Tiny Tales: Traditional Stories in 100 Words: cycle: Beckwith 23

~ 56. Anansi and the Yam-Foofoo ~

Laura Gibbs · 56. Anansi and the Yam-Foofoo

Anansi planted a special yam named yam-foofoo, and it grew big!

He took some home and cooked it.

"Tell me this yam's name," Anansi said. "Otherwise, you don't eat."

Nobody knew the yam's name, so Anansi ate the whole yam.

Next day, Anansi's youngest son, Cunning-More-Than-Father, mashed some okra and spread it on the ground. Then he hid and watched.

Coming home, Anansi slipped on the okra and fell. "Oh! I dropped my yam-foofoo!" he shouted.

Cunning-More-Than-Father ran home and told everybody.

When Anansi cooked the yam, his wife and children said, "Give us yam-foofoo!" and Anansi had to share.

Inspired by: Jamaica Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith
Notes: This is story 23 in the book. Beckwith heard this story from George Parkes; additional information in Beckwith's notes. The story is composed of several different episodes; this is just one episode. This same story appears in the form of a song in Beckwith's collection of songs: 143 Red Yam.

~ 62. Cunning-More-Than-Father in the Coffin ~

Laura Gibbs · 62. Cunning-More-Than-Father in the Coffin

Tiger and Anansi finally caught Cunning-More-Than-Father.

"I'll nail him inside this coffin," said Anansi. "You throw it in the sea."

Tiger took the coffin and headed for the sea.

Along the way, Tiger took a nap.

Inside the coffin, Cunning-More-Than-Father started shouting, "I'm not ready to go to heaven!"

A passing shepherd heard him and said, "Heaven's a good place! I'll go if you don't want to."

The shepherd unnailed the coffin and got in.

Cunning-More-Than-Father nailed the coffin shut.

Tiger woke up, took the coffin, and threw it in the sea.

Cunning-More-Than-Father came home, bringing the sheep with him.

~ 61. Cunning-More-Than-Father and the Coconuts ~

Laura Gibbs · 61. Cunning-More-Than-Father and the Coconuts

Anansi wanted to kill his son Cunning-More-Than-Father.

Cunning-More-Than-Father had gotten away twice, but Anansi said to Tiger, "Let's try again!"

Cunning-More-Than-Father pretended to be asleep, but he listened.

"I'll send Cunning-More-Than-Father up the coconut-tree," Anansi told Tiger. "You catch him when he comes down."

So Cunning-More-Than-Father filled a bag with stinging ants and hid it in the tree.

Next day Anansi said, "Son, go get coconuts."

Cunning-More-Than-Father went up the coconut-tree.

Tiger came and waited below.

"Catch the coconuts, Tiger!" yelled Cunning-More-Than-Father, and he threw the bag of ants on Tiger.

Tiger screamed and ran away.

Cunning-More-Than-Father had survived again.

~ 60. Tiger in the Yam-Patch ~

Laura Gibbs · 60. Tiger in the Yam-Patch

Anansi wanted Tiger to kill his son.

"I'll send Cunning-More-Than-Father to get yams," Anansi said. "You hide in the yam-patch and kill him."

While Tiger and Anansi talked, Cunning-More-Than-Father was under the table, listening.

Next day, Anansi told Cunning-More-Than-Father, "Go get yams."

Cunning-More-Than-Father went to the yam-patch, but not too close.

"Hello, yams!" he shouted.

Silence.

He shouted louder. "Hello there, yams!"

Tiger didn't know what to do.

"Anansi wants me to get the talking yams," shouted Cunning-More-Than-Father.

"Talking yams are here!" replied Tiger.

Cunning-More-Than-Father laughed and ran away before Tiger could grab him.

And Anansi didn't get any yams.

~ 59. Tiger in the Pepper-Plant ~

Laura Gibbs · 59. Tiger in the Pepper-Plant

Anansi hated his son Cunning-More-Than-Father and wanted to kill him.

While Anansi plotted with Tiger, Cunning-More-Than-Father pretended to be asleep under the table, but he was listening.

"Help me kill him!" Anansi said to Tiger.

"I'll hide in the pepper-plant," Tiger said. "Send your son there."

At suppertime, Anansi said, "Son, go pick peppers from the pepper-plant!"

But Cunning-More-Than-Father took a stick from the fire and poked the pepper-plant.

The fire-stick burned Tiger's face! Tiger screamed and ran away.

Cunning-More-Than-Father then told Anansi, "The pepper-plant screamed, so I didn't pick any peppers."

Anansi had to eat supper without any peppers.

~ 63. Anansi and the Sea-Sheep ~

Laura Gibbs · 63. Anansi and the Sea-Sheep

Tiger was supposed to throw Cunning-More-Than-Father in the sea, but Cunning-More-Than-Father came back home, and he brought a flock of sheep with him.

"But I threw him in the sea!" Tiger shouted.

"Yes, you did!" said Cunning-More-Than-Father. "These are sea-sheep, and where the sea is deeper, the sheep are even bigger."

"I want the big sheep!" shouted Anansi. "Tiger, put me in a coffin and throw me in the deepest sea."

Anansi got in the coffin and Tiger rented a boat to sail to the deepest sea. He threw the coffin in the water.

That was the end of Anansi.

Inspired by: Jamaica Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith
Notes: This is story 23 in the book. Beckwith heard this story from George Parkes; additional information in Beckwith's notes. The story is composed of several different episodes; this is just one episode. For more about how Cunning-More-Than-Father got the sheep, see Cunning-More-Than-Father in the Coffin.