CONTENTS
Reading edition
PAGE
INTRODUCTION 11
I. ANANSI, OR SPIDER, TALES
I. HOW WE GOT THE NAME ‘SPIDER TALES’ 29
II. HOW WISDOM BECAME THE PROPERTY OF THE HUMAN RACE 33
III. ANANSI AND NOTHING 35
IV. THUNDER AND ANANSI 39
V. WHY THE LIZARD CONTINUALLY MOVES HIS HEAD UP AND DOWN 45
VI. TIT FOR TAT 51
VII. WHY WHITE ANTS ALWAYS HARM MAN’S PROPERTY 55
VIII. THE SQUIRREL AND THE SPIDER 59
IX. WHY WE SEE ANTS CARRYING BUNDLES AS BIG AS THEMSELVES 63
X. WHY SPIDERS ARE ALWAYS FOUND IN THE CORNERS OF CEILINGS 69
XI. ANANSI THE BLIND FISHERMAN 73
XII. ADZANUMEE AND HER MOTHER 77
XIII. THE GRINDING-STONE THAT GROUND FLOUR BY ITSELF 81
XIV. “MORNING SUNRISE” 85
XV. WHY THE SEA-TURTLE WHEN CAUGHT BEATS ITS BREAST WITH ITS FORE-LEGS 87
XVI. HOW BEASTS AND SERPENTS FIRST CAME INTO THE WORLD 89
XVII. HONOURABLE MINŪ 95
XVIII. WHY THE MOON AND THE STARS RECEIVE THEIR LIGHT FROM THE SUN 97
II. MISCELLANEOUS TALES
XIX. OHIA AND THE THIEVING DEER 105
XX. HOW THE TORTOISE GOT ITS SHELL 115
XXI. THE HUNTER AND THE TORTOISE 119
XXII. THE TAIL OF THE PRINCESS ELEPHANT 123
XXIII. KWOFI AND THE GODS 129
XXIV. THE LION AND THE WOLF 131
XXV. MAKU MAWU AND MAKU FIA 133
XXVI. THE ROBBER AND THE OLD MAN 139
XXVII. THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM 141
XXVIII. WHY THE LEOPARD CAN ONLY CATCH PREY ON ITS LEFT SIDE 145
XXIX. QUARCOO BAH-BONI 147
XXX. KING CHAMELEON AND THE ANIMALS 155
XXXI. TO LOSE AN ELEPHANT FOR THE SAKE OF A WREN IS A VERY FOOLISH THING TO DO 159
XXXII. THE UNGRATEFUL MAN 163
XXXIII. WHY TIGERS NEVER ATTACK MEN UNLESS THEY ARE PROVOKED 167
XXXIV. THE OMANHENE WHO LIKED RIDDLES 171
XXXV. HOW MUSHROOMS FIRST GREW 177
XXXVI. FARMER MYBROW AND THE FAIRIES 181