Anansi and Mr. Able

Thomas White, Maroon Town.

Able have two daughter an’ dey was pretty young women. Anansi hear about dese two women, did want dem for wife, didn’t know what way he was to get dem. Able is a man couldn’t bear to hear no one call him name; for jus’ as he hear him name call, him get disturb all to kill himself. So Anansi get two ripe plantain an’ give de young women de two ripe plantain, an’ dey tek de two ripe plantain from Anansi an’ dey eat de two ripe plantain. Das de only way Anansi can get dese two young women.

An’ Able nebber know ’bout it until one day Mr. Able deh at him house an’ him hear de voice of a singin’,—

“Brar Able o, me ruin [59] o Me plant gone!”

Brar Able, oh, me ruin, oh, Brar Able, oh, me ruin, oh, Brar Able, oh, me ruin, oh, Brar Able, oh, me plantain gone.

Brar Able say, “Well, from since I born I never know man speak my name in such way!” So he couldn’t stay in de house, an’ come out an’ went to plant sucker-root. Anansi go out,—

“Brar Able o, me ruin o, Me plant gone.”

Mr. Able went out from de sucker-root an’ he climb breadfruit tree. Anansi go just under de breadfruit tree, sing,

“Brar Able o, me ruin o, Me plant gone.”

Mr. Able went up in a cotton-tree. Anansi went up to de cotton-tree root, give out—

“Brar Able o, me ruin o, Me plant gone.”

An’ Mr. Able tek up himself off de cotton-tree an’ break him neck an’ Mr. Anansi tek charge Mr. Able house an’ two daughters.

Jack man dory, choose one!