Seeing that they were running away Mbusoo begged his lord to change some of them into men because there were more of them than of men. Odumakuma told him to catch as many as he could. He did so and brought them to Odumakuma, who squeezed on their eyes the sap of the leaf plucked with his right hand. Then those beasts became men and mixed with the men on the right.
Afterwards they scattered and formed nations, and in them Ifu's name is remembered, as Abrofu,[1] Asantifu,[2] Ehifu.[3]
On the general question of Nyankopon and Ananse, the following stories are given exactly as narrated by the natives:
Anansesem or Anyankõsem from the Akwapim District.[4]
Formerly Ananse stories were known as Anyankõsem.
Ananse and Ananse kokuroko[5] argued one day about a grain of corn. Ananse said he could buy a whole town and its population with a single grain of corn.
"Impossible," said Ananse kokuroko; "if you are able, I will give you my Anyankõsem."
Ananse took the corn and went from town to town. When he saw some fowls he threw them the corn which was picked up by a cock. Ananse caught the cock and began to weep. The owner came, and Ananse said, "This corn was given me by the Creator to sow, and from this all men on the surface of the earth shall live. As I was holding it, it dropped and the cock swallowed it, therefore go and excuse yourself before the Creator."
The owner, in fear, gave Ananse the cock.
He went to another town, where he allowed the cock to be trampled on and killed by some oxen. He seized one of them, and in the same manner as before, it passed into his possession.
Ananse went on to the next village, where he met a funeral procession. He coaxed the people and obtained the dead body in exchange for the ox.
After dark, he entered the next town with the dead body
