ANANSE AND THE KING’S DAUGHTER. PART 1.

“ Nana Nyansa, of Nyansaye Town” had only one child, a beautiful girl called Adiefe. The king would not like to see his beautiful daughter leave the palace so he decided that he could give her away only to a man who could to drink a cup of boing water and remain alive. Many young men have tried and died.  Ananse bravely decided to try, but nana thought that he would die just like the other before him.

Adiefe was to stay in the palace forever. Nana was very happy that. He turned to his elders to read the feelings on their faces. Ho! Aren’t you happy that Adiefe’s going to stay in our palace forever? he asked liked a fool.

           Before they could answer, Ananse came out of the crowd, Walked boldly to the platform and stood before Nana and his elders. I’m going to drink the cup of drinking water and live to marry your beautiful daughter. Please give me the cup, he said.

          Did Nana hear these words how could he believe that a thing as ugly as Ananse would dare ask to marry his daughter? Was Ananse mad or foolish or both? No wonder Ananse had not been told in plain language how ugly he looked.

        The on-looker whispered to one another, ‘what an ugly creature’. Will the vulture dare come near a parrot? Does the frog crock when the nightingale sings? Does the moon pops out its face when the sun pops from the east? “Surely, he’s too ugly to think of winning the beautiful girl,” one young man said angrily.

       Nana and some of the elders were equally angry. The king said, “Ananse you are insulting me with your desire to drink the boiled water. I know you are going to die anyway, but I don’t want to see you try. Leave this palace at once you ugly thing!”

      A few of the elders asked the king to stand by his word and stick to the condition. He would appear foolish if he changed his mind. And so Nana, unwillingly gave in. Ananse was expected to die as some had done before him.

Adiefe shook her beautiful head, sadly. She did not like the idea of Ananse taking up the challenge. How could she be happy if she were to be married to such an ugly creature such as Ananse? The queen did not like the idea either. ‘What an ugly son-in-law for a queen!’ she said.

          To be frank, Ananse was too ugly for a young lady as beautiful as Adiefe. He was lean and seemed to be suffering from AIDS. A thin neck painfully carried his big head. His stomach was very big and round like a balloon. His waist was as thin and as weak as a mushroom. Should a pig ever try to do what a horse can do? Could he, Ananse, the son of a slave ever dare to rub shoulders with a prince?

         Nana wished he could take back his own words and change the condition but he could not. A king ought to behave like a king and keep his word.

         Ananse took the cup of boiled water and bowed as gracefully as his ugly shape could allow him. He smiled. Then he lifted the cup and said, slowly and calmly ‘Nana look…’