ANANSI THE SPIDER BY GERALD McDERMOTT

ANANSI. HE IS "SPIDER" TO THE

ASHANTI PEOPLE.

IN ASHANTI LAND, PEOPLE LOVE THIS

STORY OF ANANSI.

TIME WAS, ANANSI HAD SIX SONS.....

FIRST SON WAS CALLED SEE TROUBLE.

HE HAD THE GIFT OF SEEING TROUBLE A LONG WAY OFF.

SECOND SON WAS CALLED ROAD BUILDER.

THIRSTY SON WAS RIVER DRINKER.

NEXT SON WAS GAME SKINNER.

NEXT SON WAS STONE THROWER.

AND LAST OF SONS WAS CUSHION.

HE WAS VERY SOFT.

ALL WERE GOOD SONS OF ANANSI.

ONE TIME ANANSI WENT A LONG WAY FROM HOME.

FAR FROM HOME.

HE GOT LOST. HE FELL INTO TROUBLE.HE FELL INTO THE RIVER..

A FISH WAS WAITING. GULP !!!

BACK HOME WAS SON SEE TROUBLE.

"FATHER IS IN DANGER!!!" HE CRIED.

HE KNEW IT QUICKLY AND HE TOLD THOSE OTHER SONS.

ROAD BUILDER SON SAID, "FOLLOW ME!"

OFF HE WENT MAKING A ROAD.

THEY WENT FAST, THOSE SIX BROTHERS, GONE TO HELP ANANSI.

"WHERE IS FATHER NOW????"

"FISH HAS SWALLOWED HIM!!!" "ANANSI IS INSIDE FISH."

RIVER DRINKER TOOK A BIG DRINK OF THE RIVER.

NO MORE RIVER.

THEN GAME SKINNER HELPED FATHER ANANSI. HE SPLIT OPEN THE FISH.

MORE TROUBLE CAME RIGHT THEN. IT WAS A FALCON. IT TOOK ANANSI UP

INTO THE SKY.

"QUICK NOW STONE THROWER!!" THE STONE HIT FALCON.

ANANSI FELL THROUGH THE SKY.

NOW CUSHION RAN TO HELP FATHER. VERY SOFT, ANANSI CAME DOWN.

THEY WERE VERY HAPPY THAT SPIDER FAMILY.

ALL HOME AGAIN THAT NIGHT, ANANSI FOUND A THING IN THE FOREST.

"WHAT IS THIS???" A GREAT GLOBE OF LIGHT???"

"O MYSTERIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL GLOBE!!! I SHALL GIVE THIS TO MY SON,"

SAID ANANSI, "TO THE SON WHO RESCUED ME!!!"

BUT WHICH OF THE SIX DESERVES THE PRIZE????

"NYAME, CAN YOU HELP ME?? O NAME!!" CALLED ANANSI.

FOR ASHANTI PEOPLE NYAME IS THE MAKER OF ALL THINGS.

ANANSI ASKED THIS OF NYAME---- "PLEASE HOLD THE BEAUTIFUL GLOBE OF LIGHT

UNTIL I KNOW WHICH SON SHOULD HAVE IT FOR HIS OWN."

AND SO THEY TRIED TO DECIDE WHICH SON DESERVED THE PRIZE.

THEY TRIED, BUT THEY COULD NOT DECIDE.

THEY ARGUED ALL NIGHT.

NYAME SAW THIS. THE MAKER OF ALL THINGS, HE TOOK THE BEAUTIFUL

WHITE LIGHT UP TO THE SKY.

******* HE KEEPS IT THERE FOR ALL TO SEE. IT IS SAID IT IS STILL THERE.

.............. IT WILL ALWAYS BE THERE. IT IS THERE TONIGHT.

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