1. Slide 1
How Anansi Brought Stories to Earth
A Tale from Africa
What are some of your favorite stories? Why are stories fun to share with others?
Long ago, there were no stories on Earth to hear and no stories on Earth to tell. The king of the sky, Nyame, kept all the stories for himself. He would not let anyone on Earth have them.
Anansi the Spider knew that without stories, creatures on Earth could not explain the beginnings or endings of things, or how things worked. So Anansi spun his way to the sky to try and get stories.
“Nyame,” called Anansi when he reached the sky. “I have come to bring stories down to Earth.”
“I won’t give the stories to just anyone,” Nyame said. “First you must prove to me that you are worthy of the stories. You must bring me the squeezing snake, the sharp-toothed leopard, the stinging hornet, and the fairy who is never seen. Then I will give you the stories.”

2. Slide 2
How Anansi Brought Stories to Earth
A Tale from Africa (Cont.)
So clever Anansi went to the forest to contemplate. How could he catch even one of those creatures? He thought and thought and came up with a plan.
First he went to the river home of the squeezing snake. He cut a long stick from a tree and placed it where the snake could see it.
“Snake,” called Anansi. “You think you are the longest thing in the forest. But look, this stick is longer! Surely it is stronger, too!”
When the snake saw the stick, he stretched out beside it to show off his own length. Anansi quickly spun a web around the snake and the stick, and pulled the snake up into the sky.
When Nyame saw the snake, he shook his head. “The snake is not enough,” he said. “You must bring me more.”
So Anansi went to look for the sharp-toothed leopard. When Anansi found the leopard’s home, he dug a hole nearby and covered it with branches. On the way home, the leopard fell in. This was not a coincidence! Clever Anansi planned it that way.
“Leopard,” said Anansi, placing a branch in the hole. “Climb up the branch. I will help you out.” But when the leopard got to the top, Anansi spun a web around her and pulled her up into the sky.

3. Slide 3
How Anansi Brought Stories to Earth
A Tale from Africa (Cont.)
Again Nyame shook his head. “Not enough,” he said.
So Anansi returned to earth to catch the stinging hornet. He found an empty gourd and brought it to the hornet’s nest. Then he sprayed the nest with water, and the stinging hornet came out.
“Hornet,” said Anansi. “Why stay in a leaking nest when you can come into this new dry home?” So the hornet flew into Anansi’s gourd, and the clever spider trapped him inside and took him to Nyame.
Nyame could hear the hornet inside the gourd, but he shook his head. “Not enough,” he said. So Anansi went back to Earth.
Now Anansi knew he would have to come up with a clever scheme to catch the fairy who is never seen. So he carved a tiny doll from wood and covered it with sticky tree sap. Then he placed the doll in the bushes where the fairy liked to play.
“Good morning!” the fairy said when she saw the doll in the bushes, but the doll did not reply. “Good MORNING!” the fairy said again. When there was still no reply, the fairy hit the doll on the head. PA! And the fairy’s hand stuck to the doll.
“Got you!” cried Anansi. And he spun a web around her.

4. Slide 4
How Anansi Brought Stories to Earth
A Tale from Africa (Cont.)
When Anansi took the fairy up to the sky, Nyame was amazed. He lined up all four creatures in front of him and smiled. Then he spoke. “The squeezing snake, the sharp-tooth leopard, the stinging hornet, and the fairy who is never seen. Anansi is the cleverest and smartest creature on Earth. He is worthy of the stories!”
So Nyame gave Anansi the stories and sent him back down to Earth with the four creatures. Then Nyame called out in a loud voice that rang across the sky, “From this day on, the stories belong to Anansi. We will call them ‘Spider Stories.’ They will be shared by all the creatures on Earth!”
And that is how stories came to Earth. From that day on, Anansi and his children spread the stories far and wide. And they are still telling the stories today. If you look carefully you can see them spinning their webs all over the world as they tell the stories to storytellers who might then tell them to you.
Unit 3, Week 5
1. What animals amaze you?
2. What clubs or groups do you belong to?
3. Which would you call a coincidence, a child just your age moving next door or getting a good grade on a test you studied hard for? Why?
4. What have you contemplated doing when you grow up?
5. What can you say when you’re offered food but you’ve already had enough to eat?
6. Explain how you make your favorite sandwich.
7. What vegetable do gourds look like?
8. What do hornets do when they’re angry or afraid?
9. What is your scheme for getting to school on time?
10. Who do you think is worthy of praise? Why?