"Help!" yelled Snake.
"If I help you, you'll eat me!"
"No, I promise!" said Snake. "Help me!"
So Hunter helped Snake out of the hole.
"Now I'll eat you!" said Snake.
"That's not fair!" protested Hunter. "Let's get someone to judge."
"Anansi," they said, "be our judge!"
"Anansi," they said, "be our judge!"
"You need to show me what happened," said Anansi.
They went back to the hole, and Snake slithered back in.
"Are you stuck?" asked Anansi.
"I'm stuck!" said Snake.
"Good!" said Anansi. "And this time, Hunter, you should let Snake get out by himself without your help."
Inspired by: African American Folktales: Stories from Black Traditions in the New World by Roger D. Abrahams
Notes: This is story 57. The Trouble with Helping Out. Before going to Anansi as judge, they ask Horse, Ass, and Cow who all explain that the world is not fair. The story also has a sequel where the king imprisons Hunter, and Snake rescues Hunter from prison, finally showing gratitude.
No comments:
Post a Comment