Hello, I'm Amanda from Little Angel Theatre, and for today's story I've turned my home into a little jungle.
I love stories. When I was growing up my family would love to share stories about a cheeky spider
called Anansi and the tricks that he played. But have you ever wondered where stories come from?
Well, in today's story we hear about how Anansi brought stories to the world.
Now there are lots of different versions of this story, so I'll share the one that I know.
As legend has it, Anansi saw that the people of the world were bored and restless.
"I know, they need stories! Yes, stories to tell and listen to".
But the Sky God kept all the stories, and there was no way Anansi could trick them away.
So Anansi decided to be very brave and ask the Sky God for her stories.
"Oh great and wise God of the sky, I wish to have your box of stories to take back to the people.
What is your price?"
The Sky God's laughter thundered out, shaking the clouds around.
[LAUGHS]
"Oh little Anansi, my price is much too high for someone like you.
Great princes and rich villages have tried to buy my books but none has been able to pay the price."
"I will pay" said Anansi stoutly, "what is the price?"
"Very well little one, my price is Onini, the Python who can swallow a goat,
Osebo, the leopard with teeth as sharp as spears,
the hornet whose sting is like red-hot needles, and a bad tempered fairy.
Bring to me all of these and my box with all the stories shall be yours."
This was not going to be easy but Anansi had a plan - time to catch a snake.
Holding a big palm stick, Anansi marched through the forest, muttering to himself.
"She's wrong, I know she is"
Suddenly, Onini the Python appeared. "What are you muttering about, Anansi?"
"Oh great Onini, my friend said you're shorter than this palm stick.
I think you're longer but I don't know how to prove I'm right."
[LAUGHS] "It's easy you foolish spider" Jeered the Python as he slithered off the branch.
Lay your stick on the ground and I will lie beside it. Then we shall soon see who is right."
Onini stretched out beside the palm stick. "Mmm.." Anansi said, "you're not quite straight.
"I know, I'll tie you to the stick to make sure"
Once Anansi had tightly tied the Python to the stick, he started to laugh.
[LAUGHS] "You foolish Python, I've got you!"
But when Anansi took the snake to the Sky God she simply said:
"I see what I see. There remains what remains."
Next up, Osebo, the leopard with teeth as sharp as spears.
Anansi dug a deep, deep hole next to the watering hole. It was exhausting work, but Anansi was very determined.
He carefully laid sticks across the hole, covered it with leaves and then went home.
The next day Anansi found a very angry Osebo trying to claw his way up out of the hole.
He looked in and said "Oh, Osebo, why are you in this hole?"
"Doh, you foolish spider" snarled Osebo, "cannot you see I have fallen into a trap?
You must help me to get out".
"But you might eat me" said Anansi, backing away.
"Oh no no no, come back, come back" purred Osebo,
"I promise little one I will do no such thing, if only you will help me".
"Okay I'll help you" said Anansi, and spun a long strong and sticky thread
to reach down into the pit. "Wind this thread around yourself" he called down to Osebo.
Once Osebo had completely wound himself with the thread,
Anansi pulled down the branch of a nearby willow tree and tied the end of the thread to it.
When he let go of the branch, Osebo wooshed up out of the hole and landed with a bump on the ground.
[LAUGHS] "You foolish leopard", chuckled Anansi, "I've got you!"
But when Anansi took the leopard to the Sky God, she simply said:
"I see what I see, there remains what remains".
Now to catch some hornets whose sting is like red-hot needles.
Anansi hollowed out a large calabash, filled it with water,
then cut down a large plantain leaf and went to a hornet's nest.
Anansi poured half the water over his head so he was dripping wet,
then threw the rest of the water over the hornet's nest,
and then held the plantain leaf over his head like an umbrella.
The angry hornets started to swarm out toward him.
"Oh dear, oh dear" said Anansi, "the rains have come early.
Oh you poor creatures, you have no shelter. Come, take cover in my calabash until the storm is over."
"Thank you, thank you Anansi" buzzed the hornets, as they flew into the gourd.
When the last one had entered, Anansi clapped the plantain leaf over the hole,
and wound his silk around it to hold it in place.
[LAUGHS] "You foolish hornets" crowed the spider, "I've got you".
But when Anansi took the hornets to the Sky God, she simply said:
"I see what I see. There remains what remains".
Only one more thing to catch - a fairy.
Anansi carved a wooden doll, then plastered it with sticky gum.
Then he pounded yams into a paste with eggs and oil,
to make a dish called Anno, which fairies love to eat.
Anansi crept very quietly to a clearing where it was said that fairies like to play,
and sat the doll on the grass with the dish of yams beside it.
He spun a fine thread from the doll's head to his hiding place in the trees. Then he waited. Shhh!
A short while later, a fairy fluttered over to the doll.
"Hello friend, may I have some of your anno?"
Anansi pulled the silken thread and the doll's head nodded. "Oh lovely" squeaked the fairy.
And soon the yam was all gone. "Oh thank you" said the fairy.
But the doll didn't move. The fairy tried again, "thank you".
Still nothing. "I said thank you, now answer me or I shall slap you".
The fairy slapped the doll and her hand stuck to the sticky gum.
"Let me go or I shall slap you on the other side" another slap and the fairy's other hand was stuck too.
"Oh let me go or I shall kick you!"
The fairy kicked the doll and her foot got stuck as well.
Anansi lept from his hiding place, and in no time
he had a sticky thread wound round and round the doll and the fairy.
[LAUGHS] "You foolish fairy" whooped the spider "I've got you!"
When Anansi arrived, the Sky God stood and said:
"You have paid my price. Great princes and rich villages have tried and failed,
but you, Anansi, have succeeded".
The Sky God called out loudly:
"Listen to me all you who can hear. Praise Anansi for he has paid the price of the Sky God's stories,
and they shall be given to him. Henceforth they shall be known as spider stories."
The Sky God gave a beautiful wooden box to Anansi,
who had paid the price so that the people would have stories to tell forever.
The end.