Anansi

In ancient times, there lived a character whose story has been told for hundreds of years. Whose roguish qualities and playful nature shaped his time and his people. His name was Anansi.

Anansi had a big personality and liked to hear himself talk. He spun wonderful stories that captured the attention of everyone he met. He gestured with drama and accentuated with his wiry arms and long fingers; he was like a spider spinning a web.

People lingered on his every word. They listened patiently when his advice was spot on. His recommendation for curing a cold was well conceived. He made an excellent substitute teacher, as he kept all the kids laughing. And, with his collection of colorful town anecdotes, he was a great tour guide. Anansi even charmed the animals: dogs curled at his feet and warthogs rolled over to have their bellies scratched. Since he had everyone’s ear and fancied himself knowledgeable on just about everything, he also had an opinion on nearly everything too.

When it was time for a town project, he broadcast:

“This place needs a stadium, let me tell you.”

He had a judgment on every wedding match;

“Yeah, they’re much too young,” or, “I tell you who they should marry.”

Even old scholars weren’t immune to his unsolicited advice.

“You’re lecturing chemistry, I’m well read on the subject. You know some say I discovered …” He could easily overtake conversation.

“I hear Anansi reads ten books a day in just as many languages,” speculated a man cooling off with an icy drink.

“No way, he has a melon filled with the wisdom of the ancestors hidden in a tree only he can climb! That’s why he knows so much,” countered the man’s dining companion.

“I think he’s overrated. If he really knows everything, why he is hanging out with us?” joked a playful youth at the bar.

This youth was not alone in their thinking. Probably because they were one of Anansi’s six children. And children are the first to point out when their parents aren’t cool. Anansi’s children were Goliath, Red, Golden Silk, Cam, Wolf, and Taran. Each was talented and hardworking in their own interests.

Goliath was an athlete and stone thrower, Golden Silk a weaver who adorned themselves in trains and capes. Cam was intuitive and sensitive, always feeling things deeply and able to spot trouble from miles away. Red was an expert hunter, butcher, and chef. Wolf was a shrewd builder and engineer, and always looking for ways to make things better and stronger. Little Taran was drawn to water and recorded patterns in rivers and streams.

The children loved their father, but rolled their eyes at his know-it-all nature. Anansi brimmed with knowledge yet didn’t know how to slow down and appreciate the expertise of his children.

“Leave that water nonsense,” he’d say to Taran. “That’ll never get you anywhere. Work on your people skills.”

“Goliath, you’re plenty big, why don’t you push yourself as a wrestler?” he’d say as he posed. “I could have been a professional, I could teach you a thing or two.”

“Cam, you look like a wildebeest, if you focused less on others, you’d have more time for your grooming routine,” he’d preen, touching his own hair.

One day, Anansi went on a journey. His children were grateful for a respite from his know-it-all nonsense. His destination was a long way from home. Of course, Anansi didn’t take advice on how to get there, and naturally got lost immediately.

As the hours wore on and darkness fell, so did Anansi! Right into a deep crevasse. In the crevasse, waiting in the darkness, lay a crocodile. Its jaw unhinged to welcome Anansi. There he sat facing his certain demise, all alone with not a soul to witness his dilemma.

Well, almost alone. For although he was far away, Cam sensed that Anansi was in trouble.

“Father is in danger!” Cam called to the others.

“Are you serious?” Taran complained.

“I’ll bet he went unprepared,” sighed Red.

“How bad is it, does he need help?” Wolf asked.

Cam nodded.

So the six children of Anansi undertook the rescue of their father. Cam divined just how far Anansi had gone and determined where he might be.

“Follow me!” Wolf paved a road with wooden boards and stone slabs.

The way was clumsy with many twists and turns. The six siblings plodded through the night, into dense forest and across a river. Finally, they came upon a jagged array of rocks and boulders, like teeth poking up from the mouth of the earth.

“This is it!” Cam announced. They began to call for their father.

After a while, when no response was heard, the group grew fearful.

“Where is he?” said Red.

“Quiet,” said Goliath. “I hear breathing.”

The group walked to a gaping crack and peered below. There, they discovered a great crocodile. Their father protruded from its open mouth!

“Father, are you OK?” Cam exclaimed.

A muffled affirmative could be heard.

“I think they are both stuck,” Taran spoke up.

“If I could reach in there, I could gently take care of that croc. But I can’t without falling in myself,” explained Red.

“I think I can figure out a way to divert the river we passed. We can flush them both out,” Taran suggested.

With Taran’s direction, the six moved boulders and rocks to divert the path of the river. It was a long haul and even though the night was dark and cold, much sweat was spilt. After several hours, the faint trickle of water could be heard in the once dry area.

The group raced to the crevasse where their father waited in the crocodile. They watched as the river arrived and flooded the crevasse. Soon the crocodile wriggled free and floated up to a level where Red could reach it.

With a swift tug Red wrangled the beast and sat astride it like a horse. The others watched with unease. Red carefully coaxed the crocodile’s jaw open and the rest of the crew pulled Anansi out to safety.

The group were relieved to have their father returned to them. They embraced and patted one another on the back.

“That was incredible!” said Cam.

“Couldn’t have done it without you,” said Wolf.

“You’re a regular croc whisperer,” said Goliath to Red.

“Taran’s the genius,” said Red.

“That was intense,” said Taran.

“Glad that’s over,” said Golden Silk with a sigh.

Anansi, on the other hand, played it off like it was no big deal.

“Not your average walk in the woods, eh?” he boasted.

The rest stared in disappointment.

“Are you not even going to give us a thank you?” Goliath started.

“For what? I was just about to get myself out of that predicament. I was negotiating with the crocodile. You know me, I speak the language of animals.”

The rest of the family let out a collective groan.

Suddenly, a great gust swept over the family. Everyone ducked except for Anansi. Which was most unlucky, because it wasn’t a breeze, it was the draft of a great bird! It was larger than any vulture or eagle and it reached right out and grasped Anansi in its claws.

Anansi wriggled and thrashed, he kicked and pawed at the talons that held him, but to no avail. The bird was strong and it climbed into the air.

“Quick, what can we do?!” shouted Wolf.

“Help me gather stones!” called Goliath.

The team bent along the ground and filled their fists with rocks. Goliath flipped their shirt into a pouch, and all helped fill it with knuckle-sized stones. Then with eyes to the sky, Goliath in a flurry of force pelted the stones in the direction of the bird. The great beast dodged, it swerved, and it dove. Anansi remained in its grip. The bird climbed higher into a shield of clouds.

There was one final stone in the arsenal. Eyes closed, and with a deep breath, Goliath shot the stone like an arrow into the clouds above. The stone made contact, and moments later they heard the cry of a man.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

The sound grew louder and closer and Anansi appeared above them in the sky. He was falling fast.

“Heeeeeeeelp meeeeeeee,” Anansi’s voice cried out.

“Now he wants our help?” an exasperated Wolf let slip.

Swiftly and quietly Golden Silk ran forward, tearing the fabric train from their waist. It was their own design, beautiful flowers and stripes. The fabric billowed in the breeze as Golden Silk ran. The rest of the siblings understood at once what needed to be done.

They raced to the perimeter of the fabric and grabbed hold. Above them Anansi hurtled toward the earth. The six stretched the fabric taut to form a parachute. As soon as they had done so, their father struck the cloth. Anansi bounced in the air and then landed safely onto the luxurious fabric.

Anansi lay in the parachute overwhelmed with gratitude. He cried happy tears, and everyone climbed in beside him. The family held each other. Anansi kissed each and every one of his children.

“How ever did you know how to help me?” Anansi wept as he looked to the sky. “I thought I’d never see your faces again. That I’d miss the wonderful things you do.”

The seven of them lay side by side. A full moon rose above and shone its soothing light upon them.

“What can I give you to repay each of you for the ways in which you have rescued me today?’ Anansi pondered aloud. “If I could, I would pull the moon from the sky for you all.”

“We don’t need anything, Father,” Golden Silk said.

“Speak for yourself,” joked Wolf.

“Seriously, I must give you something!” Anansi insisted.

“Why don’t you let us give to you for a change?” Red said gently.

Anansi went very quiet.

“You can give us the chance to teach you, Father,” Cam added.

Anansi saw the new path he needed to take. “I’ll leave the moon in the sky,” he joked, “and I’ll let my children shine on me for a change.”

In the days and years that followed Anansi was true to his promise. He offered his children the reward of his time as a gracious listener. A “know it not” rather than a “know it all.” Anansi saw that people appreciated listening far more than instructions.

And as for Golden Silk’s torn train, well the family spun a new tapestry. It featured each of them, Anansi too, as gardeners tending an orchard in the mind of a great thinker.

“You can give us the chance to teach you, Father,” Cam added.