Jamaica: Tiger Catching the Sheep-Thief

In this story, Anansi gives a chicken to Miss Madder and, thinking it is a gift, so she eats it. Anansi, though, comes back and demands the hen, and then argues that not only should he be getting back a hen; he should be getting back a hen and eggs and more chickens that came from those eggs. So Miss Madder is now in Anansi's debt, which is a very dangerous place to be! This repeats over and over until only one sheep is left, when the desperate woman turns to Tiger for help.

You will see that this story also turns into an aetiology story at the end, a story about the origin of things; this story is about the origin of the water spider. You can read about water spiders at Wikipedia, also known as "diving bell" spiders because of how they manage to keep breathing under the water.

[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.

Tiger Catching the Sheep-Thief

One day was an old lady name Miss Madder, had twenty sheep. Mr. Anansi went and give her a hen and, couple week after, Mr. Anansi went back for the hen.

And said, "Didn't you give me the hen, Mr. Anansi?"

And said, "Oh, no! Missus, me hen would have egg, egg, on egg, chicken on chicken!"

And said, "The  only thing I can do, Mr. Anansi, go in the sheep-pen and take a sheep!"

It went on till the nineteen was gone, leave one.

Tiger says, "Miss Madder, I'll kill the sheep, take a half, and catch Mr. Anansi."

Tiger kill it, put he skin over himself.

When Mr. Anansi come, Tiger bawl like a sheep "Ba-a-a-a!"

Miss Madder say, "All right, Mr. Anansi, I don't want to hear any more talking; take the last sheep and go."

Anansi say, "Thank you, Miss Madder, won't come back and worry you for no more fowl!"

When he went off, on the way said, "Yah! This sheep heavy, sir!"

Went home, the wife and children sit round him with bowl and knife. Mr. Anansi take the knife cut the throat and say, "Lord! Me wife, this fellow fat till no have any blood!"

Cut the belly come down, Tiger jump out hold him.

Mr. Anansi say, "Hey! Hey! Brer Tiger, what you do?"

Tiger say, "Miss Madder have twenty sheep and if me no tie you, him will say you and me eat them."

Anansi say, "If them take them big banana trash tie me, I will be glad, but if they could a take that little bit of banana thread tie me, I should be so sorry!"

And they tie him with the small banana trash and throw into the sea, and he just open his leg and run under water.

And from that time you see Anansi running under water.

Next: Tiger's Breakfast / Tiger's Bone-Hole

(water spider)

(300 words)