African stories
- 1. *AFRICAN STORIES* There are quite a few spider stories. Some of them are about Anansi. There are some stories in which Anansi is depicted as human. As you will see, Anansi is cunning and tries to outwit variouscharacters. However, there is alwaysa lesson to learn. *HOW SPIDER OBTAINED THE SKY GOD STORIES* *(This story is told by the Ashanti tribe.)* Kwaku Anansi, the spider, once went to Nyankonpon,the sky god, in order to buy the sky gods stories. The sky god sneered, What makes you think that you can buy my stories? The spider answered and said, I know that I will be able to buy them! Stories That Teach Page 4 of 81 Teacher Bulletin Volume 2 The sky god stated, Great towns and people have come to buy these stories, but were unableto. Now you, who do not have a master or have great value have come and you say that you are able? The spider asked, What is the price of the stories? The sky god said, They will only be sold for Onini the python, Osebo the leopard,Mmoatia the fairy, and Mmoboro the hornets. Anansi replied that he would bring at least one of each and would also include his old mother, Nsia the sixth child in the bargain. The sky god said, Go and bring them then. The spider returned home and sought out his mother to tell her all about his bargain. Anansi consulted with his wife, Aso, saying, What is to be done to get Oninithe python? She instructed him, You must cut a branch off a palm
- 2. tree, and cut some string-creeper as well. Then bring them. Anansi did just that. When he returned with the items, his wife ordered him to, Take them to the stream. So Anansi took them; and as he was going along he said, Its longer than his is, its not so long as he; you lie, its longer than he. A short distance away, the spider saw his quarry and said aloud, There he is, lying yonder. Stories That Teach Page 5 of 81 Teacher Bulletin Volume 2 Now, the python overheard the imaginary conversation then it asked, Whats this allabout? To which the spider replied, Is it not my wife, Aso, who is arguing with me that this palm branch is longer than you, and I say she is a liar. The python, Onini said, Bring it, and come and measure me. Anansi took the palm branch and laid it along the pythons body. He told the snake to stretch himself out. The python did what he was instructed to do. Anansi took the rope creeper and quickly wound it around Onini.The rope creeper made a nwene sound as it was wound around the python. When the spider came to the snakes head he said, Fool, now I shall take you to the sky god and receive the sky gods tales in exchange. So, Anansi took him off to Nyame, the sky god. He said, I have touched it with my hand; there remains what still remains. Anansi returned home and told his wife what had happened, saying, There remains the hornets. His wife told him to look for a gourd, fill it with water and seek the hornets. He went off through the bush. He heard the buzzing sounds they made and
- 3. spied them just ahead hangingfrom a limb. The spider poured out some of the water he was carrying and sprinkled it over the hornets. He then poured the rest over himself and cut a leaf off the plantaintree to cover himself. Stories That Teach Page 6 of 81 Teacher Bulletin Volume 2 He then spoke to the hornets. As you can tell the rain has come, it would be better for you to enter my gourd so that the rain will not beat you. I have provided shelter for myself with the plantainleaf. Of course, the hornets were grateful and said, Thankyou Aku, we all thank you, Kwaku. Then all the hornets proceeded to disappearinto the gourd, shrom! Kwaku Anansi was joyful. He covered his mouth, and exclaimed, What fools! I have you, and I am taking you the sky god in exchange. When he took the gourd filled with hornets to the sky god, the god stated, I have touched it with my hand; there remains what still remains. So once again, the spider, Anansi, returned home and stated to his wife, There remains the leopard, Osebo. His wife, Aso, told him to Go and dig a hole. The spider interrupted her and stated, I know, I know, thats enough! He took off to the bush to look for leopard tracks. When he found them, he dug a deep, deep pit, covered it over, and returned home. Anansi was so excited, he could hardly sleep. He got up just before dawn when the outside shapes looked like silhouettes. He traveled to where he dug the pit. Sure enough, he found a leopard trapped in it. The spider said to it, Little fathers child, little mothers
- 4. child, I have told you not to get drunk. It is to be expected that you would fall in a pit if you are intoxicated. The cunning spider continued,If I were to get you out and on the next day when you saw me or a member of my family you would catch us. Stories That Teach Page 7 of 81 Teacher Bulletin Volume 2 The leopard said, No, no, I would not do such a thing! Anansi proceeded to get two sticks and cut them to the right sizes. Then he returned to the pit and instructed the leopard to, Put one of your paws here and the other there. Osebe, the leopard, followedthe directionsand proceeded to raise himself out of the pit when Anansi lifted up his knife and struck him in the head, gwam! The poor leopard fell once again into the pit, flam! The spider got a ladder to descend into the pit to get the Osebe out. Anansi exclaimed, Oh, what a fool, I am taking you to exchange for the stories of the sky god. When he got to the sky god, he lifted it up and gave it to Nyame who stated, I have touched it with my hand; there remains what still remains. On the way back home, Anansi set to thinking about how he was going to catch a fairy, Mmomatia.He decided that he would carve an Akuas child,which was a black flat-faced wooden doll. After forming the doll, he extracted some sticky sap from a tree and paintedthe dolls with it. Next, he made poundedyams called eto. He placed some in the dollshand and put the rest in a brass bowl. Then, he tied a length of string to the dollswaist and placed it at the foot of the odum tree where it was said
- 5. that the fairies liked to play. After waiting a while, Anansi heard the sound of fairies flying over his head, streesch. A Mmomatia descended and approachedthe spider. May I have some of your mash? the fairy asked the doll. Anansi pull the string to allow the dollshead to nod, yes. The fairy turned to her companionsand stated that the doll had agreed to share some of her mash. The others encouraged her to eat. The food tasted so good. The fairy thanked the doll,but it did not reply. The fairy turned to her sister and stated, The doll did not reply. The sister told her to slap the doll in its crying place. She slapped the doll,but wait, she could not move her hand. It was stuck! The sister fairy told her to take the other hand and slap the doll once again.The other hand was now stuck! Stories That Teach Page 8 of 81 Teacher Bulletin Volume 2 My two hands are now stuck, said the fairy. She was instructed to push the doll with her stomach, now she was really stuck. Anansi came out of hiding and tied her up. He said, What a fool! I have got you now and I will take you to the sky god in exchange for the stories. He took her to his home. The sixth child, who was also Anansismother, was visited by her son. He informed her that he was taking her to the spy god along with the fairy as he had told her a few days earlier. He took both of them to the sky god and reminded him of the promise he had made aboutthe purchase of the stories. The sky god called all his elders together and placedthe matter before them stating, Great
- 6. ones have come and were not able to buy the stories but Kwaku the spider has paid the price and stated for these. I have received the leopard,the python, the hornets, the fairy and even his mother the old woman. We must praise him for his achievements. Eyee, eyee, they replied. Anansi was asked to step forward. Kwaku, you have my congratulations.You have fulfilledall that you stated you would do. Now take the sky god stories, well done. We shall tell no more stories of the sky gods, we will call them spider stories. Stories That Teach Page 9 of 81 Teacher Bulletin Volume 2 Activity A. Choose the statement that best fits the main idea of the story. 1. ___What one prizes can be gained at any cost. 2. ___When you give something personal you get what you want. 3. ___The wisest one gets the prize. B. State what you consider to be the lesson in this story. ____________________________________________________ _________ ____________________________________________________ _________ ____________________________________________________ _________ ____________________________________________________ _________ C. Why did Anansi go to his wife for advice? ____________________________________________________ _________ D. What characteristics does the real spider have
- 7. that compares to the characteristics of Anansi in the story? ___________________________________