This week, the children began a study of African folktales, which will include many of the “Anansi” stories. These stories are the focus of Pre-K’s second Core Work. The children were introduced to African folktales and the mythical explanation of how the spider Anansi brought stories to the earth. There are many “Anansi” stories in which Anansi is portrayed either as a spider or as a man. Anansi is a trickster, who often finds himself in trouble, but he usually triumphs over larger foes. After hearing Anansi, the Spider, as retold by Gerald McDermott, the children voted on which one of Anansi’s six gifted sons deserved the prize for saving his father from danger.