TELL ME A STORY: Anansi Claims His Fame (a West African tale)
Sun | Family
Adapted by Amy Friedman — Jun 25th, 2000
Everyone knows Anansi the spider craves attention. He plays his tricks on others because he likes to win. One day as he walked through the jungle, he noticed how important Tiger was. Tiger was king of the jungle, and that was why the lilies were called tiger lilies, and the beetles were called tiger beetles, and many moths were known as tiger moths, and even some of the stones looked like, and were called, tiger's eyes.
Anansi decided he had to have something named after him, and he began to skitter around the forest on his eight legs, calling out, "I'm Anansi, and I'm as strong and brave as Tiger. I want something named after ME."
Now Tiger overheard Anansi's boastful cries. He yawned and rolled over and chuckled to himself. He looked up at Anansi and said, "You? You're a tiny little thing. Why would anything be named after you?"
"I'm important," Anansi said. "I'm brave. I can do anything."
Again Tiger laughed. "Anything? Well, then, capture Snake and bring him to me, and if you do that, we'll give something your name."
"I want our stories named after me," Anansi said.
Again Tiger laughed. "If you capture Snake, I promise we'll call our stories 'Anansi stories.'"
Anansi was thrilled, and he ran off to capture Snake.
Tiger yawned and rolled over again, for he knew nobody could capture Snake. He was a wily and slippery fellow. Anansi didn't have a chance.
But Anansi thought hard, and decided that the best way to catch Snake was to trap him in a vine. He cut a strong vine and tied a loop at one end, and placed the loop in the thick grass right beside Snake's path. Then he put some ripe fruit in the center of the loop, held the other end of the vine and hid in the bush.
Before long Snake slithered along the path. Naturally when he saw the fruit, he slipped across the vine to eat it. Anansi tugged on that vine, but when Snake felt the vine slipping around his slinky body, he quickly slipped away.
Anansi was troubled, but just a little bit. He went home to think. "A trap will never work," he said to himself. "Snake can climb trees and slither and slide away, so I'll have to outsmart him. And I'm the smartest fellow there is!"
The next day Anansi woke with a new plan. He cut a long bamboo pole, and this he lay across Snake's path. Then he began to pace up and down along the pole, muttering to himself.
Snake watched from the grass until his curiosity overcame him. "What on earth are you doing, Anansi?" Snake hissed from his hiding place.
Anansi grinned and pointed at his pole. "I have cut a bamboo pole!" he said proudly.
"What of it?" Snake asked. "Who cares about a bamboo pole?"
"Ah," said Anansi, "but this is a long bamboo pole. This bamboo pole is longer than you."
Snake flicked his tongue. "It is not," he said. "And I'll prove it." He slithered to the pole and stretched himself along its length. "There, you see, Anansi. I'm much longer than your pole."
Anansi shook his head. "You're not," he said. "You can see your tail is shorter."
"It's not!" cried Snake, and he stretched himself out.
"Ah," said Anansi, "but I know your tricks. When I stand at the end, you ease your head back at the other end. You're cheating, Snake. My pole is much longer than you."
"I never cheat," Snake said.
"You are," Anansi said, running to the head of the pole. There lay Snake's head. "You see, your head may be level with this end of the pole, but I'm sure your tail no longer reaches the far end."
"It does," Snake said, and Anansi ran to the other end of the pole, and sure enough Snake's tail was even. "But there, you see," Anansi said, "you've eased your head down."
On and on they argued in this way until Anansi said: "I know the solution. I'll tie your tail to this end so you cannot slither up. Then I'll know you're not cheating."
"Go ahead," Snake said confidently. Anansi tied Snake's tail to the pole and ran to the other end. Sure enough, there was Snake's head, reaching beyond the pole.
"You're still cheating," Anansi said angrily. "How can I measure fairly when you keep easing your head forward? You won't stay still!"
"I'm still!" Snake said. "Go on, tie my head to the pole."
And so Anansi did.
"There, you see!" Snake said.
"You're wriggling up and down. I'm sure that my pole is longer."
"Tie my middle then, and you'll see," Snake hissed.
And so Anansi tied Snake's middle to the pole, and as soon as the knot was tight, he lifted the pole over his shoulder, with Snake securely tied to it. He set off at once to find Tiger.
"Here he is!" Anansi cried.
Tiger was amazed. "You outwitted Snake," Tiger said while Snake sniffled and snuffled. "Set me free," he cried.
"But remember your promise, Tiger," Anansi said.
Tiger remembered, and ever since that day, all the stories have been called Anansi stories, and Snake has never let anyone try to measure him again.
The second book collection of wonderful tales from "Tell Me a Story" is available for $14.95, plus $3.50 for postage and handling. Send your orders to "The Spectacular Gift," in care of Andrews McMeel Publishing, P.O. Box 419242, Kansas City, MO. 64141; or call (800) 642-6480. Be sure to indicate your newspaper's name on your order. Allow three to four weeks for delivery.
TELL ME A STORY: The Snake's Prophecy (a tale from Russia)
Once upon a time, a king awoke suddenly from his sleep. He had just dreamed the strangest dream, and because he could not understand its meaning, he sat up and worried awhile. Then he called his wise men to his chamber. "I dreamed ... [Read More...]
SOUND GARDENER: Of beetle mania: a garden fable
A man was raking in his garden one warm, spring evening when he uncovered a large blue-black beetle. As he raised his foot to crush the unfortunate insect, the bug cried out, "Spare me and I'll grant you three wishes." Looking around first ... [Read More...]
TELL ME A STORY: The Tengu's Coat (a Japanese tale)
No one can trick a Tengu, those fantastic, long-nosed goblins with feathered wings. They may look ridiculous in their funny clothes, but they possess extraordinary magical powers, and anyone who has ever tried to trick a Tengu knows that those tricks have a ... [Read More...]
TELL ME A STORY: A Time for Silence (a tale from Serbia)
Once upon a time, as a poor man was walking through the forest, he came upon a fiercely burning fire. A young snake was caught right in its center, a rock upon its tail. "Please save me," the snake called to the man. ... [Read More...]
TELL ME A STORY: Anansi's Boast (an West African tale)
Everybody knows about Anansi, half-spider, half-man, the slyest of tricksters, that fellow who forever brags. Long, long ago, when the world was brand-new, Anansi was even more boastful than he is today. One day he began to stroll around boasting that he was ... [Read More...]