ANANSE AND HIS FISHING FRIENDS

Deer, the chief asked Ananse’s friends whether they had accepted his pleas. All the three said they had accepted to be friends with Ananse again but would not do anything in common with him, because no matter what, Ananse would eventually cheat. The chief told Ananse to shake hands with his friends. After that they all ate food served in one big bowl. The chief smiled and said, ‘This is a sign that you and Ananse have become one again, and I would like this friendship to always exist among you’. The Deer then dismissed them. On the way, Ananse thanked his friends and said he was happy that they had reconciled. While going, the Monkey said, ‘My dear friends, we have been working together as one people to benefit ourselves; we hope. this time we would do things without cheating and with sincerity.

When they got home, the Monkey, who was the senior among them, brought out a big pot of palm-wine which they all drank heartily. They began to chat among themselves about the work they should do next to make some money. The Monkey said they should all suggest something which could quickly give them some money. The Rabbit suggested that they should go into bee-keeping to enable them have some honey and wax for sale. The Grasscutter also suggested that they should go into pottery making’to sell some earthen wares, like pots, kitchen utensils and water coolers. When Ananse was asked of his suggestion, he said he preferred the growing of vegetables which he said were a highly needed food items. The Monkey suggested that all that they had suggested was good, but he preferred they went into fishing which would make them have money more frequently.