Anansi was taking Pig home, but Pig wouldn't cross the stream.
"I refuse!" said Pig.
"Dog, bite Pig!" Dog refused.
"Stick, beat Dog!" Stick refused.
"Fire, burn Stick!" Fire refused.
"Water, douse Fire!" Water refused.
"Cow, drink Water!" Cow refused.
"Butcher, kill Cow!" Butcher refused.
"Rope, hang Butcher!" Rope refused.
"Rat, gnaw Rope!" Rat refused.
"Cat, eat Rat!"
"Gladly!" said Cat, and Cat scared Rat who scared Rope who scared Butcher who scared Cow who scared Water who scared Fire who scared Stick who scared Dog who bit Pig, who jumped the stream.
Anansi didn't pay anybody for helping either!
Inspired by: Jamaica Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith
Notes: This is story 138 in the book. Beckwith heard this story from Moses Hendricks; additional information in Beckwith's notes. This is one of the most famous frametales in world folklore, tale 2030. The Old Woman and her Pig. I left out one item: grease, which comes between the rope and the rat. A distinctive Anansi trait in this version is that he needs help moving the Pig along and doesn't want to pay anyone to help him: " Anansi went home safe and without expense." Normally this story is told in cumulative style, but that doesn't fit the 100-word format. Here is how Hendricks does the accumulation:
He saw a Rat. Said, "Do, me good Rat, gnaw this grease, make this grease grease this rope, make this rope hang this butcher, make this butcher kill this cow, make this cow drink this water, make this water out this fire, make this fire burn this stick, make this stick lick this dog, make this dog bite this pig, make this pig jump over this river, make Anansi get home!"
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