The Story of the Dress that Sang
(West African Tale)
The Krachi relates how Anansi and the
Chameleon used to live in the same town. Anansi
was a rich man and had plenty of children to help
him with his farming, but the Chameleon was
only a poor man and alone had to till his farm.
Now it chanced that one year the rain fell only on
the Chameleon’s farm, and on Anansi’s there was
a complete drought. Thus, the spider’s farm did
not come up at all and the Chameleon’s was
already well up and a good harvest was
promised.
This annoyed Anansi and one day he
called on the Chameleon and asked him if he
would sell him his farm, but the Chameleon said
he would not, as, if he did, he would not be able
to get any food during the dry season. Then
Anansi was even angrier than before and swore
he would have revenge on the Chameleon.
Now it happens that chameleons do not
make any roads as others do. They like to walk
over the grass and bushes. Thus there was no
path leading from the Chameleon’s house to his
farm. So that night Anansi called all his children
together and told them to clean and make a good
path from his compound to the Chameleon’s
farm. At first they begged their father not to do
this, but as he insisted they obeyed him and in
the morning there was finished a clean road and
a well-used one leading from Anansi’s house to
the farm.
Anansi at once went to the farm and began
to pull up some cassava. Presently the
Chameleon came along and saw Anansi taking
his cassava and called out: “Hi! Anansi, what are
you doing in my farm?” Anansi at once replied:
“Go away and do not vex me. Can you not see that I
am busy working in my farm?”
“Your farm,” cried the Chameleon; “why, it
is my farm, and everyone knows that.” “Do not be
silly; go away,” answered the Spider, “or I shall get
angry and kill you.”
So the Chameleon went away and laid a
complaint before the chief. Anansi was sent for,
and when both had told him how the farm was
theirs, the chief asked for proofs. Then Anansi
said: “That is easy. I have a path from my house
straight to the farm, which the Chameleon is falsely
claiming. He has no path.”
The chief saw that if Anansi was speaking
true then verily the farm must be his. So he sent
his messenger to see and the man came back and
said that it was so. Then the Chameleon was
asked what he had to say, and he said that he did
not know anything about the path, that he always
used to go there over the bushes and grass. This
made the chief laugh, and he at once gave the
farm to Anansi, who took all his children with
him and gathered the crops.
The Chameleon did not know what to do.
He was very poor and had but little food left to
keep him alive. So he went to his house and shut
the door and refused to see anyone. For many
days he remained thus, thinking over his wrongs
and wondering how to get revenge. Then he
began to dig a hole. He dug and dug and dug
and made an immense well. It went far down. No
man had ever seen such a well. When the
Chameleon thought he had made it large enough,
he made some mud and began to roof the well so
that soon only a very small hole was left.
Then the Chameleon went out to see
Anansi. He came to the latter’s house and greeted
him: “Master, I am only a poor man. May I go to your
farm and glean what you have left there?” And
Anansi was pleased at the Chameleon’s humility
and told him he could. But there was little in the
farm to gather. Then the Chameleon, who had
deceived the Spider into thinking that he was
properly humbled, again sat alone in his house.
This time he amused himself in catching
hundreds and hundreds of that great fly which
makes so big a buzzing noise. These he tied to
some dried yam vines which he had brought
back from his farm.
 One day, the chief sent messengers to all everything that he had, for he knew that when he
the land to call his people together, and from did get the cloak the chief would repay him. But
every place people came into the town. Then the he could not fill the hole.
Chameleon arose and covered himself with the Then when the Chameleon saw that
dried yam vines and walked slowly like a proud Anansi was no longer a rich man and that he had
and rich man to the chief’s compound, and as he no food left for himself he called him and said:
went, he kept swinging his strange costume and “Friend, you have not paid me the agreed-on price.
the flies being shaken buzzed more and more, But I am not a hard man and I will now forgive you
everyone admired it and the chief himself asked the rest of the debt. Here is the cloak.”
to buy it. But the Chameleon refused and went Saying this, he took out the cloak from its
home. Now Anansi was late for the meeting, and box and put it over the shoulders of Anansi. But
when he did arrive everyone was talking about the cloak had been a long time in the box and the
this wonderful costume. The chief told Anansi strings which held the flies were all rotted. This
that the Chameleon had refused to sell it, and Anansi did not know, and when he went outside
Anansi said that it was nothing, and that he and began to swing the robe, the flies all buzzed,
would buy it and would bring it to the chief. but suddenly there came a strong blast of wind
He went and called on the Chameleon. and shook the cloak too much. All the flies were
“Friend,” he said, “I hear you have a most wonderful released and flew away and left Anansi dressed
cloak, which wherever you walk sings to you. Is this only in the dried vine stalks of the yams.
so?” The Chameleon answered that it was so, and Then all the town laughed, and Anansi
then Anansi asked if he would sell it. grew so ashamed that he began to hide himself
The Chameleon at first refused, but after a from that day, away from the sight of man and
time did agree to sell it if Anansi would give him did not walk in the streets.
some food. Anansi asked how much food he
would want, and the Chameleon said that he did
not require a great deal, merely enough to fill the
hole which Anansi himself could see. Then
Anansi laughed and said that he would willingly
do that and to show that he bore him no grudge,
he would give him twice as much.
Then Anansi went to his own house and
called his children and told them to come with
him and each to carry a little food. They went to
the Chameleon’s house and began to fill the hole
with the food they had brought. But that hole
could not be filled. All the family of Anansi
worked and for many days they carried the corn
and other food to fill the hole and always the
Chameleon reminded Anansi that he had
promised twice the amount.
Anansi did not know what to do. He had
finished all the food that had been stored in his
own bins and granaries and he had sent out in all
directions to buy food. But still the hole was not
filled. He sold his sheep and his cows and