First one is How We Got the Name "Spider Tales." From the tale, I was amazed how many mythology that I have read so far, had a head of the gods. For example, Zeus from the Greek mythology, and Ra from the Egyptian Tales. Just like both tales, from African tales,Nyankupon was the head of the gods.
"IN the olden days all the stories which men told were stories of Nyankupon, the chief of the gods. Spider, who was very conceited, wanted the stories to be told about him."
I like how wise the spider of the story was. Although he was tricking others to accomplish his goal, it was his ability to be clever. "Spider immediately did so. Having thus made the tiger helpless, he led him straight to Nyankupon's house. Nyankupon was amazed at Spider's cleverness in fulfilling the three conditions. He immediately gave him permission for the future to call all the old tales Anansi tales."
Second story is Anansi and nothing.
I think this story was so interesting because the story was telling how phrase 'cry for nothing' was produced. Anansi in this story is also the same character for the spider from the spider tales. He got the approved of his story because he could trick others and accomplish the task that Nyankupon gave.
From this story, Anansi did same to get what he desired. The wives. He tricked "nothing' a rich man so he would have no hard time finding the women.
"Nothing, being a rich man, wore a very fine velvet cloth, while Anansi had a ragged cotton one. While they were on their way Anansi persuaded Nothing to change clothes for a little while, promising to give back the fine velvet before they reached the town. He delayed doing this, however, first on one pretext, then on another—till they arrived at their destination."
I like how people judge Anansi with his clothes, while Nothing was a rich man who had many things that Anansi did not have.
"Nothing's wife was queen over the whole district and had everything her heart could desire. Anansi's wives could not even get proper food; they had to live on unripe bananas with peppers."
The 'cry for nothig' was created by Anansi and his trick once again. He maybe clever but he only cared about himself.
"His wife was terribly grieved at his untimely death. She boiled many yams, mashed them, and took a great dishful of them round the district. To every child she met she gave some, so that the child might help her to cry for her husband. This is why, if you find a child crying and ask the cause, you will often be told he is "crying for nothing."
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