Jamaica: Monkeys and Fishes

The first story here has the motif of "boiling in the pot" again, but this time, things do not turn out as Anansi expects!

In the second story, the "ile" here is "oil" ... for frying the fish in!

[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.

Anansi in Monkey Country

Anansi go to Monkey country. Put on a big pot of water and tell the Monkey when him get in the pot of water, when him say "Bunya," they must take him out of the pot of water. When they take him out, they must go in.

So when he go in the pot of water, as soon as he feel the water hot he say, "Bunya." They take him out, and put all of them one time into the pot of water.

And when them said, "Bunya!" Anansi said, "No bunya yet!"

And said, "Bunya!" Anansi said, "No bunya yet!"

Anansi wouldn't take them out until them boil. Anansi take them out and eat them.

One little one left at the top of the pot that the water didn't scald. That one run go to the next Monkey country and tell them the story about Anansi and the 'bunya.'

When Anansi eat, he start to the other country, and him go there and tell the Monkey must put him into the pot of water and when he say, "Bunya," must take him out.

So when Anansi feel the water hot, he say, "Bunya!"

Monkey say, "No bunya yet!"

Anansi say, "Bunya!"

Monkey say, "No bunya yet!"

Monkey keep Anansi in that pot till him kill him.

The Fishes

Three little fish pickney [children] mother was sick and Anansi said, "If you want, I get your mother better for you!"

And the three little fish said, "Yes!"

And said, "You give me a frying-pan and some sweet oil, and you lock up in that room and when she better, I let you know."

And he fry the fish and eat it and tell the fish pickney that they can come out the room now.

And they ask, "Where is our mother? Did you get her better?"

And he said, "No, I eat her!"

And the fish run after him and he run away.

And a mule ask the fish, "Do you want me to catch him for you?"

And they said, "Yes!"

And the mule said, "Give me those peas that you have now and I catch him for you."

(mule)

And the mule go out to Anansi gate and lie down there and when Anansi come out, Anansi run up into his belly and the mule gallop away again. 

And Anansi cry out in the mule's belly, "If he go to sea-side, stop him; but if he go anywhere else, let him go!" 

And he gallop to the sea-shore and give Anansi to the fish.

And he say, "You know what you do, fish? Put me under the trash and burn me!" 

And when the fish put him under the trash, Anansi run under a stone, hide, and the fish thought he was burn.

Next: Anansi, White-Belly and Fish

(500 words)