All stories are Anansi stories. For Anansi is on them one way or the other, as he is the King of Stories.

   But that came about when Anansi looked around and saw his father Nyame on the sky. Struck by boredom he made up a plan to steal from his father a box full of stories.

   He then spun a silk thread to climbed up to the skies and there he said “Father please give me thy box of tales for the people to enjoy”.  Impressed by his son’s bluntness, Nyame set up a series of tasks he deemed impossible in order to give the illusion that he was willing to part with the box. Anasy was to bring him four wonderful and fearsome creatures; Onini, a huge python, Osebo, a hungry leopard, the deadly Moboro Hornets, and the invisible fairy Mmoatia who was famous for her pride, greed, and quick temper.

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   As Anansi left with confidence, Nyame made himself comfortable and pleased with the impossible challenge he had created.

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   The confidence was but acting and Anansi himself wondered how he would perform the feat, so he chose to rely on his best trait – trickery. He soon devised plans and started on them.

First, he went to Onini’s lair and pretended to argue with himself.  “Is not!”, “Is so!” going back and forth like that he captured the python’s interest. “What do you do there Anansi?” And the trickster told Onini that his wife said the stick he was holding was longer than the snake, while he thought the snake was longer. To prove his greatness, Onini suggested that he could stretch himself next to the stick and end the doubts and to this Anansi advised that since it was difficult for the snake to stretch his curves to the full length of the stick, they should tie him to it or he might not be longer. Onini agreed, and that is how he capture the first of the great creatures.

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   Next was Osebo of the legendary strength. Right by Osebos’s lair he dug the deepest pit and concealed it. Come next morning, he found Osebo trapped in it. In fake pity he spun a rope from his webs and in this offered his help. When Osebo began climbing, he became entangled in the web and the more he struggled the more helpless he became until finally he could not move. And that’s hoe Anansi used Osebo’s strength to capture him.

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   Then for the hornets he made a hole in a pumpkin and small plug. Afterwards he gathered water and poured half on himself and half on the hornet’s nest destroying it. When the Mmoboro hornets flew out, Anansi exclaimed that the rains had come early, and that the hornets could find shelter in the pumpkin. The first flew in, and the rest of them followed closely and Anansi trapped them in with the plug. This is how he used the hornets strength in numbers against them.

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   Lastly came the greatest task. To trap the crafty fairy Mmoatia he would have to use her know weakness, yam paste. For this Anansi crafted a gum baby, attached a line to its head, and set a bowl of yam paste into its lap. Soon Mmoatia came along and saw the yam paste. She could not resist it and asked the gum baby for permission to have some. Anansi pulled the web, making the gum baby agree with it’s head. Mmoatia ate it all and once finished she thanked the baby. This time, Anansi did not pull the web. Annoyed, Mmoatia thanked the gum baby again, who remained silent. She in turn became very angry and slapped the baby. Her hand became stuck in the gum, and she attacked with her other arm, which also became stuck. Her rage took her wits and she attacked with her legs and became fully trapped. And this is how Mmoatia’s pride and anger were used against her.

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   Bringing the final creature to Nyome, Anansi was awarded the box with all the stories in the world.