Annancy

“ Annancy go. When him go he see a big he-goat, him beard was a yard long. Annancy catch the beard, lift him up t'row him a ground, take a big stick begin to beat him, give bup! bup! say:—"You b'ute! a you master nyam all me egg never give me so so one self."
Him beat him so till the goat form 'tiff dead. Now this was Tiger all the time. Annancy leave him gone to see if he can get any knife to cut him up.
By Annancy come back him don't see no goat, only a big old man standing up. Him put after him. Annancy run back to Tiger yard. The man was after him. Annancy see a gourdy, run right in it. ”

“ Then Annancy go up an' take the t'rone, an' marry the youngest daughter an' a reign.
Annancy is the wickedest King ever reign. Sometime him dere, sometime him gone run 'pon him rope an tief cow fe him wife. ”

“ Jekyll's tales, so far as they can be supposed to come from Africa at all, are not Bantu. The name of "Annancy" alone is enough to tell us that.
Annancy, or Anansi is the Tshi (Ashanti) [1] word for "spider"; and the Spider figures largely in the folk-tales of the West Coast-xxiv- (by which we mean, roughly, the coast between Cape Verde and Kamerun) , while, with some curious exceptions to be noted later on, he seems to be absent from Bantu folk-lore. His place is there taken by the Hare (Brer Rabbit) , and, in some of his aspects, by the Tortoise. ”

“ So Fire tell his frien' Annancy (not knowing that Annancy an' Dry-grass was better friend) :—"Brother Annancy I going to burn that fellah Dry-grass to-morrow."
Annancy say:—"When you a go you fe call me a yard. I goin' to make one shell. When we nearly get to the place we blow, make the fellah know that man a come."
During this time Annancy make bargain with Water that any time he hear the shell blow him must come down like rain.
So Fire reach up an' as the shell blow he see rain coming down. ”

“ When him go him get a long bag ready. Every minute him come out of the house an' look on sun. Annancy couldn' tarry but only praying to see if night can come.
When night come Candlefly get ready an' tell Annancy to stay aback. Them travel till at last them get. (Annancy going to play out Candlefly.)
Every gash Candlefly gash an' see a egg going to pick it up, Annancy say:—"A me first see ahm."
Candlefly gash again: Annancy take away every one till him bag full. Candlefly don't get one. So as Annancy-87- such a strong man Candlefly compel was to lef' without say a word. ”

“ John Wee-wee was brought in in the same way and according to custom was given something to do while he waited.
faithful. A faithful person is one in whom confidence is reposed.
XXIII. ANNANCY IN CRAB COUNTRY. One day Annancy form himself as a minister, an' was going out an' preaching about. An' Annancy preach an' preach till he get in Crab country. An' Crab them wouldn' hear Annancy at all.
An' Annancy went home back, an' dress himself in a black gown, an' get some red paint an' redden his 'tummy, an' ask a few friend to walk with him.
An the friend was Mr. Toad an' Ratta an' Blackbird. ”

“ The rapidity of utterance natural to all the Blacks is exaggerated by Annancy. He generally affects, too, a falsetto tone as in "Play up the music, play up the music," in Yung-kyum-pyung. He has a metamorphic shape,-5- that of the Spider. At one moment he is a man "tiefing (thieving) cow," the next he is running upon his rope (web) . ”

“ Deat' bring the barrel an', just as he fixing it up under where Annancy hanging, Annancy drop on Deat' head PUM, an jam him head in a the temper lime an' blind him. So he an' all him family get 'way.
Jack Mantora me no choose any.
NOTES.
dis a eat, just as he had eaten.
no mo so me no yerry, I must have failed to hear. See page 3.
Deat' no 'peak, Death won't speak. The comedy is well sustained. Annancy goes through the various stages of preparation for breakfast, pretending that he is carrying out orders from Death which he fails to hear.
put him on, put the pot on the fire. ”

“ Annancy bawl out again:—"Bro'er Tiger, you mumma dead a house from yeshterday."
Tiger stop, him listen, him can't hear.
He go on again, he hear the voice again.
He throw down the gourdy.
Annancy get out, said to Tiger:—"You b'ute! if you been broke me foot you wouldn' min' me wife and picny."
Tiger hear the voice but never see a soul.
Him run gone home to see if his mother dead. When he go his mother was still alive.
Annancy go home an' go to Candlefly yard tell him say:—"I never will be cravin' again, ya, Bro'er? you fe carry me again." An' Candlefly say "Yes."
Every day Annancy come. ”

“ An' being Monkey have more strength than Annancy, Annancy try to keep close Monkey an' wouldn' leave Monkey company at all by he afraid for Tiger.
Until one day Annancy went to river an' catch some fish, an' send an' call Brother Monkey to come an' help him enjoy the fish.
An' when the breakfast ready, instead of Mr. Monkey come, it was that cravin' man Mr. Tiger who Annancy really hate, an' to every piece of the fish Annancy take up to put in his mouth, Tiger take away every bit an' never cease till him finish the whole. ”

“ Tatalingo. Lingo's name is now transferred to Tomby. Italian vowels in Tata. In "Finger Quashy" we find Tatafelo as one of the cats' names.
make him a present, make her (Justina) a present to Annancy.
Mrs. Annancy Sinclair. They are not particular in the matter of surnames. A remarried widow is constantly called by the surname of her first husband.
-20-
V. HOW MONKEY MANAGE ANNANCY. One day Mr. Annancy an' his wife sat under a tree an' don't know that Mr. Monkey was on the tree. Mr. Annancy say to his wife:—"You know I really want little fresh." The wife say to Annancy:—"What kind a fresh?" ”

“ An' the mumma say:—"You never better, tuffa."
Jack Mantora me no choose any.
NOTES.
This is quite an unusual form of story, but appears to be of some antiquity in my district, where it ranks as an Annancy story. [43]
caring, taking care of. This is so convenient a word that it is used by everybody.
You never better, you will never be good for anything.
tuffa, with Italian u imitates spitting, a sign of contempt.
-60-
XIX. ANNANCY AND SCREECH-OWL. One day Annancy made a dance, an' ask 'creech-owl to be the musician. An' Annancy send an' invite all his friend. ”

“ Ananzi said to the King, that if he would give him an ear of corn, he would bring him twelve strong men. The king gave him the ear of corn, and he went away. At last he got to a house, where he asked for a night's lodging, which was given him; the next morning he got up very early, and threw the ear of corn out of the door to the fowls, and went back to bed. When he got up in the morning, he looked for his ear of corn, and could not find it anywhere, so he told them he was sure the fowls had eaten it, and he would not be satisfied unless they gave him the best cock they had. ”

“ Anne pressed his hand, with a look of ineffable gratitude, and Surrey concealed himself behind the arras.
The door was opened, and Henry rushed in, followed by Richmond, Norfolk, Suffolk, and a host of attendants.
“Ah! God's death! where is the traitor?” roared the king, gazing round.
“Why is my privacy thus broken upon?” said Anne, assuming a look of indignation.
“Your privacy!” echoed Henry, in a tone of deep derision—“Your privacy! —ha!—ha! You bear yourself bravely, it must be confessed. My lords, you heard the voices as well as myself. Where is Sir Thomas Wyat?” ”

“ If any one is to blame in the matter, it is myself.”
“And will you allow her to make these accusations against me without punishment?” cried Anne.
“Peace, madam!” cried the king sternly; “and thank my good-nature that I go no further into the matter. If you are weary of the masque, I pray you retire to your own apartments. For myself, I shall lead Jane Seymour to the bransle.”
“And if your majesty should need a partner,” said Jane, walking up to Anne and speaking in a low tone, “you will doubtless find Sir Henry Norris disengaged.”
The queen looked as if stricken by a thunderbolt. ”

“ He never returns. Anansi (grotesquely disguised sometimes as Aunt Nancy) is a hairy old man with claws, who outwits the lesser creatures, as Br’er Rabbit does. To him and his familiars are attributed all manner [109] of queer tales, one of which, from Jamaica, may be quoted as an illustration:
Sarah Winyan, an orphan of ten, lived with her aunt, while her two brothers kept house by themselves a mile or two away. This aunt was an Obeah witch, the duppy, or devil ghost, that was her familiar, appearing as a great black dog that she called Tiger. ”

“ I thought—and what of Rose?" stammered Annys.
"Oh, Rose Westel will get lovers a plenty while men walk the earth who have two eyes in their head."
"Peace, peace, enough, fellow!"
"Will you go to Ely Castle?"
"Go? You say I can save the people from grave danger. Then all the abbots in Christendom could not hold me!"
And as he crossed the stone walk of the cloister, he walked with a firmer tread and held his head higher than at any time since he had entered the Abbey of St. Dunstan. ”

“ You will not act thus disloyally?
“Who has acted disloyally, Anne?” cried Wyat, springing to his feet, and fixing his dark eyes, blazing with jealous fury, upon her—“you or I? Have you not sacrificed your old affections at the shrine of ambition? Are you not about to give yourself to one to whom—unless you are foresworn—you cannot give your heart? Better had you been the mistress of Allington Castle—better the wife of a humble knight like myself, than the queen of the ruthless Henry.” ”

“ My power extends only to the forest and the castle.”
“Will you take me to the king at Hampton Court?” said Anne.
“It would be useless,” replied Herne. “I will only do what I have stated. If you fly with me, you can never appear again as Anne Boleyn. Sir Henry Norris shall be set free at the same time, and you shall both dwell with me in the forest. Come!”
“I cannot go,” said Anne, holding back; “it were to fly to a worse danger. I may save my soul now; but if I embrace your offer I am lost for ever.” ”

“ Here was before him no blunt fanatic like John Ball, flying as unswervingly to his goal as the arrow shot from the bow, but one with the discerning mind that weighs, discriminates, and looks far enough ahead to see its own heart-break at the end.
"You sent for me?" although the tone was defiant, it was less so than Annys had intended it. Somehow he found it hard to be arrogant to this gentle old man whose flowing locks looked whiter than ever against the deep red of the bed-curtains. Only a beautiful old man upon his couch, looking at him with dim kindly eyes and a mouth that [13] smiled. ”

“ Now then, Anansi go back to Mr. Mighty an’ tol’ him that there is a man coming to the ball wearing a suit of sheep-skin clo’es,—dat is the man who steal the sheep.
Mr. Mighty give out invitation to all the high folks, all the ladies and gentlemen all aroun’, to attend the ball at that same date. The night of the ball, Anansi went with his fiddle an’ Tiger with his tambourine in the suit of sheep-skin clo’es. ”

“ And looking towards the gallery, he fixed his eyes on the Lady Anne and drained the cup to the last drop.
“Would it were poison,” muttered Sir Thomas Wyat, who stood behind the Earl of Surrey, and witnessed what was passing.
“Give not thy treasonable thoughts vent, gossip,” said Will Sommers, who formed one of the group near the royal table, “or it may chance that some one less friendly disposed towards thee than myself may overhear them. I tell thee, the Lady Anne is lost to thee for ever. Think'st thou aught of womankind would hesitate between a simple knight and a king? ”

“ An’ when Anansi belly full, him call to the watchman to let him go, but watchman refuse. Anansi call out a second time, “Come, let me go!” The watchman say, “No, you don’ go!” Anansi say, “If you don’ let me go, I spit on the groun’ an’ you rotten!”3 Watchman get frighten an’ untie him. [5]
Few minutes after that the master came; an’ tol’ him if he come back the nex’ time, no matter what he say, hol’ him. The nex’ day, Anansi came back with the same letter an’ read the same story to the man. The man tie him in the peas, an’, after him belly full, he call to the man to let him go ”

“ At the end of an hour you come to Annecy and rattle through its old crooked lanes, built solidly up with curious old houses that are a dream of the Middle Ages, and presently you come to the main object of your trip—Lake Annecy. It is a revelation. It is a miracle. It brings the tears to a body's eyes. It is so enchanting. That is to say, it affects you just as all other things that you instantly recognize as perfect affect you—perfect music, perfect eloquence, perfect art, perfect joy, perfect grief. ”

“ But the peace that Annys had so fondly hoped for in the monastery was farther away from him than ever. The week that followed was a daily, hourly struggle with the devil within him. With a body scarce kept alive by the scant portion of food which he permitted himself but once a day, in the hopes of conquering the awful sway of the senses, in reality he was innocently making their hold the stronger upon him. ”

“ But Meryl spoke up hotly:—
"He who works only for to-day will starve to-morrow."
And Annys felt that he had won a helpful friend.
"When dost think the whole country will be ready?" asked Rugge of Annys.
"Plenty yet to do, plenty to do," was the reply. "There are counties where they await but the [110] word, but there are others where they are none too ready to loose hand from the plough."
"Ay, those are the counties where the plough yet yields a living somewhat better than a dog's."
"Yea, there are places in the land where the Black Death but took away enough mouths to fill those that remain. ”