Jamaica Anansi Stories/Why Ground-dove Complains

by Martha Warren Beckwith

50. Why Ground-dove Complains.
Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Tiger planting corn, and birds and everyt'ing destroying de corn, so him get Dove to help him fe watch who is destroying de corn. So after dey sit up de whole night fo' to watch de corn, next day Tiger him go sleep. Bredder Dove go back in de day now and destroy de corn. So de nex' day, Tiger went in de day and dodge in de ground. Bredder Dove have a gang, an' Tiger were slap him on de ears and he sing out, "Me ears! me ears! me ears!" An' from dat day to dis de dove singing, "Me ears!"