Anansi and the God of Rain

In the village where Anansi the spider lives, there was once a long drought. No rain fell for years, until finally the people of Anansi’s village were crying out for water.

“Don’t worry,” said Anansi. “I will go to the rain god and persuade him to relieve this terrible drought.”

So Anansi went up to heaven to speak to Shango, who controls the rain and the clouds, and he told Shango how the people of his village were thirsty and needed water.

“Please, give us some rain,” Anansi begged. “I am a crafty spider, and I will use my cleverness to help you with anything you want in return.”

Shango thought about this, then answered, “I will give your village water if you bring me a tooth from the Jaguar of the Eastern Jungle.”

“I can do it quite easily,” said Anansi, “but it will take time, and I fear the villagers may die of thirst before I return.”

Shango nodded. “In that case I will give them rain now, and wait for your return. But,” he warned, “if you do not bring me a tooth from the Jaguar of the Eastern Jungle one year from now, I will catch you and never let you go free again.”

Anansi set out for the Eastern Jungle. He passed through his home village on the way and was drenched with rain. All the villagers were dancing in the rain to celebrate the end of the drought, from Old Mother Ekwefi who had no teeth and hadn’t danced since she was a young woman, to the little children, some of them no older than you are, who splashed in the puddles and played games together.

When Anansi got to the Eastern Jungle, he called to the Jaguar. But when he saw how big the Jaguar was, Anansi was scared that the Jaguar would eat him, so he ran away.

When it came time for Anansi to go back to the rain god Shango, he still hadn’t thought of a way to get the Jaguar’s tooth, so he didn’t go to meet him.

Shango, remembering that this was the day Anansi had promised to bring him a tooth from the Jaguar of the Eastern Jungle, called out in a big, booming voice across the world, “Anansi, where are you?”

Anansi called back, “I am here, next to the sun.”

Shango looked and looked at the sun, and he couldn’t see Anansi, who was hiding under a stone. Shango realised, finally, that Anansi wasn’t next to the sun, and looked away. But all that looking at the sun had burned a little blind spot in Shango’s eye, so when he looked for Anansi, Anansi would hide in the place Shango couldn’t see. These days, Shango will still go looking for Anansi sometimes, but he never finds him because of that blind spot in his eye. So if you see a little spider running around, faster than the wind can blow, that’s just Anansi, trying to stay in Shango’s blind spot.