[From West African Folk-Tales by William Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, 1917. See
[From West African Folk-Tales by William Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, 1917. See item #19 in the Bibliography. The illustration is by Cecilia Sinclair.]
There had been a long and severe famine in the land where Anansi lived. He had been quite unable to obtain food for his poor wife and family. One day, gazing desperately out to sea, he saw rising from the midst of the water a tiny island with a tall palm-tree upon it. He determined to reach this tree — if any means proved possible — and climb it, in the hope of finding a few nuts to reward him. How to get there was the difficulty.
This, however, solved itself when he reached the beach, for there lay the means to his hand in the shape of an old broken boat. It certainly did not look very strong, but Anansi decided to try it.
Anansi’s first six attempts were unsuccessful — a great wave dashed him back on the beach each time he tried to put off. He was persevering, however, and at the seventh trial he was successful in getting away. He steered the battered old boat as best he could, and at length he reached the palm-tree of his desire. Having tied the boat to the trunk of the tree — which grew almost straight out of the water — he climbed toward the nuts. Plucking all he could reach, he dropped them, one by one, down to the boat. To his dismay, every one missed the boat and fell instead into the water until only the last one remained. This he aimed even more carefully than the others, but it also fell into the water and disappeared from his hungry eyes. He had not tasted even one, and now all were gone.
He could not bear the thought of going home empty-handed, so in his despair he threw himself into the water too. From the latter came an old man, who asked Anansi what he wanted so badly that he had come to Thunder’s cottage to seek it. Anansi told his tale of woe, and Thunder showed himself most sympathetic. He went into the cottage and fetched a fine cooking-pot, which he presented to Anansi — telling him that he need never be hungry again. The pot would always supply enough food for himself and his family. Anansi was most grateful and left Thunder with many thanks.
Being anxious to test the pot at once, Anansi only waited till he was again seated in the old boat to say, “Pot, pot, what you used to do for your master, do now for me.” Immediately good food of all sorts appeared. Anansi ate a hearty meal, which he very much enjoyed.
On reaching land again, Anansi’s first thought was to run home and give all his family a good meal from his wonderful pot. A selfish, greedy fear prevented him. “What if I should use up all the magic of the pot on them and have nothing more left for myself! Better keep the pot a secret — then I can enjoy a meal when I want one.”
He reached home, pretending to be utterly worn out with fatigue and hunger. There was not a grain of food to be had anywhere. His wife and poor children were weak with want of it, but selfish Anansi took no notice of that. He congratulated himsel