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West Africa

Anansi Goes Fishing

Anansi, a mischievous spider, tricks Brother Turtle to catch fish for him but learns the value of hard work in the end.
Deception
Patience
Greed
Featured in Fable Book
Anansi the Spider Stories - Anansi Goes Fishing
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time in the heart of the African jungle, there lived a mischievous spider named Anansi. He was known far and wide for his tricks, and he loved nothing more than making the animals in the jungle do his work for him.

One hot sunny day, Anansi grew bored and hungry. He wandered around until he saw Brother Turtle pulling a big, shiny fish from a sparkling river. Anansi's eight legs twitched with excitement, and his belly rumbled loudly at the sight of the fish.

Anansi sauntered over to Brother Turtle, his many eyes twinkling with a new plan. "You're such a fantastic fisherman, Brother Turtle. I've always wanted to learn how to fish, but I have no idea where to start. Could you teach me?"

Brother Turtle, a wise and patient creature, agreed readily. "Of course, I'd be happy to teach you. But remember, fishing requires patience and hard work."

Anansi grinned and nodded, promising to work hard and learn well, although he had a different plan in mind.

The next day, Anansi met Brother Turtle by the river, ready for his first fishing lesson. Brother Turtle taught him how to cast the net, how to spot the best fishing spots, and how to wait patiently for a bite. Anansi watched attentively, pretending to be the most eager student.

Just as Brother Turtle was about to catch a fish, Anansi suddenly cried out, "Oh, look over there!" He pointed towards the bushes where a small rabbit was hopping.

Brother Turtle, startled, looked away, and in that split second, Anansi quickly pulled in the fishing net, hauling in a big, juicy fish. He laughed, thanking Brother Turtle for the fish, and dashed away before Brother Turtle could say anything.

This trickery went on for several days. Each day, Anansi would distract Brother Turtle at the right moment and then quickly pull in the fish, leaving Brother Turtle empty-handed. Brother Turtle, growing suspicious of Anansi's actions, decided to teach him a lesson.

The next day, when Anansi tried his usual trick, Brother Turtle pretended to be distracted. As Anansi reached for the net, Brother Turtle turned around and splashed a bucket of water on him. Startled, Anansi fell into the river, his eight legs flailing in the air.

Anansi managed to scramble out of the river, drenched and embarrassed, with no fish to show for his effort. Brother Turtle laughed and said, "If you put as much effort into learning to fish as you do into your tricks, you would have caught plenty of fish by now."

And so, Anansi learned that there are no shortcuts to hard work, and even the trickiest spider can't always get away with his mischief.

Once upon a time in the African jungle, there lived a clever spider named Anansi. He was known for his tricks and loved making other animals do his work.

One sunny day, Anansi felt hungry. He saw Brother Turtle pulling a big fish from the river. Anansi’s belly rumbled, and he thought of a plan.

Anansi walked up to Brother Turtle and said, “You are such a great fisherman! I want to learn how to fish. Can you teach me?”

Brother Turtle, being kind, agreed. “Sure, but fishing takes patience and effort.”

Anansi nodded, pretending to be ready to work hard, but he had other ideas.

The next day, Anansi met Brother Turtle by the river. Brother Turtle showed him how to cast the net, find the best fishing spots, and wait for a bite. Anansi watched closely but wasn’t really interested in learning.

When Brother Turtle was about to catch a fish, Anansi shouted, “Look over there!” pointing to a rabbit. As Brother Turtle looked away, Anansi quickly pulled in the fish and ran off before Turtle could stop him.

This went on for days. Anansi distracted Brother Turtle every time and took the fish. But Turtle became suspicious and decided to teach Anansi a lesson.

The next day, when Anansi tried his usual trick, Brother Turtle pretended to look away. As Anansi reached for the net, Brother Turtle splashed water on him. Surprised, Anansi fell into the river.

Anansi scrambled out, embarrassed and without any fish. Brother Turtle laughed and said, “If you worked as hard as you tricked, you would catch your own fish!”

Anansi learned that there are no easy ways to success, and even the trickiest spider can’t fool everyone forever.

Once upon a time in the African jungle, there lived a clever spider named Anansi. He was known for his tricks and loved making other animals do his work.

One sunny day, Anansi felt hungry. He saw Brother Turtle pulling a big fish from the river. Anansi’s belly rumbled, and he thought of a plan.

Anansi walked up to Brother Turtle and said, “You are such a great fisherman! I want to learn how to fish. Can you teach me?”

Brother Turtle, being kind, agreed. “Sure, but fishing takes patience and effort.”

Anansi nodded, pretending to be ready to work hard, but he had other ideas.

The next day, Anansi met Brother Turtle by the river. Brother Turtle showed him how to cast the net, find the best fishing spots, and wait for a bite. Anansi watched closely but wasn’t really interested in learning.

When Brother Turtle was about to catch a fish, Anansi shouted, “Look over there!” pointing to a rabbit. As Brother Turtle looked away, Anansi quickly pulled in the fish and ran off before Turtle could stop him.

This went on for days. Anansi distracted Brother Turtle every time and took the fish. But Turtle became suspicious and decided to teach Anansi a lesson.

The next day, when Anansi tried his usual trick, Brother Turtle pretended to look away. As Anansi reached for the net, Brother Turtle splashed water on him. Surprised, Anansi fell into the river.

Anansi scrambled out, embarrassed and without any fish. Brother Turtle laughed and said, “If you worked as hard as you tricked, you would catch your own fish!”

Anansi learned that there are no easy ways to success, and even the trickiest spider can’t fool everyone forever.

In a jungle, where the trees danced and the rivers sang, there was a spider named Anansi, a mischievous fellow with a twinkle in his eye. Think of him as the class clown of the jungle.

One super sunny day, Anansi's tummy rumbled like a tiny drum. "I could eat a whole elephant pie," he told himself. But being a spider, he knew pies weren't on the menu.

Strolling around, he spotted Brother Turtle fishing out a shiny fish that sparkled like a new bike on Christmas morning. Anansi's eight legs did a little jig.

"Brother Turtle!" Anansi exclaimed, walking over as if on a parade. "You're a fishing superstar. Teach me, pretty please with eight cherries on top?"

Brother Turtle, as wise as a grandpa and as patient as a rock, smiled. "Sure thing, but fishing isn't a piece of cake. It's more like baking the cake from scratch. Ready to learn?"

Anansi winked, "As ready as a spider wearing socks!"

They met by the river for lessons. Brother Turtle taught Anansi the art of fishing, as exciting as watching paint dry, but oh-so rewarding.

But Anansi had a cheeky plan. Just as Brother Turtle was about to reel in a fish, Anansi would shout, "Look, a dancing monkey!" or "A bird wearing a hat!" and quickly steal the fish.

After a few days of this trickery, Brother Turtle's suspicion grew like a pumpkin in a fairy tale. It was time to outsmart the smarty-pants spider.

The next time Anansi yelled, "A hippo doing ballet!" Brother Turtle was ready. As Anansi reached for the fish, SPLASH! Brother Turtle splashed him with water.

Anansi tumbled into the river, his legs flailing like noodles in the wind. He scrambled out, wetter than a duck in a bathtub, and no fish to show for his sneakiness.

Brother Turtle chuckled, "Anansi, my friend, if you put as much effort into fishing as you do into your pranks, you'd have fish for days."

Anansi's eyes went wide as saucers, and he realized the truth in Brother Turtle's words. Sometimes, being a class clown doesn't pay off, especially when there's fish to catch.

From that day on, Anansi tried to be more like a spider in a web and less like a spider in a top hat. And the jungle went back to its dancing and singing, with one less mischief-maker causing a ruckus.

Beyond the whispering trees so grand,
Where African jungles spread across the land,
Mischievous Anansi, a spider so sly,
Would trick the animals, oh my oh my!

One day, under the sun’s blazing kiss,
Anansi felt hungry, dreaming of fish.
He saw Brother Turtle, so calm and so wise,
Pull a fish from the river, to Anansi's surprise.

"Brother Turtle," said he, with eyes all aglow,
"Teach me to fish, there’s so much I don’t know!"
Turtle nodded, "I’ll help, but heed what I say,
Fishing takes patience, it’s not child’s play."

They met by the river, the very next morn,
Turtle teaching Anansi, with his old fishing horn.
But Anansi had tricks, up his spider sleeve,
Distracting poor Turtle, a web he did weave.

"Look there!" Anansi would shout and point far,
And while Turtle glanced, Anansi raised the bar.
He’d steal Turtle’s fish, then scamper away,
Leaving Turtle with nothing, every single day.

But Turtle grew wise to Anansi's old trick,
So he hatched a plan, and thought of it quick.
As Anansi reached in, a bucket splash came,
Anansi was soaked, Turtle winning the game!

Spluttering, flustered, Anansi did see,
That tricks don't always bring glee.
Brother Turtle chuckled, his lesson made clear,
"Honest effort, dear spider, is what you should steer."

So in the jungle, where the stories still spin,
Anansi's tale is told again and again.
Of a spider, a turtle, and a river so wide,
And the day tricky Anansi took a wet ride!

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Word Finder

  1. Clever:

    Smart and quick in thinking or solving problems.

  2. Tricks:

    Sneaky actions to fool someone or get something.

  3. Patience:

    Staying calm and waiting without getting upset.

  4. Effort:

    Trying hard to do something difficult or important.

  5. Pretending:

    Acting like something is true when it’s not.

  6. Distracted:

    Made someone stop paying attention to something.

  7. Suspicious:

    Thinking someone might be doing something bad.

  8. Lesson:

    Something that teaches you what is right or wrong.

  9. Scrambled:

    Moved quickly and clumsily to escape or do something.

  10. Embarrassed:

    Feeling shy or bad because of a mistake.

Understanding Questions

  1. What did Anansi ask Brother Turtle to teach him?
  2. How did Anansi trick Brother Turtle to take the fish?
  3. What did Brother Turtle do to stop Anansi from stealing the fish?
  4. How did Anansi feel after falling into the river?
  5. What did Brother Turtle say to Anansi after teaching him a lesson?
Word Finder
  1. Clever:

    Smart and quick in thinking or solving problems.

  2. Tricks:

    Sneaky actions to fool someone or get something.

  3. Patience:

    Staying calm and waiting without getting upset.

  4. Effort:

    Trying hard to do something difficult or important.

  5. Pretending:

    Acting like something is true when it’s not.

  6. Distracted:

    Made someone stop paying attention to something.

  7. Suspicious:

    Thinking someone might be doing something bad.

  8. Lesson:

    Something that teaches you what is right or wrong.

  9. Scrambled:

    Moved quickly and clumsily to escape or do something.

  10. Embarrassed:

    Feeling shy or bad because of a mistake.

Understanding Questions

    What did Anansi ask Brother Turtle to teach him?

    1. How to swim
    2. How to catch fish
    3. How to trick others
    4. How to build a house

    How did Anansi trick Brother Turtle to take the fish?

    1. By pretending to be sick
    2. By offering him a deal
    3. By using a disguise
    4. By singing a song

    What did Brother Turtle do to stop Anansi from stealing the fish?

    1. He swam away
    2. He made a loud noise
    3. He hid the fish
    4. He taught him a lesson

    How did Anansi feel after falling into the river?

    1. Happy
    2. Angry
    3. Embarrassed
    4. Sad

    What did Brother Turtle say to Anansi after teaching him a lesson?

    1. "You are clever"
    2. "You need to be careful"
    3. "Learn from your mistakes"
    4. "Never trick me again"
  1. What did Anansi ask Brother Turtle to teach him?
  2. How did Anansi trick Brother Turtle to take the fish?
  3. What did Brother Turtle do to stop Anansi from stealing the fish?
  4. How did Anansi feel after falling into the river?
  5. What did Brother Turtle say to Anansi after teaching him a lesson?
  1. What are the main themes of the story?
  2. How does Anansi's character develop throughout the tale?
  3. What lessons can be learned from Anansi's actions?
  4. How does the relationship between Anansi and Brother Turtle evolve?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why did Anansi want to learn fishing from Brother Turtle?
  2. How did Anansi trick Brother Turtle to get the fish every time?
  3. What made Brother Turtle realize Anansi's tricks and how did he teach him a lesson?
  4. What do you think Anansi learned from his experience with Brother Turtle?
  5. Can you think of a time when you learned that hard work is more rewarding than taking shortcuts?
Fable Quotes
Deceit may sprint, but honesty wins the race.
Rushing skips lessons that only time can teach.
Greed may feast today, but it starves tomorrow.
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