Anansi found a pea lying in the road. Just one little pea.
"I wish I had more," said Anansi sadly, but he planted his pea, and then he waited to see what would happen.
The pea-plant grew and grew.
Then one day Goat wandered by, and he ate Anansi's pea-plant.
"Hey!" shouted Anansi. "That was my pea-plant. You must give me something in exchange."
"Okay," said Goat, and he gave Anansi one of his horns.
Anansi took the horn down to the river to wash it, but the River grabbed the horn and took it away from Anansi.
"Hey!" shouted Anansi. "That was my horn. You must give me something in exchange."
"Okay," said River, and she gave Anansi a fish.
Walking home, Anansi met a woman. "I'm hungry!" the woman said, and she grabbed Anansi's fish.
"Hey!" shouted Anansi. "That was my fish. You must give me something in exchange."
"Okay," said the woman, and she gave Anansi a shirt.
Next, Anansi met a little boy who had no clothes on. "I need clothes!" he said, and he grabbed Anansi's shirt.
"Hey!" shouted Anansi. "That was my shirt. You must give me something in exchange."
"Okay," said the boy, and he gave Anansi his whip.
Then Anansi met a cowherd. "I need that whip to herd my cows!" said the cowherd, and he grabbed Anansi's whip.
"Hey!" shouted Anansi. "That was my whip. I want something in exchange. Give me one of your cows!"
So the cowherd gave Anansi one of his cows.
From the cow, Anansi got milk, and from the milk Anansi got cheese.
Anansi sold the cheese and bought more cows.
Soon Anansi had a herd of cows all his own.
And he started with just one pea!
Inspired by: "The Pea That Made a Fortune" in Anansi and Company: Retold Jamaican Tales by Bish Denham, 2013.
Notes: You can read a very short version of the story here: Anansi and the Pea.
No comments:
Post a Comment