Reading Notes: West African Folktales , Part B

West African Folktales unit from the UN-Textbook
(http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-west-african.html)

Depiction of the spider Anansi

This first tale begins by establishing that the men of the world only told stories of the "chief of gods," Nyankupon. This upset the selfish Spider named Anansi went to Nyankupon pleading to have the men of the world tell stories of him rather than the mighty god. Nyankupon agreed to Anansi's request on one condition, he must bring him three offerings: a jar of live bees, a boa constrictor, and a tiger. Anansi descended onto Earth to begin collecting these three animals for Nyankupon and first went to where he knew a number of bees would be. Anansi began conversing with the bees as he thought they would not be able to fly into his jar that he had brought, but after explaining his deal with Nyankupon, the bees happily flew into his jar. Anansi set out the next day looking for the next offering, a boa constrictor, and grabbed a long stick before coming to a place where one lived. Anansi began feverishly talking to himself claiming that the stick was longer than the snake and then that the snake was the same size repeatedly. The boa constrictor came out of its home to see what the commotion was and asked Anansi what was troubling him. Anansi asked to measure the snake against the long stick he had brought with him and the boa gladly agreed. Once the snake laid himself out next to the stick, Anansi instantly tied the snake to the stick using his webs and promptly sent the second of his offerings to Nyankupon. The next day, Anansi set out for his last offering feeling inspired as he was so close to his goal. He brought with him a needle and thread and after sewing one of his eyes shut, he set out for a tiger den. Upon reaching the den, Anansi began to sing and shout until the tiger came out to see what all the commotion was. Anansi began to ask the tiger if he could see the wonderful sights that he was seeing, but the tiger saw nothing. Anansi explained that after sewing his eye shut that he began to see the most wonderful things, which convinced the tiger to have Anansi sew both of this eyes shut. With the tiger completely blind and helpless, Anansi sent the final of his offerings and returned to Nyankupon. Nyankupon, impressed with all of the tricks that Anansi was able to come up with to obtain such a difficult items, agreed to let all tales of old to be known as Anansi tales.