I grew up hearing stories of Ananse, so it did not occur to me that he might be a stranger to many.
I told an Ananse story to some children of friends a few days ago. They had never heard of him. They wanted more stories and I was thrilled to give them what they wanted.
I could not have asked for a better audience. They laughed and yelled and asked many questions. More than anything, they wanted to know more about Ananse.
They just loved that he could do anything and many times, get away with it because he was so clever. They loved it even more when he got his just punishment!
So, before I post another Ananse interview, I think an introduction to this character is in order.
A long time ago, chickens had beautiful mouths that were wide, soft and full. Now, they have pointy mouths that are not so pretty because of the actions of one rooster.
The story starts with Kweku Ananse, the trickster. He did not do anything tricky in this story though. Everything that happened to the rooster was really his own fault.
The first of the books I hope to complete in the 100-day challenge is nearly ready. This would be the fifth book in my African Fireside Classics series. It’s entitled, How Elephant Lost His Bottom and Other Ananse Stories. Here’s the ebook cover!
It’s going through the final proofing before release. I will post a formal announcement when it is approved for sale in all the major online bookstores.
I am just coming off of a challenge to write 100 stories in 100 days. I did not make it to 100 stories, I got to 61. Am I disappointed? Only a little. To tell the truth, I am quite thrilled.
