Long, long ago, the sky god, Nyame, kept all stories locked in a wooden box, high in the sky.

People down on earth had no stories to tell and they were very sad. They asked Anansi the Spider to help them.

Anansi spun a long thread, and climbed up his sticky thread all the way to heaven. "Can I have the stories, please?" he asked the sky god.

But Nyame laughed at Anansi and said, "Oh, these are very expensive stories. You wouldn't be able to pay for them, little spider."

"How much do the stories cost?" asked Anansi. "You'll have to bring me three rare and fierce animals," Nyame answered.

"Bring a leopard with sharp teeth like spears, a hornet that stings people, and a snake that swallows people whole," said Nyame, laughing. He thought his stories were quite safe.

So Anansi climbed slowly back down his sticky thread to the earth. He thought and he thought, and he came up with a plan.

He dug a deep hole, covered it with branches and dirt so it was hidden. He went home for supper.

In the morning, sure enough, a leopard had fallen into his pit. He was furiously scratching at the side of the pit, but he couldn't get out.

"Oh, let me help you, my dear friend!" said Anansi to the leopard. "Just lie down on these sticks and I'll pull you out."

Anansi wound his sticky web round the leopard and the sticks, and pulled him up to heaven to show the sky god.

But Nyame just laughed and said, "Where are the other two?"

Anansi went back to earth to get the second creature. He thought and he thought and he came up with a plan.

He filled a gourd with water and picked a banana leaf, and then went to the tree where the hornets lived.

He held the banana leaf over his head and poured half the water over himself.

Anansi poured the rest of the water over the hornets' nest. He shouted, "Hey hornets! It is raining! Quick, get inside my gourd and it will keep you dry."

Hornets don't like to get wet, so they all flew into Anansi's gourd.

Anansi quickly spun a web across the opening of the gourd. The hornets couldn't get out, no matter how much they buzzed.

He carried the gourd up to heaven and showed the sky god. But Nyame just said, "Where's the last one?" (He wasn't laughing so much anymore.)

Anansi went down to earth again. He thought and thought and he thought, but he couldn't come up with a plan.

So he asked his wife, who had a very good idea. They found a long thick branch and some strong vines.

Then, they went to the stream where the snake lived, and began to argue. "The branch is longer!"

"No, it isn't!"

"Yes it is!"

Soon the snake came out and asked what the argument was.

"I was arguing with my wife," said Anansi. "She says this stick is longer than you are. But I don't agree."

The snake exclaimed, "Of course I'm longer than that stick! I'm very long! I'm a huge snake! Just put your stick next to me and measure!"

Anansi did that.

And to keep the snake straight, Anansi tied him to the stick with the strong vine.

After tying up the snake, Anansi took him to the sky god.

Nyame had to admit that Anansi had paid his price. He went to his wooden box, opened the lid, and gave all the stories to Anansi.

Anansi carried the stories triumphantly down to earth. He shared them with his wife, and with all the other animals and people.

Stories are for telling, not for keeping in wooden boxes.