Note 7. Eggs and Scorpions.
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7. Eggs and Scorpions.
Jekyll tells the same story in Annancy and Candle-fly, 86-89, Wona, in Anancy and Fire-fly, 24-29; Pamela Smith, in Anancy and Ginger-fly. Milne-Home, 35-39, contains the scorpion episode, Compare Tremearne FL 21:360.
The plot is in two parts. (1) Anansi goes on an egg-hunt at night with Fire-fly as guide, but is deserted because of his greed. (2) He stumbles upon Tiger's house at night, and tries to steal back the eggs which Tiger has set Scorpions to guard. The parallel of this story with number 39 is obvious. Jekyll's version takes on elements of the sheep-stealing story, number 5. A Mandeville version reads much like Milne-Home's:
Bra Anansi an' Bra Tiger went out to go an' steal some eggs. Bra Anansi took a rubber bag an' Bra Tiger took a canvas bag. When Bra Tiger bag full, Bra Anansi jus' half. Bra Tiger would not wait any longer. He leave him an' he go away.
Anansi was filling the bag, there he see a light coming, think it was Bra Tiger an' cry out, "Lor', Bra'r, Bra'r, yo' jus' coming to meet me?" But it wasn't Tiger; it was the man watchin' the eggs.
An' when he went up to hol' him he said, "Do, sah! do, sah I don' carry me to massah to-night. Tie me to yo' bed-side to-night till a mawnin'!" An' when the man was sleeping, he call to Bra Rat, "Bra'r Rat, run come here let me tell you somethin'!" When Bra Rat come he said, "Jes' loose me, I hev some egg here to give you!" An' he loose him, he simply went right away,--never give Bra Rat anything.
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