Anansi the Spider

A Small Spider with Big Ideas

In the warm lands of West Africa, people have told stories about a spider named Anansi for hundreds and hundreds of years. Anansi was small — smaller than your hand — and he was not strong. But he was the cleverest creature in the whole world, and he loved a good story more than anything.

In those very old days, there were no stories on the earth at all. Not one. There were no tales to tell at bedtime, no legends to share around the fire, no riddles or songs. All the stories in the world belonged to the great Sky God, who kept them locked away in a golden box high up in the sky.

Anansi thought this was a terrible shame. "Stories should belong to everyone," he said. "I am going to ask the Sky God to sell them to me, so I can share them with all the world."

A Difficult Bargain

So Anansi spun a long, long thread of silk, all the way up to the sky, and climbed it to reach the Sky God.

"Great Sky God," said Anansi politely, "I have come to buy your box of stories, so that all the people of the earth may enjoy them."

The Sky God looked down at the tiny spider and laughed a great booming laugh. "You? You want to buy my stories? Many rich and powerful people have tried, and none could pay my price. What makes you think a little spider can succeed where great chiefs have failed?"

"Just tell me the price," said Anansi calmly, "and I will pay it."

The Sky God smiled a tricky smile, for he was certain the spider could never do what he was about to ask. "Very well. The price for all my stories is this: you must bring me three things. You must bring me Python, the longest snake in the forest. You must bring me the Hornets, who sting like fire. And you must bring me Leopard, with his sharp teeth and terrible claws. Bring me all three, and the stories are yours."

The Sky God laughed again, sure he would never see the spider's price. But Anansi only bowed and said, "I will bring them to you." And down his silk thread he climbed, already making a plan.

Catching the Python

Anansi went to the forest where Python lived. On the way, he cut a long, straight branch from a palm tree. As he walked, he began muttering loudly to himself.

"He is longer. No, he is not longer. He is. He is not!"

Python heard the argument and slithered over. "What are you mumbling about, little spider?"

"Oh, Python," said Anansi, "my wife and I are having a silly quarrel. She says you are longer than this palm branch, but I say you are not nearly so long. I do wish I could settle it."

Python was very proud of his length. "I am far longer than that branch!" he hissed. "Lay it down beside me and you shall see."

So Python stretched himself out straight beside the palm branch. But a snake can never quite hold still, and he kept curling at the ends.

"Hold still, hold still," said Anansi kindly, "or we shall never measure you. Here, let me tie you to the branch so you stay nice and straight." And Python, eager to prove his length, let Anansi wind his silk thread round and round — until the great snake was tied tightly to the pole and could not move at all.

"Thank you, Python," laughed Anansi. "You are exactly long enough — for the Sky God!" And he carried him off.

Catching the Hornets

Next, Anansi went to find the Hornets, who lived in a buzzing nest in a tree. He filled a hollow gourd with water and climbed up. He poured a little water over himself, then splashed the rest all over the hornets' nest.

"Quick, Hornets!" cried Anansi. "A great rainstorm is coming! Look, I am already soaked! Your nest will be ruined and you will all be washed away. Fly into my dry gourd here, where you will be safe!"

The frightened hornets believed him. "Thank you, kind spider!" they buzzed, and the whole swarm flew straight into the gourd. As soon as the last one was inside, Anansi stuffed a leaf into the opening and trapped them all.

"Thank you, Hornets," he chuckled. "You are exactly stingy enough — for the Sky God!"

Catching the Leopard

The last and most dangerous task was to catch Leopard. Anansi knew he could never fight such a fierce beast, so he used his wits instead. He went to the path where Leopard liked to walk and dug a deep, deep pit. Then he covered it over with branches and leaves so that it could not be seen.

That night, just as Anansi hoped, Leopard came prowling along the path — and tumbled straight down into the pit! In the morning, Anansi peered over the edge.

"Oh, poor Leopard!" he said. "However did you fall in there? Let me help you out. I shall bend down a tall tree, and you can hold on to it and be lifted free."

Leopard, who was tired and cross from being stuck all night, agreed at once. But as Anansi pretended to help, he wrapped Leopard in strong silk threads until the great cat was held fast and could not escape.

"Thank you, Leopard," said Anansi. "You are exactly fierce enough — for the Sky God!"

The Stories Come to Earth

Anansi climbed back up to the sky, bringing Python tied to his pole, the Hornets in their gourd, and Leopard wrapped in silk. He laid all three before the astonished Sky God.

The Sky God could hardly believe his eyes. The greatest chiefs in the world had failed, yet this tiny spider had captured all three creatures — using nothing but his clever mind.

"Anansi," said the Sky God, "you are small, but you are wiser than them all. You have paid the price. From this day on, all the stories of the world belong to you."

And so the Sky God opened his golden box, and all the stories spilled out and floated down to the earth. That is why, to this very day, when people tell a clever tale, it is sometimes called a "spider story." And it is why Anansi the Spider is remembered all over the world — the small, weak creature who won the greatest treasure of all, and shared it with everyone.

---

The moral: A clever mind can do what strength alone cannot — and stories are a gift meant to be shared.

Want more myths and legends? Try The Legend of the Northern Lights or The Lion and the Mouse next.