Eating Tiger’s Guts

a. The Tell-tale.

Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Brer Tiger and Brer Anansi went to river-side. Brer Anansi said, “Brer Tiger, tak out your inside an’ wash it out.” Brer Tiger did so. “Now, Brer Tiger, dip your head in water wash it good.” The moment Brer Tiger put his head in water, Anansi took up the inside and run away with it give to his wife Tacoomah to boil.

Next morning he heard that Tiger was dead. He called all the children to know how they were going to cry. Each one come say, “Tita Tiger dead!” The last child he called said, “Same somet’ing pupa bring come here las’ night give Ma Tacoomah to boil, Tita Tiger gut.”—“Oh, no!” said Anansi, “Pic’ninny, you can’t go.” So they lock up that child. So man hear him crying ask him what’s the matter. “I wan’ to go to Tita Tiger’s funeral!” Let him out to go. When Anansi see him coming, he run away and tak house-top and since then he never come down.

b. The Monkeys’ Song.

Henry Spence, Bog, Westmoreland.

Anansi and Tiger bade. So Anansi tell Tiger, “Meanwhile bading, tak out tripe!” Tiger tak out tripe. Anansi firs’ come out an’ eat Tiger tripe, an’ say if Tiger wan’ to know how him tripe go he mus’ go down to Monkey town. So Anansi go down, go tell Monkey when dey see Tiger coming mus’ sing,

“Dis time, we eat Tiger gut down!”

So after, as Tiger hear dem all a-singing, kill off all de Monkey. An’ catch one of de Monkey an’ he say Anansi come down larn him de song yesterday!