Anansi had always been a trickster. He always had eight legs but they were not long and thin. They were small and sturdy. Though Anansi’s wife was a very good cook, the spider was greedy and loved to taste other people’s food. One day, Anansi stopped by to visit his friend, the rabbit. “Hmm!” exclaimed the greedy spider as he entered the kitchen, “Those are lovely greens you are cooking, rabbit.” Anansi loved greens. The friendly rabbit asked him to stay for dinner as the greens were not yet cooked. Anansi was tempted but he knew that the rabbit would surely ask him to do some household chores if he stayed. Anansi was very lazy. So, Anansi said to the rabbit, “I have some urgent things to do right away. I will spin a web and tie one end around my leg and the other end around your cooking pot.”
Anansi and the Rabbit
Anansi asked the rabbit to tug on the web when the greens were done and Anansi would come running. The rabbit agreed to this plan, and so they tied one end of the web to the pot and the other end to one of Anansi’s eight legs. Anansi waved his friend goodbye and walked on. After a few minutes, the greedy spider walked past the house of his good friend, the monkey and smelled something delicious. The monkey was preparing beans and Anansi’s tummy rumbled. “That is a lovely meal of beans and honey you are cooking, my friend,” said the greedy spider. “Would you like to join me for dinner?” asked the friendly monkey.“Ah, I wish I could. But I have urgent matters to attend to,” said Anansi, “I will make a web and tie one end around my leg, and you can tie the other to your stove. Pull it when the beans are ready and I’ll come for the dinner.”
“Good idea,” said the monkey and he agreed. So, they tied one end of the web to the monkey’s stove and the other end to Anansi’s leg. Anansi waved farewell and went on his way laughing. Anansi kept walking. On his way, he visited the tortoise, the elephant, the squirrel, the mouse, the fox and the hog. And on each visit, Anansi repeated the same story. At everyone’s house, he tied one end of a web to one leg and the other end to each of his friends’ pots, ovens or stoves. And so, all eight of Anansi’s legs were attached to different cooking pots by long lengths of web. Anansi looked forward to all of the food, especially the hog’s sweet potato and honey dish. He thought that he was very clever and had easily befooled all his friends.
Anansi Stretched
Anansi kept walking, dreaming of all the delicious meals. ‘There are so many lovely meals and no chores. I am smart! I wonder whose food will be ready first.’ At that very moment, Anansi felt one of the lengths of web tug at his leg. ‘That must be the rabbit. His greens are ready!’ thought the greedy spider. As he turned to go to the rabbit’s house, he felt another tug. ‘Oh dear!’ he exclaimed out loud, ‘That must be the monkey with his pot of beans.’ Then another leg was tugged! And another! And another! At the same time all eight of Anansi’s legs were being pulled in different directions! The tugging continued and Anansi did not know what to do. Soon, everyone stopped pulling but Anansi had been stretched in all directions. All eight of his legs had been stretched. Now they were thin and long! From then on, Anansi walked on eight thin legs and never tricked others for food.
