Tiny Tales of Anansi

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Welcome to Tiny Tales of Anansi . This is a collection of two hundred stories from Caribbean sources, and each story is just 100 words long.

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PDF - EPUB - MOBI - HTML - TXT - Audio - Kindle - Print - Random

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Creative Commons. This work is released with a Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. That means you can remix and reuse individual stories or the contents of the whole book with attribution for non-commercial purposes, provided that you release your work with the same license. Find out more.
Attribution: Tiny Tales of Anansi by Laura Gibbs.
Version: November 21 2020.

You can access the book in a variety of formats, along with individual stories here at the blog (see story title list and links below).

Pressbooks. This is a web-based presentation of the book with all the stories on one page. Even better: you can highlight the stories using Hypothesis; just click on the upper right-hand corner for the Hypothesis toolbar.

Audiobook. There is a free audiobook you can listen to via SoundCloud. I've also made the mp3 files available for download if you prefer not to use SoundCloud and/or if you want to repurpose the audio (which is also released with the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license).

EPUB. You can use this EPUB file for ebook readers like Nook, etc.

MOBI. You can download this MOBI file to load onto your Kindle, and this Kindle MOBI file is free! Here's how to add a free MOBI file to your Kindle.

Kindle Store. You can get a Kindle version of the book for 99 cents.

Print. There is a paperback version for $5.99 from Amazon (free Prime shipping).

Randomizer. You can see a story from the book at random, and you can also get the javascript code to add the randomizer to your own blog or website if you want.

Text file. This is a plain text file, no special characters. This option might be useful if you want to repurpose the entire book with your own formatting; see Creative Commons licensing CC BY-NC-SA above.

HTML. If you want to read a web-based presentation without the Hypothesis toolbar, this is a very simple HTML version.

PDF. You can download a PDF copy of the book.

Diigo. If you are interested in searching the contents of the book, searching the Diigo bookmark collection might be useful! You can use Boolean searches of the #anansi:book items.

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TINY TALES OF ANANSI 
A Book of Two Hundred 100-Word Stories

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Anansi the Spider is an African trickster. Enslaved African storytellers brought Anansi's stories to the Americas, and the Anansi stories in this book come from the Caribbean: from Jamaica, Antigua, Grenada, and more. Anansi's main enemies are Tiger and Lion (think Caribbean big cats, like ocelots and mountain lions). Anansi has friends too, like Dog and a character named Tacoomah. But beware: it's dangerous to be Anansi's friend. Anansi will trick his friends or even his family to get what he wants. He is cunning and also cruel; ingenious, but greedy. Musician, magician, fearless, reckless: Anansi is full of surprises. 

The paragraph you just read about the trickster Anansi is 100 words long, as is this paragraph, and that's also the length of each story in this book. The stories go fast, but you can slow down when you find one you like. Read it again. Let it sink in. Maybe even write your own version of the story, using your imagination to add more details. Meanwhile, if you don't like a story, don't get bogged down; just move on to the next one. There are more 100-word stories about Anansi, along with stories from other cultural traditions, at: 

100Words.LauraGibbs.net


THE STORIES

1. Anansi and Tiger in the Pit
2. Anansi's Riding-Horse
3. Anansi and his Grandmother
4. Anansi and the Coconut
5. Anansi and Tiger in the Pot
6. Anansi and Tiger's Goat
7. Tiger and Anansi's Knives
8. Anansi and Mr. Man's Sheep
9. Anansi, Tiger, and the Lady's Sheep
10. Tiger and Anansi Eating Breakfast
11. Tiger Helps Anansi to Get Meat
12. Anansi and Tiger Go Hunting
13. Anansi and the Tar-Stump
14. Anansi in the Gourd
15. Anansi and Tiger Go Fishing
16. Anansi and Tiger's Mango-Tree
17. Anansi Ties Tiger
18. Anansi, Tiger, and the Fish
19. Anansi Goes to Tiger's Wedding
20. Anansi and the Eggs
21. Anansi and Tiger's Bone-Hole
22. Anansi Helps Tiger Take a Bath
23. Anansi's Family on the Rooftop
24. Tiger Tries to Trick Anansi
25. Anansi's Strong Hand
26. Tiger, Anansi and Goat
27. Anansi's Magic Yams
28. King Tiger and Anansi
29. Anansi, Tiger, and Snake
30. Anansi and the Hornets
31. Anansi and the Queen-Bee
32. Anansi and the Honey
33. Anansi and Tiger Take a Bath
34. Anansi, Monkey and Tiger
35. Anansi Owes Monkey Money
36. Anansi's Pot of Water
37. Anansi's Christening Oven
38. Monkey Wears Anansi's New Suit
39. Anansi Arranges a Funeral
40. Anansi and the Yam-Hills
41. Anansi and Fling-a-Mile
42. Anansi and the Tree Branches
43. The Tiger Family, Lion, and Anansi
44. Anansi's Knife and Fork
45. Anansi and Lion Play a Game
46. Baby Anansi at the Lion's Feast
47. Anansi, Lion and the Rain-Charm
48. Anansi, Lion, and the Donkey-Cart
49. Anansi Finds Lion in the Road
50. Anansi and Goat's Plantains
51. Poor Anansi's Dead
52. Anansi at the Funeral
53. Anansi and the Plantains
54. Anansi and the Pork Stew
55. Anansi and the Chicken Soup
56. Anansi and the Yam-Foofoo
57. Anansi and the Mangoes
58. Anansi's Grave
59. Tiger in the Pepper-Plant
60. Tiger in the Yam-Patch
61. Cunning-More-Than-Father and the Coconuts
62. Cunning-More-Than-Father in the Coffin
63. Anansi and the Sea-Sheep
64. Lion, Tacoomah, and Anansi
65. Tacoomah Rides Anansi
66. Anansi and the Dog-Head
67. Anansi Says Tacoomah's Sick
68. Tacoomah Makes a Tar-Stump
69. Anansi and Tacoomah's Fire
70. Anansi and the Jumbee House
71. Anansi Gives Tacoomah Advice about Yams
72. Tacoomah and Anansi's Eggs
73. Anansi's Corn Song
74. Anansi and the Cats' Wedding
75. Anansi, Dog, and Agouti
76. Dog and Anansi Compare Senses
77. Tiger Comes to Kill Anansi
78. Anansi and Dog at the Dance
79. Elephant and Anansi's Dance Party
80. Anansi and Goat at the River
81. Anansi and Dog at the River
82. Anansi and Snake
83. Anansi, Rabbit, and Horse-Fly
84. Anansi and the Fish-Pot
85. Anansi Combs Lion's Hair
86. Anansi Dives for Bananas
87. Anansi and the Rabbit in the Road
88. The Law against Insults
89. Anansi and the Well
90. Anansi and Ram Go Thieving
91. Anansi and the Stolen Pig
92. Anansi, Snake, and the Rock
93. Anansi, Agouti and the Fish-Traps
94. Anansi Chasing the Goat
95. Anansi and Baboon
96. Anansi and Rat
97. Anansi and Elephant
98. Anansi and the Gun
99. Anansi and Blacksnake
100. Anansi and the Skinny Sheep
101. Anansi and Cow
102. Anansi and Sheep and their Spoons
103. Anansi and Horse Share Plantains
104. Anansi and the Brothers
105. Anansi and the Chicken
106. Anansi and Screech-Owl
107. Anansi and John Crow
108. Anansi and Dove
109. Anansi and the Pelicans
110. Anansi and Dove's Wings
111. Anansi and Dung-Beetle
112. Butterfly's Revenge
113. Anansi and Cockroach
114. Anansi and Beetle
115. Anansi and the Bullfrogs
116. Anansi, Whale, and Elephant
117. Anansi and Whale
118. Anansi, Shark, and the Fish
119. Anansi, Alligator, and the Pepper-Pot Soup
120. Anansi and the Crabs
121. Anansi and the Fish-Children
122. Anansi in Fish-Country
123. Anansi and the Barrel of Eggs
124. Anansi and the Fish-Children's Canoe
125. Turtle and Anansi's Yams
126. Turtle Invites Anansi to Dinner
127. Turtle and Anansi Make a Bet
128. Anansi and Turtle Make Another Bet
129. Anansi Takes Advice from Turtle
130. Anansi and the King's Cow
131. Anansi the Preacher and Cockroach's Coconut
132. The King Banishes Anansi
133. Anansi and the Fire in the King's Palace
134. Anansi and the Watermelon
135. Anansi and Anteater
136. Anansi, Tiger, and the King's Daughter
137. The Contest for the King's Daughter
138. The King's Daughter and Anansi
139. Anansi and Ballinder Bull
140. Anansi and the Timber
141. Anansi the Angel
142. Anansi and the Six Sons
143. Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom
144. Anansi and the Cooks
145. Anansi and the Man's Horses
146. Quanqua and Anansi's Ox
147. White Yams and Red
148. Anansi and Goolin's Wife
149. Tamanty and Anansi and the Little Girl
150. Anansi and the Spotted Cow
151. Anansi and the Peanut-Patch
152. Anansi's Sick Chicken
153. Anansi and Mosquito
154. Anansi and the Two Sisters
155. Anansi and the Princess
156. Anansi and Dog's New Name
157. Anansi Goes to the Christening
158. Anansi, Lion, and the Liquor
159. Anansi's New Name
160. Anansi inside the Cow
161. One-Two-Three Taking No Liver!
162. Crow's Magic House
163. Anansi's Tree-House
164. Anansi and Tiger's Hoe
165. Anansi, His Brother, and the Magic Pot
166. Anansi and the Avocado Tree
167. Anansi and the Handsome Calabash
168. Anansi's Fork
169. Anansi and the Robber Bargaining
170. Anansi and the Shirt
171. Anansi and the Witch's Sword
172. Anansi and the Witch's Name
173. Anansi and Old-Witch's Garden
174. Anansi's Wedding Clothes
175. Anansi Wants a Wife
176. Anansi and Fire
177. Anansi, Fire, and the Damp Clothes
178. Fire, Grass, and Anansi
179. Anansi and Mr. Wheeler
180. Anansi and the Rock by the River
181. The Ghost's House in the Sky
182. Anansi and Dry-Head
183. Anansi, Dry-Head, and the Hog
184. Butterfly and Anansi in the Fields
185. The Devil's Honey-Dram
186. Anansi in Death's Camp
187. Anansi Robs Death's House
188. Death Wants Revenge on Anansi
189. Anansi and Death's Field of Yams
190. Anansi and Death's Barbecue
191. God and Anansi's Thread
192. Anansi and God's Cattle
193. Anansi and God's Yams
194. Anansi and the Tar-Man
195. Anansi Reads God's Mind
196. Anansi and the Pea
197. Anansi and Hunter's Debt
198. Anansi Owes Money
199. Anansi Takes Pig Home
200. Anansi and the Grain of Corn


STORY SOURCES

For story-specific bibliography and notes, visit:

Anansi.LauraGibbs.net

Some of the authors cited in the bibliography below give credit by name to the storytellers from whom they learned these tales, and so I want to start with the names of those storytellers, keepers of the tradition: Alexander Archibald, Vivian Bailey, Thomas Bailly, Sherman Adolphus Ballantyne, George Barrett, Frederik Bekker, Johan Bekker, Magdalena Bekker, Edwin Bundel, John Alexander Burleigh, Len Cabral, Samuel Christie, Benjamin Collins, Anderson Cook, William Cooper, Grace Doran, George Edwards, Simeon Falconer, William Forbes, Julia Gentle, Alexander Hazel, Moses Hendricks, Emile Heyward, Elizabeth Hilton, Adolphus Iron, Emanuel Johnson, Stanley Jones, Matilda Josepha, Hilton Libert, Rennie Macfarlane, Joseph Macfarlane, Richard Morgan, George Parkes, Richard Pottinger, Mrs. Ramtalli, Michael "Boss Mike" Richard, Evelyn Smith, Henry Spence, Charles Thompson, Harold Tulloch, Sarah Vassel, Rafael Weeks, Thomas White, and Charles Wright.

Bibliography

Abrahams, Roger D. African American Folktales: Stories from Black Traditions in the New World.

Beckwith, Martha Warren. Jamaica Anansi Stories.

Berry, James. Spiderman Anancy.

Charles, Faustin. Under the Storyteller's Spell: Folk-Tales from the Caribbean.

Courlander, Harold. The Drum and the Hoe: Life and Lore of the Haitian People.

D'Oyley, Enid F. Animal Fables and Other Tales: African Tales in the New World.

Dance, Daryl C. Folklore from Contemporary Jamaicans.

Dasent, George Webbe. Popular Tales From the Norse: Appendix.

Denham, Bish. Anansi and Company: Retold Jamaican Tales.

Edwards, Charles L. Bahama Songs and Stories.

Elswit, Sharon Barcan. Caribbean Story Finder.

Grannum-Solomon, Victorine. Anansi Folktales in the Diaspora.

Hallworth, Grace. Listen to This Story.

Herskovits, Melville J. and Frances S. Herskovits. Suriname Folklore.

Hull, Robert. Caribbean Stories.

Ishmael, Odeen. The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean.

Jagendorf, M. A. and R. S. Boggs. The King of the Mountains: A Treasury of Latin American Folk Stories.

Jekyll, Walter. Jamaican Song and Story.

Johnson, John H. Folklore from Antigua, British West Indies.

London, Clement B. G. Caribbean Visions in Folktales.

McKenzie, Everal. Anancy Stories.

Parsons, Elsie Clews. Folklore of the Antilles.

Sherlock, Philip. Anansi the Spider Man.

Sherlock, Philip. West Indian Folk-Tales.

Smith, Pamela Colman. Annancy Stories.

Steele, Beverley A. and Bruce St John. Tim Tim Tales from Grenada.

Wona. A Selection of Anancy Stories.

Young, Richard and Judy Dockrey Young. African-American Folktales for Young Readers.

Corrigenda: None thus far.