Blackbird knew where the butcher kept his meat, and he knew the magic words to open the door: "One-Two-Three Taking No Liver!"
"Let's get meat!" Blackbird said to Anansi. Blackbird used the words and went in. Anansi used the words and went in.
They put meat in their bags.
But Anansi was greedy and took liver too.
"One-Two-Three Taking No Liver!" Blackbird said. The door opened.
"One-Two-Three Taking No Liver!" Anansi said. The door didn't open.
Blackbird shouted, "I told you: no liver!"
"I didn't take any liver!" Anansi lied.
Blackbird left him, and the butcher came and killed Anansi.
Inspired by: Jamaican Song and Story by Walter Jekyll
Notes: This is story 6 in the book. In Jekyll's story, Blackbird brings a soldier named Woss-Woss (which Jekyll takes to be a wasp) and they rescue Anansi before the butcher can kill him. There's a fun detail in the story where Anansi won't put the liver back, but he tries counting more numbers to get out: one two three four five six seven eight nine ten me no touch liver. Berry tells the story where Cat knows the magic words, Dog is the greedy one and gets trapped, and then Anansi summons Tiger to rescue Dog: "Mrs. Puss, Dog and Thieves."
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