Anansi and the Melon Story: Once upon a time, there was a tiny spider named Anansi. Anansi loved sweet things, especially the yummy melons in Goat’s garden. Goat worked hard to grow his melons, but Anansi was a bit lazy. He just wanted to eat!
One sunny day, when Goat went inside for a nap, Anansi saw a big, round melon. “That looks yummy!” he thought. He made a little hole in the melon and crawled inside. He ate and ate until his tummy was so full, he couldn’t move.
“Oh no!” said Anansi. “I’m too big to get out!”
He tried to squeeze through the hole, but he was stuck. He had to wait. While he waited, he got bored and thought of a silly trick.
When Goat came back to his garden, Anansi yelled from inside the melon, “Ouch!”
“Who said that?” Goat asked, looking around.
“Me, the melon!” said Anansi.
Goat was surprised. “Melons can’t talk!”
“Yes, I can!” said Anansi. “I’m a talking melon!”
Goat thought, “A talking melon! I must show the Queen!” He picked up the melon and went to the palace.
On the way, he met Rattlesnake. “Where are you going?” she asked.
“I’m taking this talking melon to the Queen!” Goat said.
“That’s silly,” said Rattlesnake.
“As silly as a grumpy Rattlesnake,” said Anansi from inside the melon.
Rattlesnake was mad. “Who said that?”
“The melon!” said Goat.
“Wow! I want to see!” said Rattlesnake.
When they got to the palace, Goat said to the Queen, who was a very tall Ostrich, “Look! A talking melon!”
The Ostrich Queen said, “Talk, melon!”
But Anansi stayed quiet.
“Talk, melon!” she said again.
Still, Anansi was quiet.
“What a silly melon!” the Ostrich Queen said.
“Silly!” said Anansi from inside. “You’re talking to a melon! That’s balance!”
The Ostrich Queen got very angry. She threw the melon! It hit a tree and broke. Anansi crawled out, thin again.
“I’m thin!” he said. He ran up a banana tree.
Goat went back to his garden. “I’m never listening to a melon again!”
“Good idea!” said Anansi from the banana tree. “Talking melons make trouble!”
Moral: It’s not nice to trick people. Being honest is much better, and tricks can get you into trouble!”
