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Jamaica Anansi stories

Chapter 299: 35. Tumble-bug and Anansi. [Story]
By Martha Warren Beckwith
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Mythology, Legends & Folklore

About This Book

A collection of Jamaican folktales gathers short animal and trickster narratives centered on the spider Anansi alongside tales about tigers, monkeys, goats, and birds. Stories account for curious animal traits, stage comic reversals, and probe themes of cunning, justice, and social order through episodic plots and origin motifs. The volume also presents riddles, dance and song materials, and field-recorded music, arranged in thematic sections that compile variants, brief notes, and folkloric context for each tale.

[Contents]

35. Tumble-bug and Anansi. [Story]

The story of Tumble-bug’s revenge is even more common than the last number. In Wona, 51–55, Tumble-bug is carrying butter and Anansi only lard. Anansi proposes that they put their loads together, sees that Tumble-bug’s is at the bottom, and makes the ruling in order that he may get the butter and Tumble-bug the lard. Compare number 46 and the opening episode of the last number.

The revenge story is recent. In Wona, Tumble-bug suffers further at Anansi’s hands.

In Tremearne, FL 21: 213–214, Tortoise and Spider have a bull in common; Tortoise eats the liver and Spider claims in compensation the whole bull. Tortoise pretends dead and frightens Spider, who thinks it is a spirit and gives him everything.