The juju of Basya Ajuku

My chief, I have heard that you possess a trumpet, but in that land of yours there is no one who can blow it. My chief, now I come to ask you: - My chief, may I try the trumpet? Then said my chief to me: - Yes you, small boy Anansi, you can take the trumpet and try your luck with it. Then took I the trumpet, raised the trumpet high, and blew the trumpet friends: - pam, pam, pam, pam! But before I came to the place on the upper Cottica which is known as Morgudan, then swallowed I the trumpet, friends: - fan, fan, fan, fan! - Count on the way to, mother. - Count on the way from, mother.

Well you see, the song I sang there was a slave-time story. For see, there was a plantation on the upper Cottica, which they called Success. But see, there was another plantation in Mot Creek, which they called Dageraad. But at Success, there was a man whom they called Basja Ajuku. But now, when you grow old on the plantation, then the master does not want you around any longer, because he says, you only keep on eating for nothing, for you can't work any more, and then you must not stay on the plantation any longer. Your children must open up a piece of forest for you and build you a house of reeds and let you live in it. But of the plantation food you cannot taste any more. For see how it fits in? The slaves used to get their food every week. When a child is one year old it already gets its portion. The pontoon goes to town and returns with salt fish.

Now see what sort of food they gave them. Plantains and salt fish. And also with it came white cotton cloth which they wore when they went to church, and also black cotton cloth. Women received two wraparounds of black cotton. That was supposed to last the whole year. But see, there was a woman whom they called Mama Amba. Her husband was called Kwami. They had a son. They called him Akampe. That is the first son. Two sons they had. The other, that is the second one, they named Ajuku. Now when Akampe returned from the bakagron behind the plantation - here it was that he worked - now when he came home his mother could not work any more, his father could not work any more. Then Mama Amba called him. And he answered (this oldest child): ‘Why do you call me? You're old already. Can't you kick the damn bucket? You and your infernal botheration!’ Now when Ajuku came, she called him and said: ‘Ajuku?’ He said: ‘Yes mother?’ ‘Come here, my boy.’ Ajuku went to her and said: ‘Mother, have you eaten already?’ She said: ‘No.’ ‘Mother, what do you want to eat?’ She replied: ‘Well, isn't there a little bit of pounded plantain that you could perhaps cook for me?’ Ajuku went to the ditches. He caught land crabs. He caught fishes in a net. He returned. He pounded the plaintains for his mother and father. Sometimes he took out the chiggers from under their nails. On Saturdays, when he returned from work, he took out the chiggers and cleaned their feet. On Sundays, he took his mother's cotton wrap-around and went to wash it. He took his father's small loincloth, went to the river, washed it and dried it. But see now, the father owned a juju. He looked and stared attentively, the father. Well, do you see, this tale that I here tell you - now the father he looked at Ajuku and then he called Mama Amba and said: ‘Amba, come!’ Amba lelele, call Mama Amba here. Amba lelele, slave girls, call Mama Amba here. Amba lelele, slave girls, call Mama Amba here.

Well see, in this way he called Mama Amba and said! ‘Amba lelele, call the woman for me. Amba lelele, slave girls, call the woman for me.’ Well, Hmm! For see, because for Mama Amba, Ajuku is her child. Now when the father saw how Ajuku behaved toward him, then he called to him Mama Amba, to arrange with her that they should give the juju to Ajuku. Then Mama Amba walked away, and took to the path with her stick. Then the father called after her: ‘Mama Amba lelele, call the woman for me. Mama Amba lelele, slave girls, call the woman here.’ Then Mama Amba turned back. Then he said: ‘Wife, look here, we have two boys. The Lord God has given us two sons in custody. But the eldest, you see, we do not count with him. But as for Ajuku, when he comes, then he takes chiggers out of our feet. He fetches water for us to wash with. He goes off to the ditches to catch fish in his net. He catches land crabs, cooks soup for us. Well, you see, I have here a juju which my father has taught me. But I myself have never put it to a test. But now let us try it out on Ajuku's behalf. But the mother answered not. Twelve days long the father begged her. Mothers, their hearts are so soft. But this mother had a strong heart. The father however had a soft heart. On the thirteenth day the father called Ajuku aside and said: ‘Ajuku.’ Ajuku answered: ‘Father.’ He said: ‘Come here, my boy. If we ask you to do something, will you do it?’ Ajuku answered: ‘Whatever my father wishes. For see, my father slaved until he was old. And now the owner has said no one like that can stay on the plantation. All the others treat their parents badly until they die. But still, I have brought you here to the bush. I have made a house for you and mother. I bring food to you. For see, when you two give up the ghost, and I have put you in the earth, then only will I be finished with you.’ The father said: ‘So my boy.’ He said: ‘Do you know where I am going to send you? You must go into the bush and then you must look for the ant which they call the Worker. Then you must take out the heart of the Worker and bring it to me.’ Ajuku pondered a while. The mother, as for her, she sat a little aside. When the boy pondered, the mother started to intone: Do you know the proverb which I here intone? Yes, my child wants to know the proverb which I throw out here. Go into the bush, go fetch the heart of the ant they call the Worker. Then you'll know the proverb which I here intone.

Ajuku pondered on this for a long time. Then he went home, he slept. The next morning he went to the bush. He walked and walked and walked and walked and walked and walked and walked until it was twelve o'clock. He did not come upon a thing. He went to sit under a tree. He took the sweetmeat he had with him, cut off a piece and started to eat it. But see, now, when he was busy eating the sweetmeat he saw Krabdagu coming toward him. At that time the animals could still speak. Krabdagu said to him: ‘Well, young man, how are you faring?’ Ajuku asked: ‘Krabdagu, how are you faring?’ Krabdagu replied: ‘I am hungry, my friend. Because I saw you eating, I decided to come.’ Ajuku said: ‘I don't know whether you will like what I am eating. I have sweetmeat made of cassave with me. If you will eat that, I will give it to you.’ Krabdagu replied: ‘Well, since you eat it and it does not kill you, then it cannot kill me either.’ He opened his hunting bag, took half of the sweetmeat and gave it to Krabdagu. Krabdagu ate it and went to sit next to him. He started playing with Krabdagu. After he had played with Krabdagu for a little while - it was the dry season, the heat beat down on them - he found a shady place, and since the wind was starting to blow a little, he got sleepy and he began to doze off. And from dozing he fell into a small sleep. The Krabdagu sat beside him. When he had slept for some time, and the Krabdagu saw that he did not wake up, the Krabdagu scratched him with his finger, and he woke up. Then the Krabdagu said to him: ‘Well, look here, young man, you've have fallen asleep a little bit, but I have remained with you. I have kept watch here while you slept, so that nothing should happen to you.’ He said: ‘Yes Krabdagu, thank you very much.’ The Krabdagu asked: ‘But where are you off to?’ He said: ‘Well see, it is like this. On my plantation where I live, when you have slaved for the owner until you are old, see, then you don't receive your ration anymore. Well now, as for all the others, when their parents do not receive their rations anymore, they detest them and treat them badly until they die. But as for me, I have built them a hut in the bush. I have planted what I could.

Then I brought my mother - she can't work any more, she is known as Mama Amba - and put her in the forest with my father. The ration that I receive, I share with them, also that which I cultivate on the piece of land set aside for the niggers. Krabdagu said: ‘Oh.’ He said: ‘But where are you off to?’ Ajuku replied: ‘Well, did not my father send me into the bush to find for him the heart of the ant they call the Worker? That is what I am after.’ The Krabdagu said: ‘Oh. Well, young man, if I knew it, I would have pointed it out to you. But see, now that you're going there, the Lord God will be with you.’ Ajuku went on his way. He walked and walked and walked and walked, until he came to a small creek. Now when he came to the creek, he cut off a stick. He wanted to cross the creek. He felt about in the creek with his stick, but just then he saw a big log of wood... * Ajuku cut off a branch and felt. But there where he is feeling he sees a log of wood lying. The log of wood does not lie in the direction of the creek. No, it has turned itself. What type of log is it? It is a big alligator. If you want to cross that creek you must step on the back of the alligator. Ajuku wanted to do just this, when the Krabdagu appeared. The Krabdagu came and said: ‘Young man, we see each other again. For your sake I have come here.’ Ajuku said: ‘So?’ Krabdagu said: ‘Well, have you not yet found the heart of the ant which they call Worker?’ He replied: ‘No. I have come to the creek and want to get across.’ Krabdagu said: ‘Well you mustn't cross it for you see, that big piece of wood on which you want to cross, no human being can cross here. It is a big alligator. And all the other pieces of wood that you see adrift here, as soon as you set your foot on them, they turn into nothing but alligators. As soon as you get into the water, they will eat you up. Turn back, let me guide you.’ Ajuku walked. The Krabdagu was in the lead. When he had walked for some distance, he stumbled on a big tree. It looked as if a broom had swept underneath the tree. But before he came there, Krabdagu said to him: ‘Well see, you will come across a big tree over there. But now, when you go under the tree, it is swept clean as if there a person had swept it - do not spend a minute under it. For see, when you go under the tree, then it would invite you to sit down, it will even lure you into lying down. But do not dare to do it. Run away as fast as you can.’ When Ajuku went on until he came to the tree, a nice wind fanned him under the tree: ‘Ha!’ Ajuku wants to stop. He thought of what Krabdagu had told him. He took two paces, he stopped. He thought of what Krabdagu had told him. A wind fanned all around him. When he passed the shadow, he heard a voice behind him: ‘Ha! This is the first!’ So spoke the voice. Well see, there where the voice spoke, there is the place where all mothers of the bush live. But as for living beings, they never pass this place whole. Now when Ajuku has passed this place, he stumbled on a block of wood. He was forced to go over that piece of wood. All at once the Krabdagu was there. The Krabdagu said to him: ‘Do not go across this piece of wood, young man, for the wood that you see there... * Well, when the Krabdagu came to him, he said: ‘Well see, the piece of wood over which you want to cross is Grandagwe. It is the biggest Aboma of the land, which people have succeeded in cornering here, and with whom the plantation owner has sworn an oath on behalf of the plantation, that he would give him three negroes to eat every year if he could harvest each year more sugar than the other plantations. So his heart caused the negroes to diminish in numbers. But then, see, on the plantations there were men of cunning. Then they came and cornered him here. And yet, when these men of cunning had become old, then the owner still chased them away from the plantation, saying that the children should take them away. Therefore, young man, please, don't step over it. For, as you see, he has been without food for seven years long, and for sure he'll gobble you up. But return home. And when you get there, then see, tell your parents that you have found the ant that they call Worker, and that you found its heart also. Ajuku turned back. The time he took over his journey back was shorter than the time to this point. On his outward journey he walked very slowly, but on his homeward journey he walked fast. For see, he had found the ant that they call Worker, and he had taken out its heart. When he was back, his father called him and said: ‘Ajuku, my boy, are you back?’ He said: ‘Yes, father, I am back.’

He said: ‘Where is the ant you bring with you, where is its heart?’ He replied: ‘Father, I have brought it with me.’ He said: ‘Where is it? Bring it to me.’ He replied: ‘Father wait. I shall bring it to you. For see, when I left, I saw this, I saw that. I walked, I saw this, I saw that. I walked, I saw this, I saw that. At last I stumbled on a big piece of rotten wood. It was so big, one could not even step over it. One had to climb over it. Then a Krabdagu said to me: It is the Grandagwe with which the owner has sworn an oath on behalf of the plantation that he would give him three negroes each year to eat, so that he, the owner, could grind more sugar than the other plantations in the area. The owner had sworn an oath for three negroes, but see, sometimes he gobbled up twenty to twenty-five until he had devoured all the negroes on Success. But see, then the elders - it was seven years ago - came here and cornered him. Now if I had climbed onto him, he would have eaten me up, because he is hungry.’ The father said: ‘Yes, my child, then you've certainly walked far! Well, do you know who the Krabdagu is that you saw?’ He answered: ‘No.’ He replied: ‘Well, see, that Krabdagu is the mother of the plantation, its earth goddess. And that is a Luangu. She has guided you.’ He said: ‘Well, my child, you see, as I've heard it from you, you've certainly walked far. But see now, I shall give you a juju. But be sparing with it. Do not tell your brother about it.’ He said: ‘Certainly not, father.’ He said: ‘Well see, I have a big tripod pan. Tomorrow morning very early, I will take you there to wash. But see now, when I have washed you for ten days on end, then you will find out how good I have been to you. But then, on the eleventh day, when you go to the field and the overseer asks you to do something, see now, then you must refuse to do it. You must go and walk a little.’ Then the father took Ajuku and brought him to the sacred tripod pan. He washed Ajuku. But the other brother, as for him he did not wash him. He washed Ajuku for ten days long. The eleventh day they went to the field. The overseer entrusted Ajuku with his task. Ajuku took his pipe and started to smoke. The overseer controls the work of everyone. He saw Ajuku's work and said: ‘Ajuku!’ He replied: ‘Yes, overseer?’ He said: ‘Aren't you working?’ He replied: ‘No, overseer, I am not working.’ In this way Ajuku played the game the whole week long from Monday till Saturday. On Saturday evening the overseer came to Ajuku and said: ‘Ajuku!’ He replied: ‘Yes, overseer?’ He said: ‘Well, tomorrow morning ... you have not done a stitch of work the whole week. You can't get any ration.’ Ajuku replied: ‘I can't be bothered.’ He said: ‘Well now, we shall trounce you. The owner has ordered me to flog you.’ Ajuku asked: ‘Overseer, how many strokes will you give me?’ Overseer replied: ‘Well, let's see now, we'll give you a hundred strokes.’ Well see, the hundred strokes which you hear now, they are actually two hundred strokes. Therefore, the tamarind which negroes, black people of African origin, use to make syrup which they drink, if they had any brains, they would not drink it. For see, the people who started the plantations, they brought the tamarind from other parts of the world to plant here. With this they beat their chattels, their slaves, they warmed the tamarind. Well now, when you know this, the tamarind must be taboo to you. Well see, at that time, when they said that they would give you one stroke, it meant two. Because there were always two overseers who did it. Then they warmed the tamarind whip, they braided it, then they broke bottles and had glass woven in between. Now when the overseer gives you a blow with it and the blood streams out, then the owner laughs: ‘Overseer, you have golden hands.’ Thus, you see, two overseers, when they give you two strokes, then it counts for one. Then the overseer said to Ajuku: ‘Well Ajuku, we are going to give you a hundred strokes (which means two hundred), because formerly you used to work, but now you've become lazy, you've become cheeky. I shall tell it to the owner. Thus you shall receive a flogging on the seven-cornered Spanish buck.’ Ajuku said: ‘It's all the same to me. Two hundred strokes ... well, overseer, that is child's play. Now if you were to give me seven hundred strokes, then it might dent my body. But two hundred ... you disturb me for nothing.’ The overseer looked fixedly at Ajuku. He reported to the owner.

The owner said: ‘Beat the hell out of him, cheeky nigger. He will only die, for who can stand seven hundred strokes?’ Sunday came. Before they even came to call Ajuku, he was there. Ajuku said (still with his pipe in his mouth): ‘Howdy, owner.’ The owner answered him not. ‘Howdy, owner!’ ‘Howdy, Sisi!’ ‘Howdy, Madame!’ They looked at Ajuku fixedly. Then the overseer arrived. Ajuku stood. Ajuku climbed up. Now see, when Ajuku climbed up, he said: ‘Overseer, I ask you once again, how many strokes will you give me?’ Overseer replied: ‘Two hundred.’ He said: ‘Overseer, child's play. I thought you would give me seven hundred. Then at least you'd scratch my body.’ The owner stood with his big pipe on the balcony. Now see, when the overseer gave one stroke ‘whack!’ and the other also came down ‘whack!’ then Sisi yelled out: ‘My God, my back!’ For see, the stroke which fell on the back of Ajuku was felt by Sisi. Now see, when Sisi turned round then she saw, sitting on the jealousy chair, that the yaki she had on was torn open. Her whole back was torn open. Ajuku called to the overseer: ‘Overseer, pour out your strokes on me! That I have need of. Let the strokes rain on me.’ Basja let it stream forth again. Sisi fainted. The owner came running and said: ‘Don't hit any more, don't hit any more. Sisi is dying. Ajuku turned his head and said: ‘Overseer, let the strokes fall on me. Strokes I must have.’ As for the overseer, now, he did not understand anything of this. They started to beat Ajuku in a rather confused manner. But see, for all the strokes which came down, the owner shouted until he was rolling across the balcony. His pipe fell out of his mouth. His entire back was torn. The owner fainted, Sisi fainted, the plantation was in confusion. Then the overseer did not know what to do. They left Ajuku there. Ajuku called: ‘Aren't you coming to beat me?’ The overseer threw down his whip. Ajuku returned home. When he came back, his father asked him: ‘My boy, how did you fare?’ He replied: ‘Well see, father, I've never seen such a thing.’ He crouched down, embraced his father, he went to the ditch, he caught some fish, he came back to cook the plaintains for his father. For see, in this way Ajuku went about his business on the plantation. Now there was a man in Mot Creek who had a plantation called Dageraad. They called him Mr. Mühringen. When the owner was a bit better, then he went out in his boat. Formerly they called these boats tenboto. Then they ordered the slaves to row. In this tenboto we are now sailing: It is Sinamari which makes its curtsy here, It is Sinamari which gives a show. Sinamari-o Hey-ho. It is Sinamari which makes its curtsy here, It is Sinamari which gives a show. Sinamari-o Hey-ho. I am weary, I am weary, Timan, timan, pa ... ruu.

The boat is off to Mot Creek. The boat goes with speed against the tide. When the owner of Success came to Mot Creek, to Mr. Mühringen, they sat down and chatted. He said to him: ‘See, I have a Johnny on my plantation, but as for him, he is absolutely beyond control. The guy does not want to work. When you proceed to beat him up, then all the blows descend on my body, on Sisi's body. Three months ago they thrashed the fellow. My whole back was torn so that I nearly died. I am at my wit's end with the chap. Can't you suggest a plan to get rid of the fellow?’ Mühringen said: ‘Oh well, this is nothing. Well see, I shall show you something. On Sunday I will visit you. I'll take all my friends along. Then we will instruct the chap to go and pluck coconuts. And then we take potshots at them, blast them out of the tree.’ The man was consoled. He turned his boat and returned. He sailed home swiftly. It is Sinamari which makes its curtsy here, It is Sinamari which gives a show. Sinamari-o Hey-ho. It is Sinamari which makes its curtsy here, It is Sinamari which gives a show. Sinamari-o Hey-ho. I am weary, I am weary, Timan, timan, pa ... ruu.

When they came home and the rowers had moored the boat, the owner alighted and went inside. Sisi asked the owner how he had fared. He replied: ‘Well, I went to my friend Mühringen at Dageraad, which is in Mot Creek. He gave me some consolation. Soon we are going to mop up the man.’ But see now, no sooner had the boat left than Ajuku knew it. Ajuku went to his father. His father said: ‘My boy, do you know what's in store for you? The owner is on his way to Mot Creek to Mr. Mühringen. But listen carefully. He will call you on Sunday morning to go and pluck coconuts. Then they will take potshots at you. But not only at you. They are going to summon nine of you. Then they will sit down in the house of the white man with their guns.’ He said: ‘Go and call such a boy. Go and call so and so. Summon them, because they will call nine of you. Then they will send you to pluck coconuts. But see, you are the first one they will take a shot at.’ Thus Ajuku went to summon the others. The father took them with him, washed them until he was finished. When he had finished washing them - on Saturday night he washed them for the last time - then in the early hours of Sunday, round about five o'clock, that is, between half-past five and six o'clock, the chief overseer came to the house of Ajuku. ‘Ajuku.’ ‘Yes, overseer?’ ‘The owner calls you.’ The overseer went to the house of the others. Ajuku walked to the mansion. In this way the overseer called the others until there were nine. When they came to the mansion, they said to Ajuku: ‘Ajuku, you get into this tree. You must go and pluck coconuts. As for you, you go to this tree, for you too must pluck coconuts. For the palms were planted in a long row.’ Then when they started to climb the palms - bear in mind that the owner was out to have his revenge on Ajuku - then he loaded both his double-barreled guns. He let fly. Wham! Oh! Now when the shot went off, Ajuku, instead of falling out of the tree, turned, looked at the owner and said: ‘Owner, take these bullets of yours back.’ The owner had such a fright that the gun fell out of his hands. Mühringen, who was present, loaded his gun and let fly at one of the others. Water gushed forth. Thus they shot. One person's gun broke. The other's shells did not go off. Mr. Mühringen started shivering. All the drinks which they had standing ready for drinking, they found impossible to drink. Mr. Mühringen went to his tenboto and rushed off to Mot Creek. The young men and Ajuku returned home. Now when Mr Mühringen was on his way to the plantation, that is, Dageraad, then Ajuku made a small fire on a heap. He placed a few pieces of wood on it. Well see, because of the pieces of wood he placed on it, Mr. Mühringen couldn't bat an eyelid. As the fire glows, so his whole body glows. Then he came to say to the owner of Success: ‘Do not you realize that you are responsible for my plight? You have brought me here with the niggers of Success, so that I could not sleep a wink all night. I am forced to run around. My skin is afire, my whole body. I am not yet dead, and my whole body is already afire. But I shall leave this plantation. You, Woiski, you've brought me to this sorry plight, with the result that the niggers whom you have here - I am not even dead and they are burning my body.’ Then Mr. Mühringen departed from Mot Creek. He left Dageraad plantation and went to the Para River. And the negroes of Success, when the new year arrived, the time when they play the Susa game, then they sang: One hears a yell on the Para, - Tingaling. - One hears a yell on the Para, - Tingaling. Mr. Mühringen left for the Para, - Tingaling. - One hears a yell on the Para, - Tingaling.

Well then, as for Mr. Mühringen, he could not stay in Mot Creek. Well, you see, he moved his house and bought a plantation on the Para. The niggers of Success forced Mr. Mühringen to leave the upper Cottica at a trot. For he had come to help his friend, Mr. Woiski, who owned Success. Well, countrymen, keep these stories in your head. I myself was not there during the time of slavery. But according to what the old people told me, that is the way they used to treat negroes in the old days. Thus the story is at an end.