How Ananse Framed Leopard for Stealing Sheep

09/05/2025 0 min

Listen "How Ananse Framed Leopard for Stealing Sheep"

Episode Synopsis

# How Ananse Framed Leopard for His CrimeMr. Man hired Ananse the spider to guard his sheep, unaware that Ananse himself was secretly stealing them. When the worried owner demanded that Ananse find the thief, the cunning spider devised a scheme to deflect suspicion. Ananse announced he would catch the culprit by hosting a party, then visited Leopard with a "gift" of clothing made from sheepskin. Along with the present, Ananse instructed Leopard to wear these clothes to the party while singing a specific song: "See my clothes all made of sheep; see my sheepskin clothes." The unsuspecting Leopard followed these instructions perfectly, arriving at the party in the incriminating outfit and singing the damning lyrics. Ananse immediately pointed him out as the thief, shouting "That's him! That's the sheep-thief!" Based on this fabricated evidence, Mr. Man had the innocent Leopard arrested and imprisoned while the true culprit, Ananse, escaped punishment.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​https://mythopia.io/story/67/african-folktale-how-ananse-framed-leopard-for-stealing-sheep-west-african-trickster-tales