| In the
beginning, Nyame the Sky God owned all the stories told in the world.
Anansi the spider wanted to own the stories, since everywhere he looked,
there were tales. So he went to Nyame, and asked if he could buy the
stories from him. |
| Now, Anansi
was not the first person to ask Nyame for the right to tell the stories.
Many great and powerful families had petitioned the god, and he had
named a price that none had been able to meet. "There are three
things which I want in exchange for the stories," Nyame said.
"No one has been able to bring them to me before." |
| "I
shall have better luck," Anansi promised. "What are these
things?" |
| "I want
Mmoboro, Onini, and Osebo: the hornets, the python, and the
leopard." |
| "Very
well," Anansi said. "I shall bring them to you." |
| So Anansi
went home. He found a gourd, and made a hole in it. Then he set off for
the hornets' tree. He stopped at the river and splashed himself with
water, and then carried more water to the tree and splashed it on the
hornets. |
| "Can't
you see that it's raining?" he called to the hornets. "Why
don't you foolish people go someplace dry?" |
| "Where
should we go?" they buzzed. |
| "This
gourd is dry," Anansi said, and when all the hornets had flown
inside, he plugged the hole. "Foolish people," he said, and
brought the hornets to Nyame. |
| Next, Anansi
cut a bamboo pole and carried it to Onini's house. When he grew close,
he began muttering to himself. "Stupid woman, stupid woman." |
| The python
heard Anansi, and came outside. "Why are you talking to
yourself?" |
| "My
wife and I had an argument," Anansi sighed. "She says that you
are shorter and weaker than this bamboo pole; I say that you must be
longer and stronger." |
| "Well,
it is a question that is easily answered," Onini replied.
"Bring the pole here." |
| So Onini
stretched out beside the pole. "Stretch more," Anansi said,
and Onini complied. "No, wait, you are slipping," Anansi said.
"Let me tie you to the pole, so that we know the measurement is
accurate." And when he had tied Onini's head to the pole, he ran to
the other end and tied his tail, and wrapped a vine about him. |
| "It
appears that I was wrong," Anansi said to his captive. "You
are shorter and weaker than this pole, and very foolish besides."
And he carried Onini to Nyame. |
| Anansi went
to the forest where he knew Osebo walked. He dug a pit, and covered it
so that even he could barely tell where it was. That night, as Osebo
prowled about, he stepped into Anansi's trap and fell. In the morning,
Anansi peered over the edge of the pit. "Unfortunate
creature!" he said. |
| "I
cannot get out of this trap," the leopard said. "Please help
me." |
| "Well,
I am certainly very sorry for you," Anansi answered. "But if I
helped you out, I'm sure that you would forget my kindness, and as soon
as you grew hungry you would try to eat me and my family." |
| "I
swear that will not happen," Osebo said. |
| "Very
well, then, I believe you." Anansi picked up a rope, and bent a
tree down over the pit and tied it in place. He tied a second rope to
the top of the tree and threw the other end into the pit. "Tie this
to your tail," he instructed. |
| "It is
done," the leopard said after a moment. |
| "In
that case, you are a very foolish creature," Anansi said, and cut
the rope which held the tree down. The tree snapped back into place,
pulling Osebo after it. He hung upside down, twisting helplessly, and
Anansi killed him and brought his body to Nyame. |
| The sky god
was impressed. "You have met my conditions. Henceforth, all stories
belong to you, and the tellers of tales must acknowledge you as the
owner." |
| And that is
how, by using cleverness instead of strength and riches, Anansi the
spider became the owner of all tales that are told. |
