Myth Paired Selections Anansi/Stories

Use "How Anansi Got His Stories" to answer questions 1 and 2.
Anansi's main problem is that he -

• wants to become friends with Nyame, but the snake is dangerous
• struggles to win the trust and respect of the people in his village
• must find a way to get the world's stories from Nyame
• has to figure out a clever way to trap the stinging hornets in the gourd

This myth explains how the -

• Ashanti people began to worship spiders
• powerful snake gained control of an Ashanti village
• Ashanti people came to believe in fairies
• custom of storytelling developed among the Ashanti

Use "How Stories Came to the World" to answer questions 3 and 4.
Which earlier event hints at how the people will respond to the boy's first story?

• The boy agrees to trade the sack of food for a story.
• The people gather around the hear the boy retell the Great Stone's story.
• The boy thanks the Great Stone for telling him the story.
• The boy forgets his cold and hunger while listening to the Great Stone.

This Native American myth most likely comes from a time when -

• a magical stone spoke to a child
• food was scarce for the tribe
• people did not know any stories
• snow fell for the first time

Use "How Anansi Got His Stories" and "How Stories Came to the World" to answer questions 5 through 8.
Look at the chart on your handout.
Which sentence belongs in the box?

• Myths were told only to children.
• Myths contain many obvious lies.
• Myths explain what the world used to be like.
• Myths contain unusual characters.

Which of the following best summarizes these two selections?

• In these myths, characters trick each other to get what they want. There is a lot of magic in each story, and they are both very entertaining.
• People in these myths are very sad until someone tells them a good story. All people enjoy stories if they are entertaining and have interesting characters.
• These myths each include a character who brings the art of storytelling to his or her people. The community finds wisdom and entertainment in the stories.
• Characters in a myth are not real people. Animals and stones are more important than people because the stories are about magic, not about real life.

Which theme is found in both selections?

• Animals can be as clever as people.
• Stories are an important part of a culture.
• A young person can be as wise an older person.
• It is best to use your mind, and not force, to solve problems.

A difference between the two selections is that the Anansi story -

• tells how a custom began
• is set in the distant past
• has a third-person narrator
• involves playing a trick