Latest / Sandman Stories Presents / EP 119: Ghana- The Grinding Stone, Why Sea Turtles Beat, How Beasts Came Into The World (W.H. Barker 1917)

Transcript

EP 119: Ghana- The Grinding Stone, Why Sea Turtles Beat, How Beasts Came Into The World (W.H. Barker 1917) · Sandman Stories Presents

• 0:20
  Hello listeners and welcome back to Sandman stories presents.
• 0:25
  Today, we are traveling back to the akan culture in present-day
• 0:28
  Ghana. In the first story, we learn
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  about a grindstone that does the work all by itself.
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  And why little spiders are always found underneath it, In
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  the Second Story, we learn about why sea turtles, always beat
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  their breasts. And in the third story, we learn
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  about how all the creepy crawly and slithery animals came into
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  the world. Okay, let's begin.
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  Story number one, the grinding stone that ground, flour by
• 1:00
  itself. There had been another Great
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  Famine through the land. The villagers look thin and pale
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  for lack of food. Only one family appeared healthy
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  and well, this was the household of a Nazis cousin.
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  Nancy was unable to understand this until it.
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  Sure. His cousin was getting food in
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  some way. The greedy fellow determined to
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  find out the secret. What had happened?
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  Was this spiders cousin while hunting one morning had
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  discovered a wonderful Stone thus told, no lie on the grass
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  in the forest and ground flour of its own accord.
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  Nearby ran a stream of Honey, cofey was delighted.
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  He sat down and had a good meal, not being a greedy, man.
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  He took away with him. Only enough for his family's
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  needs. Each morning, he returned to the
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  stone and got sufficient food for that day.
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  In this manner, he and his family kept well, and plump.
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  While the surrounding villagers were starved and miserable
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  looking. And Nancy gave him no peace till
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  he promised his show him the stone this.
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  He was most unwilling to do knowing his cousin, the Wicked
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  Ways. He felt sure that when a Nancy
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  saw the stone it would not be content to only take what he
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  needed. However, Anansi trouble him so
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  much with questions that at last he promised he told Anansi that
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  they would start the next morning as soon as the women
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  were said about their work and Nancy was too impatient to wait.
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  In the middle of the night, he bade his children to get up and
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  make noise with pots and pans as if there were the women at work
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  spider at once ran in wakened his cousin saying quick, it is
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  time to start his cousin. However, saw he had been tricked
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  went back to bed again saying he would not start to the women
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  were sweeping. No sooner was he asleep again.
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  Then spider made his children. Take brooms and began to sweep
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  very noisily Heroes. Kofi once more saying it is
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  time, we had started once more his cousin refused to set off
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  saying, it was only another trick of spiders.
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  He again returned to bed and to sleep this time, spider slipped
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  into his cousin's room, and cut a hole in the bottom of his bag,
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  which he then filled with ashes after that, he went off and left
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  Kofi and peace. When morning came, the cousin,
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  awoke seeing no sign of spider. You very gladly, set off alone
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  to the forest, thinking he had gotten rid of the tiresome
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  fellow. He was no sooner seated by the
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  stone. However, then announced he
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  appeared having followed him by a trail of Ashes.
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  Aha, he cried here is plenty of food for all no more need to
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  starve. Hush said his cousin.
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  You must not shout here. This place is too wonderful.
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  Sit down quietly, and eat. They had a good meal and Kofi
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  prepared to return home with enough for his family.
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  No, no credit. Uncie I am going to take the
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  stone in vain. Did his friend tried to overcome
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  his greed, Anansi insisted on putting the stone on his head
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  and setting out for the village. Spider spider, put me down, said
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  the stone, the pig, came and drank and went away.
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  The antelope came and fed and went away.
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  Spider spider, put me down spider, however, refused to
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  listen, he carried the Stone from Village to Village selling
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  flour until his bag was full of money, then he set out for home,
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  having reached his heart and feeling very tired, he prepared
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  to put the stone down, but the stern refused to be moved from
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  his head. Ed.
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  It's stuck fast there and no efforts could displace it, the
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  weight of it very soon. Grew too much for Anansi and
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  ground him down into small pieces, which were completely
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  covered by the stone. That is why we often find, tiny
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  spiders gathered together, under large Stones.
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  The end, Okay, and Story number two.
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  Why the sea turtle when caught beats its breast with its four
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  legs many centuries ago? The people of this Earth were
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  much troubled by floods. The sea used at times to
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  overflow. Its usual boundaries and sweep
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  across the low Sandy stretches of land which bordered it time.
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  And again, this happened, many lives being lost at each flood.
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  Mankind, was very troubled to find an escape from this off
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  repeated disaster. He could think of no way of
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  avoiding it. Fortunately, for him, the wise
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  Turtle came to his help. Take my advice said she and
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  plant rows Palms. Along the Seacoast, they will
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  bind the sand together and keep it from being washed so easily
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  away. He did.
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  So with great success, the roots of the Palms, kept the sand
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  firmly in its place when the time came again for the city to
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  overflow, it just washed to the line of the trees and came no
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  further. Thus many lives were saved
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  annually by the kind for thought of the turtle in return.
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  One would think Can we protect and cherish this poor animal?
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  But no each time, a turtle comes to the seashore, to lay her eggs
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  among the sand. She has caught and killed for
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  the sake of her flesh. It is the thought of this
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  ingratitude of mankind to her, which makes her beat her breast
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  with her forelegs when she has caught. she seems to be saying,
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  ah, this is all the return I get for my kindness to you, the end,
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  okay, and Story number three, how beasts and serpents first
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  came into the world Old. The famine had lasted nearly
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  three years, quick, oats in being very hungry, look daily.
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  In the forest, in the hope of finding food.
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  One day, he was fortunate enough to discover three Palm kernels
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  lying in the ground. He picked up two stones with
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  which to crack them. The first not however slipped
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  when he hit it and fell into a hole behind him, the same thing
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  happened to the second and to the third very much annoyed at
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  his loss kweku determined to go down the hole.
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  To see if he could find his lost nuts to his surprise.
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  However, he discovered that this whole was really an entrance to
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  a town of which he had never before.
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  Even heard, When he reached it, he found absolute silence
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  everywhere. He called out, is there.
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  Nobody in this town and presently Heard a Voice.
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  In answer, he went in its direction and found an old woman
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  sitting in one of the houses. She demanded the reason of his
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  appearance, which he readily gave the old.
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  Woman was very kind and sympathetic and promised to help
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  him. You must do.
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  Exactly. As I tell you, she said, go into
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  the garden and listened attentively.
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  You will hear the yams speak. Pass by any am that says, Dig Me
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  Out, dig me out, but take the one that says, do not dig me out
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  then bring it to me. When he brought it, she directed
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  him to remove the peel from the yam and throw the ladder away.
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  He was then to boil the Rind. And while boiling, it would
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  become a yam. It did actually do so and they
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  sat down to eat some of it before.
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  Beginning the meal, the old woman requested kweku not look
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  at her while she ate. Being very polite and obedient
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  he did exactly as he was told. In the evening, the old woman,
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  sent him to the Garden to choose one of the drums, which stood
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  there, she warned him. If you come to a drum, which
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  says ding ding on being touched, take it, but be very careful not
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  to take the one, which sounds gong gong.
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  He obeyed her Direction in every detail.
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  When he showed her the drum, she looked pleased and told him to
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  his great Delight that he had only to beat it.
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  If at any time he were hungry, that would bring him food in
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  plenty. He thanked the old woman, very
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  heartily and went home. As soon as he reached his own
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  Hut, he gathered his household together and then beat the drum
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  immediately food of every description appeared before
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  them, and they all ate as much as they wished the following
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  day, quick oats in gathered, all the people of the village
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  together in the assembly place, and then beat the drum.
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  Once more in this way, every family got sufficient food for
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  their wants and all think kweku very much much for thus
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  providing through them. Quick was father.
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  However was not at all pleased to see his son thus able to feed
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  the whole village. Nancy thought he to ought to
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  have a drum then the people would be grateful to him instead
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  of the quick links in accordingly.
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  He has the young man with a wonderful drum had come from.
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  His son was most unwilling to tell him but a Nazi gave him, no
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  peace until he had heard the whole story.
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  He then wasted no time, but set off at once, toward the entrance
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  hole, he had taken the precaution to carry with him and
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  old not which he pretended to crack then, throwing it into the
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  hole he jumped in after it and hurried along to the silent
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  Village. Arrived at the first house, he
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  shouted. Is there?
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  No one in this town. The old woman answered as before
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  and Anansi entered, her house. He did not trouble to be polite
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  to her but addressed her most rudely sang, hurry up old woman,
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  get me something to eat the woman quietly, directed him to
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  go into the garden and choose the yam which should say, Do not
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  dig me out. Nancy left in her face and said,
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  you surely take me for a fool if the M does not want me to dig it
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  out. I will certainly not do.
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  So, I will take the one which ones to be gathered this, he
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  did, when he brought it to the old woman, she told him as she
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  told his son to throw away the inside and boil the Rind.
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  Again, he refused to obey who ever heard such a silly thing as
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  throwing away. The yam.
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  I will do nothing of the sort. I will.
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  Throw away the peel and boil the inside.
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  He did so and the yam turned into Stones, he was then obliged
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  to do as she first suggested and boil.
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  The Rind, the latter, while boiling turned into a yam,
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  Anansi turned angrily toward the old woman and said, you are a
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  witch. She took no notice of his
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  remark, but went on, setting the table.
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  When she placed his dinner on a small table lower than her own
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  saying, You must not. Look at me while I eat he rudely
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  replied. Indeed, I will look at you if I
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  choose and I will have my dinner at your table, not at that.
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  Small one again, she said nothing but she left her dinner
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  on touched enunciate, his own, then to hers, and aided also,
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  When he had finished, he said now go into the garden and
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  choose a drum. Do not take the one which sounds
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  Dong Dong, only take the one, which says ding ding.
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  And Nancy. Retorted, do you think I will
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  take your advice, you, which know I will choose the drum,
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  which says Dong Dong. You are just trying to play a
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  trick on me. He did his, he wish.
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  Having secured the drum, he marched off without so much as a
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  thank you to the old woman. No sooner had he reached home
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  that he longed to show off his new power, to the villagers, he
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  called all to the assembly Place, telling them to bring
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  dishes and Trays as he was going to provide them with food.
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  The people in great Delight hurried to the spot.
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  Anansi probably taking his position.
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  In the midst of them began to beat his drum.
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  To his horror and dismay instead of the multitude of foodstuffs,
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  which quick who had summoned a Nazi saw rushing toward him
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  beasts and serpents of all kinds.
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  Such creatures had never been seen on the earth before the
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  people fled in every direction, all except a Nancy who was too
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  terrified to move. He speedily received fitting
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  punishment for his Disobedience. Fortunately kweku with his
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  mother and sisters had been at the outer edge of the crowd so
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  easily. Into shelter, the animals
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  presently scattered in every direction and ever since they
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  have roamed wild in the great forests.
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  The end. All right, I like in the first
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  story that the stone was trying to warn a Nazi and not trying to
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  harm him. But as always, a Nazis, greed is
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  a downfall. In the Second Story, I really
• 14:23
  felt bad for the sea turtles. They did so much good for us and
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  how do we repay them by killing them stealing their eggs?
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  I'd be pretty sad too. And in the last story, I love
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  the classic. Do the opposite of what you
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  normally do, and you will be rewarded.
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  That element comes up in a lot of stories, and I think it makes
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  them just that much more memorable, boil the skin of the
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  potato and such. And again, Anansi just can't be
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  satisfied. At must always be sassy.
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  And for that, he brings all the creepy crawly and dangerous
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  animals into the world. Reminds me of Pandora and her
• 14:58
  box. All right, and today's podcast
• 15:02
  shout-out is to yield crime Lindsay and Madison go through
• 15:06
  True Crime of yesteryear and bring back long-dead cases to
• 15:09
  life. And I had the pleasure of going
• 15:11
  on, one of their many episodes were Lindsay asks, can you crack
• 15:15
  the cramp word which is all about Victorian slang.
• 15:18
  There are also two smaller listeners in their household.
• 15:21
  Serafina and Persephone who love a good story and are a big
• 15:24
  reason for me to keep potting so big.
• 15:27
  Thank you to Lindsay and medicine and all the cool folks
• 15:29
  around. Around them.
• 15:31
  And if you like their podcast as much as I do go and give them a
• 15:34
  five star rating on pod Chaser good pods, iTunes or Spotify.
• 15:40
  And The Listener, shout-out is to Victoria Australia home to
• 15:43
  the major city of Melbourne, or my friends, Maddie and gnomes,
• 15:46
  and their two wonderful daughters live.
• 15:48
  I'm going to try my best on pronouncing.
• 15:50
  These native Australian name's Victoria is home to numerous
• 15:55
  Aboriginal groups such as the bun war on the brought two
• 15:59
  alone. The judge awarded on the gun.
• 16:02
  I the gun Jitlada, the to Hong Kong, the water were wrong.
• 16:06
  The wooden Jetty and the yorta yorta.
• 16:09
  You are Percent of my listeners from Australia.
• 16:13
  Thank you and goodnight. Thank you and goodnight.