Anancy catches fish for dinner, but has a run in with Tiger on the way home.
Anancy took up his hand-basket and he went down to the sea-side to catch fish. When Anancy reached the sea-side, he put his basket near the water, and got started catching fish.
It took a while, but Anancy caught his first fish. It was a big fish. He put the fish in his basket, and put the basket near the water. Then he called out, “Come, big fish! Come!” So Anancy caught some more big fish and put them aside with the first fish.
Then Anancy said, “Big fish go, make little fish come!” And so Anancy caught more and more fish. He filled up his basket.
Anancy then set off for home with the basket full-a-fish in his hand. He was feeling pretty good about things.
While going along home, Anancy met up with Tiger, who was going in the opposite direction. Now, Tiger had a reputation; and Anancy, like almost everybody else, was afraid of Tiger.
“What do you have in that basket!?” Tiger said. He spoke to Anancy in a very rough voice, all the while jabbing his finger in the direction of the basket.
“Nothing, Tiger. Nothing.” Anancy spoke very carefully and politely. He kept on walking before Tiger could say anything else.
Tiger stood for a while watching Anancy as he walked off. Then he continued on slowly in the direction he was going. But he kept an eye on Anancy all the while because he didn’t really believe that the basket was empty. Eventually, Tiger cut back around behind Anancy, following him and continuing to watch him. But he kept out of sight.
After a while, Anancy sat down underneath a tree. He opened his basket, and started to count his fish, one by one. “Nice looking snapper! Pretty little yellow tail! Good size Jack Fish.” And Anancy kept on admiring and counting his fish.
Tiger then ran up to Anancy: “Thought you didn’t have anything in that basket, Anancy!”
“I just went down to the sea to have a bathe, Tiger, Sah, and I catch these few lil’ fish.”
“Give me that basket, Anancy!” Tiger snatched the basket from Anancy.
Anancy was outraged. “But look how all me work end up!” he grumbled.
“What you say, Anancy?” said Tiger. “What you say?!”
“Nothing, Tiger Sah, nothing! Said Anancy, brushing his face with his hand. “Is just fly in meh face. Fly hambuging meh, Sah!”
The way Anancy himself told the story later, he had just wanted to rest. The way others tell it, he wanted to count his fish . . . and admire his fish. But everyone later on was in agreement that it might not have been the best time for Anancy to rest, or to count his fish . . . . Or to admire his fish, for that matter.
Anancy knew better than to get into a tangle with Tiger, and especially when he was dealing with a hungry Tiger. He would just have to wait for his chance.
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