Anansi Kills His Grandmother

William Cooper, Mandeville.

Anansi an’ Tiger were travelling. Anansi kill him old grandmother, him put him into a little hand-cart was shoving him t’ru de town. After him catch to a shop jes’ like out here, de shop-keeper was a very hasty-temper man; an’ went in de shop an’ call fe some whiskey an’ give it to one of de shopkeeper carry it to his grandmother. An’ said he mus’ go up to de han’-cart an’ call twice. An’ de ol’ lady did not hear. So Anansi said to de shop-keeper him mus’ holla out to de ol’ lady; him sleeping. So de ol’ lady didn’t hear, he fire de glass in de ol’ lady face, an’ de ol’ lady fell right over. Then the shop-keeper get so frighten he cry out to Anansi, say Anansi mustn’t mek no alarm in de town; he will give him a bushel of money to mek him keep quiet.

So dem was going along an’ borrow a quart can from Tiger an’ was measuring dis money. Tiger said, “Where you get all dat money?” Anansi say, “I kill my ol’ grandmother.” Tiger, him went home an’ kill his grandmother an’ put her up in a little hand-cart an’ was goin’ along t’ru de town hollerin’ out to all de people, “Who want a dead body to buy?” So Anansi said to Tiger he shouldn’t do anyt’ing like dat; too foolish!