-tetei and boesi-nanasi. why do you ask me that, Kwakoe?"

But

Thereupon Kwakoe told Jauw that it was his plan to search for the kankantri, and that Jauw would do better to get up and help grind the axes, so that they would have no difficulty in cutting down the tree which he thought they would have no trouble in finding. But Jauw, who knew nothing of the mouse in his own head, laughed at Kwakoe, saying that he had no desire to get up so early in the morning for the purpose of sharpening axes to cut down a kankantri he had never really seen, and that he could not see how an intelligent man like Kwakoe could put so much faith in dreams.

Then Kwakoe told Jauw that he did not believe in dreams, either, but that this was no ordinary dream; and he related to Jauw his experience with the wonderful mouse. Jauw was amazed at what Kwakoe told him, but he was sure that Kwakoe would not tell him a lie; so he consented to go out and help sharpen the axes.

At daybreak the two friends entered the forest, and soon they came. to the giant kankantri into which the mouse had climbed during the night. As soon as Jauw saw the big tree all covered with boesi-tetei and boesi-nanasi, he exclaimed, "Kwakoe, this is the kankantri I saw in my dream. It can be no other."

Kwakoe and Jauw now went to work with their axes. It was not an easy matter to cut down such an enormous tree; but the thought of finding the treasure in its branches spurred them on, and at last the forest giant tottered and crashed down with a noise like thunder.

1 Baja, or simply Ba, means "friend" or "brother."