Anansi dead?

Anansi and his wife had a farm on which they grew enough food to feed themselves and their sons. One year a famine came to the land. Anansi's farm still had food but the thought of starving to death did not please him at all. He decided on a plan. Anansi told his wife he did not feel very well and he was going to see a diviner. After a few days he came back and gave his family some sad news. He said the diviner had told him he was going to die. His wife and sons began to cry. 

Then Anansi told them the diviner had ordered that he be buried in the field near the peas patch. Because he would have to take care of himself in the "Other World". Anansi asked his wife to put some cooking pots and dishes in the grave with him. After lying sick on his mat for several days, Anansi pretended to be dead. They buried him near the peas patch as the diviner had ordered, and put cooking dishes in the grave with him. 

During the day time Anansi stayed quietly in the grave, but as soon as it was dark he crept out and dug up some peas. He cooked and ate them and then went back into his grave. This went on for some time. Each night he would come out and get his food, have a good feast and then hide in the grave during the day. His wife began to notice that many of the best peas, were disappearing. But when the peas continued to disappear they decided on a plan to catch whoever was stealing the peas. 

They made a figure that looked like a person and covered it with sticky gum, then set it up in the middle of the field. That night when Anansi came out to get his food he saw a figure. Get out of my fields he shouted. There was no answer. He shouted again, but there was still no answer. 

Losing his temper, Anansi went up to the figure and slapped it with his right hand. His hand stuck fast so he couldn't take it away. When the figure still did not answer Anansi struck with his left hand. That stuck, too. Finally, after Anansi had kicked with both feet and butted with his head, he was completely stuck to the figure. 

When his wife and her sons discovered Anansi in the field the next morning they understood how he had tricked them. They pulled him off the gum figure and led him into the village before the chief. All the people were jeering and making such fun of him that Anansi tried to cover his face in shame. Finally he broke away and ran up a wall into the darkest corner he could find. 

And that is why the spider is always hiding in dark.