Reading Time: 2 minutes

Story: Why Tumble-Bug Rolls in the Dung
Book: Jamaica Anansi Stories
Author(s): Martha Warren Beckwith
Storyteller: William Forbes (Dry River, Jamaica)
Published: 1924
Internet Archive link.

Notes: I have removed the eye-dialect while leaving the story in Jamaican English, along with editing for punctuation and paragraphing. The phrase “today today” means “up until today; even now.”

Why Tumblebug Rolls in the Dung

There was Mr. Anansi and Tumblebug. There was a young lady, was the king daughter. Her father said who come with a jar of money will get that young lady to marry.

Tumblebug get a jar of money.

Anansi get a jar and couldn’t get no money to put in it; get some cow dung and some horse dung, fill up the jar.

And after them was going up to the young lady, them catch to a shop. And the two jar favor one another. And Anansi said, “Brer Tumblebug, let we go in the shop, go get a drink.” And Anansi said, “Must buy a bread, come.” And as he come out, him take up Tumblebug jar and left for him jar. And Tumblebug take up Anansi jar.

And when them go up to the young lady in the king yard, Anansi said, “Master, must bring a clean sheet, go throw out money out of jar!” And he throw out money — wa-a-a-a-a!

And as Tumblebug throw, him throw out horse-dung and cow-dung. Anansi said, “Take it up, take it up, take it up, you nasty fellow, carry out the miss’s yard!”

That is why you see Tumblebug roll in filth today today.

dungbeetle rolling a ball of dung

Dungbeetle from Wikimedia, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dung_Beetle_making_a_dung_ball_09.jpg