Why It Is the Elders Say We Should Not Repeat Sleeping-Mat Confidences
We do not really mean, we do not really mean, (that what we are going to say is true).
THEY say that (once upon a time) Nyankonpon Kwame, the Sky-god, had cleared a very large plantation, and had planted okros, onions, beans, garden-eggs, peppers, and pumpkins. The weeds in the garden became thick and nettles grew up. The Sky-god then made a proclamation by gong-gong to the effect that his plantation was overgrown with weeds, and that any one who could weed it, without scratching himself, might come forward and take his daughter, Abena Nkroma (i. e. Abena the ninth child) in marriage. This one, when he went (to try), scratched himself (where the nettles tickled), and they hooted at him; that one went and was (also) hooted; all men went (and tried); they failed. Now Kwaku Ananse said, “As for me, I am able.” Now the Sky-god’s plantation was situated on the side of the path, and that path was the one people used to take, going to the market every Friday. Now the Spider, because he knew this fact, used only to go and clear the weeds every Friday. For when he was hoeing, and the people who were passing by used to greet him with, “Hail to you at your work, Father Spider!”, he used to answer, “Thank you, Aku.” They continued, “A plantation, which no one has been able to clear, (do you mean to say) you are weeding it?” The Spider would answer, “Ah, it’s all because of one girl that I am wearing myself out like this. Her single arm is like this.” And he would slap and rub his arm where it was tickling him, and when he did so, would get relief from the irritation. Some one else would pass again and hail him at his work; and he would take his hand and slap where the place was that was itching. For example, if his thigh, he would say, “That single girl, they say her thigh is like this” (slapping and rubbing his own). In this manner he finished clearing the plantation. Then he went off to tell the Sky-god how he had finished the weeding of his farm. The Sky-god asked the messenger, saying, “Has he really finished?” The messenger said, “Yes.” The Sky-god asked him, “Did he scratch himself?” He said, “No, he did not scratch himself.”. The Sky-god took Abena Nkroma and gave her to Ananse in marriage. One night Ananse and his bride went to rest, and the bride questioned him, saying, “However was it that you of all people were able to clear father’s plantation of weeds, a plantation such that, whosoever went on it, turned back, but which you were able to clear?” Then the Spider said, “Do you suppose that I am a fool? I used to hoe, and when any one passed by, and asked me, saying, ‘Ananse, are you clearing this farm which no one else has ever been able to clear,’ thereupon, I would slap with my hand any place on my skin that was tickling me, and scratch it, and declare to the person that, for example, your thigh was like the thigh of a buffalo, and that it was beautiful and polished. That is how it came about that I was able to weed it.” Thereupon Abena, the ninth child, said, “Then to-morrow I shall tell father that you scratched yourself (after all).” The Spider spoke to her, saying, “You must not mention it, this is a sleeping-mat confidence.” Abena, the ninth child, said, “I know nothing whatever about sleeping-mat confidences, and I shall speak.” Abena Nkroma took her sleeping-mat away (from beside Ananse) and went and lay down at the other end of the room. Now Ananse’s eyes grew red (i. e. sorrowful), and he went and took his musical bow, and he struck (the strings) and sang:
“Abena, the ninth child, this is not a matter about which to quarrel.
Let us treat it as a sleeping-mat confidence.
‘No,’ she says.
She has a case (against me), (but) some one else has a case which is already walking down the path.”
Then the Spider got up, and went and lay down. After Ananse had lain there for some time, then he rose up. He said, “Abena Nkroma”—not a sound (save the noise of the cicada chirping) dinn! Ananse said, “I’ve got you.” He took a little gourd cup and splashed it full with water, and poured it over Abena Nkroma’s sleeping-mat. Then Ananse went and lay down. After he had lain down a while, he said, “Ko! Abena Nkroma, whatever is this? You have wet the sleeping-mat, you shameless creature, surely you are not at all nice; when things become visible, I shall tell every one. It was true, then (what they all said), that when any one went to that plantation, he used to say, ‘A girl who wets...! I am not going to clear a nettle plantation (for such a person).’” Then Abena said to him, “I implore you, desist, and let the matter drop.” The Spider said, “I will not leave it, my case came first; you said you would tell your father; I said, ‘Desist ’; you said, ‘No.’ Because of that I will not drop the case.” And Abena, the ninth child, said, “Leave my case, and your case, too, about which I spoke, I shall drop it; for if you do not leave mine, my eyes will die for shame.” Then Ananse said, “I have heard, since you so desire, let it be a sleeping-mat confidence, so the matter ends there.” That is how the elders came to say that “Sleeping-mat confidences are not repeated”.
This, my story, which I have related, if it be sweet, (or) if it be not sweet, some you may take as true, and the rest you may praise me (for telling of it).
How Kwaku Ananse (The Spider) Got Aso in Marriage
We do not really mean, we do not really mean, (that what we are going to say is true).
THERE once lived a certain man called Akwasi-the-jealous-one and his wife was Aso, and he did not want any one to see Aso or any one to talk to her. So he went and built a small settlement for Aso to live in it. No one ever went into the village. Now he, Akwasi-the-jealous-one, could not beget children. Because of that, if he and his wife lived in town, some one would take her away. Now, the Sky-god told young men, saying, “Akwasi-thejealous-one has been married to Aso for a very very long time; she has not conceived by him and borne a child, therefore he who is able, let him go and take Aso, and should she conceive by him, let him take her (as his wife).” All the young men tried their best to lay hands on her, but not one was able. Now Kwaku Ananse was there watching these events, (and) he said, “I can go to Akwasi-the-jealous-one’s village.” The Sky-god said, “Can you really do so?” Ananse said, “If
you will give me what I require.” The Sky-god said, “What kind of thing?” He said, “Medicine for gun and bullets.” And the Sky-god gave him. And Ananse took the powder and bullets to (various) small villages, saying, “The Sky-god has bade me bring powder and bullets to you, and you are to go and kill meat, and on the day I shall return here, I shall take it and depart.” He distributed the powder and the bullets among very many small villages, until all were finished. All the villagers got him some meat. On a certain day, Ananse wove a palm-leaf basket. Its length, as it were, was from here to over yonder. Ananse took it to the small villages, where he had distributed the powder and bullets, to receive all the meat which they had killed. Father Ananse took the meat and palm-leaf basket and set it on his head, and set out on the path leading to the Akwasi-the-jealous-one’s settlement. When he reached the stream from which Akwasi and his wife drank, he picked out some meat and put it in. Ananse strove hard and brought the palm-leaf basket (full of meat) and passed through the main entrance leading into Akwasi-the-jealous-one’s compound. And Aso saw him. She said, “Akwasi e! come and look at something which is coming to the house here, for what can it be?” Ananse said, “It’s the Sky-god who is sending me, and I am weary, and I am coming to sleep here.” Akwasi-thejealous-one said, “I have heard my Lord’s servant.” Aso said to Ananse, “Father man, some of your meat has fallen down at the main entrance to the compound.” The Spider said, “Oh, if you happen to have a dog let him go and take it and chew it.” So Aso went and got it and gave it to her husband. Then Ananse said, “Mother, set some food (on the fire) for me.” Aso put some on, and Ananse said, “Mother, is it fufuo that you are cooking or eto?” Aso replied, “Fufuo.” Ananse said, “Then it is too little; go and fetch a big pot.” Aso went and fetched a big one, and Ananse said, “Come and get meat.” There were forty hind-quarters of great beasts. He said, “Take these only and put them in, and if you had a pot big enough, I would give you enough meat to chew to make your teeth fall out.” Aso finished (preparing) the food, turned it out (of the pot), and placed it on a table, splashed water, and put it beside (the rest of the food). Then Aso took her portion and went and set it down near the fire, and the men went and sat down beside the table. They touched the backs of each other’s hands (i. e. eat out of the same dish). All the time they were eating, Kwaku Ananse said, “There is no salt in this fufuo.” Akwasi said to Aso, “Bring some.” But Ananse said, “Not at all, when the woman is eating, you tell her to get up to bring salt, do you yourself go and bring it.” Akwasi rose up, and Ananse looked into his bag, and took out a pinch of purgative medicine and put it in the fufuo. Then he called Akwasi, saying, “Come, for I had brought some with me.” When Akwasi came, Ananse said, “Oh, I shall eat no more, I am full.” Akwasi, who suspected nothing, continued eating. When they had finished eating, Akwasi said, “Friend, we and you are sitting here and yet we do not know your name.” Ananse replied, I am called Rise-up-and-make-love-to-Aso.” Akwasi said, “I have heard, and you, Aso, have you heard this man’s name?” Aso replied, “Yes, I have heard.” Akwasi rose up to go and prepare one of the spare bedrooms, and to make all comfortable. He said, “Rise-up-and-make-love-to-Aso, this is your room, go and sleep there.” The Spider said, “I am the Soul-washer to the Sky-god, and I sleep in an open veranda room; since mother bore me and father begat me, I have never slept in a closed bedroom.” Akwasi said, “Then where, then, will you sleep?” He replied, “Were I to sleep in this open veranda room here, to do so would be to make you equal to the Sky-god, for it would mean that I was sleeping in the Sky-god’s open veranda room, since I am never to sleep in any one’s open room (except that of a Sky-god), and since that is so, I shall just lie down in front of this closed sleeping-room where you repose.” The man took out a sleeping-mat and laid it there for him. Akwasi and his wife went to rest, and Ananse, too, lay down there. Ananse lay there and he slipped in the cross-bar (of the bedroom door). Ananse lay there, and took his musical bow (and sang):
“Akuamoa Ananse, to-day we shall achieve something to-day.
Ananse, the child of Nsia, the mother of Nyame, the Sky-god,
To-day we shall achieve something, to-day.
Ananse, the Soul-washer to the Nyame, the Sky-god,
To-day I shall see something.”
Now, he ceased playing his sepirewa, and he laid it aside, and lay down. He slept for some time, when he heard Akwasi-the-jealous-one calling, “Father man.”— not a sound in reply (except the chirping of the cicada), dinn! “Father man” —not a sound in reply (except the chirping of the cicada), dinn! Akwasi-thejealous-one is dying; the medicine has taken effect on him, but he calls, “Father man”—not a sound in reply (except the chirping of the cicada), dinn! At last he said, “Rise-up-and-make-love-to-Aso.” The Spider said, “M! M! M!” He, Akwasi, said, “Open (the door) for me.” Ananse opened (the door), and Akwasi went somewhere. And the Spider rose up and went into the room there. He said, “Aso, did you not hear what your husband said?” She replied, “What did he say?” He (Ananse) replied, “He said I must rise up and make love to you.” Aso said, “You don’t he.” And he did it for her, and he went and lay down. That night, Akwasi rose up nine times; the Spider also went nine times to where Aso was. When things became visible, next morning, Ananse set off. It would be about two moons later when Aso’s belly became large. Akwasi questioned her, saying, “Why has your belly got like this, perhaps you are ill, for (you know) that I who live with you here, am unable to beget children?” Aso replied, “You forget that man who came here and whom you told to rise up and make love to Aso, well, he took me and I have conceived by him.” Akwasi-the-jealous-one said, “Rise up and let me take you to go and give (you) to him.” They went to the Sky-god’s town. On the way, Aso gave birth. They reached the Sky-god’s town, and went and told the Sky-god what had happened, saying, “A subject of yours, whom you sent, slept at my house, and took Aso, and she conceived by him.” The Sky-god said, ‘All my subjects are roofing the huts, go and point out the one you mean.’ They went off, and the Spider was sitting on a ridgepole. Aso said, “There he is.” And Ananse ran and sat on the middle. And again Aso said, “There he is.” Then Ananse fell down from up there (where he was sitting). Now that day was Friday. Ananse said, “I, who wash the Sky-god’s soul, you have taken your hand and pointed it at me, so that I have fallen down and got red earth upon me.” Immediately the attendants seized hold of Akwasi-the-jealous-one and (made him) sacrifice a sheep. When Akwasi-the-jealous-one had finished sacrificing the sheep, he said to the Sky-god, “Here is the woman, let Ananse take her.” So Ananse took Aso, but as for the infant, they killed it, cut it into pieces, and scattered them about. That is how jealousy came among the tribe.
This, my story, which I have related, if it be sweet, (or) if it be not sweet, some you may take as true, and the rest you may praise me (for telling of it).