Week 7 Story

Why Do We Always Watch What Allie Wants to Watch? 

A young girl named Harper was frustrated. She never was able to watch the shows her friends watched at school on TV. Instead, when she was at home, they always watched what her younger sister, Allie, wanted to watch, and she was just so sick of veggie tales and Elmo. As seven years old, she was mature enough to watch Hannah Montana and deserved to. She behaved well and always did her homework. Allie never listened and always climbed on the counters. She just did not understand why Allie always had control of the TV. 

Allie was home alone all day with her mom because she was only three. She had not yet started preschool. During this time she planned control of the TV at night.  The girl's mom limited their electronic usage, so she never watched TV when she was home alone. She wanted the TV all to herself later when everyone was home. 

The girl's mom started picking up on what Allie was doing and she wanted to stop the fighting between Harper and Allie, so she tried to get Allie to spend her electric time earlier. She told Allie, "Hey, your favorite movie is on, let's sit down and watch it."

A Screaming Toddler

Allie, not willing to give up her time later, screamed, "Only if I get to watch Magic School Bus tonight with dad." The mom saw a losing battle and reluctantly agreed. They continued to play this dance for a week until the mom just asked Allie why she insisted so persistently on watching her TV shows every night with everyone. Allie responded, "If you guys watch my shows you pay attention to me! When you watch your shows you don't."

The mom was moved by the answer and as long as Allie stayed off the counter, they always watched what Allie wanted to watch.

Author's Note-- Spider Tales

This story is loosely based after the story "How we got the name 'Spider Tales.'" In that story, the spider is really conceited and wants every story to be about him. He goes through the trials which seem impossible and it gets them named after him. I thought he sounded a bit like my little sister growing up who always wanted control so I wrote a story along those lines. The three trials did not fit with a toddler so I adjusted it a bit but still made the family come to a consensus after some trial.

Reading Notes

West African Folktales

How We Got the Name "Spider Tales"

The spider was very conceited and wanted every story to be about him. So he requested that from Nyankupon and he agreed if he brought him some stuff. He tricked the bees into getting in a jar. He then tricked the boa by tying him to a stick. Then he sewed the tiger's eyes shut and sent him to Nyankupon. Because of he completed the three things all the old tales are called Anansi tales.

How Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race

Father Anansi had all the wisdom in the world. His son was named Kweku Tsin and he suspected his dad of something. He was trying to hide all the wisdom of the world in a tree. His son asked why he didn't put it on his back and he got frustrated that he was wiser and threw the pot. All the wisdom escaped. 

A pot

Anansi and Nothing

There was a rich man named nothing. He and Anansi switched clothes for a little bit and they went and got wives. Nothing was having a hard time doing so because he was dressed as a beggar. But then when they got home, Nothing's wife had a palace and Anansi's wives didn't have enough food. Anansi's wives went to nothing and didn't return. So Anansi killed him. She asked kids to cry for her husband-- crying for nothing.

Thunder and Anansi

There was a famine. He found a boat and tried to get it an island. He tried to get the nuts on this island but kept missing the boat. He threw himself in the water upset and found thunder's house. Thunder gave him a pot. He hid it from his family. His son caught him hiding it and the family tried to give food to everyone. Anansi returned to Thunder's house and got a violent stick that beat him. 

Why the Lizard Moves His Head Up and Down

A king promised his daughters to anyone that could figure out their names. Anansi tricked them into saying it in front of them. He told his friend the names and Lizard got the girls. He killed a chicken and placed the evidence at Lizard's house.

Tit For Tat

The famine rid the land of meat. KT found a bunch of animals and did not tell his dad bc see above. Anansi figured something was going on so he tracked KT. His dad drove him out of the place and killed a ton of animals. SO KT tricked him out of this meat with an image. 

Why White Ants Always Harm Man's Property

A spider found a dead antelope and wanted to keep it for himself. Everyone knew he wasn't to be trusted so they scared him and he dropped the mat. He sent a lizard to talk to them with sharpened teeth. He then took the antelope and threw a festival. In a search for revenge, the white ant tried to help but was screwed over so he decided to harm people's stuff. 

The Squirrel and the Spider

The squirrel was a hard worker with his farm. The spider then started stealing corn. The court gave it to the spider bc the squirrel did not have a road. Then the crow did the same thing to him.

Why We See Ants Carrying Bundles As Big As Themselves

Anansi and KT were great farmers. But there was no rain, KT found out how to get rain and his crops started doing well. Anansi tried the same thing but killed the dwarf. the dwarf was the king's jester and Anansi was tricked into bringing him to him. Anansi was stuck with a box on his head for punishment and then tricked an ant into taking it. 

Why Spiders Are Always Found in Corners of Ceilings

Anansi was a great farmer, but selfish and greedy. He tricked his family into leaving and feasted on the crops for two weeks. They put a rubber man in the fields and Anansi got stuck to it. When everyone found him he was embarrassed and hid.

The Grinding-Stone That Ground Flour By Itself

A famine. One family was doing well though. Kofi had found a stone that ground flour by itself and he would only take enough for his family. Anansi wanted in and He followed his cousin to the stone. A took the stone with him and the stone wanted down so the stone ground him up.