As the sun sets over a garden in Jamaica, the children visit Mr. Kwaku for a story. All they know is that he is full of stories from the land of his ancestors, Ghana.
But what they don't know, Kwaku winks, is how their ancestors got those stories in the first place. Long ago, all stories belonged to Niam, the all-seeing sky god.
People on earth were bored and didn't know anything about their history. But one creature decided enough was enough.
Anansi, the elusive, shape-shifting spider, is determined to bring the stories to Earth. He spun a web that stretched into the clouds and ascended to face the sky god.
Bowing at Nyame's feet, Anansi screamed at the top of his lungs that he had come to take ownership of the world's stories.
Looking Down From Her Golden Stool
Niamh chuckled at the spider's ridiculous request. Nyame tells Anansi that he can have all the stories he wants—but only if he can complete an impossible task.
If Anansi brings him Osbo the Leopard, Oni the Python, Moboro the Hornet, and Mutia the Forest Spirit, he can take the stories. Annan humbly accepted.
Niamh didn't see him laughing as he walked away. Back on Earth, Anansi grabs his magic bag and gets to work.
Anansi Finds Oni Sunbathing The Python
Anansi quipped that Oni couldn't be the tallest animal, saying that he looked no more than a piece of bamboo stick.
Enraged, Onini stretched himself on the bamboo to prove his height. Anansi quickly tied it tightly at each end and put it in her bag.
Next, Anansi dug a large pit in the middle of the path where the leopards usually roamed, and covered it with banana leaves. Of course, the powerful Osibo soon fell in.
Anansi scolds Osbo for his recklessness, but offers to save him. As he helped Osbo out of the pit, Anansi quickly stabbed him with her knife.
Osibo falls back to the ground where Anansi severely wounds him in a spider's thread. Then, Anansi heard the calls of Mamboro and his hornets.
He Approached Them Cautiously
It would be difficult—their stings could make one swell up and die—but Anansi knew they hated the rain.
He filled his mouth with water and spat on the crowd. As they panic, Anansi urges the Hornets to take refuge in their gourds, where they find themselves trapped.
Anansi had one more task: to capture Mammothia, the passionate and mischievous forest spirit. She usually hid herself in the forest, but Anansi knew she was alone.
So she made a little doll and left it on her way. When she came upon him, Mammothya spoke to the doll but became angry when she did not respond.
He stroked the dishonored doll and his small fists clung to its sticky surface. Anansi wrapped Mammothia tightly and carried him in his bag with the other creatures.
Triumphantly, He Hoisted His Web Back Into The Clouds
When the sky god saw that Anansi had accomplished the impossible task, he was amazed.
Nyame tells Anansi that he has obtained the stories of the world. Dancing for joy, Anansi gathers them, stuffs the stories into her bag, and descends to the ground.
There, he scattered the stories for people all over the world to share. And they did, Kwako tells the children.
After being stolen from Africa and enslaved, generations have continued to tell and re-imagine the stories of Onansi.
Anansi may be small, but "clever is better than strong," says Kwaku, and tells the children to take Anansi's stories with them wherever they go.
Looking at his audience, Kwaku knows that Anansi will endure as a symbol of resourcefulness and resistance in the face of oppression, and a testament to the enduring power of storytelling.
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