Jamaica: Goat on the Hill-Side and the Duckano Tree

This first story might remind you of the famous Aesop's fable about the fox does not enter the lion's den when it sees the tracks leading in, and none leading out. You can read that story in the Aesop unit for this class: The Lion, the Fox, and the Beasts.

The second story is about a pudding, dokunnu (duckano), wrapped in leaves from the banana tree or plantain tree. Find out more at Wikipedia.

For an African version of the second story, see Tit for Tat in the West African unit for this class (in that story, Anansi's son is named Kweku). The West African story does not contain the second part about the dog which Anansi uses to get the charmed food from the tree in the Jamaican tale.

[Notes by LKG]

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This story is part of the Jamaican Stories unit. Story source: Jamaica Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith (1924). I have removed the eye-dialect.

Goat on the Hill-Side

The time hard. Anansi said to Tacoomah, "How going to manage with the hard time?"

So Tacoomah said, "You know we do? I will get me machete and I go half shut the door, then I will say, 'Police, I sick!'" Then, when people come, Tacoomah take the machete and chop them, put them in the barrel for the hungry time. Anansi say, "Brer Tacoomah, barrel nearly full?"

"No, Brar."

He cry out again how Tacoomah poorly; and the people come and as they come, he kill them put in barrel to serve in hungry time.

Then Goat up on the hill-side say he see everybody going in, nobody come out; the house so little, how is it going to hold all those people? So Goat come down now off the hill-side to see how Tacoomah. He peep in.

Tacoomah say, "Come in!" and Goat run right back up hill-side. and from that day, Goat stay up on hill-side.

The Duckano Tree

There was Anansi. Tacoomah was Anansi son.

Then was a hard time. Anansi had a Duckano tree had some Duckano on it. And he had three pickney [children]; when he go out a night, eat him belly full, come back carry 'em a bag.

Now when him wife make a little dinner for him, tell him no, he don't want it, give it to pickney them.

Tacoomah tell mama cut little hole in Anansi traveling bag and throw ashes in it. Fast as he go along, ashes drop straight to the Duckano tree.

Then Tacoomah follow the ashes till him find out the Duckano tree. And when him fetch to the Duckano tree, pick off all, left one, and him tell the Duckano, "As Anansi come for pick you, drop a dirt!"

And as the Duckano drop a dirt, Anansi say, "Yes, that the best place I want you for go!" Come down to pick him up, Duckano go back on tree.

Anansi say, "Cho! That the best place I pick you today." Go back on tree, couldn't catch it.

And not a creature can pick the Duckano, but Tacoomah!

Then, as Anansi go up the Duckano tree, him see Dog a come. And said, "Brer Dog, go pick up Duckano for me!"

And as the Duckano drop, dog come pick him up; then, as Dog pick him up, Dog nyam [eat] the Duckano. Dog run 'round so, Anansi go after him so.

Dog go into one deep hole, just two eye look out of there. Little out the two eye, Anansi pass and see him, draw him out of the hole and squeeze out the Duckano.

What make the two sink place in Dog side, Anansi squeeze out Duckano.

Jack man dora!

Next: Anansi and the Tar-Baby / The Yam-Hills

(500 words)