Someone was stealing Tiger's peanuts, so Tiger made a trap.
He tarred a stump and put a hat on it.
When Anansi came to steal peanuts, he saw the stump.
"Who are you?" Anansi shouted.
Stump didn't answer.
Anansi grabbed with one hand. Stuck. Other hand. Stuck.
Anansi butted with his head. Stuck. He kicked the stump. Stuck.
Tiger came and laughed at Anansi.
"Now I'll burn you!" he said, pulling Anansi loose.
"Before burning me," Anansi shouted, "jump the fire yourself. It's good luck."
Tiger jumped, and Anansi pushed Tiger into the fire.
Tiger died.
Anansi got the peanuts.
Inspired by: Jamaica Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith
Notes: This is story 21a in the book. Beckwith heard this story from Richard Morgan; additional information in Beckwith's notes. In Morgan's version, Tiger has hired Anansi to be the watchman guarding the peanuts, so not only does he learn that Anansi is the thief, he also learns that his own watchman was robbing him. I couldn't figure out how to get all that into the tiny version, but see the story in Beckwith and her notes for details.
Haha it's the perfect trick and Anansi knew that the gullible Tiger would fall for it and allow him to escape!
ReplyDeleteYes I love how the story went from Anansi being about to die to him turning the tables on his gullible captor!
DeleteTypical of Tiger's bad luck that, he dies while Anansi gets away with being a theif
ReplyDelete