Anansi and the Sky-Box of Stories

Long ago, all the stories in the world belonged to Nyame, the Sky God. Anansi the spider wanted them more than anything. 'How much for the stories?' he asked. Nyame laughed. 'You must bring me three impossible things: a python longer than a palm tree, hornets that sting like fire, and a leopard with teeth like knives.' Anansi smiled to himself. He was small, but his mind was bigger than any leopard's roar.

First, Anansi found Python. 'Friend Python,' he said, 'my wife says you are shorter than a palm branch. Surely that is not true.' Python's pride flared. 'Stretch me beside one and see!' Anansi tied him gently to the branch from head to tail. The knot held. The python was caught.

Next, Anansi tricked the hornets into a gourd by pretending it was raining, and lured the leopard into a deep pit dug with vines. By sunset, he climbed back to the sky. Nyame, amazed, gave him every story. That is why we say: when you hear a tale, it is one of Anansi's stories.