Tiny Tales: Traditional Stories in 100 Words: Anansi: not in book

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Anansi and the Bros

Laura Gibbs · 104. Anansi and the Brothers

Anansi had a vision. "We can all be brothers!" he shouted.

Anansi got a wagon and went to all the animals, preaching the gospel of brotherhood. "Brother Dog! Brother Hog! Brother Rabbit! Brother Hawk! Brother Monkey! Brother Tiger! Let's celebrate our brotherhood. I'll carry food for the party in my wagon. Come to my house tomorrow!"

The animals loaded Anansi's wagon with food and drink.

"See you tomorrow!" said Anansi.

That night Anansi ate and drank till he couldn't eat or drink anymore.

The animals came the next day, not guessing how much Anansi stole for himself the night before.

Inspired by: Spiderman Anancy by James Berry
Notes: This story appears on p. 11 of the book: Anancy and the Making of the Bro Title. Berry's story is full of all kinds of wonderful detail, including how hard Anansi has to work to get Tiger to join in, and also some tense back-and-forth between Anansi and his wife who thinks there should be a Sis-title like the Bro-title.

Anansi and the Hot Water

Anansi had stolen the king's yams.

"Who stole my yams?" shouted the king. "We'll do the hot-water test: if you feel pain from the hot water, it means you are the thief!"

"I'll serve the hot water," said Anansi. "Put the pot down here."

He gave a cup of hot water to Rat. "That hurts!" shrieked Rat. Goat, Tapir, Deer, all the animals shrieked.

Then Anansi said, "I want a big bowl!" Then he showed everyone, one by one. "Look at my big bowl! Look! Look!"

By the time Anansi drank his big bowl of water, the water was cool.

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael

Notes: This is story 30. The Hot Water Test. There are other Anansi stories about Anansi kinship tests based on drinking hot water.

Anansi, Monkey and the Melons

"Come harvest my melon-field!" Anansi said to Monkey. "You can eat all the melons you want."

On the way, they stopped at a pond. "This magic pond wants our knives," said Anansi. "Close your eyes, and I'll throw mine in."

Monkey closed his eyes, and Anansi threw a rock in the pond.

Next Anansi closed his eyes, and Monkey threw his knife in the pond.

They harvested melons, and then Anansi said, "Only those with knives can eat melons!"

Anansi then started slicing melons with his knife, but Monkey didn't get anything to eat. He'd harvested Anansi's melons for nothing.

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael

Notes: This is story 27. Nansi and the Melons. In addition to the knife trick, Anansi tricks Monkey into going to look for fire while Anansi cooks all the yams and eats them. Anansi then tricks Dog in the same way, but Cat does not fall for Anansi's tricks.

Anansi, Snake, and the Yams

Anansi took some yams to Snake. "Half for you!" he said. "Half for me."

Snake then asked Anansi to spend the night.

In the dark, Anansi took his yams and buried them.

In the morning he yelled, "Who stole my yams?"

No one knew.

"This knife will tell me! The thief will bleed," said Anansi.

The animals came to be tested: Tapir, Agouti, Rabbit, Crane.

Anansi used the dull side: nobody bled.

Then Snake.

Anansi used the sharp side. Snake bled!

"I'm innocent!" protested Snake. "No yams in my stomach!"

Snake died.

Even now when Snakes die, they turn belly-up.

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael

Notes: This is story 12. The Knife Test. In the original story, Anansi wants to kill Snake because Snake loaned him money, and Anansi could not pay him back. He took the yams as a gift when he requested an extension on the loan.

Anansi and the Oldest Animals

The animals debated who was oldest, and Anansi was judge.

Guinea-Fowl said, "I lived before the Great Fire. I stamped the Fire out with my feet; that's why my legs are red."

Parrot said, "I am older than tools; I pounded the first hammer into shape with my beak."

Owl said, "I come from a time before night and day!"

Alligator said, "I come from a time when everything was mud."

Anansi said, "I judge myself to be oldest! There was no earth when I was born, and when my father died, I had to bury him in my head."

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael

Notes: This is story 11. The Oldest Creature. I didn't have room for all the animals, so I left out Elephant who said he came from a time when God had plenty of material to make noses with, but then he ran out of nose material.

Anansi, Lizard, and the King's Daughter

The king promised to marry his daughter to whoever could guess her name.

Anansi climbed up into the royal mango tree and hid three. "Come, Senabina," said the king. "We will pick mangos."

Anansi knew the name!

"It's Senabina!" Anansi said to his friend Lizard. "The princess's name is Sen-sen-senabina."

"Congratulations!" said Lizard. "But be careful not to stutter."

The next day at the palace, Anansi said, "The princess's name is Sen-sen-senabina!"

"Well," said the king, "not exactly."

Lizard whispered to Anansi, "Senabina!"

The king heard Lizard whispering. "Lizard shall marry the princess!" he said.

After that, Anansi hated Lizard.

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael

Notes: This is story 2. Nansi Tries to Get a Wife.

Anansi and the Five Doubloons

There was a woman with three daughters, and she allowed nobody to come into the house.

"I can get into that house!' shouted Anansi.

"You cannot!" everybody said.

"Want to be?"

They bet five golden doubloons.

Then Anansi went to the house and he sang and danced at the door, playing his fiddle. The daughters came to listen to the music. He sang and danced and fiddled, and the daughters begged their mother to let him come in.

So they let him in, had a big feast, and they danced all night long.

Anansi also won the five golden doubloons!

Inspired by: Annancy Stories by Pamela Colman Smith

Notes: You can read the story online: How Annancy Win De Five Dubbloon. Smith did the illustrations also:

Anansi Wants Some Respect

Anansi was tired of his wife's complaints. He wanted her to show respect.

So Anansi dug a deep well. When the water started to flow, he climbed out.

Then he dropped his shovel. "Wife!" said Anansi. "I'm tired; fetch up my shovel."

Grumbling, his wife went down into the well.

Then Anansi pulled up the ladder. She was trapped!

"Help me!" she shouted.

Water rose to her stomach.

"Help me, my dear!"

Water rose to her shoulders.

"Help me, my darling!"

Water rose to her chin.

"Help me, my perfect husband!"

Anansi pulled her out.

She didn't complain any more.

Inspired by: Surinam Folk-Tales by A. P. and T. E. Penard (Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 30: 1917).

Notes: The story is on p. 244, "How Man Made Woman Respect Him."

Anansi and the Queen in the Well

The king wanted a more beautiful wife, so he put his queen into a deep well.

Anansi heard the queen crying. "Why are you crying?" he asked.

"I miss my baby boy!" said the queen.

Anansi pulled her out. "Hurry! Then I'll put you down the well before the king catches you."

The queen called, "Dog, O Dog: bring my boy to me."

The queen's little dog brought the baby, and she fed and bathed him. Then the dog took the baby back home.

Anansi rescued the queen from the well every day until her little baby boy grew up.

Inspired by: Negro Customs and Folk-Stories of Jamaica by Ada Wilson Trowbridge (Journal of American Folklore, v. 9: 1896).

Notes: This story appears on p. 293: Anansi and the Lady in the Well.

The King Banishes Anansi Again

The king banished Anansi again. "I never want to see you again, clothed or naked!"

Anansi came to the palace the next day wearing nothing but a fishing net.

"I told you..." the king started to say.
"I know," said Anansi. "But am I clothed, or am I naked? I'm neither!"

"I'll kill you if I ever catch you on Haitian soil again!" shouted the king.

Anansi went to Jamaica and filled his boots with sand, and then he went back to the palace.

"I told you..." the king started to say.

"I'm on Jamaican soil, Your Highness!" shouted Anansi.

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

Notes: This story is on p. 175. Courlander's story is about the "president," but I changed it to king to fit with the other Anansi stories.

Anansi and the Christmas Market

It was Christmas, and Anansi had nothing to sell at the market, so he grabbed a red bush. It could have been poison; Anansi didn't know.

People asked Anansi, "What's that bush?"

"I don't know!" he said.

Then Anansi dropped the bush in a pot of boiling water. The water turned bright red.

"That looks so real!" said the people.

"Let's add sugar," said Anansi. So they added sugar.

"Looks so real!" they said.

"Let's add ginger!" They added ginger.

"Looks so real!"

Then they drank it. "Tastes good!" they said.

Anansi called the so-real drink "sorrel" and got rich.

Inspired by: Folklore from Contemporary Jamaicans by Daryl C. Dane.

Notes: This is story 9. Sorrel. You can read about Jamaican sorrel punch here: What is Jamaican Sorrel?

Anansi and Buffalo

Anansi got a loan from Buffalo.

"Keep this basket as my pledge," Anansi said, giving Buffalo a basket of corn, rice, and ashes. "Just make sure it's all there when I come back to pay you."

The day came for Anansi to pay Buffalo back. He went to Buffalo and said, "Let's make sure everything is still in my basket. Count it!"

Buffalo counted the grains of corn. "Good!" said Anansi.

He counted the rice. "Good!"

"But I can't count the ashes," said Buffalo.

"Then how do I know you haven't robbed me?"Anansi refused to pay back the loan.

Inspired by: Suriname Folklore by Melville J. Herskovits and Frances S. Herskovits

Notes: You can read the 5. Outwitting Creditors: Anansi Tricks Banker Buffalo online. In the original story, Buffalo is the director of a bank.

Fish, Guinea-Fowl, and Anansi

Fish and Guinea-Fowl were friends.

"Help me fly to a field where there's food!" said Fish, and Guinea-Fowl took him to a field.

Guinea-Fowl and Fish ate and ate, and then Anansi arrived.

"What are you doing in my field?" shouted Anansi.

Guinea-Fowl flew off, leaving Fish behind.

Fish started singing.

"That's nice!" said Anansi. "Sing some more."

"Put me in a bucket," said Fish.

Anansi put Fish in the bucket, and Fish sang.

Anansi was dancing. "Sing some more!" he said.

"Put me in the sea!" said Fish.

Anansi put Fish in the sea, and then Fish swam away.

Inspired by: Anansi and Company: Retold Jamaican Tales by Bish Denham

Notes: This is story 11. Anansi, Guinea-Hen, and Fish. In the original story, Anansi and Guinea-Fowl have both been working the same field and they quarrel. Guinea-Fowl asks her friend Fish to come help her, and that's how Fish gets the wings.

Anansi and Jackass

Anansi was courting a beautiful woman, but her brother beat Anansi and drove him away.

Jackass laughed. "Why would she marry someone like you?"

Anansi decided to trick Jackass. "You are the perfect gentleman!" Anansi said. "She should marry you!"

Jackass was flattered and put on his best clothes. Then he went to the woman, and her brother wasn't there.

The woman agreed to marry Jackass, and he took her to his stable, where he started to bite and kick her.

The woman screamed, and Jackass bit her even harder.

Her brother came and beat Jackass, and Anansi just laughed.

Inspired by: Lezmore E. Emanuel's story "Jackass' Marriage" as reported in The Caribbean Story Finder by Sharon Barcan Elswit.
Notes: This story is 195 in Elswit's index, from Emanuel's book, Broo Nansi: A Selection of Anansi Stories, and you can find the story online here.

Anansi and Monkey Take Turns

Anansi wanted to take Monkey to his house so he could cook him and eat him.

"Jump on my back, Monkey!" said Anansi. "I'll give you a ride."
"We'll take turns!" said Monkey. "You ride on my back first!"

Monkey wanted to take Anansi to his house to cook him and eat him.

Reluctantly, Anansi got on Monkey's back, and then he said, "Now you get on my back!"
"No!" Monkey laughed. "I'm going to eat you."
"Hunter!" Anansi yelled. "Come catch this nice, fat Monkey!"
Terrified, Monkey dropped Anansi and climbed a tree.
"Fooled you!" Anansi ran away, laughing.

Inspired by: Wona's story "Put You Down a Me Wife Pot" as reported in The Caribbean Story Finder by Sharon Barcan Elswit.
Notes: This story is 328 in Elswit's index, from Wona's book, A Selection of Anancy Stories. Sadly, the English book is not available online, but a German translation is available at Hathi. In the first part of the story, Anansi successfully tricks Sheep and other animals before trying the trick on Monkey.

Snake in the Hole

Snake was stuck in a hole.

"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!"

"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.

Anansi, Heron, Lizard, and the Princess

The king had a daughter who wouldn't smile. "Make her smile, and you can marry her!" proclaimed the king.

Anansi, Heron, and Lizard wanted to marry the princess.

Anansi brought an animal band and he sang and danced. The princess didn't smile.

Heron came all dressed up in fancy clothes and a top-hat. The princess didn't smile.

Lizard snapped his fingers and Heron's clothes all came flying off. The princess smiled. Then she laughed, and she married Lizard: that's how he got the gold ring around his throat.

Heron and Anansi were jealous, and they weren't friends with Lizard anymore.

Inspired by: Ears and Tails and Common Sense: More Stories from the Caribbean by P. M. Sherlock and H. Sherlock

Notes: This story is on p. 89: Lizard and a Ring of Gold. In the story, Heron gets angry because he thinks he is really the winner since he made the princess laugh. He tries to snatch the gold ring from Lizard, but Lizard swallows it.

Anansi and His Three Sons

Anansi had a silver ball. "I must give it to my best son," he thought. He tested his three sons by going to seek the Red Diamond with them.

One son drank a river in their way. "Excellent, Drink-a-River!"

Another son saw the Red Diamond glowing on a mountaintop. "Excellent, Bright-Eyes!"

But when Bright-Eyes came down, he fell from the mountaintop.

His brother caught him. "Excellent, Catch-Cushion!"

All his sons were excellent.

So Anansi threw the silver ball up in the air. "Catch it if you can!" he shouted.

But the ball shattered: it became the stars and moon.

Inspired by: Cric Crac: A Acollection of West Indian Stories by Grace Hallworth
Notes: This is story 7 in the book: How the Stars Came into the Sky. Hallworth heard the story from Louise Williams. The full version of this Anansi-fairy-tale goes into lots of detail about the sons, and there are four, not three; the fourth son leaps over a mountain to get the jewel back to the king before the deadline, but I couldn't fit him into the story. Ishmael's The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean has a version with six sons: Able to See Trouble, Road Builder, Able to Dry Rivers, Skinner of Game, Stone Thrower, and Lie on the Ground like a Cushion.

Anansi Wants Tacooma's Fish

Tacooma went fishing by himself. When Anansi saw Tacooma's fish, he was very hungry. "Give me some, friend!" said Anansi.

Tacooma said, "Cast your bread upon the water and you'll find it many days after."

Anansi did just what Tacooma said: he took his bread and threw it on the water. Then he waited. For days. Anansi didn't find anything, and he was mad.

He went to Tacooma, and Tacooma agreed to take Anansi fishing in his boat. But they kept fighting in the boat and the boat tipped over. Tacooma swam to shore, but Anansi couldn't swim: he drowned.

Inspired by: Folklore of the Antilles by Elsie Clews Parsons.
Notes: You can see Parsons' story and notes here. Parsons heard the story from Anderson Cook.

Anansi and the Neighbor's Daughter

Nancy had tricked the neighbor's daughter and gobbled her up.

The mother looked and looked for her daughter, but nobody knew where she had gone.

Finally someone told her, "Anansi ate your daughter."

Then the mother went home, sharpened her sharpest knife and went to see Anansi.

"Where's my daughter?" she asked.

"I don't know!" said Anansi.

So the mother cut open Anansi's belly, and her daughter jumped out. Next, she filled Anansi's belly with old stones and with iron, filled it back up, and then rolled Anansi down the stairs: bang bang bang went Anansi all the way down.

Inspired by: Folklore of the Antilles by Elsie Clews Parsons.
Notes: You can see Parsons' story and notes here. She heard the story from Anderson Cook. The story begins with the same "buying nothing" motif here: Buying Nothing for Anansi.