As the sun sets on a plantation in Jamaica, children flock to Mr. Kwaku for a story. They all know he’s full of tales from Ghana, the land of their ancestors. But what they don’t know, Kwaku winks, is how their ancestors got those stories in the first place.
Saat matahari tenggelam di perkebunan Jamaika, anak-anak berduyun-duyun ke Pak Kwaku untuk sebuah cerita. Mereka tahu dia mengetahui semua cerita dari Ghana, tanah leluhur mereka. Tetapi yang tak mereka ketahui, Kwaku mengedip, adalah bagaimana leluhur mereka memperoleh cerita-cerita itu.
Long ago, all stories belonged to Nyame, the all-seeing Sky God. People on Earth were bored and knew nothing about their history. But one creature decided enough was enough. Anansi, the tricky, shapeshifting spider, resolved to bring the stories down to Earth. He spun a web that stretched into the clouds and climbed up to confront the Sky God. Crouching at Nyame’s feet, Anansi shouted at the top of his lungs that he had come to take ownership of the world’s stories. Looking down from his golden stool, Nyame hooted with laughter at the spider’s absurd request.
Pada zaman dahulu, semua cerita dimiliki oleh Nyame, Dewa Langit Yang Maha Melihat. Manusia di bumi bosan dan tidak mengetahui asal-usul mereka. Tetapi satu makhluk memutuskan untuk menghentikannya. Anansi, laba-laba siluman yang cerdik, memutuskan untuk membawa cerita tersebut ke bumi. Dia memintal jaring-jaring hingga membentang ke awan dan merayap untuk menantang Dewa Langit. Berjalan di antara kaki Nyame, Anansi berteriak sekuat tenaga bahwa kedatangannya untuk mengambil alih cerita dunia. Menakur dari bangku emasnya, Nyame terbahak-bahak mendengar permintaan konyol si laba-laba
Nyame told Anansi that he could have all the stories he wished— but only if he could complete an impossible task. If Anansi brought him Osebo the Leopard, Onini the Python, Mmoboro the Hornet, and Mmoatia the Forest Spirit, then he could take the stories. Anansi humbly accepted. Nyame didn’t see him grinning as he scuttled away.
Nyame memberitahu bahwa dia bisa mendapatkan semua cerita yang dia mau— dengan syarat dapat menyelesaikan tugas yang mustahil. Jika Anansi membawakannya Osebo si Macan Tutul, Onini si Piton, Mmoboro si Tawon, dan Mmoatia si Roh Hutan, maka dia bisa mengambil ceritanya. Anansi menerimanya dengan rendah hati. Nyame tidak melihatnya menyeringai saat dia pergi.
Back on Earth, Anansi grabbed his magic bag and set to work. Anansi found Onini the Python bathing in the sun. Anansi scoffed that Onini couldn’t be the longest animal, saying he looked no longer than a piece of bamboo cane. Enraged, Onini stretched himself across the bamboo to prove his lengthiness. Anansi quickly bound him tight-tight to each end and placed him in his bag.
Kembali ke Bumi, Anansi meraih tas ajaibnya dan mulai menjalankan misi. Anansi menemukan Onini si Piton sedang berjemur. Anansi mengejek Onini bahwa dia bukanlah hewan terpanjang, dan berkata dia terlihat tidak lebih panjang dari sepotong bambu. Marah, Onini pun merentangkan dirinya pada bambu untuk membuktikan panjang dirinya. Anansi dengan cepat mengikatnya ke setiap ujung dan memasukkannya ke dalam tas.
Next, Anansi dug a great pit in the middle of the path Osebo the Leopard usually prowled, and covered it with banana leaves. Sure enough, mighty Osebo soon fell in. Anansi scolded Osebo for his carelessness, but offered to rescue him. As he helped Osebo out of the pit, Anansi swiftly jabbed him with his knife. Osebo fell back to the ground where Anansi wound him up tight-tight in spider thread.
Kemudian, Anansi menggali lubang besar di tengah jalan yang biasa dilalui Osebo si Macan Tutul, dan menutupinya dengan kulit pisang. Osebo yang perkasa pun terperosok jatuh. Anansi menegur Osebo akan kecerobohannya, namun juga menawarkan bantuan. Ketika dia menolong Osebo dari lubang, dia menusuk Osebo dengan pisau. Osebo pun tumbang kemudian Anansi melilitnya kencang-kencang dengan jaring laba-laba.
Then, Anansi heard Mmoboro and his hornets buzzing. He cautiously approached them. This would be tricky— their stings could make someone swell up and die— but Anansi knew they hated rain. He filled his mouth with water and spat it at the swarm. As they panicked, Anansi urged the hornets to shelter in his gourd, where they found themselves trapped.
Kemudian, Anansi mendengar dengungan penyengat Mmoboro. Dia mendekat secara perlahan. kudu berhati-hati— sengatan mereka dapat membuat seseorang membengkak dan mati tapi Anansi tahu mereka tidak suka hujan. Dia menenggak air dan menyemburkannya ke kawanan itu. Ketika panik, Anansi menawarkan mereka untuk berteduh di labunya, alhasil mereka pun terjebak.
Anansi had one more task: to capture Mmoatia the elusive and mischievous Forest Spirit. She usually hid herself deep in the woods, but Anansi knew she was lonely. So, he made a little doll covered in sap and left it in her path. When she came upon it, Mmoatia spoke to the doll but became enraged when it didn’t answer. She hit the disrespectful doll and her small fists stuck to its sticky surface. Anansi wrapped Mmoatia up tight-tight and scooped her into his bag along with the other creatures.
Anansi punya satu tugas lagi: menangkap Mmoatia Roh Hutan yang jail dan sulit ditangkap. Dia biasanya bersembunyi di dalam hutan, tapi Anansi tahu dia kesepian. Jadi, dia membuat boneka berlumur getah dan menaruhnya di jalan. Ketika dia bertemu boneka itu, Mmoatia berbicara pada boneka tersebut tapi dia marah karena boneka itu tidak menjawab Dia memukul boneka tidak sopan itu dan kepalan tangannya menempel ke boneka yang lengket. Anansi melilit Mmoatia kencang-kencang dan memasukkannya. bersama dengan makhluk lainnya.
Triumphantly, he climbed his web back into the clouds. When the Sky God saw that Anansi had completed the impossible task, he was amazed. Nyame told Anansi that he had earned the world’s stories. Dancing for joy, Anansi gathered them up, stuffed the stories into his bag, and descended to Earth. There, he scattered the stories throughout the world for people to share.
Bangga misinya berhasil, dia memanjat benangnya kembali ke awan. Ketika Dewa Langit melihat bahwa Anansi menyelesaikan tugas mustahil itu, dia takjub. Nyame memberitahu Anansi bahwa dia medapatkan cerita dunia. Menari gembira, Anansi mengambil semuanya, dan memasukkannya ke dalam tasnya, dan turun ke Bumi. Di sanalah ia menyebarkan cerita ke penjuru dunia untuk dibagikan.
And they did, Kwaku tells the children. Generations have continued telling and reimagining Anansi’s stories even after being stolen from Africa and enslaved. Anansi may be small, but “cunning’s better than strong,” Kwaku says, and tells the children to take Anansi’s stories with them wherever they go. Looking at his audience, Kwaku knows that Anansi will persist as a symbol of resourcefulness and resistance in the face of oppression, and a testament to the enduring power of storytelling.
Mereka juga tak luput meneruskannya, kata Kwaku ke anak-anak. Banyak generasi terus menerus bercerita dan membayangkan cerita Anansi meskipun sudah tidak lagi di Afrika dan diperbudak. Anansi mungkin kecil, tapi “kecerdikannya mengalahkan kekuatan,” kata Kwaku, dia berkata agar anak-anak membawa cerita Anansi kemanapun mereka pergi. Melihat penontonnya, Kwaku tahu bahwa Anansi akan bertahan sebagai simbol pergerakan dan perlawanan dihadapan penindasan, juga sebagai bukti atas kekuatan abadi dari sebuah dongeng.