~ 111. Anansi and Dung-Beetle ~


Anansi and Dung-Beetle both had some money.
Anansi said, "Let's buy some plantains."
Beetle said, "And butter!"
Then they argued: Anansi wouldn't share the plantains, and Beetle wouldn't share the butter.
Finally Anansi hit Beetle and killed him.
"Uh-oh!" said Anansi, and he ran off.
But Beetle wasn't really dead: he had fooled Anansi! Then Beetle ate everything. 
Next, Beetle found Anansi in the woods. He hid in the bushes, shouting, "Heard the news? Heard the news?"
"What news?" said Anansi.
"Anansi killed Beetle! They're coming to get him!"
Anansi ran away into Dead Man Country; there he stays.


Inspired byJamaica Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith
Notes: This is story 35 in the book. Beckwith heard this story from Moses Hendricks; additional information in Beckwith's notes. In the story, the dung-beetle is called "tumble-bug" from rolling the dung ball; it's also called "tumble-dung" in Jamaican English. You can read about plantain, also known as a cooking banana, at Wikipedia.


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