ANANSI AND THE PHANTOM FOOD

It was the dry season. Anansi's people were starving. He told his people that he was going to find food. He left and walked many miles, until at last he saw smoke from a distant village.

When he got there the town was full of cassava--just cassava! One cassava asked, "Would you like us roasted, fried, or boiled? Anansi told them that it didn't matter, so they roasted themselves.

The spider was just sitting down to eat when he saw a column of smoke on the horizon. He asked, "My people, who lives at that far place?" One cassava told him that plantains (bananas) live there. The spider started to leave but the cassavas didn't want him to go. Anansi left anyway.

When he reached the village, the plantains approached him. They all asked if he wanted them roasted, fried, or boiled. He told them it didn't matter because he was so hungry that he would eat them anyway at all. Anansi just sat down to eat when he saw smoke rising from a town near the horizon. He asked who lived there, and the plantains said that the rice lived there. The spider started to leave but the plantains urged him to stay. It was too late, but Anansi left anyway.

Anansi came to the village with the rice. The rice asked if he wanted them roasted, fried, or boiled. He responded with the usual answer. The rice boiled themselves so that he could eat them. Anansi was just beginning to eat when he saw a smoke cloud rising not know who lived there. Anansi took off toward the town thinking that it might be something better than rice.

Anansi walked for a long time. When he finally got to the place, he stopped and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe it! It was his own village! Anansi fainted.

When he woke up his wife gave him a bowl of fish bone soup. He told her his story, but she didn't believe him. No one ever believed him because no one was ever able to go to those villages.

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