Fables and Stories: Supplemental Guide 10A | All Stories Are Anansi’s 173 Show image 10A-6: Leopard hanging from a willow tree
Anansi cut the cords that were holding the tree down. The tree sprang
back to its original position, carrying Osebo with it. Osebo dangled
from the tree, tangled up in Anansi’s web-work.“Now you are caught!” said Anansi. Anansi tightly tied the ends of the
web and dragged Osebo the leopard to Nyame.Now the sky god was impressed. “That is two things,” said Nyame.
“Only one thing remains.”[Ask students: “What is the one thing that remains?” (the hornet)]
Anansi went back to Earth to capture Mmoboro, the hornet whose
sting burned like a needle of fire. He cut a gourd from a vine and
hollowed out the inside. Then he filled the gourd with water and went
to the nest where Mmoboro the hornet made his home. Show image 10A-7: Hornet’s nest
Anansi poured some of the water in the gourd over his own head.
Then he dumped the rest of the water on the hornet’s nest. Mmoboro
the hornet came out, buzzing angrily. He saw Anansi standing nearby,
holding a leaf over his head.“Oh, my!” said Anansi. “The rainy season seems to have come early
this year, and it looks like you have no shelter from the rain.”[Ask students whether it is really raining. Ask students what Anansi is doing to
trick the hornet.]
“Why don’t you take shelter in my gourd until the rain goes away?”
suggested Anansi.“Thank, you, Anansi,” said Mmoboro the hornet, as he flew into the
gourd.“You’re welcome!” said Anansi, as he closed up the opening in
the gourd with his leaf and fastened the leaf with his finest, most
intricately laced web yet.“Now you are caught!” said Anansi.Anansi proudly carried Mmoboro the hornet to Nyame.“That is the last thing,” proclaimed Nyame. “You have succeeded,
Anansi, where many before you have failed. You have paid the price.”