Meanwhile, in the second story, you will finally get to see the trickster tricked, when Monkey beats Anansi at his own game based on a "taboo" word; in this story, the taboo word is the number nine.
[Notes by LKG]
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 and the Tar-Baby
Tiger tar a stump, put on broad hat on the stump.
Anansi come and say, "Who are you in the ground?"
Him don't hear no answer. He hold him. His hand fasten. He hold him with the other hand. That hand fasten.
He said, "Alright! You hold me two hand, I bet you I buck you!"
He head fasten.
Said, "I bet you, I kick you!"
Him two feet fasten.
Then he say, "Poor me boy! You a watchman and me a watchman!"
So begin to sing, "Mediany dead and gone."
Next morning Tiger come and say, "Why Brer Anansi, you been mashing me up?" [getting me into trouble]
Tiger take him out. Tiger said what for him do with him now?
Anansi say, "What you for do? Make a fire, burn me."
Tiger go away, make up him fire, catch Anansi go for throw him in the fire. Anansi say, "Brer Tiger, you don't know to burn somebody yet? You must jump over the fire three time, then me a-count."
Tiger jump one, and jump again, two, and jump again, three, and go for jump again. Anansi kick down Tiger into the fire, then go back now go finish off the peas.
The Yam-Hills
Hog was passing, say to him, "Brer Anansi, what's the matter with you?"
Anansi said, "My dear Brother Hog, from morning I dig these few yam-hills and trying to count them, but I can't manage to count them yet."
Hog said, "Cho! You too worthless! You mean say you can't say, 'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine?'"
And as Hog say "nine," Hog drop down dead. Anansi take him up, put him in his bag and carry him home and eat him.
The next day he came back and eat up Goat, who share the same fate as Hog, and every day he went back dig the same hills.
At that time Monkey was on a tree watching and seeing all that take place. He came down from off the tree, and while Anansi dig the same nine hills again and was sitting down crying, Monkey come up and said, "Brer Anansi, what the matter with you?"
Anansi said, "My dear Brother Monkey, from morning I dig these few yam-hills, and I'm trying to count them but I can't manage!"
Monkey said, "I will count them for you, but you must sit down upon one." Monkey then said, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and the one Brer Anansi sit down upon."
Anansi said, "That's not the way to count them!"
Monkey said, "I'll count them good for you now!" Monkey began, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and the one Brer Anansi sit down upon there."
Now Anansi is a man with a very short heart. He got vex and say, "You mean to say that you can't say 'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine?'" and as the word nine come out, Anansi drop down dead.
Monkey took him up and said, "You can fool the others, but you can't fool me!"
(600 words)
