~ 170. Anansi and the Shirt ~


Anansi went to Overseer's party. Goat went too.
People danced; then they slept.
Anansi didn't sleep. He stole Overseer's shirt.
Overseer woke up. His shirt was gone! "Where are you, Shirt?"
Shirt shouted, "Anansi took me!"
"Goat, let's trade shirts!" Anansi said. Goat agreed.
"Where are you, Shirt?" Overseer yelled.
"Now Goat's got me!" shouted Shirt.
Goat hid in a hole, but his horn stuck out. 
Overseer tripped. "I'll saw this root!" he said.
Overseer started sawing. "Hey!" he yelled. "This root is bleeding!"
Then Overseer saw Goat. He took his shirt back and beat Goat.
Anansi was long gone.


Inspired byJamaica Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith
Notes: This is story 15 in the book. Beckwith heard this story from Moses Hendricks; additional information in Beckwith's notes. The story also includes at the end how they threw slops on goat and that's why he smells bad now. The story says the head-man (overseer) had a wooden leg, and that's how he tripped over the goat's horn, but I couldn't fit all that in.


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