An Anansi Animal Story

Following is a brief description of an "Anansi Animal Story", followed by the conclusion in Kriol, interlinearized, and with sound. The final line is the standard way that most Anansi stories end.

"Tiger wanted to find an easy way to get food so he decided to play dead. When other animals would come to pay their respects, he would kill and eat them. Monkey saw animals coming to Tigers house but not leaving, so he became suspicious. When Monkey went to Tigers house, Mrs. Tiger was weeping and said that Tiger had died. Monkey expressed his sympathy, but then asked if Tiger had wiggled his ears as he died. Monkey explained that this would be a sign that Tiger had really died and not just gone into a coma. Mrs. Tiger said that she had not seen him do that, so Tiger wiggled his ears to convince Monkey. Then Monkey said that the very final thing that someone did when they died was to pass gas. Mrs. Tiger said that she had not seen him do that. So Tiger passed gas. Monkey ran from the house and announced to all the other monkeys that Tiger was not dead, that he was trying to trick everyone. Tiger got up from his bed and became angry with his wife..."

Listen to a Kriol speaker conclude the Anansi story...
(Actual Story Text Shown Below)

Dis wan da-mi wite wan, hihn wahn wite taiga dehn.
this one was white one he a white tiger PLURAL

Well dehn geh so bex an dehn staat tu fite wan anada.
well they get so angry and they start to fight one another

Dats wy yu si di wan weh gat stripe pahn dehn weh dehn
that_is why you see the one REL has stripe upon them REL they

krach op wan anada. Mista Taiga, Missiz Taiga.
scratch up one another Mr. Tiger Mrs. Tiger

Taiga staat tu beat ih wife sake a fool; ih seh, "yu fi
tiger start to beat he wife because of fool he say you ought to

mi tell monky lang time seh aal a di ting brada taiga du, bifoe ih ded.
PST tell monkey long time say all of the thing brother tiger do before he dead

now yu wahn seh, 'no'."
now you a say no

An dehn fite eena dat hous deh an tayr op wan anada; till dehn lef yu si.
and they fight in that house there and tear up one another until they left you see

Di real taiga gat di stripe.
the real tiger has the stripe

Wi only gat jagwa weh gat di lee ... lee dats dehn ... flowaz like pahn dehn.
we only have jaguar REL has the little little dots PLURAL flower like upon them

Monky gaan bout ih bizniz an taiga dehn fite an lef wid stripe.
monkey went about he business and tiger PLURAL fight and left with stripe

An tideh day doh dehn still go bout dehn bizniz; an dehn fite eena dat room deh
and today day though they still go about their business and they fight in that room there

till dehn nak dong di pin, an dehn ben di pin, an di stoary en.
until they knock down the pin and they bend the pin and the story end

Free translation: "This one (tiger) was a white one, he was a white tiger. Well, they got so angry and they started to fight one another. That's why you see the one with stripes that they got from scratching one another. Well, Mr. Tiger and Mrs. Tiger — Tiger started to beat his wife because of the foolishness, he said, "You should have told monkey that brother tiger did all those things before he died. Now you say, ‘No’." And they fought in the house, and they tore each other up, until they were left as you see them. The real tiger has the stripes. We only have the jaguar that has the little, little dots like flowers on them. Monkey went about his business and the tigers fought and were left with stripes. And these days they still go about their business; and they fight in the room until they knock down the pin, and they bent the pin, and the story ends."