~ 103. Anansi and Horse Share Plantains ~

Laura Gibbs · 103. Anansi and Horse Share Plantains

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Anansi and Horse harvested some plantains.

"I'm hungry!" said Horse.

"Me too!" said Anansi. "But we need a cooking-fire. See that fire?" Anansi pointed at a distant house. "Go get fire there!"

Horse galloped off.

Then Anansi got his tinder-box, made a fire, and roasted the plantains. He ate and ate; just four were left when Horse came back.

"A man came, gave me fire, but then he stole the roasted plantains!" said Anansi. "I fought him and saved these four. You take two and I'll take two."

"You're a good friend, Anansi!" said Horse, and they shared the plantains.

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Inspired by: Jamaica Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith
Notes: This is story 36 in the book. Beckwith heard this story from Alexander Archibald; additional information in Beckwith's notes. There's a follow-up in Archibald's story: Goat watches how Anansi tricks Horse; then, when Anansi tries to trick Goat the same way, Goat outsmarts him. In some folktales of this type, the trickster sends the dupe towards the setting sun to get fire from the sun, but there's no mention of that motif here in the story Beckwith collected.