Anansi the Spider is an African trickster. Enslaved African storytellers brought Anansi’s stories to the Americas, and the Anansi stories in this book come from the Caribbean: from Jamaica, Antigua, Grenada, and more. Anansi’s main enemies are Tiger and Lion (think Caribbean big cats, like ocelots and mountain lions). Anansi has friends too, like Dog and a character named Tacoomah. But beware: it’s dangerous to be Anansi’s friend. Anansi will trick his friends or even his family to get what he wants. He is cunning and also cruel; ingenious, but greedy. Musician, magician, fearless, reckless: Anansi is full of surprises.

The paragraph you just read about the trickster Anansi is 100 words long, as is this paragraph, and that’s also the length of each story in this book. The stories go fast, but you can slow down when you find one you like. Read it again. Let it sink in. Maybe even write your own version of the story, using your imagination to add more details. Meanwhile, if you don’t like a story, don’t get bogged down; just move on to the next one. There are more 100-word stories about Anansi, along with stories from other cultural traditions, at:
100Words.LauraGibbs.net