Rabbit, Anansi, and Bouki were sailing home. They had some bananas and were arguing about how to divide them.
Anansi threw the bananas into the water. "Whoever brings up the most gets the most!"
Rabbit dived first and brought up four bananas.
Bouki dived next; he brought up two.
Anansi dived... and Anansi just floated.
"Let's try again!" said Anansi, and he threw all the bananas into the water. "Tie the anchor to me this time! And I'll go first!"
They tied the anchor to Anansi and threw him in the water.
Anansi sank and never came back up again.
Inspired by: Bahama Songs and Stories by Charles L. Edwards.
Notes: This is story 3: B'Rabby, B' Spider, an' B' Bouki. The story uses "Spider" as the name instead of Anansi, and it goes on to say that Spider's mother accuses Rabbit and Bouki of murdering her son, but the judge declares it was Spider's own fault. For more about Bouki, who appears in Creole and Haitian folklore, see Folktales of Bouki and Malice.
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