Anansi was the only story not written specifically for Kwasuka Sukela – Footprints, and the only one not to come from the book of African folk tales.  Anansi was the name of the trickster spider, though he was drawn from the culture of West, rather than South, Africa.  His stories  travelled with the slaves to the Caribbean islands, and to America, where they went through a transformation.  In the Southern States, the trickster spider became Aunt Nancy in the Southern US, and  then changed species, becoming Brer Rabbit (whose exploits form part of the Disney movie, Song of the South.)

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               Anansi is weaker than his enemies, so must use his wits to defeat them.  He is the classic underdog, which makes him a particular hero for children, who likewise cannot rely on physical strength.

 

               In this play, Anansi has three tasks to perform, the most memorable being that of the Gum Baby used to trap Mmoatia the fairy..  In its American form, the story becomes that of the tar baby, but my own recollection is that it is a trick played on Brer Rabbit, not by him.