Anansi and the Talking Melon

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Anansi and the Talking Melon

• by
• Retold and Illustrated byMs. Bains Third Grade
  Class
• November, 2007

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Long ago Elephant went to his garden hoeing
melons and he went inside to take a nap because
the sun was getting too hot.
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Anansi jumped out of the thorn tree to eat some
melons. To get into the melon, he dug a hole with
the thorn.
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He ate until he was round as a berry. He tried
to get out of the melon but he couldnt. So he
had to wait until he was thin again.
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He was bored so he thinks to play a trick on
Elephant when Elephant wakes up. When Elephant
comes outside he notices the melon and he picks
it up and Anansi says, Ouch! Elephant gets
startled.
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He says, Who said that? and Anansi replies, I
did. The melon. Elephant decides to take it to
the king.
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On the way, he runs into Hippo. Hippo asks where
he is going.
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Elephant tells him about the talking melon.
Hippo doesnt believe him. Hippo says, Thats
as ridiculous as
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a skinny hippo, says Anansi. Hippo asks,
Did you say that, Elephant?
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Elephant says he didnt say it but the melon said
it. Hippo decides to go with Elephant to see the
king.
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On the way to the king they run into Warthog.
Warthog asks where they are going. They told him
they are going to the king and give him the
talking melon.
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Warthog doesnt believe them. Anansi insults
Warthog by saying, Thats as ridiculous asa
handsome warthog.
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Warthog says, Did you say that, Elephant? Did
you say that, Hippo? They tell him they did not
say it. The melon said it. Warthog decides to
go see the king, too.
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On the way, they run into Rhino, Ostrich, and
Turtle. Anansi insults them and they want to go
see the king, too. They walk until they get to
the king.
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The king says, Why did you bring me this melon?
The king tells them he has tons of melons in his
garden. Elephant tells him he doesnt have one
like this. The king tries to make the melon talk
but he doesnt.
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So he says it again and the melon still isnt
talking so the king gets angry and says, You
stupid melon. Anansi says, Me, stupid? Im
not the one talking to melons.The king is so
angry he throws the melon.
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It lands on a thorn in the thorn tree in
Elephants garden. It breaks open and Anansi can
crawl out. All the excitement made him skinny
again. He climbs into the banana tree and starts
eating.
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When Elephant comes back, he yells at the melons
for getting him in trouble. Anansi says, We
bananas should have warned you about those
melons. They are nothing but trouble.