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Anancy and So-real (Sorrel)

ONCE UPON a time, Christmas Eve morning, it was Grand-Market morning and Bredda

Anancy stood by his gateway watching a de !eo!e going down to market" #he basket on their

heads and the ham!ers on the donkeys were aden with $r%its and $owers and gro%nd !rovision"

Anancy caed o%t& '(a!!y Grand-Market, everybody") '#hank y%h, Bredda Nancy,) re!ied the

!eo!e" Anancy said to himse$& '*at a crosses !on me" +t ook ike seh everybody !ick o$$

everything o$$ every tree an carry gone a Grand-Market") Anancy groaned as a cart-oad o$

oranges and gra!e$r%its went by" 'Amassie me massa , dem don)t e$ a ting ina de $ie $i me

sc%$$e) Anancy waited %nti everybody had !assed on their way to the market, then he went

$rom $ied to $ied in search o$ sc%$$ings" '*at a hard set a !eo!e, sah) Anancy grieved" 'em

cean o%t everyting o%ta de $ie dem . not a chenks a sc%$$ings $e me") /%ddeny Anancy

e0caimed& '*at a sinting soh red) And he broke a ong stak o$ a ong red !ant and hed it to his

nose" '+t don)t got no sme,) said Anancy, 'b%t it !retty $i ook !on" + wonder wat it good $or1)

Anancy !icked a $ew more !ieces o$ the red !ant and st%ck them in his tro%sers waist, m%mbing

to himse$, '*e since y%h is de ony ting + can sc%$$e, + am sc%$$ing yo%, red sinting" + don)t

know what + am going to do with y%h yet" + don)t know i$ y%h can eat, b%t + might even ha$$i eat

y%h) Anancy a%ghed& '2ya, kya, kya, kya") (e danced and sang a the way to the Grand-

Market" *hen he got there Anancy ooked aro%nd at a the bea%ti$% stas $% o$ $r%it kind and

cooked $ood and $ood cooking" Anancy said to himse$& '+ wi have to work %! my brains an $ine

a way to raise something") (e sto!!ed in $ront o$ a sta with !enty o$ oti-eati a!!es, !ointed to

the red !ant in his tro%sers waist, and said to the sta kee!er& '(i missis . swa! me some a $i-

yo% red tings $i some a $i-mi red tings") #he woman asked him& '*ait $i yo% red tings name1

Anancy seh& '/wa! me $irs and + wi te yo%") #he woman re!ied& '#e me $irs and + wi swa!

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yo%") Anancy seh& '/wa! me $irs") #he woman seh& '#e me $irs") #he man in the !%m!kin sta

ne0t to the woman)s oti-eati sta sho%ted& 'Missis, i$ yo% want de red tings why yo% don)t 3%s

grab it away $rom the icke man1) Anancy a%ghed& '2ya, kya, kya,) and sho%ted back, 'Grab it

i$ yo% bad) #he man grabbed a$ter Anancy" Anancy said& '/i!) and ran" #he man chased

Anancy thro%gh the market" /evera !eo!e 3oined in the chase, sho%ting& '#ie$ #ie$ #ie$ Catch

the tie$) Anancy ke!t si!!ing them,4darting in and o%t o$ stas %nti he reached the hominy

sta" #he hominy ady had a big 3ester-!ot $% o$ boiing water on the $ire" /he was 3%st abo%t to

dro! the hominy corn in the !ot when Anancy $%ng the b%nde o$ red !ant into the water" #he

hominy ady screamed& '*at dat y%h trow into me !ot1) #he crowd r%shed %! to the !ot" One

man e0caimed& '+t red ike bood +t $ava wine) Anancy ooked into the !ot and a%ghed& '2ya,

kya, kya, kya" +t don)t ony ook ike wine,) he sho%ted, 'is wine) Anancy m%mbed to himse$&

'Poor me bwoy, ah ho!e is not !oison") #he man who had started the chase r%shed $orward,

grabbed a s!oon and tasted the i5%id" (e made %! his $ace and said& '+t don)t taste good")

Anancy said& '+t don)t $inish brew yet& +t want some s%gar, a itte !iece a ginger A itte

cinnamon And then yo% stir so And then yo% stir so") And Anancy took a itte o$ a the s!ices

$rom the hominy ady)s sta and threw into the !ot" Anancy tasted the brew" '2ya, kya, kya,)

Anancy a%ghed" '+t taste nice ike rea-rea wine") #he hominy-ady said& '+t sme nice") Anancy

ooked $ondy into the !ot and whis!ered in wonderment& '(ow yo% so rea, so-rea, so-rea)

/omebody in the crowd sho%ted& '+t name so-rea) #he crowd took %! in chor%s& '#r%!!ence w%t

a so-rea" #r%!!ence so-rea) Anancy brewed and sod so-rea a day6 it was the most !o!%ar

drink at the Grand-Market" By the end o$ the day, in tr%e 7amaica $ashion, so-rea had become

sorre" And $rom that day to today, sorre is a $amo%s Christmas drink" +s Anancy meck it"

7ack Mandora, me noh choose none"