Showing posts with label Book: Anansi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book: Anansi. Show all posts

Tiny Tales of Anansi

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.

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:

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.

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~ 133. Anansi and the Fire in the King's Palace ~

Anansi set fire to the king's palace.
"Who set fire to my palace?" shouted the king. "I'll reward whoever finds the criminal!"
"You need to have a party," Anansi said to the king. "That's how you will find the criminal."
Then Anansi went to see Goat. 
"Let's go to the king's party together, Goat!" he said. "I'll play while you sing this song: I set the fire, O, I set the fire, O!"
Goat was happy to go to the party.
Anansi played and Goat sang, "I set the fire, O!"
The king locked Goat in prison and rewarded Anansi.

Inspired by: Suriname Folklore by Melville J. Herskovits and Frances S. Herskovits
Notes: You can read the story Incriminating Song online. The storyteller is Johan Bekker of Paramaribo. The story is told about the king's church, but I changed it to palace. 

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~ 186. Anansi in Death's Camp ~

Anansi went hunting, but he had caught nothing. He was hungry!
Then he found Death's camp. Death had so much food. 
"Please feed me!" said Anansi.
Death fed Anansi, and Anansi ate until he was full.
"Who are you?" Anansi asked.
"Don't you recognize me? I'm Death!"
"Thank you, Death," Anansi said.
Then Anansi went home, but he kept returning to Death's camp to steal food.
When Death saw Anansi stealing, he chased Anansi all the way back to town.
"Watch out, people!" shouted Anansi. "Death is coming!"
And that's how Death came to where people live: it's Anansi's fault.


Inspired by: Suriname Folklore by Melville J. Herskovits and Frances S. Herskovits
Notes: You can read the story Stealing from Death online. The storyteller is Magdalena Bekker from the Saramacca River.

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~ 141. Anansi the Angel ~

Anansi wanted the priest's ring, so he dressed up like an angel.
When the priest saw a light in the church that night, he came to investigate.
"I'm an angel!" said Anansi. "I'll take you to heaven. Just get in this sack!"
Anansi then flew around with the sack. "You have an earthly possession that's holding you back," he said.
"It must be my ring," said the priest, and he gave the ring to Anansi.
Then Anansi flew to the chicken-coop and left the priest there.
The priest's housemaid was surprised when she found the priest there in the morning.

Inspired by: Suriname Folklore by Melville J. Herskovits and Frances S. Herskovits
Notes: You can read the story Anansi Disguises as an Angel online. The storyteller is Magdalena Bekker of the Saramacca River.

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~ 25. Anansi's Strong Hand ~

Anansi and Tiger wanted to see whose hand was strongest.
Anansi hid a hammer up his sleeve and hit Tiger on the head. 
Tiger was surprised. He didn't know Anansi's hand was so strong.
"I'll come hit you tomorrow!" Tiger said.
So Anansi invited Deer to his house. "I'm going to take a nap now," Anansi said, "but Tiger is bringing me good food for dinner! When he knocks, let him in."
Tiger knocked, and Deer opened the door.
Tiger hit him and ran off, thinking he had hit Anansi.
Deer was dead, so Anansi roasted Deer and ate him.


Inspired by: Suriname Folklore by Melville J. Herskovits and Frances S. Herskovits
Notes: You can read the story The Boxing Contest online.  The storyteller is Frederik Bekker. In the second part of the story, Anansi hits Tiger again, and then he has Rabbit come stay with him, but Rabbit isn't fooled. Tiger comes and hits Anansi and kills him.



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~ 98. Anansi and the Gun ~

Anansi borrowed Gun from Hunter.
"Rejoice!" Anansi shouted. "Gun is dead!"
Then Anansi invited all the animals to come to Gun's funeral.
Gun had killed many animals, so this was good news. All the animals were glad that Gun was dead.
Anansi carried Gun up to the top of a ladder. "I will conduct Gun's funeral now!" Anansi said to the animals. "Come line up and bow your heads."
The animals bowed their heads, waiting for the funeral to begin, and then Anansi fired Gun at the animals.
He killed and ate them all.
Beware of Anansi: he's very cunning!


Inspired by: Suriname Folklore by Melville J. Herskovits and Frances S. Herskovits
Notes: You can read the story Mock Funeral: Gun is Dead online. The storyteller is Edwin Bundel. In a variation, the Tiger stages Gun's funeral, but Anansi and his family escape.



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~ 171. Anansi and the Witch's Sword ~

Anansi stole the king's treasure and fled to the witch's house.
"I'll give you lots of treasure to protect me!" said Anansi.
The witch agreed.
The king's soldiers arrived. "We seek Anansi!"
"I'll see if he's inside," said the witch, and she fetched her magical sword.
"Kill!" she said. The sword killed the soldiers.
Then the witch stopped the sword.
When the witch went to town, she gave Anansi the sword. "The soldiers might return," she said.
The soldiers did return, and Anansi said, "Kill!" 
The sword killed the soldiers.
But Anansi couldn't stop the sword. It killed Anansi too!

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael
Notes: This is story 55. How Nansi Died.


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~ 156. Anansi and Dog's New Name ~

Everybody called Dog "Thieving-Dog," and Dog didn't like it.
Dog asked Anansi for help. "I don't want to be Thieving-Dog. I need a new name!"
Anansi agreed. "I'll give you a name if you'll watch this roast for me. Turn the spit, but don't eat the meat. I'll be back soon."
Dog tried to resist, but the meat smelled so good.
Dog ate the meat!
Anansi came back and laughed. "Okay," he said, "your new name is Same-As-Ever."
Dog was very grateful!
He ran through the village, and some boys shouted. "There's that Thieving-Dog!"
"No!" barked Dog. "I'm Same-As-Ever! Same-As-Ever!"


Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael
Notes: This is story 39. Dog Changes His Name.

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~ 18. Anansi, Tiger, and the Fish ~

To hide his fish from Tiger, Anansi put them in a coffin.
Tiger saw Anansi with the coffin. "I'll help bury your friend!" he said.
They walked and walked.
Anansi got tired and confessed. "There are fish in the coffin."
"I love fish!" said Tiger. He ate the fish and left the fish-bones in the coffin.
"Now I want dumplings!" said Tiger. 
They went to Anansi's house, and Anansi gave the fish-bones to his wife. "Put the fish-bones in the dumplings," he whispered.
Tiger choked on the dumplings.
"I'll help you!" said Anansi, whacking Tiger with a shovel.
Tiger died!

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael
Notes: This is story 26. Nansi and the Fried Fish.


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~ 164. Anansi and Tiger's Hoe ~

Long ago, farmers dug their fields with pointed sticks.
Nobody had a hoe, except for Tiger.
Tiger had a magical hoe, and it did the digging for him.
Anansi spied on Tiger and saw the hoe. He learned the magic words Tiger used to make the hoe start digging. Then he stole Tiger's hoe to use for himself.
The hoe dug and dug, and Anansi was happy.
But Anansi did not know how to stop the magic hoe. 
It kept on digging!
The hoe dug all the land and then disappeared into the sea, and it is digging there still.

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael
Notes: This is story 19. The Magic Hoe.


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~ 93. Anansi, Agouti and the Fish-Traps ~

Anansi and Agouti were fishing partners.
They checked their fish-traps: there were many fish, but the fish were small.
"There will be bigger fish tomorrow," said Anansi. "You take these."
"You take them," said Agouti. "I'll take the bigger fish tomorrow."
The next day, there were bigger fish, but only a few.
"There will be more fish tomorrow," said Anansi. "You take these."
"You take them," said Agouti. "I'll take more fish tomorrow."
So it went, day after day: Anansi got all the fish, and Agouti got none because he preferred the fish of tomorrow to the fish of today.


Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael
Notes: This is story 16. Nansi's Fish Traps. The story starts with Agouti doing all the work to make the traps. In the end, though, Anansi tries to sell the used traps and is ashamed.

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~ 197. Anansi and Hunter's Debt ~

Hunter had a debt that he could not pay.
Anansi wanted to eat Hunter's guavas, so Hunter said, "Whoever eats my guavas takes my debt!"
Anansi ate Hunter's guavas.
Then Anansi said, "Whoever eats my corn takes my debt."
Guinea-Fowl ate Anansi's corn.
"Whoever breaks my eggs takes my debt," said Guinea-Fowl.
Tree-Branch broke the Guinea-Fowl's eggs. "Whoever plucks my flowers takes my debt."
Monkey plucked the flowers. "Whoever kills me takes my debt."
Then Tiger killed Monkey. "Whoever eats me takes my debt!" roared Tiger.
Hunter killed Tiger, and everybody ate Tiger's meat.
Everybody ended up with Hunter's debt!

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael
Notes: This is story 13. How Debt Came to People.

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~ 92. Anansi, Snake, and the Rock ~

Snake was trapped under a big rock.
"Save me!" Snake shouted when Anansi walked by.
"No!" said Anansi. "You'll eat me."
"I won't eat you, I promise!" shouted Snake. "I'll be your friend forever!"
Anansi rolled away the rock.
"Now I'm going to eat you!" said Snake.
"That's not fair!" said Anansi.
Agouti walked by. "Be our judge, Agouti!" they said.
"Well," said Agouti, "you better show me what happened."
"I was under this rock," said Snake, and then Anansi rolled the rock back on Snake.
"Leave him!" said Agouti. "He'll have to find some other fool who trusts him."

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael
Notes: This is story 6. Nansi and Snake. Before asking Agouti to be their judge, they talk to Donkey, who sides with Snake because the world is unfair; he gets beaten with sticks by ungrateful people all the time. In other versions of this story, Anansi is the judge at the end.

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~ 78. Anansi and Dog at the Dance ~

"I like your fancy pants, Anansi!" said Dog. "Will you loan them to me for the dance?"
"They're too small for you," said Anansi.
"No, they'll fit!" Dog insisted.
So Dog squeezed himself into Anansi's pants, and then he went to the dance.
Dog was a good dancer, and he liked to throw his legs up high. 
But when Dog did that, he tore Anansi's pants! They ripped all the way from top to bottom.
Anansi was mad and took back his pants there at the dance, and everyone laughed at Dog.
Ever since then, Dog doesn't wear any clothes.

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael
Notes: This is story 5. Why Dog Wears No Clothes.

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~ 131. Anansi the Preacher and Cockroach's Coconut ~

Anansi was the king's preacher, and the king gave him a black suit.
Anansi was proud of his preacher-suit.
Cockroach was Anansi's neighbor, and Cockroach's coconut tree grew near Anansi's house. There was a coconut dangling from a branch hanging over Anansi's land. Anansi took that coconut!
"That was mine!" shouted Cockroach.
"It was on my side!" shouted Anansi.
Cockroach waited till Anansi put his preacher-suit on the clothesline to dry.
When the wind blew it to Cockroach's side, he snipped the suit in half.
Anansi was embarrassed!
He couldn't preach on Sunday, and the king threw him in prison.

Inspired by: The Magic Pot: Nansi Stories from the Caribbean by Odeen Ishmael
Notes: This is story 4. Nansi and Cockroach.

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~ 134. Anansi and the Watermelon ~

Anansi made a hole in Goat's watermelon and feasted.
Then Anansi was too fat to get out!
Goat came.
"Hello, Goat!" said Anansi from inside the watermelon.
"The king will want this talking watermelon!" said Goat, and he carried the watermelon to the king's palace.
"I brought you a talking watermelon," said Goat.
"Show me!" said the king.
The watermelon said nothing.
"Talk, you stupid watermelon!" shouted the king.
"I'm not stupid!" said Anansi. "You're the one talking to a watermelon."
The king grabbed the watermelon and threw it against the wall.
Out popped Anansi, and he ran away, laughing.

Inspired by: Caribbean Visions in Folktales by Clement B. G. London
Notes: This is story 26: Brer Anansi and the Talking Watermelon. In the original story, Goat meets Sheep and other animals on his way to the king (the "warden"), but I did not have room to include them.

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~ 81. Anansi and Dog at the River ~

Anansi, carrying a sack of food, had to cross a river, but he was scared of the alligators.
"Help me, Dog!" shouted Anansi. "I'll give you half my food."
Dog ran down the river and barked so the alligators swam that way.
Then Dog raced back to Anansi and carried him across before the alligators knew what happened.
"Thank you, Dog!" said Anansi.
Then, when Dog wasn't looking, Anansi threw a rock in the river.  "Oh no! I dropped my sack!" Anansi yelled.
Dog jumped in. As he splashed around trying to find Anansi's sack, alligators ate him.
Anansi laughed.

Inspired by: Annancy Stories by Pamela Colman Smith
Notes: This is the final episode of How Annancy Went to Fish Country.

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~ 83. Anansi, Rabbit, and Horse-Fly ~

Anansi visited Godfather Rabbit and Godmother Rabbit.
When Godmother Rabbit went to fetch water, Anansi hit Godfather Rabbit on the head and killed him.
Godmother Rabbit came back and found her husband dead. 
"You must bury him, Anansi!" she said.
"I will," said Anansi. "Just give me some lard and a frying pan. Horse-Fly will help me."
Anansi and Horse-Fly took Rabbit into the woods where they cooked him and ate him.
"I'll tell Mrs. Rabbit he was delicious!" said Horse-Fly.
"No, you won't!" shouted Anansi.
Then Anansi cut out Horse-Fly's tongue, which is why Horse-Fly only says bzzz-bzzz-bzzz now.


Inspired by: Annancy Stories by Pamela Colman Smith
Notes: You can read the story online: Annancy and Gingy Fly. The Bantu word for "fly" is ginggi. Here are Smith's illustrations:






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~ 86. Anansi Dives for Bananas ~

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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~ 74. Anansi and the Cats' Wedding ~

Anansi arrived early for the wedding feast of Mister Cat and Miss Cat.
"I'll take care of the food," Anansi said. "Leave it to me!"
But when the bride and groom returned from the wedding, they found the wedding cake was gone, and the wine was all gone too.
"You did this, Dog!" shouted the Cats. 
Dog denied it.
Fly went looking for Anansi and found him walking home, his face covered with cake crumbs.
"You're the thief!" shouted Fly.
Anansi swallowed Fly to silence him.
Since then Cat and Dog aren't friends anymore; Fly and Spider are enemies too.

Inspired by: Kathleen Clarke's's story "Compere Cat's Wedding Feast" as reported in The Caribbean Story Finder by Sharon Barcan Elswit.
Notes: This story is 323 in Elswit's index, from Velma Pollard's book, Anansesem. The story also appears in Steele and St. John's Tim Tim Tales from Grenada, which is the book I consulted.

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