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Gold Coast Folklore.

At once all went into the vessel, and the spider shut it and sent it to God.


On the next day he took a long stick and went to a place where he knew a large snake lived. He began by saying these words to himself:

"He is as long as this stick."

"He is not as long as this stick."

He repeated these words several times till the snake came out and asked him what he wanted.

"There has been an argument," said the spider, "in God's town since yesterday that you are not as long as this stick. I said you were, so I pray you will let me measure you. The snake obeyed, and the spider tied and bound him from head to tail and sent him straight to God.


On the next day the spider bought some needles and thread and sewed up his eyes and mouth. He now went to a tiger's path, singing and shouting. Suddenly the tiger came and asked him what he wanted. The spider said: "Don't you see my eyes and mouth? I have never seen anything so fine as this since I was born, and it is good to tell your friend when you get new things, therefore come and try."

The tiger sat down and allowed the spider to sew up his eyes and mouth. He was then quickly carried to God.

That is how we get spider's tales.


III.

A Fanti Tale.

Once upon a time father Kweku Ananse met Ananse Panyin and asked him whether slander was to be preferred to bodily wounds. Ananse Panyin thought a moment and said that bodily wounds were much more grievous than slander. Kweku Ananse contradicted him; they argued and argued, but neither could convince the other. To settle the dispute, Kweku Ananse suggested that he should come to Ananse Panyin's house the next day with a sharpened cutlass and he would allow himself