ANANSI THE TRICKSTER

**Anansi, the trickster spider, lived in a village where famine and drought were all over the

land, and Anansi had to figure out a way to survive.

**In the same village was a witch named "Five." She hated her name and cast a spell

so that if anyone used her name they would fall asleep for a year.

**Anansi said, "AHA! I will trick someone into saying her name and I'll have food for

my spider family. He had saved a little bit of corn and made five piles out of it. He sat

on one pile and called Mrs. Rabbit, "Hey, Mrs. Rabbit! Would you like some corn for

your children?" Of course Mrs. Rabbit came running.

**Anansi told her, if you tell me how many piles of corn there are then I'll let you have one

of them!"

**Mrs. Rabbit counted, "One-Two-Three-Four-Five." When she said the witch's name she

fell asleep.

**Anansi took the rabbit home to his wife, who cooked it. They had food for weeks.

But as the food was running out, Anansi decided to try his trick again. This time he

chose Mr. Squirrel. Mr. Squirrel counted the piles and he fell asleep just like Mrs.

Rabbit. Anansi took the squirrel home and his family had food for weeks.

**Soon the food was running out again. This time he set his sights on Mrs. Goose.

Now Mrs. Goose knew Anansi was a trickster and not to be trusted. Sitting on his

pile of corn, Anansi told Mrs. Goose to count the piles and she could have them.

Mrs. Goose smiled and counted, "One-Two-Three-Four....and the one your sitting

on!!" Anansi got angry and said, "NO!NO! That's no the way to count! Do it right!"

**Mrs. Goose smiled and counted, "One-Two-Three-Four...and the one you are

sitting on!!" Anansi was so angry he jumped up and down shouting,"NO!NO!

That's not the way to count!! You were supposed to say one-two-three-four-five!"

**As soon as he said the witch's name he fell asleep.

**Not only had Mrs. Goose tricked the trickster, she had......how many piles of corn??