King Tiger had one golden stool and four silver stools.
Anyone who counted all the stools would fall down dead, but the animals didn't know that.
"Win the golden stool!" Tiger said. "Just count the other stools. That's all you need to do!"
Cat came and counted: "One, two, three, four, five."
Cat fell down dead. Tiger ate her.
Then Rabbit, Dog, Monkey, the same.
Anansi came.
"One, two three, four," Anansi said, "and one more!"
Tiger got angry.
"That's not how to count!" he shouted. "This is how you count: One, two, three, four, five!"
Tiger fell down dead.
Inspired by: Spiderman Anancy by James Berry
Notes: This story appears on p. 27 of the book: Monkey, Tiger and the Magic Trials. Berry's story is long and elaborate. It starts with King-Monkey ruling over the magic stools, and then Tiger deposes him, eager to eat the animals that are killed in the counting. Anansi then tricks Tiger, but Old-Witch is also part of the trick as Berry explains, and the story is presented as an aetiology for why "palaces have doors and gates and walls and soldiers."
How the hell did Tiger fall for that? Anansi couldn't believe his luck I bet!
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