How We Got The Name "Spider Tales" - This story is about a spider who wants all the stories to be named after him. In order for that to happen he is wise and smart and fulfills all of the chief's wishes. He tricks the bees to get inside the jar, the stick to wrap around a stick, and the tiger to be caught. All of the stories are named after this spider for his cunning creativity.
How Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race - There was once a man who had all the wisdom in the world. He tried to hide it from the world when his son was wise enough to outsmart him. The father threw the pot down on the ground, which broke and then spread throughout the world. Now everyone has some wisdom.
Anansi and Nothing - There were two men, Anansi and Nothing. Anansi was poor and Nothing was rich. They both went to the next town to find wives. Anansi pretended to be rich and Nothing seemed to be poor. The wives they chose were both confused when they saw the truth. Anansi was so mad that Nothing had everything that he planned to kill him. After killing Nothing, Nothing's wife brought out stew to all the children in the town to help her mourn her husband. This is why when a kid cries and people saying that he or she is 'crying for nothing'.
Thunder and Anansi - A starving man went to a near island to find food for his starving family. After not having any luck he found the god Thunder. Thunder heard his tale and gave him a magic pot that would bring everlasting food. He was selfish and hid the pot to himself. His son found it one day and his family tried to get back at him and feed the whole village. The pot melted and Anansi was very upset. He tried to go back to Thunder, but after this he gave Anansi a stick that beat him instead. Anansi learned his lesson.
Tit for Tat - Anansi's son found where all the animals lived. Anansi was jealous that his son was becoming rich off meat. He tricked Anansi and was able to follow him to his spot. Anansi's son got back at him by pretending to be the gods and making Anansi give up all the meat.
Why White Ants Always Harm Man's Property - The leopard, the tiger, and the spider were all tricking each other. In the end, the spider ended up tricking the leopard and the tiger the most making the family of white ants mad. This is why the ants are the ultimate pests of mankind.
The Squirrel and the Spider - A squirrel had harvested a whole field. The spider and his family tricked the squirrel and took all the harvest. In the end a crow took all the harvest and the spider family gained nothing from thieving.
Ants and Their Bundles - Anansi killed the king's dwarf and the king was so mad he made him carry a load. The ant was a nice fellow and held the box until Anansi would come back. He never came back and the ant was left to carry twice his weight for the rest of his life.
Why Spiders are Always Found in Corners of Ceilings - A farmer was selfish and was going to steal all of his harvest for himself and not his family. The son saw that some of the harvest was gone and had the town come and help try to find the thief. The father got stuck in the trap and changed into a spider so they would not know that it was him. That is why spiders are generally in the corners.
The Grinding-Stone - The spider tried to steal the stone that was providing his cousin with food. He tried to carry it and got stuck under it. This is why we often find spiders underneath rocks.
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| West African Folktales |
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