For this week’s story time, we visited Africa! Our puppet play was based on Eric A. Kimmel’s retelling of Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock.
Anansi, the Spider trickster, discovers a mysterious moss-covered rock in the forest. Stranger still, the words “strange moss-covered rock” seem to trigger instant unconsciousness in anyone who utters them in the rock’s presence.
One by one, Anansi lures each of his friends into the forest and shows the rock. Then he runs back and steals their food while they are unconscious.
But Rabbit has seen what he is doing, and, when it is her turn to be led to the strange rock, she pretends not to see it.
Anansi gets so worked up over her obtuseness that he slips up and says the magic words himself.
Then Rabbit goes to Anansi’s house and takes all the stolen food back to its rightful owners.
But does Anansi learn his lesson?
Not he!
Once a trickster, always a trickster!
Check out the cool Anansi finger puppets the kids made.
I loved how some of them recreated my Anansi puppet’s kufi in miniature!
